The original Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt (froyo) restaurant opened in January 2005 and quickly exploded in popularity. It gained a cult following amongst celebrities and became a trendy must-visit spot in Los Angeles. With so many people driving across the city and waiting in lines of 20-30 minutes, Pinkberry was dubbed “the taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets.”Pinkberry sparked a nationwide soft serve “froyo” craze, with froyo restaurants popping up on seemingly every corner. Competitors like 16 handles, Froyo World, Kiwi Spoon, and Sweet Frog jumped into the market to capitalize on the demand. One of the primary appeals of these soft serve froyo restaurants is the level of customization that is literally at the customer’s fingertips. The yogurt dispensers and topping bars are generally self-serve, so the customer is in control. The pricing is calculated based on weight, allowing the customer to fill their cup with exactly as much and as many yogurt flavors and toppings as they so choose. These restaurants often market themselves as frozen yogurt done “your way.”When it comes to froyo, having it “your way” can be wonderful. But what about when it comes to our faith in the living God? Popular sentiment in our culture today is that all religions lead to heaven and you can indeed have God “your way.” But there’s a problem. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, says He’s the way. “Woke” thinking in our culture today says personal experience is king and you must live “your truth.” But Jesus, the King of kings, says He’s the truth. And finally, the internet glorifies “living your best life,” but Jesus, the Living God, says He’s the life. What I’m saying is that being born again through the Good News of Jesus Christ is not a way to heaven. It’s the only way to heaven. This declaration may sound closed-minded to some, which would be understandable if it were Christians who decided that Jesus was the only way. But it wasn’t a Christ-follower who said it, it was Christ himself! Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -John 14: 5-6 With only one way to get right with God, there is nothing more loving we can do for someone else than to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. I pray that He puts you in a position to do that today.

My kids love building Lego sets. It’s a fun challenge that requires serious focus. They know that when they open that Lego set, the manufacturer has provided every part they’ll need to build the finished product. But it’s not just the parts. The manufacturer also provides a photo of the finished product and an instruction manual showing how to put it together. Consider how critical these things are. The entire process revolves around them. The pile of parts you start with looks mostly like a big mess, but the photo of the finished product lets you know what you’re striving for. To get there requires referring back to the instruction manual every step of the way.If the Lego set provided the parts only, how effective would that be? My kids could build and build all day long, but it would be a waste. They may very well build something that looks nice to them, but how would they have any idea if what they built is what it’s actually supposed to be? They wouldn’t. And the reason is that it’s only the manufacturer who dictates what the finished product is supposed to be. My son may put together a building that looks great to him, but if the manufacturer designed it to be a spaceship, his efforts were misplaced. So it is with our lives. Only our heavenly “Manufacturer” dictates what we, His creation, are supposed to be. “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27) To find our life’s purpose, we need to stop looking inside ourselves and start looking to God. Pastor Rick Warren explains this principle in his best-selling book, A Purpose Driven Life. “Contrary to what popular books, movies, and seminars tell you, you won’t discover your life’s meaning by looking within yourself. You have probably tried that already. You didn’t create yourself, so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for.” Unbelievers have a huge mess of legos in front of them and have decided to go without the instruction manual. They may sincerely be trying to live a good and moral life, but they’re sincerely wrong. They are trying to be their own god and make up their own moral code as they go. Where the Christian’s truth claims are derived from an authority outside of and greater than themselves (God and His Word), the unbeliever’s truth claims are necessarily based on human authority, also known as one’s opinion.  These people are walking through life blind, but they’re not hopeless, because there’s still time for them to put their trust in Jesus. As believers, it’s our job to share with them the Good News. It’s a great day to do just that! Today is the day the Lord has made.

In the book of Acts, we read how the Apostle Paul and his companion Silas were stripped, beaten, and thrown in prison for preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. What ensues is amazing:“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself. We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household.” Acts 16: 25-31You’re probably familiar with this passage, and for good reason. It’s an awesome reminder that we serve a chain-breaking, miracle-working God. We serve a God who makes roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. He’s a way-maker! But there’s even more to this story. Stick with me here… Recently, I’ve been reading about the meaning and significance of water baptism. One of the main points I’ve heard preached is that once someone gets saved (born-again), they’re then supposed to be baptized. The two go hand in hand. Salvation occurs by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, and baptism is the way we publicly show the covenant we’ve made with God. Specifically, it’s a public demonstration of the death and burial of your old self, along with your re-birth as a new creation, purified from sin.Now I had never thought about this passage in the context of baptism, but check this out. Let’s pick it up from verse 29 and continue…“The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved- you and your household. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” The jailer and his household get saved in the middle of the night. Paul doesn’t tell them, “Hey, let’s set a date sometime soon to meet at the river so you can be baptized.” No, the jailer and his household are immediately baptized in the middle of the night! This urgency should be instructive to us regarding the importance of baptism. If you’re saved and dragging your feet about getting baptized, there’s no time like the present!

Do you regularly find yourself thinking, “these people have to be nuts” when you read about current affairs, politics, or pop culture? It’s tempting to conclude that our world must be more out of control than ever before. But check out this Bible verse written almost 2,000 years ago: “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” -Romans 12:2 The Apostle Paul was telling his people way back in the first century: listen, we’re living in a rebellious generation. So don’t live the way unbelievers live. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And how does someone renew their mind? Through the word of God. In other words, look to the Bible to guide your life, not secular pop culture.So take comfort and take courage, friend. This isn’t some new trend. We build our lives upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ, not the constantly changing quicksand of the ways of the world. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

I learned something recently that blew my mind. To explain it, I’d ask you to please read this beautiful passage about Jesus. Take your time through it…  “He grew up like a small plant before the Lord. He was like a root growing in dry land. He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him. There was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him. He was hated and rejected by people. He had much pain and suffering. People would not even look at him. He was hated, and we didn’t even notice him. But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us. We saw his suffering. We thought God was punishing him. But he was pierced for the wrong things we did. He was crushed for the evil things we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him. And we are healed because of his wounds. We all have wandered away like sheep. Each of us has gone his own way. But the Lord has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done. He was beaten down and punished. But he didn’t say a word. He was like a lamb being led to the slaughter He was quiet, as a sheep is quiet while its wool is being cut. He never opened his mouth. Men took him away roughly and unfairly. He died without children to continue his family. He was put to death. He was punished for the sins of my people. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death. He had done nothing wrong. He had never lied. But it was the Lord who decided to crush him and make him suffer. So the Lord made his life a penalty offering. But he will see his descendants and live a long life. He will complete the things the Lord wants him to do. He will suffer many things in his soul. But then he will see life and be satisfied. My good servant will make people right with God. He carried away their sins. For this reason I will make him a great man among people. He will share in all things with those who are strong. He willingly gave his life. He was treated like a criminal. But he carried away the sins of many people. And he asked forgiveness for those who sinned.” Ready for the stunner?  That was written 700 years before Jesus was born.  That’s Isaiah 53 from the Old Testament of the Bible. It’s the major Jewish prophet Isaiah predicting the coming Messiah who would save the world. Let that sink in. Jesus said he came not to abolish but to fulfill Old Testament prophecies. Here we have an Old Testament prophecy written 7 centuries before his birth, yet it reads like it could be Jesus’ biography! Mind… blown. The more I re-read it, the more the level of specificity amazes. God sure didn’t leave any room for doubt about who this is referring to. That’s our Savior! The Messiah. The King of kings. The Lord of lords. Jesus Christ.

My wife and I got our first dog, Gregory, in 2009. We purchased a doggy bed and were firm that he would NOT be sleeping on our bed… Yea, that lasted about a week.  We can’t help it. We love him! Our bed is the most comfortable place in the house, and we’re happy to share it with him. Of course, there is an important rule: he needs to be clean to sleep on our bed. Unfortunately, bulldogs have a tendency to roll around outside in the dirt. They also sometimes end up getting bit by ticks. As much as we want him to be with us, we obviously can’t allow mud or ticks to be carried into our bed.  The good news for Gregory is that I want to be with him, so much so that I’m willing to clean him up when he inevitably makes a huge mess of himself. Now there are a few ways it can play out when I call him in for a bath:  1. He can ignore me. He can continue playing, acting as if I don’t even exist. He can do this even though he’s living in my house. Maybe he thinks the cozy roof over his head somehow made itself.  2. He can try to handle it himself. Rather than coming in to take a bath, he can do his best to avoid mud and shake off whatever dust he does come into contact with.   3. He can come running when he hears the sound of my voice.  Spoiler alert: there is only one scenario that ends with Gregory sleeping on our bed. If he ignores me or rejects my offer for a bath, it’s a no-go. He needs to come running when he hears my call! Sure, he made a mess of himself. Bulldogs always do. But no matter how dirty he gets, I can wash him completely clean, and he’s clear to enjoy the most comfortable spot in the house with us. Moral of the story? My bed is a clean, peaceful place that I share with my bride. Gregory, by nature, rolls around in dirt and picks up ticks. He doesn’t have the capacity to remain clean. I want him to enjoy the bed with us, but that can only happen if he answers my call so I can wash him completely clean.  The Bible teaches that God shares heaven with His bride, the church. God is perfectly Holy and therefore cannot tolerate sin, shame, or guilt in his presence. Humans, by nature, are sinners. Every one of us carries some measure of guilt and shame. We don’t have the capacity to live in perfection. God wants us to join him in heaven, but that can only happen if we answer His call so he can wash us completely clean by the blood of Jesus.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” -1 John 1:7

Do you ever sit at home and think… “I need to be able to prove that my spouse exists. I’m going to put a bit of thought into it to make sure I can clearly explain that they exist and they’re not some figment of my imagination.” 

When you have a personal relationship with someone, the idea of needing to prove they exist is absurd. 

Do you see where I’m going with this? As Christians, we have a personal relationship with Jesus! We know He’s real because we know Him. Likewise, anyone who has read and experienced the Bible knows “the word of God is active and alive, sharper than any double-edged sword.” 

The idea that we’d need to “prove” that Jesus is Lord or that the Bible is the word of God is absurd. That said, learning why we believe is a critical skill to both strengthen your own faith and help you to share the good news with others. 

Consider this quote from Dr. Bart Ehrman speaking about the Bible:

“What good is it to say that the originals were inspired? We don’t have the originals! We have only error-ridden copies, and the vast majority of these are centuries removed from the originals and different from them, evidently, in thousands of ways.”

Because we don’t feel compelled to “prove” what we know to be true, these type of objections can sometimes catch Christians off-guard. I bet you’ve heard some variation of this sentiment from skeptical friends or loved ones. 

Heres the thing: I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that your skeptical friends are not experts in ancient textual criticism. I think it’s a much safer bet to assume they’re just spitting out a tagline in hopes that it will stop the conversation in its tracks. 

If you’ll learn some Christian Apologetics, you’ll be equipped to defend your faith and continue the discussion. In this case, Dr. Ehrman’s objection doesn’t even make logical sense. He says that we can’t trust the Bible because it has errors. How can you say something has errors unless you know what it’s supposed to say in the first place? 

My book goes further into the details, but the bottom line is that if the Bible could have been falsified by a series of errors, it would have happened a long time ago. It didn’t happen then and it will never happen because the Bible is the word of God. 

Remember: we can move with absolute confidence because of the Good News of Jesus Christ is absolutely true. We’re already on the “right” side of this issue. We’re not trying to win an argument, we’re trying to win souls for Christ. 

There is absolutely nothing more loving you can do for someone than to share Jesus with them.  

Most people understand the concept of “house rules” by about the age of 7. When you’re a guest in someone else’s “house,” they, as the authority, set the rules.

Imagine losing a hand of blackjack at a casino. As the dealer shuffles away your money, you explain to him that you and your buddies typically play by a different set of rules. Those are the rules you prefer, and they seem the best to your group. 

Are you expecting to get your money back? Of course not. When you’re in their house, you play by their house rules. 

Now consider this: I’ve been driving on the right side of the road since I got my driver’s license. It’s how it’s done here in America. But if I found myself in the UK tomorrow, what’s going to happen if I continue driving on the right side of the road? It’s going to be a disaster. 

Can you imagine if I thought I had the authority to change their house rules? “Listen, I’m too open-minded to drive on the left side of the road. As far as I’m concerned, driving on the right side of the road is the best way to do it. In fact, if you disagree that driving on the right side of the road is appropriate, you’re intolerant. Because science.”

That sounds ridiculous, I know. And yet, it feels on par with the “woke” ideology floating around our country. 

I believe that many of our differences can be summed up by looking at who’s House Rules we’re playing by.

As a Christian, I believe that the God of the Bible created our universe and everything inside of it, including you and me. Therefore, I’m playing by God’s house rules, which are prescribed in the Bible. Under those house rules, I fail daily. I’m not perfect. That’s why I need a Savior named Jesus.

For those who reject the Bible as their standard for morality, who’s house rules are you playing by? Without the absolute truth of the Bible as their standard, there are countless good-hearted people out there whose house rules are dictated by other people. Have you noticed that what is right and wrong is a constantly moving target under this ideology? That’s what happens when humans attempt to re-write rules that they have zero authority over. 

Consider this parable that Jesus told: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” -Matthew 7:24-27

The storms of life will inevitably come. If you’re wise, you’ll build your house on the absolute truth, the stable rock that is Jesus Christ. If you’re woke, you’ll build your house on constantly changing quicksand constructed by people. 

Who’s House Rules will you play by?

Like clockwork, every April this tree gives me a reminder to fix my focus. More specifically: 

“A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.”  -Proverbs 11:28

I am all for focused intensity and striving for excellence in every facet of our lives; but if we’re not serving Christ, we have nothing. 

If I’m crushing it in my career but I’m not serving Christ, I have nothing. If I’ve got wonderful friends but I’m not serving Christ, I have nothing. If I’m a devoted parent but I don’t teach my kids to know Christ, I have nothing. If I enjoy the pleasures of this world but I’m not serving Christ, I have nothing. My life is like a dead stump. 

It’s only through serving God that we can truly lead open, free, spacious, flourishing, fulfilled lives! 

I’m not saying all those other things are worthless; not at all. What I’m saying is that true fulfillment only comes when those things are in their proper position, which is secondary to our relationship with God. If we make anythingelse #1 in our lives, we’re out of alignment. 

Are you antsy about something in your life? Does something seem off or out of place? Don’t look inside yourself to try and figure it out, look to Him. 

Anyone else deal with some stress this week? I know I did, and there were times when fear and anxiety weighed on my mind. What a waste! Consider this story from the Gospel of Mark: 

Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be Still!” Then the wind died down and was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” -Mark 4:36-40

I have to think I would’ve done the exact same thing if I were on that boat: run to the Son of God for safety and peace! Wouldn’t you?

So the question is: is He not in our boat at all times? 

We know He is! So when stress hits, why would we try to take it all on ourselves?  It makes no sense, yet I do it, and I doubt I’m the only one. I encourage you today, if you have something weighing on you, bring it to the King of Kings! He’s already in your boat and He is your strength. 

–James