Jim talked and stuff 

Who's thankful for another Jim talk? I know I am, how about you?

I've been off social media for about a month. I have been thinking about the general feeling that having a constant connection to a phone that demands my emotions and attention. And then today, I was reminded that as sheep we listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. How are you doing at that?

I have been listening to a lot of Dallas Willard lately. I wish I were half as intellectual, and so you should probably go listen to or read his works; that would do a great deal of good for many of us. 

Did we prepared? No! Did we do a holiday-themed show? You betcha!

I am a sinner. You are too. Everyone has fallen short of God's standard. We shouldn't use labels to categorize people as us versus them. But we do. Jesus calls us to do better. He reminds us to love our enemies and the least of these because that is what following Jesus really looks like. 

Wake me up when September ends. We almost didn't make September, but we did. Another rambling, stumbling chat with Jim, this time in September.

It's two sides of the same coin. We are saved from something, and we are saved for something. We have majored in being saved from something, and unfortunately, we have also minored in being saved for something. 

It is hard to reconcile the fact that someone can preach the gospel of Jesus and have speech filled with hate. But it happens all the time. Finding Jesus does not mean that we will immediately have the correct thought. Most of us are stuck in our culture, and we are products of our community. And sometimes we don't even realize that there is a problem until we meet someone who makes us reevaluate. Jesus was constantly making people rethink their comfortable thoughts and challenging them to look deeper and really see. He still does that today, if you will let Him.

Last week, it was fruit; this week, it's seeds. Planting some ideas, hopefully.