A few years ago I started thinking about what I would want people to say about me when I pass away. Dark, I know. But I started thinking about what I wanted Cheryl to say about me. I thought about what I wanted Sam and Lila to say about me. I started thinking about what I wanted my sister and family to say about me. Then I started thinking about what I wanted my church family to say about me. What would I like my legacy to be? When I thought about my ministry, specifically what message I want people to receive from my preaching, one phrase came to me again and again….

Grace Guy

I want to be known as a preacher and pastor that extols the idea and virture of God’s grace. Why? Because I believe an understanding of grace changes everything:

Grace will change the way you respond to God. It will cause you to run to Him and not away from Him.

Grace will change the way you respond to others. Grace is designed and meant to be shared, so as you internalize God’s grace it will spill over into every relationship that you have.

Grace will give you a calm about your past. It reminds us that we are completely forgiven in Christ.

Grace will give you joy in your present. It reminds us that God is an ever present help in times of trouble.

Grace will give you hope about your future. It reminds us that we are in the hands of a graceful God.

I am reminded of the words of the ultimate grace guy, the Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 1:

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

We live in a culture that is fixated on the loud and the big.

The loudest news stories are the ones that get our attention.

The biggest contributions are the ones that get noticed.

The post with the most likes and the most shares must be the most valuable.

The acts of service that are most noticed must be the most meaningful.

I fear that we are losing our connection to the power of the quiet and the small. I am reminded I Thessalonians 4:

⁹ Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

The quiet life is the person who gives generously, and few people really notice.

The quiet life serves sacrificially, and few people really see.

The quiet life gets up every day and works hard and loves well with little celebration.

I am reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The quiet life isn’t exactly celebrated by our culture, but the quiet life is celebrated by God.  I think the quiet life accomplishes two things:

1. A lasting impact on others. A life that is spent quietly giving and serving others, over time, makes a huge mark and impact on this world. The laws of compounding interest soon begin to take hold as we love others who love others who love others.  When we feel this pressure/tension to make a big or loud contribution that is felt worldwide we might find ourselves never taking the first step because the project is too big. The task is too overwhelming. But, the quiet life….anyone can leave their house today and quietly love and serve another person.
2. A lasting impact on me. It is better for Jesus to be famous then for me to be famous. He is more equipped for this job. A desire to be known for our contribution and service to the world is not good for us spiritually. It can lead to pride, angst when we aren’t as known as we want to be, and jealousy when others are more famous then they should be. Not good. The quiet life keeps us humble and that is a good place to be.

This Christmas, as we celebrate our Savior who came to a quiet cave in a manger, let us crave and desire the quiet life. Give quietly. Serve sacrificially. Love well.

When I was in Middle School I received a call from God that would shape the rest of my life. The call was to vocational ministry. I felt a strong sense that God wanted me to use my gifts, talents, passion, career, and abilities to serve His church. Like I said, this call has been life changing.  In addition to being life changing, this call has also been life blessing. October is Pastor Appreciation month and I am grateful for the thanks that is thrown my way. I wanted to take a few minutes, in this blog, to express appreciation to the ministry.  

Thanks to ministry, I am grateful…

To Be Able To Give My Time To The Ministry Of The Word And Prayer.

One of the privileges of ministry is to spend time each day in God’s word crafting messages or just enjoying the text. I understand few people have this opportunity in their job. I am grateful. I also count it a privilege to pray over and for people throughout the day as I receive their prayer requests.

To Be Welcomed Into Lives And Stories.

I am honored when people are willing to share their story or struggle with me.  Sharing your story is a very private and difficult thing to do and because of the ministry I get to hear a lot of stories. I am humbled every time someone comes in and shares.

To Have A Front Row Seat To Changed Lives.

I get to hear about celebration stories and changed lives a lot. It is a deeply encouraging place to be when you get to hear how Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is changing and transforming someone into His image. The ministry has given me a front row seat to what God is doing in and through our church.

To Be Able To Lead And Bring About Change.

I have a voice at the table as direction is being set for our church. Mine is not the only voice to be sure but I have a voice and for that I am grateful.

A lot has been written in recent days about the challenges of ministry. Honestly, most of them are true. There is criticism, heartache, and some pain. However, I think if you are a leader that desires to bring about change a certain amount of pain and criticism will come in any organization that you serve. The church is not the only change resistant organization in the world.  To be fair, leadership can be a hard and  lonely task.

That being said, I can only speak for me: the call to vocational ministry has brought me an incredible amount of joy.

I am writing this blog for the young person considering ministry. I don’t want you to get the impression from a mountain of internet articles that the ministry is all pain and heartache. It is not!  The ministry is a life full of blessing…

You will be blessed by the people you pastor.

You will be blessed by the leadership team at your church.

You will be blessed as you carry out your calling to preach, teach, pray, and counsel.

You will be blessed as you walk with people through tough seasons and marvel at their faith.

You will be blessed as you share in the joy of your congregation.

If you sense God is calling you to serve with your career: pray, seek counsel, get trained,  and buckle up. You are in for the ride of a lifetime!

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3: 26-28

I love this text because it describes that, while we are from a variety of backgrounds, we are all children of God through faith in Jesus.  If we concentrate on the different backgrounds in this text, we will see all kinds of ways to fight, argue, and hurt each other. Jews and Gentiles see the world in categorically different ways. Slave and free see the world in categorically different ways. Men and women see the world in categorically different ways. In our world, republicans and democrats see the world in different ways.  Millennials and boomers see the world in different ways. Upper and middle/lower class see the world in different ways.

Yet, the text says we can be one in Christ Jesus. So, what is it that Christ Jesus gives that can unify people from all walks of life?

A sense of mission: Paul’s hope is that the Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female are on the same page when it comes to mission. To make the name of Jesus known, celebrated, and believed.  This mission is most important.

A sense of love: I may disagree with you in some profound ways, but I am always called to love you. This love must be patient, kind, and pure. I may advocate for a specific position but above that is my higher calling to advocate for love.

A sense of grace: It has become really easy for us to hurt each other. I can say terrible things about the other side and not even have to look at them thanks to social media.  Grace reminds me to forgive you. Grace urges me to moderate my tone.  Grace pleads with me to build relationships.

Our world is broken in some profound ways. We have chosen to focus on what separates us rather than what unites us. We have chosen to win rather than love. We have chosen to point rather than embrace.

May the church of Jesus Christ never fall into this trap. May the mission of Christ motivate us. May the love of Christ compel us. May the grace of Christ encourage us. While this world may choose to argue, fight, and win, may the kingdom of God be a beacon and example of what in Christ truly looks like.

We always knew we wanted children. When we got married, we had a “three year plan”; we’d first get a house and then start our family between our second and third anniversaries. They (whoever “they” are) say that we make plans and God laughs. While we don’t believe that God was laughing at us, He definitely had a different plan for our family: a plan that would take eight years to unfold instead of three, a plan the would include surgery, heartbreak and discouragement, a plan that would test our reliance on Him and our trust in His goodness, a plan that would eventually call us to build our family through adoption. With the valley of infertility in the rear view, we can see how God sustained us, comforted us, mourned with us, and provided for us. However, those things were much more difficult to see when we were in the valley. If someone you love is struggling with infertility, we would humbly offer the following advice based on our experience:

Don’t Repeatedly Ask Where They Are In The Process : Infertility treatments involve a monthly roller coaster of emotions. There is a great hope when the treatment is first done followed by profound discouragement if it doesn’t work. We allowed very few people into that part of the process; the disappointment was hard enough for the two of us to process, let alone processing it with a bunch of other people however well- meaning. Be sensitive to the roller coaster and allow your friend to take the lead on when and what information is shared.

Don’t Gossip: Infertility is a very invasive process. Please don’t violate your friend’s privacy further by telling other people about their infertility.

Don’t Apologize For Having Children: People that struggle with infertility love children and are actively trying to have them. You don’t need to apologize for being fertile and having children. We aren’t mad at you and we don’t resent you. We are happy for you and want to rejoice with you.

Don’t Draw Comparisons: There has been a movement in our culture the last few years from simple compassion to forced empathy. Simple compassion says I’m sorry that you are going through this. Forced empathy says, I understand because I went through __________. Sometimes these comparisons are helpful but, honestly, most of the time they are not. We would encourage you toward simple compassion.

Do Pray: This is an act of simple compassion. Pray for wisdom because there are many decisions to make when struggling with infertility. Pray for peace because there is a lot of anxiety when struggling with infertility. Pray for protection for their hearts because there is a lot of vulnerability when struggling with infertility. Pray for comfort because there is profound discouragement and disappointment when struggling with infertility.

Steve and Cheryl Higgs

I was talking to my best friend on the phone when the first plane hit the towers. We ended our conversation and the rest of my day was spent watching the television. I remember watching the first tower fall and quietly wondering to the person next to me, “How many people work in that tower?” No one had any idea how many lives would be taken that day.

Never forget. This phrase has always surrounded 9-11. Honestly, I don’t think I could forget that day even if I wanted to. Obviously, it didn’t have the jarring effect on my life like it did on those personally involved. That being said, almost every adult remembers where they were that day.

Never forget.

I don’t want to forget the bravery of the first responders. Those first responders need our nations support today to deal with PTSD and other service related injuries.

I don’t want to forget the grief of the victims families. They need our prayer today.

I don’t want to forget the courage of our armed service men and women who responded when our nation called on them.

Never forget.

I suppose it is natural on anniversaries to think about all the ways that your life has changed since September 11, 2001. Maybe a bit egocentric but also natural. 18 years is a long time to reflect on:

2 years later I would marry my wife.

5 years later we would start a new job in Decatur, IL.

6 years later we would close on our house.

10 years later we would adopt our son.

16 years later we would adopt our daughter.

In the darkness of a moment it is easy to be consumed by the darkness. The value of looking back is that you can begin to see some light. You can begin to see the ways in which God has been incredibly kind and good to you.

So, on this anniversary, never forget…

God is good.

God has a plan and purpose for your life.

God brings light to the darkness.

May our hope be in Him.

The Apostle Paul will say that the message of the cross is foolish to some and actually offensive to others. As a follower of Jesus my knee jerk reaction is to be taken aback by this statement. Why would anyone be offended by the cross? Every Sunday we thank and worship Jesus for His cross.

I think the cross can be offensive in 3 ways:

The cross offends  our righteousness.  A core part of the message of the cross is that we are sinners in desperate need of grace. We live in a culture that is, by and large, desperate to be seen as moral. You can see this desperation played out in our judgment of others and our use social media to preach and declare our righteousness. The cross confronts that sense of righteousness. It reminds us that we are sinners in need of God’s grace.

The cross offends our ability. Our culture is desperate to be seen as able. We can accomplish anything at any time. The cross reminds us that we are unable to deal with our sin and the consequences of it, but Jesus is able. We need Jesus to lead us, forgive us, and empower us.

The cross offends our authority. We are a culture that knows. We know what to do, we know what is right, we know what you should do, we know what the president and congress should do, we have the answers to all the worlds  problems. The cross reminds us that in our authority we will lead ourselves to death just like Adam and Eve did. We need a savior who will lead us to life.

The cross can be offensive. The question becomes, what do you do with the offense?

Some people choose to lash out. They have an angry response toward Jesus and His cross. They perceive an attack on their righteousness, ability, and authority and choose to attack in return. This was the response of the religious leaders toward Jesus in the New Testament. They end up living in their hypocrisy, judgment, and self righteousness. There is a better way and a better response.

Some people look in. They understand that a feeling of offense is something to pay attention to and address. Sometimes being offended is the thing we need most. They ask great questions like: Why am I so bothered by this? Is it possible that my righteousness and ability needs to be confronted? Is it possible that Jesus, His cross, and resurrection shows me a better way? These are the questions that I believe will lead you to life.

Be a person that looks in.

I am reading a book right now that talks about the nature of service and philanthropy at the turn of the century in America. Specifically the arrogance of the service. It came in two ways:

Individual Arrogance. America had been greatly influenced by the British cast system in our founding. This system had an arrogance built into it that found its way into philanthropy. The upper cast (the wealthy and the powerful) felt a societal pressure to help the lower cast (the poor). This pressure was based on the premise that those that are blessed should help those that are not as blessed.

Can you hear the condescension and arrogance in that statement? We, the blessed, are here to help you the unfortunate. In addition to being condescending it is also untrue. It assumes that financial wealth is always a blessing. In reality the Bible sometimes depicts wealth as a spiritual challenge. The wealthy have to battle a temptation to trust in their wealth instead of God. It also assumes that financial wealth is the only way that God blesses. In reality God blesses in ways that go far beyond a persons financials, see Matthew 5-7 for several examples. If Matthew 5-7 is true, the wealthy (the higher cast) might have much to learn from the less fortunate (the lower cast).

This arrogance caused the wealthy to look down on those they were helping with a pity and a condescension. So, people are being helped in the short term, but not being given any real dignity in the long term. Also, the cast system never really changes because the “rich” have no real desire to give up their wealth and their power. Their only desire is to feel good about themselves and how they helped those less fortunate.

Governmental Arrogance. This arrogance eventually found its way into our governmental systems. The government decided they were going to help those less fortunate through social programs. I think this was ultimately well intentioned and flowed from a true desire to help. But, the attitude became with some, we are going to help those less fortunate because they can’t help themselves. They aren’t capable. You can hear the condescension. Over time some of these social programs became a way to secure a voting base rather than actually helping those that need it most.

Followers of Jesus are called to be different and our compassion is to look different. Ultimately, we follow the example of Jesus. The Apostle Paul said it this way in Philippians 2:

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

An arrogant service will never do much good and never serve as many people. Why? Because it is ultimately about the giver and not the receiver. So, to the best of our ability, we want to rid our service and philanthropy of pride and arrogance. I think this text gives us some good things to think about:

Understand you are not God: God is the redeemer. God is the savior. God is the sustainer. God is in control. You are not God. You are a servant. Your job, and mine, is to serve but is not to save, control, sustain, or redeem. We do a disservice to the people we serve when we attempt to replace or be God. It never works. The only person who could have had a God complex was Jesus and He refused to be that way with people. Let’s lay down the cape and our desire to be their savior and just love and serve. Leave saving them to God. He is better at it.

Consider others first: The text talks about valuing others above yourselves. This isn’t to say that they have more value than you but it is to say you don’t have more value than them. You don’t have more value because you are wealthy, successful, or powerful. Every person has innate value. It is also saying that when we serve we consider them first, before us. What do they really need? What will really help? How can I really serve them? The text says that we look out for the interest of others. Serving and giving can feel good. We just want to make sure that what we get doesn’t become more important than what we are called to give.

Be humble: Pride says, I have what you need. Humility says, Jesus has what they need. Pride says, be like me. Humility says, be like Jesus. Pride says, I am more fortunate. Humility says, I want to learn from you.

Before you do that act of service, ask God to give you a humble heart like Jesus. The Spirit has a desire to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. A heart that desires humility will ultimately find a way to serve the way Jesus served. Prideful service makes me feel good. Humble service will change the world.

Joshua Harris, author of the book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” has recently criticized and distanced himself from his bestselling work of the 1990’s. He has said that he no longer identifies as a Christian. It was this book that allowed Harris to become an icon of the purity culture that included “True Love Waits” and purity rings in the 1990’s. Harris’ criticism of his work includes the following:

There are other weaknesses too: in an effort to set a high standard, the book emphasized practices (not dating, not kissing before marriage) and concepts (giving your heart away) that are not in the Bible. In trying to warn people of the potential pitfalls of dating, it instilled fear for some—fear of making mistakes or having their heart broken. The book also gave some the impression that a certain methodology of relationships would deliver a happy-ever-after ending—a great marriage, a great sex life—even though this is not promised by Scripture.

I think one of the mistakes of the purity culture was talking about purity without talking about grace. It is a love of Jesus and a love of His grace that drives our desire for purity. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount (Matthew 5) the blessing for the pure in heart comes after the blessing of those that are merciful. We must learn mercy before we can learn purity.

In a Biblical context we teach grace first. Grace will do its work. The church, historically, has been afraid that grace will result in sinfulness. It will not when properly understood. When understood, internalized, and celebrated….grace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, begins to change us and transform us into Jesus. Grace is more then just a belief….it is a prism through which we live life, make decisions, and treat others. Grace is truly transforming.

The purity movement of the 1990’s was responding to their culture. You can read more about that culture by following this link. I think there ought to be a spirit of grace in the church for those that were trying to address an issue and didn’t address it perfectly. It is easier to see that in the rear view mirror than it is in the windshield. Most of us that are growing and changing will have a similar feeling in 20 years. I already have that feeling about some of my beliefs from my mid 20’s. There is grace that meets us in that space.

As for Joshua Harris, he is processing his faith and processing his beliefs. We shouldn’t be afraid of this, a faith that is honestly owned is the best kind of faith. My prayer is that grace meets him where he is at and does a transforming work. In essence, my prayer is that grace does what grace does. It is my same prayer for you.