Tag: Faith

Posted on

The Three Gifts of Christmas

During my tenure as pastor at Life Connections, each Christmas I brought a series of messages to our church community called, The Three Gifts of Christmas. The sermons were loosely centered around the wisemen’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The messages were about gifts God had for us in the coming year. Though no longer pastor, in the spirit of Christmas’ past, I share my Three Gifts of Christmas for 2024.

Our first gift this year is found in Luke 5:17. Luke begins to recount the story about the miraculous healing of a paralytic with the simple words, “one day.” This is our first gift. The possibility of one day. I’m sure the paralytics friends, neighbors, and most certainly, he himself, had dreamed of a day when he would walk again. He is the photograph of hope for many of our prayers. We pray, hope, and imagine the moment that God says, “yes,” and our prayer becomes reality. How long had he dreamed? How long had people prayed? Was he incapacitated from birth? How old was he? All appropriate questions, but in a day they all become irrelevant. Was it hot or cold? Sunny or rainy? Did someone pray a “super” prayer? We will never know but what we must hold onto is the possibility that any day can become “one day.” So. Pray your prayers. Keep your faith. Wake up with an expectation that this could be my “one day.”

Luke uses the word that is our second gift fourteen times in his two books, Luke and Acts (AMP Version). It’s a powerful word. It is an exciting word. It is an unexpected word. The word, “suddenly.” Suddenly, it means immediately or quickly, without warning. No expectation. Boom! In a moment the miraculous! Luke’s first suddenly involves a most unexpecting group of men. Shepherds. In Jesus’ time the profession of shepherding was considered one of the lowest in society. It was lonely, smelly, and weather conditions could range from intense heat to the coldest of cold. There was no upward mobility. It’s to this group we see Luke’s mention of a supernatural suddenly. On a dark night, alone with sheep and their thoughts, the sky explodes with light and angels singing! It rocked their world. They observe, listen and obey. With no regards to their employers, sheep or future, they immediately go to see the baby Jesus. “Suddenly’s” do that to us. They change our perspective. They change our priorities. They change our world. Suddenly’s come to common people living ordinary lives. Suddenly happened on a mountain to disciples, worshippers in an upper room, and Paul on the Damascus Road. Who is a candidate for a suddenly? If shepherds are. If a murdering Pharisee is. Then anyone at any time can experience a suddenly! Can I encourage you, live every day with wander, could suddenly happen to me today?

The last gift is found in the statement made by a leper who meets Jesus in Luke 5:12. His request shows incredible confidence in God’s authority and power. His appeal, “Jesus, if you are willing, You can make me clean.” His statement leaves no room for doubt, no question of God’s power. He is a social outcast. He is covered with disease. He is alone. He has been abandoned by society. Yet his confidence in God’s ability is bold. If you are willing hope puts every possibility on Jesus and it can carry us through our darkest days. Hope knows God can do anything. The leper’s life was literally falling apart. His prognosis. You will never walk. You will continue to lose body parts. Death is imminent. What is your leprous diagnosis? Your unchangeable situation? I’ll never get over a mistake, my past. This addiction will always control me. My sickness is incurable. My financial battle will never get better. Whatever it is, like the leper, we must take on an unwavering confidence in God’s power and authority, “Live. Pray. Resolve. Hope. That if Jesus speaks, our situation has no choice but to change.

I am confident that God has put these three gifts in my spirit to share as we jettison into 2025. Times are tough. Life has hardships. Pain is real. Disappointments come. To survive we must have a shift in mindset. Become God focused and Spirit led. Allow these three gifts to marinate in your heart and life. Start living every day with elevated expectations. IF we will, the possibilities are endless. Get up with a “this could be the day” mindset. Live looking and expecting a suddenly to burst onto the landscape of your life. Pray, knowing God did, that God does, and that you have the hope, that if He is willing, your situation has no alternative but to yield to God and His power.

Posted on

Jim Coffey: The Masters Builder

No one succeeds alone. Regardless of our successes, our accomplishments have been built on the shoulders of others. We all have dreams and ambitions but the reality is that for them to become a possibility, we need others.

We see this process early on in the Bible. God gives Moses the Ten Commandments and the plans for the Tabernacle in the wilderness, but there is a problem, Moses is not a builder. Instead of equipping Moses, God provides a man, Bezalel, a man gifted as a craftsman. Moses has the dream and vision; Bezalel is essential for the dream to become a reality.

There are a number of people who have been instrumental to the story of Life Connections.  One particular couple that I want to bring attention to is Jim and Brenda Coffey. As Bezalel was to Moses, Jim Coffey was to Mary and I. Life Connections was a startup church, appearing and disappearing weekly at Brooks School Road Elementary, when I got a call from Jim. He was weeping. He had been in prayer, and though he didn’t attend Life Connections, God had impressed him to donate five and a half acres of prime real estate he owned in Fishers. Jim went on to inform me that, not only was he donating the land but he wanted to oversee the building of the church. In a moment God transformed our situation, moving us from renting a facility to having our own campus. It was a miraculous moment.

Jim’s life background is one of a very humble beginning. He was born in eastern Kentucky and was the last of 11 children. His mom was known in the hills as a woman of prayer, their home, a single room house. They worked and lived off the land. His education ended after his freshmen year of high school when he began working in construction. He quickly excelled and within a few years his family had moved to Indiana and he was building his own homes. That knowledge of building and business exploded. 

By the early seventies, if you lived in Noblesville or Fishers area and wanted a custom-built home, Jim and Coffey Construction was your top choice for a builder. Though Jim became highly successful, most would never know it. Meet him and you will hear more about his Kentucky roots and his love for God than any of his success. Some people flaunt their money and success, Jim has always boasted of God’s grace and mercy.

He is nearly 87, but spend a few minutes with him and you’d think you’re talking to someone who is maybe 70. I often tell people at our church, if you want to experience something special, buy Jim (and Brenda) lunch and let him spend some time speaking into your life. Block out a few hours, he loves to talk, but what you will absorb from him will be priceless. 

Jim will be the first to tell you that he’s not perfect. He has flaws, the gift of mischief, and is known for the pranks he pulls. Like many, I have been at the receiving end of his exploits more than once. Know this too, at some point Jim will start crying, and you will hear him say, “oh that I may know Him and the fellowship of his suffering.” 

When you walk away from the time with him you will have learned more than this space allows. You will understand that like Jim, we are all imperfect. You will know more about God’s Word because Jim passionately loves it. Seeing his zeal for God, it will make you want to become someone that wants to spend more time in God’s presence.

Only eternity will show the number of ministries that succeeded because of his physical, financial, and spiritual gifts. Jim and Brenda have helped numerous people and ministries succeed and flourish. There are missionaries in countries, churches that are vibrant because of their gifts, and more people than we will ever know, who Jim and Brenda have helped when they were down on their luck. They have given people new hope, jobs, and finances, never expecting anything in return. Mary and I fully understand that Life Connections existed, not only because of our dreams and passion, but because of Jim and Brenda Coffey and many others who gave spiritually, physically, and financially.

In closing I recount a recent conversation I had with Jim. I told him he needed to work on his neck and arm muscles. He looked at me confused and asked why? I said, “because you’re going to need a strong neck to keep that heavy crown on your head and stronger arms to throw it at Jesus’s feet.” His response, tears, and “I just hope I make it.” That is Jim Coffey.

Posted on

Life Connections Farewell: Celebrating its Spirit and Impact

Every chapter has an opening and a closing, so it is with Life Connections, the church that started out of our home in 2002 and the one we stepped away from in 2022. Acts 13:36 says, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;” Life Connections served its purpose, for its generation, and will leave an indelible mark on eternity. As Pastors Phil and Annie Daigle closes its chapter today, September 22, 2024, we look back on the incredible impact Life Connections had on families, its community, central Indiana, and the world.

Its vision, its values, and its impact was like none other. It was a New Testament church, one that mirrored the early church that started in the book of Acts. At the same it modeled how to be relevant and connect with current culture. It had a unique niche. It served the community of Fishers, Hamilton County, and families from across central Indiana. It was known for at least two important dynamics. Its community impact and its prayerful commitment to being a Spirit filled and led community. In its early years it was a regular part of the Freedom Festival and parades. As it grew it became known as the place where families could bring their kids for a myriad of events. More importantly, it became a place where people felt safe to bring their families to learn about Jesus and experience His presence. It was a place that wasn’t about religion and rules. It was not another copycat of the latest fad religion, but a place where they and their families could experience the Spirit and grow in God in a likeminded community of others that were on the same journey.

Life Connections was about service. That DNA would show itself yearly as people came out of hibernation after a cold and snowy winter. Life Connections would welcome hundreds of kids and families at its annual Bagels and Bunnies Easter Egg hunt, a free breakfast and a photo with the Easter bunny. 

Summer would bring X-treme Camp, a VBS, that was like no other. The camps were highly interactive, with lots of zany variation, and the famous, X-treme Camp Obstacle course. Whether it was the Amazing Race, Space Jam, or Wipe Out, over 1000 kids participated in Life Connections X-treme Camps.

Winter would bring Breakfast with Santa, donuts, cookies, coffee, and of course, a free picture with Santa. Through the years Life Connections gave away thousands of free pictures with Santa. We can’t count the number of tears we’ve seen, the “thank you’s” we’ve heard, and the lives that were impacted by these events.

In addition to those major events Life Connections became the place to be each June when we were privileged to host the Fishers Strawberry Festival. There were tons of bounce houses, mascots like Boomer, Rowdy, and even the Chick-fil-a cow showed up, along with crowds of people from all over central Indiana. Nothing said summer was here like a biscuit topped with ice cream, strawberries, and a big dab of whipped cream. The festivals revenue never went to Life Connections, instead monies went to missionaries, helped churches who been impacted by extreme weather events, and other areas where we saw need.

Life was about serving those less fortunate. So many were grateful for Bagels and Bunnies and Breakfast with Santa, but Life Connections went further. Life Connections gave away hundreds of Thanksgiving meals through the years, provided Christmas gifts and meals to families yearly, and partnered with the city of Fishers to provide bags of food weekly to needy families. Life Connections served its community… it served its generation.

Life Connections was a place where you could expect to experience the presence of God. It was a unique church. It was Spirit led without being eccentric. It was progressive yet valued its past. It knew while it was imperative to relate to its world, it had to be a place where people could experience what the apostles and the churches of the New Testament experienced. It shunned the legalism that stymied so many Spirit-filled churches yet valued the power and the liberty of the Spirit.

It was first and foremost, a place of prayer. It valued very strongly the words of Jesus, “my house shall be called a house of prayer.” It was a place where God’s presence dwelled, and His Spirit was welcomed. Done decently and in order as the apostle Paul commended, people came to Life with wonder, “what will God do today?” Miracles took place, lives were transformed, and families strengthened. Life Connections strived to model the “house of prayer” principle individually, as families, and as a church corporately.

Life Connections was multicultural, a place for all people. For some time, Sunday worship included the 10 a.m. worship service, an Indonesian service at 1 p.m. and a Hispanic church at 6 p.m. In addition, to serving the nearly one dozen different ethnic groups that attended, we had translation equipment that allowed us to serve the Indian and other cultures along with an interpreter for the deaf community.

Life Connections knew how to laugh and have fun. Whether serving at one of the many community events or engaging at one of the many church “family” events, few churches knew how to have fun like Life Connections. There were more memories and friendships built at events like Life’s Annual Chili Cook-off than one could ever imagine. Lifetime friendships were made around a campfire, on a hayride or during a trash talking corn hole tournament. Whether it was the Christmas Gathering at the Hudson home, a bible study, a party that someone hosted with good food, or even if it was before, during or after a service, there was always the sound of laughter at Life.

Life Connections was a place that valued God’s Word. Life Connections taught about, lifted up, and pointed people to Jesus. It was a place that was careful to preach and teach the Bible in right context. While the Sunday services were inspirational and inspiring, bible studies and the series taught were dedicated to building a strong relationship with God and having fellowship with others. Whether it was a book of the Bible, a practical perspective on a social or current issue, or a series on a book by Jentezen Franklin, Kyle Idleman, or Greg Groschel, people grew in their knowledge of God’s word, and in their relationship with Jesus.

Life Connections was a place that valued the Spirit-filled experience that took place in the book Acts and what was the only experience and dynamic of the New Testament church. We tried to emulate that dynamic. It was a Spirit filled and Spirit led place. It was not a religious institution, not a doctrine, but a place where you could safely experience the Spirit. It was early on that we discarded the label of a denomination and took on the atmosphere as a place of healing. If you wanted to find a discarded label you could find it at Life Connections. There were those who were Catholic, Jew, Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal, the list could go on, but once you came to Life you became a person. A person who knew that everyone was broken, everyone needed the blood of Jesus, and everyone was growing, some more quickly than others, but everyone’s progress was celebrated. It was a place where you could be real, fail, heal, and grow without judgement. It had a unique vibe and was a distinctive place for many.

Life Connections was a spiritual hospital, not a nursing home. In a hospital there are a lot of sick people trying to get better, a lot of people serving, doing their best to help people get better, but still human and understanding that nearly every situation needed a touch from God. Life Connections never exploded in numeric growth but literally thousands of people passed through its doors through the years, at its height in early 2020, nearly 400 people called Life their home. Generally, we only saw about 70 percent of those though, unless there was a crisis, it was Easter or Christmas. For a while it bothered us, but we will never forget a moment in a prayer service as we were struggling with the issue that God spoke to our heart and said, “I’ve called Life Connections to be different, it is a hospital. I trust you to let Me heal people and you to let them go.” So, it has been, many, thousands who came through its doors over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, some died spiritually, others decided to move into a spiritual nursing home, but were excited that most were healed and moved on to greater ministries or became an integral part of the church community and helped others heal, grow, and impact the world.

In closing I go to Life Connections beginning. Our mission statement was simple; “Connecting people to faith, family, and friends.” As with the passing of an individual, we say farewell to Life’s physical presence. We know its influence, impact, and spirit will live on for generations. People will forever remember its love for the Spirit and its high values of passion, excellence, and integrity. There will be families who will pass down the Word that was taught, values instilled, and experience of the Spirit for years to come. There are friendships that were made that will last a lifetime. Though it is no more, it will forever be. Mary and I count it the highest of honors to have served the Kingdom of God in Fishers, Hamilton County, and central Indiana at Life Connections. We will forever be indebted to an unnumberable host of people who ran along side with us, brought vision and ideas, creativity, gave, worked and served, cried and prayed… who believed in Life Connections. If you were ever a part of Life Connections in any way, thank you.

How do we say farewell to Life Connections? I guess the best way is the way I would close each Sunday service. If you’ve been there you know it well. So, for one last time…

     The Lord bless you, and keep you;

     The Lord make His face shine on you,

     And be gracious to you;

     The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

      And give you peace.’

                                  –  Numbers 6:24-26

Preach Always, If Necessary Use Words,
Jon & Mary Hudson

 

Posted on

There is No Cancer

Miracle Monday, it was 10 years ago today, January 28, 2014, I made one of the most memorable calls of my life. It was to our church family through our One-Call phone program. It was with a shaken and broken voice I said, “we have received the results from Mary’s cancer surgery, there is no cancer. We’ve experienced a miracle.” You can listen to the call here.

To be honest it was a call we weren’t totally confident we would make. On December 2, 2013 I had taken Mary to her yearly mammogram test. I remember waiting for an extended time and beginning to feel uneasy that her test was taking so long. I’ll never forget the look on her face as she came back to the lobby. Her face was pail, there was fear in her voice as she said, “they think they have found cancer in my breast. “

By the time we got to our car and started home we had received a call from Mary’s gynecologist, Dr. James Jarrett. His voice was serious and we could tell he was alarmed by the report he had received. Within days he had arranged an appointment for us with one of his best friends, Dr. Tim Goedde, one of the best cancer doctors in Indiana and was a part of the renowned M.D. Anderson cancer team out of Houston Texas.

Our meeting with Dr. Goedde would prove to be a tough day. He did his exam of Mary’s breast, seemed troubled, and asked us to wait in the consultation room next door. We were scared and the fifteen-minute wait before he stepped back into the room seemed like an eternity. When we saw him, it appeared he had been crying, his face was red and eyes swollen. It was definitely something we had never experienced when working with a doctor. He began to explain that Mary’s breast cancer was bad, stage four bad, and described the cancer in her breast “as the stars in heaven.” We would later learn from Dr. Jarrett that Dr. Goedde had called him immediately after we had left our appointment and told him that Mary’s case was the worst case he had seen in his 25 years of practice.

At the time Gentry and Risa were 18 and 16. We discussed how to handle the moment with them and felt that we could have a transparent conversation about their mom’s cancer. We were honest about the challenges ahead and prepared them the best we could for the uncertain future. The conversation was honest but filled with faith.  Mary and I also had private discussion about what if the worst-case scenario happened, but in every moment, there was faith. Faith that overwhelmed fear.

We have always been people of prayer, so we attacked this moment as we had every other crisis we had faced. Over the next few weeks, we went into fervent prayer. We prayed with hope, expectancy, and believed for a miracle. We had a team of prayer warriors and friends who joined with us. Our church rallied around us in a way I’ve never seen. Our faith was so strong that we asked for a second evaluation, but while Dr. Goedde noted that there was some change, it was nothing significant.

Mary’s surgery had been schedule at our first appointment, and on January 21st of 2024, she had a double mastectomy. After an overnight stay, Mary came home, and would spend the next three months in recovery. She was amazing, strong, and brave.

It was on the morning of January 28, 2014 that we got the call. We froze when the phone rang. We recognized the number and knew this was “the call.” We answered and a nurse said “we’re calling with the results of Mary’s breast cancer surgery, it was negative.” Those words overwhelmed us, and to be honest, the rest of her conversation is kind of blurry. All we heard was, “it was negative.” We were weeping, overjoyed, and after hanging up, we were trying to grasp what had just happened. We had questions. Like what does this mean? Is negative, positive or is negative, negative? Where do we go from here? As we were trying to get our heads around what had just happened, the phone rang again. This time it was Dr. Goedde.

His call brought absolute clarity. He said, “Mary, I want you to know that there was absolutely no cancer in your breast. You are cancer free.” While he would not use the word “miracle,” he did say, “this is something that I can’t explain.” He would go on to convey that there would be no need for any chemotherapy, radiation, or the five-year pill that is normally given to breast cancer patients.

We would visit Dr. Goedde two more times over the next few months, each time he would say, “this is just remarkable.” Our final visit with him was a year later, after that evaluation he said, “Mary, as far as I’m concerned, we never have to see you again, go and enjoy life.”

Today is 10 years since that amazing phone call. We pray that it inspires and gives hope to anyone and everyone going through a difficult season. Whether it is sickness, a family issue, a job situation, or financial struggle, miracles do happen and it can happen for you. God can and God can for you!

Posted on

The Worlds Most Valuable Resource

From the beginning of time man has pursued the resources of the earth. In early biblical times and still today, one of the most valuable resources is water. Control the water and you control where life can be sustained. Beyond water, over time gold, silver, and other precious materials became valuable. Biblically, early wealth was measured by the amount of gold, silver and bronze someone had. With the advent of the motor, oil became a valuable commodity. In today’s world uranium is one of the most sought-after substances, giving governments the ability to create nuclear energy and bombs. Yet, I would submit that none of these resources are the most valuable.

The most valuable resource, blood. Regardless of how much of the other resources you have, without blood, life ends. In our body is a little over 10 pints, 20 cups. We can lose 14% before we begin to see significant side effects. Lose 25% and we begin to feel substantial side effects. When a person loses 40% of their blood, death is imminent. Thankfully blood can be replaced and with modern technology, men have even learned how to manipulate blood. If a person’s blood becomes corrupted, a blood transfusion or dialysis can be done, replacing bad blood with new.

Yet beyond the value of blood in general, there is a blood that has more value. It is the blood of Jesus. To attain His actual blood is impossible, it was spilled out on the cross. Per chance someone would have saved it, put it in bottles, the cost would be beyond any price you and I, common people could pay.

I share all of this because as we start the beginning of the year many will take communion. For some communion may be something that happens just a few times a year. For others, communion may be taken at your church weekly or monthly. Regardless of how of often, communion should be done with understanding.

Communion is about blood. It’s right before Passover, one of the first instances of blood making a difference. Setting with Jesus is His 12 disciples. Understanding what is about to happen, and His disciples having no clue, Jesus calls a grape concoction, His blood and shares it.  Sorry, I’m not here to debate wine and grape juice. What is important in the moment is what Jesus is saying. He knows and they don’t, that he is headed for a cross, and His blood will be spilled out. 10 pints, 20 cups. If men would have known, understood, the value of his blood, they would have fought to save every drop. It literally would be the most valuable resource you could own. In His blood, those 10 pints, was eternal life, healing, salvation, covering of sin, and so much more.

Take every life and every sin from the beginning of time until today and it’s over 117 billion people. How many more will be added before God’s return, only He knows. What I do know is this, that if we were dependent on Jesus’ literal blood, we’re all toast. Even if it had been saved, I could not have afforded it. Only the elitist of the elite, the wealthiest of the wealthy, would have been able to afford and attain it. By today, those who could have purchased it in earlier centuries, would have consumed all the resource. This makes what Jesus does right before His death incredibly significant. He gives us hope with 21 words, “this cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” In one defining moment Jesus gives everyone access to the world’s most valuable resource, His blood. It won’t be only for the elite, wealthy, educated, or religious. It doesn’t have to be purchased or earned. It will be available to anyone and for all time. It is for saints and sinners, good and bad, to all who will ever live and for all who chose to believe.

When we take a communion cup, we are taking in faith, His blood. In that blood, that cup, is life giving agents. In this short blog there is no way I can share everything that is in Jesus’ blood. The forgiveness of sin. There is the covering of sin. There is the washing of sin. There is life. There is eternal life. There is healing. Physical and emotional healing. Mental and spiritual healing. There is transformation. It is life altering. There is hope, grace, mercy. In short, everything you will ever need is in His blood.

My challenge. When we take a communion cup in the coming weeks, whether that be weekly or monthly or only a few times a year, take it with understanding. It’s the moment a blood transfusion or spiritual dialysis can take place. In one moment, your life can be changed or altered forever. Old can be replaced with new. A washing, purifying, or transformation can happen. Healing of any issue can happen. As you hold our communion cup, realize you are holding the world’s most valuable resource.

Posted on

The Three Gifts of Christmas 2023

For years I would do a three-week series around the holidays called, the Three Gifts of Christmas, it was based on the story of the wise men bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus. In our home we incorporated the idea as well, there would be three gifts in each stocking, and three nice gifts for each of us under the tree. This last year the series paused, as we stepped down from our pastorate, but after a year off, and a lot of requests for its return, its back.  Now in written form in a single blog, here are my three Christmas gifts for you as we merge into 2024.

The first gift is the gift of maybe today. It is the hope of every prayer. The hope for those who have sickness in their body, a loved one facing illness, or a marriage that is on the brinks. Maybe today is the hope of a parent with a prodigal child, for the person who needs a change in their career, or the lonely person longing for a spouse. After years of seeking help from physicians, the woman with an issue of blood went to Jesus, hoping maybe today things would be different. In a moment, with  a single touch of Jesus’ garment, all of her not todays turned into yes today. There are prayers I’ve prayed for years. Each time they’ve been met with a no, or worse, silence, but I don’t give up. I keep praying, hoping that maybe this time, it will be answered with a yes. Why should you keep believing? Why have faith? Why keep praying? Because of the gift of maybe today. No matter how discouraged, how overwhelmed, or how defeated you may feel, never let go of maybe today. Wake up each day, believe with every prayer, that your maybe might come today.

The second gift of Christmas in 2023 is the gift of suddenly. We find the word suddenly, which means “quickly, without warning, unexpectedly,” thirteen times in the New Testament. It is the nature of God to do things without warning. Suddenly’s were a part of Jesus’ birth and His ascension. When Jesus walked on this earth blinded eyes were open, deaf ears unstopped, and lame lives were changed in a moment. Suddenly’s have been eliminated or are discouraged in most modern-day church services, but they are something that people are desperately longing for. Suddenly’s were common throughout the book of Acts. Noise, wind, fire and the Spirit fell suddenly in the upper room, on Cornelius and his house, and on John’s disciples on Paul’s third missionary journey. I encourage you to live life, to get up every day, with the expectation, that just maybe, a suddenly might happen. You serve a God who loves suddenly’s!

Finally, my last gift of Christmas is the gift exceedingly. God always does things extraordinarily! When He turned water into wine, it wasn’t a little, but 10 large jars, and it was just wine, but the finest wine. When He provided food for 5000 men, plus women and children, all left full, and there were twelve overflowing baskets of leftovers. When He gave His blood, it wasn’t for a few people or some sins, but it was enough to cover every sin that every person might commit. God goes above and beyond, He does exceedingly! Live your life expecting, not just a little or enough favor and blessings, but live expecting exceedingly!

This year I feel that the three gifts that God gave me to share are gifts people are to take into 2024. It’s one thing to get a gift, it’s another to use it. How many gifts end up in drawers, closets, or worse, Goodwill’s or garage sales. That isn’t where these gifts are supposed to end up. These gifts are supposed to encourage you, inspire you, and give you hope. Tough days will come and discouragement will visit you in 2024, but when they do, pull these gifts out of the depths of your heart and they will carry you to a better day and better year. If you will, maybe today a suddenly will exceedingly overwhelm you.

Posted on

It Happened at a Garage Sale

Spring in Indiana. You know it’s here when the trees begin to flower, colorful tulips pop up, and you see garage sales signs at almost every neighborhood entrance. Our family has been participators in garage sales for years, both hosting and going to them. I’m not too proud to admit that through the years we’ve bought clothes for our kids, tools, household items, and most of our lawn furniture at garage sales. We held our first garage sale in 2002 when our neighborhood had a community sale. Reflecting back, it’s hard to believe that a garage sale turned out to be one of the most impacting and life-changing events in our lives. In those two days, we bought some picket fencing from a neighbor, Steph Staats, and met an amazing Lutheran lady, Elizabeth Bocek, when she stopped at our sale. She bought a worship CD and asked what we did. When she found out that I taught at a Christian college she was ecstatic. She said she was going to go get her son and introduce him to me. Three hours later she came back with her son, and three months later he enrolled at the college. Steph too found out that I was an instructor at a Christian college and the next day she pulled up to our sale, honked her horn, and motioned to Mary to come to her van. She wanted to start a neighborhood bible study, asked Mary if she would run it, and the rest is a crazy history that would take way too much space in this moment. Though there is so much more to the story, that garage sale became the catalyst of what would become Life Connections.
The lady’s bible study was an incredible hit, summer came, and the mom’s needed something for their kids to do during the study, so I took on the task of holding a weekly VBS for the summer. I recruited some students from the college to help and in the summer of 2002, we held our first VBS, Camp Blue Sky, so named for the street we lived on. We’ll forever be indebted to Micah Barley, Joe Landaw, Jamie MacDonald, Steve Bocek, and others who assisted us every Monday. We had games, activities, bible lessons, and of course tons of snacks. Some weeks we had over twenty kids attending and by fall things really began to explode. The bible study continued to grow, and though we weren’t fully grasping what God was doing, a church had been birthed. As more joined, we connected with the trendy bible study of the day, Purpose Driven Life, and by the summer of 2003 we were looking for a place to meet as a group. At a few of our gatherings, we had nearly 70 people in our home, with kids in our bedroom, youth in our garage, and adults filling most of our downstairs space. I’m not sure which, but on either a whim, impression from God, or just shear desperation, Mary approached the owner of a local preschool, the Goddard School, and he allowed us to use his facility for free! We held a few services there but soon realized we needed more space. Getting advice from one of my mentors, Pastor Chester Mitchell from Auburn Virginia, we moved into what would be our permanent location for five years, Brook School Elementary.
In 2007, James Coffey graciously donated five and a half acres of land to us, and by 2009 we were on our new campus. It’s been 21 unbelievable years since that weekend event and there’s no way we could have imagined what God would accomplish from those two days. We would do over 15 VBS’s, a dozen Breakfast with Santa’s and Bagels with Bunnies, be in parades and community events, and host the Fishers Strawberry Festival for 10 years. A garage sale that would end up in a multimillion-dollar campus, one that would give us a twenty-year ministry where we would see thousands of lives impacted by the gospel, and that it would be the way that God would give us a legacy that would far outlive our lives. Our story will always be a story of how God took two ordinary people and their two kids, used a garage sale, and did the miraculous. Live in faith, in a way where God can write an indescribable and unimaginable story in your life.

Posted on

Sample Saturday

Sample Saturday was one of the favorite days around the Hudson home when our kids were growing up. After a long week of work and activities we would take a Saturday morning and go to Sam’s Club to stock up on groceries. What it meant to our kids was running to every tasting stand to sample whatever was being served in the little cups. Whether it was crackers or cookies, fruit or energy drinks, chicken, hot dogs, or shrimp, we would hit nearly every stand, and some of them multiple times. Reflecting back, I smile at the simple ways we found to make everyday chores fun, but as I was reminiscing, I realized something else too, that Sample Saturday never satisfied us. We got just enough food to whet our appetites but not nearly enough to fill our stomachs. Often the end of Sample Saturday would mean grabbing fast food, even though we had eaten a ton of samples, we needed to find a place that served a full meal.
I reflect on this because over the past three months Mary and I have been on a sabbatical. While on it, we’ve done something we’ve always wanted to do, visit other churches, see their systems and structure, participate in their worship environments, and hear the Word from different perspectives. It’s been quite the journey. As we’ve sampled nearly a dozen churches, we’ve walked away with a greater appreciation for the way we did church at Life Connections, the church we pastored for 20 years. Here’s a few things we discovered on our Sample Sundays.
First, was the challenge of being a guest and simply navigating the entry. In nearly every lobby we got the feeling you get when you need to buy a new car but dread going to the car lot, or the feeling you get when trying to negotiate the vendor areas at a Flower and Patio Show. Overly smiley people, who wanted us to feel like they were our best friends, that wanted us to know that they were really cool, but too often made us feel like we were dealing with someone who was trying to sell us a fake Rolex. To every hospitality team, know three things. One, we want to come and find our seats unnoticed, discreetly, without feeling like we have to go through a receiving line at a wedding. Second, we really don’t need everyone in the building to know were “the guest” and we definitely don’t need everyone to clap for us, we’re really okay if you simply say, “if you’re a guest we’re honored that you’ve come to visit.” Finally, we don’t need parting gifts, i.e., your coffee mug, we have one from the other 11 churches we visited, and they are all going to the same place, Goodwill.
Second, unless the church was self-consumed and out of touch with the rest of society, nearly every worship service felt like we were living in Bill Murray’s Ground Hogs Day movie. Same show, different building. Every venue had three pre-planned songs, no more or less, that featured a mixture of the latest trendy hits sprinkled with one of the 14 songs you hear on K-Love. Every show featured vocally gifted people who were trendily dressed, and each place had studio quality sound and lighting, but there was not much depth in the worship experience. Worship teams. Please! Get away from your script, learn to lean in and follow the Spirit, call an audible in the middle of worship, have a goal of creating vertical worship and ushering us into the presence of God where we lose track of our cell phones and our life issues. Cause us to lose track of time and take us to a place where we are consumed by His presence. We will gladly trade your incredibly talented singers and musicians for an experience that takes us into a place where we can cry, feel unexplainable joy, and sense the overwhelming awe of God’s glory and presence.
Third, we were overwhelmed by the number of gifted pastors and their ability to share the gospel. There are some really amazing and talented pastors who are sincere and studied. We walked away from so many churches with incredible notes and relevant issues to work on in our lives. The one issue we struggled with was that there were too many series and messages that felt like we were setting through Ted Talks. Pastors. Make it personal. Be energetic, excited, and exuberant. Let us feel your passion. Let us sense your desperation and hunger. Let us experience God. Give us a fresh Word from Heaven instead of the latest trendy series, church growth program, or featured book.
Finally, churches, would it be too much to ask that you make room for God. Way too many places had church down to a formula, a science, or an unbreachable schedule. In most places there was no liberty for God to move or a time for people to experience His overwhelming presence. Please make room for God moments, call an audible, have a suddenly. Rarely, in any church was there a place for a response to the Word preached, for someone to pray with another person, for an opportunity to make a commitment after being impacted by the Word you just heard. We don’t want some kind of crazed demonstrative response, only room for the miraculous, for healing, for someone to engage with a person who had had their heart stirred, for tears to fall freely, for the Holy Spirit to have freedom, for the possibility of someone walking away impacted by the power of God. We grieved as we left so many services, longing for more than a sample, more than Jesus light, more than an hour and fifteen minute gathering before the next service or returning the next week. We left many places brokenhearted and wishing people had the opportunity to experience a service where they could be impacted by the life altering touch of God’s presence.
I am nobody, but if I could humbly offer a word to any pastor, lead or worship team, it would simply be this. Pray more. Be Spirit led. Be an original, not a copy. Focus on giving people more than a Sample Saturday experience on Sunday. Give them more than a little plastic cup of Jesus. To those looking for a church for your family I would say, find one that gives you a full five-course unforgettable feast. Find one that causes you to say, I came, I saw, I heard, I felt, I experienced, and I can’t wait to go back. Find a place that gives you more than a sample and a coffee cup, find one that causes you to leave saying, I encountered Jesus like I never have before.

Author’s Note: If you are a member of Life Connections, know that after visiting many amazing churches, Mary and I want you to appreciate how blessed you are to be a part of LC. What is happening through your new Lead Pastors, Philip and Annie Daigle is unique and special. If you are not a part of Life and you live in central Indiana, you should seriously consider planning a visit.

Posted on

Saturday

The week had been eventful. There was a euphoria in the air, strong rumor had it that Jesus was preparing to bring His kingdom to earth. What would eventually be called the Last Supper, was a meal that had been the crescendo to an amazing week. Expectations were off the chart. Excitement and faith were at an all-time high. That was Thursday, but then Friday happened. Faith turned to fear and excitement into astonishment. The unimaginable had happened. Jesus was dead, in a tomb, and the dreams of the disciples are broken like a crystal vase. Fridays are difficult and dreadful. Fridays are filled with hurt and pain. Fridays are packed with accusations and betrayal. Jesus faced all of life’s pain on Friday. Friends betrayed and abandoned him. Accusations were accepted as truth without question. There were emotional and mental attacks on his person, integrity, and character. He was mocked, ridiculed and made a laughingstock by the crowd who had gathered on Golgotha’s hill. The physical abuse he has endured was beyond imagination and more than anyone should ever face. As He hangs on Calvary, death will be a blessing. The pulsating pain running through his hands and feet are surpassed only by the throbbing agony brought by the thorns that are penetrating his brain. Every breath is torturous as his back, plowed open like a spring field, rubs against a cross that feels like sandpaper. The sky is now dark, his friends and family all gone, save his mom and John; death is but moments away. With one last breath Friday will finally be over. We all hate Fridays. Fridays when sickness, disease, and cancer ravages a body, death visits our family or a friend. We abhor Fridays when we’ve made terrible decisions, when divorce visits our marriage, and when we’ve been betrayed, mocked, or we are the recipient of ugly and untrue gossip. We hate Fridays when we did our best, but our children still turned from God. On Friday, sunsets can’t come fast enough, and the darkness of night will at least signal an end of the day. Saturday is different. The events of Friday are over. Jesus’ body is off the cross, it’s now wrapped in cloth, and the tomb is sealed. In the grave blood oozes through the fabric where the nails had pierced His hands, feet, side, and skull. The stone where he lies is stained with a pool of blood from the scourging of his back. This day there is no more pain, the accusations and attacks are mute, and now darkness and silence are Jesus’ only companions. While Fridays are unbearable, Saturdays can be as excruciating. Saturday, when cancer miraculously recedes but we are left with its traumatic aftereffects. Saturday, when we’ve survived the heart attack, but our emotions are drastically different. Saturday, when the divorce is final, and we are left to try to pick up the pieces and forge on. Saturday, when the death of a spouse, family member, or friend is final, and we now have to live life with the terrible void left in our hearts. Saturday, the darkness, and silence it brings, can be as overwhelming as the literal pain of Friday. Saturday leaves us with more questions than answers, more darkness than the darkest night, more uncertainty than we’ve ever experienced, and more fear than anyone could ever imagine. We know Fridays will end with finality, either healing or heaven, but Saturday leaves us with no voices of encouragement, no one to lift our faith, and no date of expiration as too when the darkness will disappear, and light will shine bright again. How do we survive Saturday? In the faith that there will be a Sunday, that what Jesus said will come to pass. That as He resurrected, your situation too can come back to life. You survive Saturday by remembering the blind being given their sight, the lame walking, and Lazarus being brought back from the dead. You survive Saturday by remembering the mercy showed by Jesus to a Samaritan woman with five husbands at a well, and grace extended to a woman caught in the middle of a wild sexual tryst. Saturdays are when God often leaves us alone but teaches us to know He is still with us. May I say that again? Saturdays are when He leaves us alone but is still with us. Saturdays may mean leaning in and waiting patiently, quietly, and humbly, praying, and resting in the fact that He said, I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Saturday may last a day, a week, a year, or possibly even decades but no matter how lonely, how dark, how overwhelming, or how long Saturday is, know that there is a Sunday in our future (John 14:3, Acts 1:11). God went through Saturday to show us the way and that we too can survive our Saturday. Sundays, they happen in an instant. One moment death, the next resurrection and life. A move of the Spirit, an unexpected change in a person, a blessing that overwhelms, an opportunity that comes out of nowhere, or physical miracle that forever is your testimony. Sometimes a Sunday means an eternal ticket to an everlasting Sunday; no more pain, sickness, or struggles with this life. If you are experiencing or have lived in a Saturday, I encourage you to take on a new perspective this Easter, begin living with an expectation that your Sunday is on its way!

Posted on

Leaving the Comfort Zone

It’s two weeks until Passover and tensions are high. Some good men have tossed and turned for months losing sleep. They’ve had more meetings than Gen Z’s have collaboration sessions. Their issue? Trying to figure a way to rid themselves of a three-year problem. They have debated and discussed different possibilities for hours on end and they have finally concluded that the changes they would have to make would cost too much, so rather than change, someone else will. The seed of selfishness is always about us. Our comfort. Our titles and positions. Our rituals and traditions. Caiaphas’ comes up with the solution, “one man must die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish” (John 11:50). These were good men. Men of prayer. They dressed well, knew scripture, and really had a good grasp on doctrine and theology. In fact, in many ways they agreed with much of what Jesus said, but the changes He was suggesting were just too radical. They had to protect the past, secure their traditions, and safeguard rules for the future. Circumcision was an unnegotiable, leaving the sacrificial system absurd, and redefining the Law. . . heresy. The decision for one man to pay the cost to quelch this uprising appeared so easy. Religion is famous for abandoning those who don’t measure up to those who are self-righteous. Self-righteousness knows no boundaries. Those who must protect their traditions will reject anyone who suggest it can be any other way but theirs. It’s not a person, it’s a spirit, or spirits; selfishness, arrogance, envy, and pride just to name a few. Their spiritual comfort supersedes any broken person or lost soul. People are disposable. Whatever the cost, whomever we must abandon, whomever we must hurt, at all costs, we must protect our comfortable environments. So, Jesus becomes the cost of change. Abandoned and rejected, He hangs on a cross for no crime other than loving lost and broken humanity and changing the spiritual religious landscape. He welcomed too many sinners. Used too many broken people and didn’t wear their righteous robes. He was too common and His message too radical. He pays the price because the religious elite wouldn’t. It’s 2000 years later but the same spirits remain. The Jesus Revolution Movie wasn’t about the first or second time Christianity has rejected change, it has happened for centuries, and will until Jesus comes. It’s always easier to live in the atmosphere of comfort than the culture of change. Jesus dies, resurrects, and radical change explodes in an Upper Room 50 days later. But realize this, something else died when Jesus died. The religion of those who refused to change. They became a subculture, important only in their own minds. They became relics, obsolete, and irrelevant. Who goes to a church today where one of the questions for membership is, have you been circumcised? Anyone attend a church where they still wear gowns, tunics, and long robes? Anyone go to Texas Roadhouse and ask, “was the steak used as a sacrifice to idols?” If not, you’ve changed and would be rejected. These were the issues of their day, but not today. This lets us know that change is constant. Traditions are just that, traditions, not laws. They all eventually change or become irrelevant. I’ve walked into way too many irrelevant churches and stepped into too many restaurants and business that are no longer in existence because they rebuffed the winds of change. If you really want to live, not exist, you must embrace change. A warning, change is costly. Ask Nicodemus, his own crew abandoned and rejected him for making a change, following Jesus. Make a note of this; we know Nicodemus’ name but none of theirs. Mark 6 shows us that Jesus’ own earthly family struggled with the changes He was proclaiming, and that He could do no miracles in His hometown. Why? Change is hard and comfort is easy. Our adversary delights, embraces, and feeds on those who cling to their comfort. I know that in my own life change is hard because I love my old and comfortable ways. Change is painful because we know there are cost, that people will discard and desert you. Finally, change is difficult because it’s God challenging us to trust Him beyond what we can see or understand. Change is a must though if we are truly “seeking first the kingdom.” In our lives, Mary and I have always sought to embrace God’s challenges, to follow after the Spirit, and that has meant that we have had to embrace change. In every instance we knew it came with costs. I knew organizations would abandon me, and colleagues would reject me. We knew that friends and family would object and that some would call us “lost sheep.” Yet, we’ve never wavered in Truth and we’re still the same passionate people of prayer, who spend hours in the Word, and are consumed about broken and lost people. There were changes when I knew when I walked into the room I was going to lose people and there were changes where I knew was going to lose income and influence. But in those moments, what was always my priority was knowing, that if I rejected the challenge of change that God was asking me to make, that I would be out of His will and putting my comfort ahead of His kingdom. How about you. Do you live for your comfort? Do you live to please others? Or is His will and Kingdom above all? We must remember this, at all costs, the Kingdom is always more important than our comfort. That’s the message of Jesus on the cross.

Posted on

Ask

Years ago, Jimmy Stewart, the famous Hollywood actor of the 1940’s and 50’s, left all his memorabilia to a midwestern university that very few had ever heard of. As the treasures were being gifted, he was asked, why are you giving all this to this particular university. He was questioned if this was the university he had attended? He replied, no. Another queried, did your children attend here? Another no. After several questions, someone finally asked, please share what your reasoning was behind giving such an amazing gift to this university. His reply was shocking, he said, “I gave it to them because they asked me for it.” No allegiance. No compensation. No expectations. They had the faith, the confidence, the audacity to ask. Sometimes the greatest blessings, the answers we need, are just a prayer, a ask away. God gives everyone the invitation to ask. Throughout the Bible you can see God encouraging people to ask. James tells us, “you do not have because you do not ask (James 4:2). Jesus said, “ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives” (Luke 11:9-10). Paul tells the saints of Ephesus that God is able and ready “to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephes. 3: 11). The Bible is filled with scriptures imploring us to ask. I’m afraid we often fail to ask because we feel unworthy, we feel our failures eliminate us, or in pride we try to solve situations on our own. God sets in heaven with unlimited power, resources and is ready to step up and step in, but we never ask. Sometimes I fear we fail to ask because we see a God with limits. We see Him as Amazon or Wal-Mart. He has a limited quantity of the good stuff, the miraculous and the blessings, but once they are gone, given to someone else, well. . . too bad, you missed out. Other times we compare our situation to others, we feel guilty and hesitate to ask. We want to pray for financial blessings, for healings, for family issues to be resolved, but think about how blessed we are compared to others in the world, and we don’t ask. We reason, why should I ask for blessings when others are praying for a war to be over, like in the Ukraine. We consider a spouse or child praying for physical abuse to go away, or a Christian in China or the Middle East praying for torture to stop, and think, how selfish am I? How could I pray for something enjoyable when families in Africa are without water and starving. While those are crisis level issues and we should join together with them for deliverance, it does not impact God hearing and answering your prayer. Your prayers, request, and asking has no connection to someone else’s prayer being heard or answered, they are independent of each other. Why were some blinded eyes opened and some not, they asked. Why did some lame walk and others remained crippled, they asked. Why was the Roman Centurions daughter healed, he asked. People often ask why are you and Mary so committed to prayer. The answer is easy. God said ask. He said he would do exceedingly and abundantly above what we could ask for think, and He said we have not because we don’t ask. We take Him at His Word. Regardless of the situation. Regardless of pain. Regardless of our failures and shortcomings. Regardless of how many times He has said no or wait, we keep on asking. Every time I pray, I ask God to pour out His Spirit on my family, our community, and our country. Every time I pray, I ask God to heal my body and Mary’s. Every time I pray, I ask Him to bless us exceedingly and abundantly in every way. Every time I pray, I ask God to give me a covenant, a contract, that until the trumpets sounds, that every person, whether by birth or marriage into our lineage, that they will experience the book of Acts experience. I pray that they will have a passion to know Jesus, that they will love His Word, and that they will value prayer. I invite you into the atmosphere of asking. No applications. No requirements. Just ask!

Posted on

Seeing God

Rarely do we get a day with mid-sixties temperature in February in central Indiana, but a couple of weeks ago we had one, giving me a chance to get out to one of my favorite places, our back yard. Nothing too serious, no yard work, just some solitude and time to reflect and observe life. Setting there, my attention was arrested by some birds, a woodpecker, a blue jay, a couple of cardinals, and a handful of finches and sparrows. Watching them fly through the trees, I saw God. I saw the creative nature of my creator and His passion for distinctiveness. Their colors were vibrantly different, their songs remarkably diverse, even their flight patterns were unique. Each a distinctive example of His amazing creative design. Watching the birds, my eyes eventually drift to the trees. It’s winter, so the trees are obviously barren, and again, I see God. Normally leaves cover their branches, but today, with no leaves, I notice their imperfections, and that nearly every branch reaches toward the sky. My mind went to Romans 1 where Paul says, “does not nature itself teach us of God.” Each branch, it seemed, was reaching in exaltation for the heavens. I noticed that the ones that didn’t, had been hindered by other branches, and though constrained, they had changed direction, either turning toward the ground, or curling, trying to find another route upwards toward the sky. Turning from the trees, I see frost, and once again, I see God. Where the sun is shining, the frost is melted and there is a glistening dew, but where there is an absence of light, the cold chill of frost remains. What an amazing parallel to the power and love of God. Where His light shines in the world there is life, but where He is ridiculed and viewed with disdain, there is darkness and fear. I take a mental note; seeing God isn’t that difficult, it’s just a matter of having an awareness. Isaiah, an ordinary man, said, “I saw the Lord, high and lifted up, His train filled the Temple.” He wasn’t some kind of spiritual superhero; just a man who lived sensitively to God. I wonder how many that day had the opportunity to see what Isaiah saw but were just too busy. I wonder too if Isaiah’s view is closer to all of us than we can imagine. That just maybe, if we too would take time, get off our devices, slow down, start looking, stop talking, listened, and lived more sensitive, that we too might see God in His splendor and power.

Posted on

Do the Right Thing

This weekend we watched the movie Jesus Revolution. It’s the story about Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie, two men who were integral in the Jesus Revolution movement in the 1970’s. I won’t wreck the story, but too surmise the movie, Chuck Smith, a pastor, is faced with one major life changing choice, to stay in the comfort and confines of religion, tradition and ritual, or the choice of doing the right thing and opening the doors of his church to a generation who was hungry for God. Chuck knew his decision would come at a great price, his reputation, friendships, and finances all would be affected, but he also understood the price of not doing the right thing. He chose to open the doors and he became a major player in the Jesus Revolution. Understand that doing the right thing is never easy. There will always be consequences and great cost. Though Chuck saw major success after making his choice, that is not always the case. Often doing the right thing brings pain, misunderstanding, and hurt. Doing the right thing may cost you your reputation, friendships, and often means times of uncertainty. It often cost more than we want to pay. It often goes against the grain of tradition. If you question that, take a look at the cost Jesus paid for going against the grain. In my early years of ministry, a situation developed where I knew I was going to have to make a decision, whether to defend a friend or allow a wrong to continue. It wasn’t easy, but I decided to defend my friend, knowing the cost would be heavy. Near the end of the story, I stood in the office of a minister who I highly esteemed, unwilling to compromise my integrity. I knew that my character would be attacked, that I would lose my job, and that my future held a lot of uncertainty. I had a young wife, two kids, and no idea of how we would survive, but as I walked out the door of his office that night I walked out with my personal integrity, self-worth, and dignity. I had done the right thing. I lost my job, but gained the attention of God. There are critical times in our lives when we must choose to do the right thing. There are seasons when we hurt our spouses. There have been times when I’ve hurt Mary and she could have ran, but she stood by me. Though difficult, she did the right thing. There was a moment in our life when Mary was incredibly fearful I was going to abandon her. She was sick, broken, and very afraid I was going to leave her, but I reminded her of the vow I made to her, “that for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, I would never forsake her.” Unfortunately, in difficult moments, too many people do what is convenient, not what is right. A few years ago, God challenged me to make a change at the church we pastored. I had prayed for months, fasted, and poured over scripture. I knew the challenge God laid before me was going to come at a heavy cost, but I also knew that if I didn’t obey, I would be living outside of what he had asked me to do. As I walked into the board room that night, I knew I was going to lose family, close friends, and it there would be financial implications. It would have been easier to bow to tradition, but that night I knew I had to do what God had challenged me to do, to open the doors of His church to more hungry people. It was one of the most painful and difficult seasons of our lives, it has cost Mary and I so much more than we wanted to give. We lost close relationships, were abandoned by ministers, and shunned by many, but we’ve watched the church go into another dimension because we did what was right, not what was easy. I must warn you, the challenge of doing what is right never ends. Two years ago, after a Wednesday night service, God spoke to my heart and said, you are finished, you have completed your task at Life Connections. I remember getting in the car and sharing my heart with Mary, we wept, there was unity, and even though we were filled with uncertainty, we knew instantly it was the right thing. We left the campus, called our kids, and asked them to meet us at our daughter’s home. We shared what God had spoken to us with them; we all wept, it was a painful and difficult moment. Even though they didn’t totally understand, they agreed to pray with us and said they would support our decision. The next day we began to pray for God to direct us on how to proceed. As the process began to unfold, we began to realize it was going to cost us more than we wanted, and it was going to bring more change than we anticipated. We knew the right thing was going to come at a great amount of personal financial loss. We began to understand that there was going to be a tremendous void in our lives, and that it was going to leave us with no certain future or direction. Truthfully, it would have been easier to meander along, to stay the course, to hold on, but it would have also meant we would have been out of the will of God, that we would be living selfishly, and so many in our community would miss experiencing what God had for them. We had no choice but to do the right thing. So, we did. We left comfort for uncertainty. This weekend, after being away from our church for two months, we were able to go back for the celebration and installation of the new pastors, Phil and Annie Daigle. It was absolutely amazing! The foundation we had built was being built on. There was so much life. So many people who were growing. So many new faces. We left confident that the future is bright and knowing what is hard for us is good for others. Know this, in your career, your life, and in your family it will always be easier to do what is convenient over what is right. When you do what is right there is no guarantee of success, no guarantee that it won’t be painful, difficult, or lonely, but we can attest to this, that when you obey God, you will always be able to lay your head on the pillow of your bed and say, I did the right thing. There is no greater peace.

Posted on

Why I Believe in God. My Story

I have been a follower of Jesus since I was 15 and I have been in full-time ministry for over 35 years. I’ve spent 15 years as an instructor at a Christian College and another 20 years as pastor of Life Connections. I’ve made it a priority to consume my Bible, not to study for a class or preach a sermon, but to know God. Since a teenager, I have been a man of prayer. I made prayer, learning to call and depend on God, one of the highest priorities of teaching in my college classes and I made prayer the greatest priority of the church we pastored in Fishers. For over 10 years Mary and I spent every Saturday evening praying for our Sunday services, asking that God would have precedence over any agenda or plan that we might have.  I confess that nearly all my messages came, not from books or other’s sermons, but from being at an altar on a Saturday night searching for God’s will and a word for His people. We held monthly Prayer Services at our church for years and Mary and I circled our city on the first Wednesday of every month for 13 years. I have experienced the same Spirit filled dynamic that the apostles did in the book of Acts and been in many vibrant services where I have been overwhelmed by God’s presence. I have preached thousands of messages and prepared more Bible studies for college curriculum and our church community than you can imagine. Yet, I must confess I have seasons of doubt. Moments when I question God. Moments when I wonder, is there really a God, is He real. Sorry to be so raw, but transparency has always been a part of my life and ministry.

You may ask, why or how, could someone with all the study, time in prayer, experiences, and teaching have doubts and questions. First, I’ve seen too many wonderful people face heartache, pain, sickness, disease, and death that didn’t make sense. I don’t understand kids that are abused by their parents, war hurting innocent people, torture, famine, and the tragedy of natural disasters. I question why those who do evil succeed and have wealth, and those who do right live broken and struggle to make ends meet. Condemn me if you want, I’ve preached the messages you are preaching to me as you are reading this, but sometimes still, life just doesn’t make sense and it hurts. I know Paul says, “we see through a glass darkly,” and I’ve sang “by and by when the morning comes. . . we’ll understand it better by and by.” I struggle because I’ve prayed prayers for years, not days, not weeks but years that are still in the “wait,” or “no” categories. Some were selfish but others I am confident were not. In particular, I prayed as a college instructor that my students would experience an authentic move of God’s presence, no manipulation or hype, just a sovereign move that would be life altering. From the beginning of my pastorate, I prayed for myself, my family, and our community to experience an outpouring as in the book of Acts, Azusa, or like any moment in history when God overwhelmed the world with His presence. Now, after 20 years, and turning the church over to another minister, I anguish that we never got to lead people into the experience I had prayed for so desperately. So, how do I hang on? Why do I still believe? Two moments in my life.

One was an answered prayer. The answer came after a stage four breast cancer diagnosis in my wife, Mary, in December of 2015. Unfortunately, even though we had prayed, and even saw evidence of God’s working, Mary had to have a double mastectomy. It was three days after the surgery that we got the call from our very shaken cancer doctor, the words he spoke were spoken with confusion, disbelief, yet with glee, we wept uncontrollably when we heard him say, “there is no cancer in your limp nodes, I can’t explain it, but there is nothing.” He couldn’t come up with a logical explanation, but we knew instantly that God had healed Mary. Such a complete healing that after several follow-up appointments the doctor said there will be no radiation, no chemo, no five- or ten-year medicine’s, in fact, you never have to come back. Seven years later, she has still never returned.

The second life experience is my overwhelming reason I believe. More than my book of Acts experience, my knowledge of God’s Word, or Mary’s healing, it was a moment in a prayer service. These prayers services had been happening periodically for a couple of years. They were never hyped, no B-3 organ, no healing prophet, just organic prayer by people of faith for people who were sick, broken, hurting, and desperate. In this particular service I was one of several who had been invited to pray with those who would come to the front. We had been praying for people in cycles for over an hour and as the next group made their way to the front, a young man stood in front of me, I didn’t know his name, nor his story, and I still don’t. As I began to pray over him, and in a moment, something happened, not to him, but to me. My hand was on his shoulder and suddenly I felt a rush of electricity, a fire, a burning go through my body, almost like I had been shocked. I instantly stepped back, shaking, tears in my eyes, feeling overwhelmed, and honestly, confused. I sat down and wept, still feeling energy in my body and at a total loss as to what had just happened. The evening ended and when I got in the car, I told Mary about my experience. She was perplexed as well, but asked a question, “do you think maybe God healed you of your hay fever and allergies?” I remember saying, I don’t know, but I guess it’s possible.” For clarity, my hay fever and allergies were incredibly severe. I took the highest doses of prescription level Flonase and Claritin. I was allergic to dust, basically myself, and from July through October my eyes would swell shut, so severely that there would be days that I would have to cancel lectures. The day after my experience I woke up with no swelling or sneezing. The same thing happened the next day and the next. A week or so later I stopped using Flonase and Claritin and I haven’t needed or used either of them for over twenty-five years. I have no allergies and no clue when hay fever season is, except when I see someone else struggling. I am indescribably whole. Whole, not by a doctor or medicine. Not by a religion or a church. Not by a doctrine or creed. An experience. This is why I believe. It’s my anchor in my darkest hours and my deepest times of discouragement. An undeniable and unexplainable miracle and its why I never stop praying or believing in God.

Posted on

Embrace Your Moment

Not every season unfolds the way we might want it to. If we could choreograph our life there would be little pain, struggle, or difficulties. If we plotted our own lives, we would make sure that it was void of loneliness, fear, and failure. After 35 years in ministry, 15 in higher education and 20 as a pastor, I’m in transition, a new chapter of life. Gone are the deadlines, daily duties, and weekly messages. The new season is requiring that I learn how to rest and relax, take care of a grandson, and spend time exploring what my future might look like. To be honest, I’m not enjoying it. The rest and relaxation feels lazy and exploring the future is like looking for a needle in a haystack. As of now, I’ve decided to embrace my time with my grandson, Carter. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do realize that he has a lot more time in the future than I do. So, while it may not seem like the greatest challenge, I’m embracing my time with him with passion. While I might prefer to be writing sermons, it could be more important that I’m reading stories with inflection, sound effects, and silliness to a little boy. Truthfully, I’d rather be preparing for a new study series, but instead I find myself setting at a keyboard teaching Carter to play Mary had a Little Lamb and let him bang keys at every octave. I could go on, but you get the point. Why am I embracing the season with vigor? Two reasons. First, it’s what God has put in front of me, and I’ve always lived with the principle that whatever God gives me to do, I’ll do it with passion and excellence. Second, I embrace the moment because God knows better than I. Investing in Carter may be more important than I realize, I may be developing the next great author, speaker, or musician. Too many miss great opportunities because they view them as too small, but God said, “he who is faithful with the small things will be faithful with much.” It is important we realize that our lives are filled with ebb and flow, not every moment will be in the spotlight, nor will every moment be in the dark, it takes both to have a full life. Moses’ experienced three seasons in his life. The first was exciting and full of possibility, the last was filled with incredible successes. Moses’ most important moment was the middle season, the one that felt like failure, futility, and was filled with loneliness. It was there, in the desert, where Moses learned how to navigate the land, survive the wilderness, and manage people. Though he likely detested the season, he embraced it, and experienced a burning bush and received his ultimate calling. Difficult seasons often feel pointless and wasteful, and walking through them, we don’t view them as critically important to our lives. What are you walking through? While it may be overwhelming, painful, or confusing, it may be the very season that jettisons you into an inconceivable opportunity. Embrace the moment!

Posted on

2023. Go Exploring!

Day one of 2023. A new beginning of sorts. A clean slate. A fresh piece of paper. The start of a new chapter. For some reason as this year opened, I reflected on one of the books by my favorite author, Bill Watterson. The books title is It’s a Magical World and it is a collection of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comics. On the cover there is a fresh blanket of snow and Calvin and Hobbes have a large toboggan and big smiles on their faces. They are out to seize the day, enjoy the snow, and make new memories. Their expressions show no worry about issues of the day, only the pure excitement about what they are about to experience. For whatever reason my spirit resonated with the cover and how to approach 2023. While we could focus on the ills of society, dwell on the ugly in our world, or the problems in our marriage or family, today is an opportunity to change our focus. I think why I enjoy Calvin and Hobbes comic strips so much is because they make each day a new adventure. Rarely is he overwhelmed by the events of the day, instead he charges into each new day with childlike excitement. His imagination is filled with possibilities and his plans for the day are not dictated by the circumstances of his world. He is going to explore, create, and enjoy the day. Calvin is not the first to have this idea, in the Bible David said, this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). David suggests that it’s important how we frame each day. We can meander into a day with fear and anxiety, or march into it with zeal and excitement. Calvin and David both suggest the latter and so do I. 2023 is our next chapter to write. Depending on your age, you may have many chapters still to write, or for some, there may just be a few remaining. Regardless, it is a new chapter. The good news we get to choose what goes on the page and how we approach each day will determine the chapters content. Live today filled with expectation, faith, and zeal. Look for possibility. Create energy, laughter, and fun. Daily use the 126 variations of Crayola colors, not a pencil. Tough days will come but let them be a page in the chapter, not the storyline. The first page of It’s a Magical World has Calvin and Hobbes sitting on the toboggan at the top of a hill, Calvin looks at Hobbes and says, “it’s a magical world, Hobbes, ol’ buddy. . . let’s go exploring! May 2023 be filled with faith, possibility, laughter, and all the excitement that God has planned for you. Go exploring!

Posted on

It Was the Biscuits!

I’m not sure if I have a finicky palate or a limited palate, whatever it is, I’m extremely happy when my meal involves pizza or hamburgers. That said, Mary has broadened my palate substantially over the past 30 years. She’s gotten me to eat all kinds of vegetables, casseroles, and countless other dishes. I’ve often told her that her kitchen is my favorite restaurant, not because it saves me money, but because the way she prepares dishes is better than about any restaurant I’ve ever eaten at. To me, her ability to prepare about any dish with just the right seasonings is second to none. As we move into the Christmas season, people are anticipating her sugar cookies, and I guarantee you that there is no way you can eat “just one.” With all the bragging about her cooking, I must say she has had a struggle with one of my favorite breakfast dishes, wait for it . . . biscuits and gravy. For years she tried to get it down, but hers often turned out too salty, peppery, bland, but most often, too sweet. When I worked at Indiana Bible College, I would brag about the late Pat Liford’s biscuits and gravy. They were so good that I got her to set the weekly biscuit and gravy meal around my class schedule. This made the whole biscuits and gravy thing worse for Mary, to say she is competitive is an understatement, and this became a battle she was determined to win. She eventually went to Pat, asked for her recipe and the rest is history, sort of. I remember the first time she made Pat’s recipe; I tasted it while it was simmering in the pan and I remember saying, “that’s it, you’ve got it figured out.” I was so excited to sit down and enjoy Mary’s biscuits and gravy. I cracked open a couple of biscuits, layered a heavy covering of gravy, and dug in. To my surprise something had happened between the pan and the plate, the gravy had a sweet flavor, something that I, as an official connoisseur of biscuits and gravy, totally disliked. It was then we discovered the problem, not just for the moment, but probably for years. Mary’s struggle with biscuits and gravy wasn’t her gravy, it was the biscuits! She had been buying a sweet biscuit, while nearly everyone else used a southern or buttermilk biscuit. The gravy she had made may have been fine, but the biscuit was changing the taste. Like our biscuit and gravy problem, I wonder how many are struggling trying to fix problems, not realizing they are focused on the wrong issue. We try to fix ourselves when we need God’s help. We stay in frustrating relationships blaming ourselves when it is often others creating the problem. We get into difficult situations, trying to make them work, when it really isn’t supposed to be a part of our life. What are you dealing with? What has been a struggle for a long time? Maybe it’s not the gravy, but the biscuit.

Posted on

Thomas L. Craft: Rest in Peace

Hero of the faith. Humble Servant of God. Visionary Leader. An Investor in Young Men.  A Passion for Lost Souls. The list could go on and on. No one stands alone but on the shoulders of others, and I stand on the impact of T.L. Craft. He is why I was allowed to spend 15 years at Indiana Bible College and 20 years as Pastor of Life Connections. He believed in me, gave me a chance, and invested in me, as he has done for so many. I loved the days when I was in the office, and he would call and tell me to meet him at the golf course. This is where he poured so much wisdom into me as a young man. I don’t know if it was his way of emptying out the stress of pastoring or that he sensed that God had a specific plan for my life that prompted the calls. Regardless, I’m grateful for those days that we chased the little white ball together, but more thankful that I listened to his wisdom and insight on those hot Mississippi days. As an emerging minister, having an elder that poured into my life made such a difference in my life and eventually impacted how I would pastor. He once told me, “Jon, you can sheer a sheep a 100 times but you can only skin them once.” I never forgot that piece of advice. It saved me many times from making “in the moment mistakes,” and potential repercussions of acting in frustration. Prayer was always a priority at his church, something that left an indelible mark on me, and I will never forget experiencing the most sovereign move of God I have ever seen in one of his Sunday services. I have talked about that service my entire ministry and longed to experience something similar to it again my whole life. So saddened by his passing but thankful for getting to be a part of his incredible life. Rest in peace Pastor and enjoy the place you preached about so often.


* This blog is a part of a series called the Tribute Series, My Influencers.

Posted on

Omaha: The Audible

Payton Manning. He doesn’t have as many Super Bowl rings as some. He didn’t have a canon for an arm, and he may not have looked like some kind of physical specimen, but he will go down as one of the greatest to ever play the position of quarterback. What he lacked in strength, he made up for in preparation and study. No one knew their playbook or the opposing defense better. He would spend hours on end studying, not only his playbook, but watching film of opposing teams’ defense. He knew the subtleties of opposing players. He could tell if a blitz was coming by which hand a player put on the ground. He knew how teams would disguise their coverage to the point, that he often told opposing teams’ players that they were out of position before snapping the ball. When a game started, he had scripted his first 25 plays, knowing the opposing team’s tendencies. His intellect of the game was and still is, incomparable. But probably his greatest ability was to call an audible. Regardless of what he had scripted, how much he had prepared, if he noticed a nuance in a defense, he would instantly change the play. It didn’t matter how much he had practiced or scripted, if he saw a weakness in a defense, he audibled. His code word was “Omaha.” If his teammates heard it, they knew Payton was changing the play, if the opposing team heard it they knew they had been exposed. At the word Omaha, defenses would panic and scramble to try to make a change in their scheme. Payton’s ability to go off script allowed him to destroy defenses, and sometimes it seemed, he could score at will. We as Christians, in church services, in our daily walk, we need to know when to call an audible. We need to know when the Spirit is leading us toward a defining moment. As they would each day, Simon Peter and John were on their way to prayer, but this day would be different. As they were walking, they heard the Spirit say, today I want you to stop at the beggar’s station, speak a word, and pick up the beggar. By obeying, by audibling, a miracle took place and an explosion of growth moved through the church. Plan your day, plan a service, but once we’ve got it all together always be ready for a “Omaha” moment. It’s often when we go off script that we see the miraculous and experience the supernatural!

Posted on

Flannel and Fall

The array of colorful fall leaves. Pumpkins. Crisp Nights. Bonfires. Warm apple cider. Hayrides. Just the words and you want to throw on a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. After a long hot summer, there is nothing like that first forecast of fall temperatures. At the Hudson home the first hint of fall means it’s time for the fall décor. Suddenly our home has more foliage than a small forest, pumpkins are on the porch, and fall pillows and a farm truck fill the bench in our entry. It’s amazing how just a subtle change in temperature can have such an impact on our life. May I suggest the same can happen in your spiritual life. A subtle change can alter the course of your family. Start your day with a few moments of devotion or throw on some worship music and watch what can happen. Often your heart, spirit, and even your attitude changes. Things that might annoy you or set off tension in the home suddenly disappear. The kids getting up late is met with a gentle response. The spouse who forgot they had an early morning meeting, instead of being met with a rolling of the eyes, is met with a cup of coffee and a kiss. You see more sunshine, more smiles, and have more grace on those around you. Why not give it a try? As easy as it is to accept the changing of the seasons when the temperature changes, so it can be when we change the atmosphere of our life. As we pull out our flannel, rekindle your faith. Let’s make a change, not only our wardrobe and décor, but the atmosphere of our homes.

Posted on

A Legacy of Faith

January 12, 2012. It’s the 12-5 Pittsburgh Steelers against the 8-8 Denver Broncos in the playoffs. It had been a back-and-forth game, and as fate would have it, the game would go to overtime. The overtime last just one play. Tim Tebow would find Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown, and in an instant, the game was over. The Denver players celebrated, fans went delirious, and Tim Tebow raised his hands in jubilation, but almost instantly, viewers watched as he quickly bowed his knee. No one should have been shocked, it wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be his last. He was known for kneeling. It happened in college games, it happened at public events, and I’m sure it happened in his private life. At any time and in any place, when there was a moment to give thanks or honor, Tebow would kneel. In a very simple way, Tebow’s actions somewhat mimicked the actions of the patriarch, Abraham. Abraham was a man of altars. In his youth, Abraham understood his need for God’s guidance, so he built an altar at Shekem. As he grasped his dependence on God, he built a second altar, this one at Bethel. In Hebron, he builds a third altar, this time realizing God was his friend, that God was not against him, but for him. He builds his final altar at Moriah, showing God his total commitment to Him. While we often reflect on Abraham’s faith, it was his altars that was a demonstration of his faith. Throughout his life Abraham bowed, he acknowledged God and his dependence on Him. Not only did Abraham build and live at altars, but he also instilled the value of an altar in his son. As they head up Mount Moriah, look at Isaac’s question. Isaac asks, “dad, we’ve got the wood and we’ve got the fire, but where is the sacrifice?” If there is no example, if there is no training, there would have been no question. How about you? Do you still build altars? Are you training your family to live near an altar? Are you giving them a legacy of appreciation?” An altar, not a one stop moment, but a continual, life enhancing value that must be visited often. If we do, it will sustain us through every phase and challenge of our life.

Posted on

Simply Blessed Beyond Belief

As Mary and I close out the chapter as Pastors at Life Connections and enter into the next phase in our lives I felt it necessary for those we call friends to hear my heart and voice. Here are my thoughts as close a beautiful chapter and enter an exciting next phase of our lives. As you read, I simply want you to see the blessing of God that has been on our lives and invite you to take inventory of yours and see how blessed you are. Sometimes seeing blessings is just a matter of perspective.

1. Blessed to have Godly parents. Mom and dad, Milford and Alice Hudson, set the foundation that everything my life is built on. Julie Hudson Robinson, my amazing sister, and I owe everything we are to them.

2. Blessed to grow up and now live in Noblesville, Indiana. If you’ve ever wanted to live or go to Mayberry, you’ve got to come to Noblesville. It’s where I learned the value of common sense and how to live just being myself.

3. Blessed to set under amazing pastors. Pastor Nathaniel Urshan taught me how to minister with balance, pastor James Larson taught me to pray and then pray some more, pastor T.L. Craft taught me endurance, and pastor Paul Mooney taught me how to laugh and be creative.

4. Blessed to go to Jackson College of Ministries where I was impacted by Darrell Johns and Ron Cooper. It’s here I met my lifelong and best friend Robert Tisdale.

5. Blessed when Mary Odum Hudson kicked her shoes off in the Indy Hyatt and introduced herself to me. It would be the beginning of the greatest privilege in my life, to be her husband. To share life and more incredibly good times and laughter than a person could imagine is my greatest honor.

6. Blessed to have two amazing children, Gentry Hudson and Risa Hudson Fontaine and now a son in law Jake, and a grandchild, Carter. Gentry and Risa are not gold, they are the highest class diamonds, they have such incredible depth as Christians and are two of the finest people I know. Keep the truth and principles we have lived before you and taught you. Your future is bright!

7. Blessed to teach over 2000 students at Indiana Bible College. This will always be something we will point to as highlight of our ministry. To be trusted as a young couple to impact students in a powerful way, to see moves of God in their lives in my classes, and then watch as they grow into incredible ministers is one of my greatest treasures. You will always be family, not just students.

8. Blessed to start Life Connections, a Spirit filled and led church that didn’t have all the walls of religion and didn’t shun hurting people who loved God. We didn’t require all the religious entanglements, but we did teach the gospel, the power of prayer, and the value of being authentic. It has been an incredible journey. We’ve had over 2000 people pass through our doors in our 20 years. Life Connections was always a hospital. Many people came hurt, were healed, and then moved on to do greater things. To those who have stayed, I would say I got to pastor some of the most amazing people in the world, it is a privilege, not only to be your pastor, but be your friend. Thank you for sharing your lives with us.

9. Blessed to go through some incredibly difficult and dark times. We’ve faced personal attacks, attacks on our character and integrity, cancer, diabetes, sickness, and emotional darkness and stood strong and came through without bitterness by the grace of God. Without these challenges we would not have been able to minister to people with faith, grace, mercy, and unconditional love. As Paul said, we glory in our weakness and infirmities, they made us who we are.

10. Blessed to see Life Connections transition to Pastor’s Phil and Annie Daigle. We see an amazing and incredible future for you all. Stay on your knees in prayer, build altars, keep the faith and truth, and stay authentic, there is no ceiling on the future if you do. We’re blessed to call you all our pastors.

11. Finally. We are blessed as we step into the future. While we don’t know where it leads or what it looks like, because of the blessings you just read about over the last 30 years, we are certain that it will be blessed and favored. Our life and ministry has not been built on titles, positions, or positioning, but on being humble and willing servants and seeing the Kingdom advance regardless of the struggle, pain, and hurt. We know we have purpose and we know some of our greatest adventures lie ahead. We love you all and look forward to sharing the future together.

Posted on

Closing a Chapter and Starting a New

For nearly 20 years as Pastor of Life and 35 years of ministry, Mary and I have built our life and preaching on four basic principles. These are based in the Word of God and are the foundations of our faith and belief. As we close our chapter here at Life, we remind you of them and encourage you to never let anyone move you away from them.

There is One God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 – Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]!

  • God has many dimensions, but He is one.
  • God is multifaceted and multidimensional, but one.

The Word of God is Above All.

Luke 21:33 – Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

  • Make God’s Word priority above all and let it lead you through life.
  • Do not be swayed by books, men’s concepts, or religion. Stay in God’s Word
  • Read the Bible with prayer.

These two ideas are summed in John 1:1 where John says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Prayer must be a Life Priority.

Matthew 21:13 – It is written [in Scripture], ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer.

  • Pray first in every situation knowing prayer can change any situation.
  • Prayer will guide, protect, and keep you when confusion comes.

Water & Spirit Baptism is Essential.

John 3:5 – Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.

  • These are the words of Jesus, put them above every man and religion.
  • Believing, faith, and obedience is critical, but never leave this foundational statement of Jesus.
  • Acts time frame is from 30 to 70 and every epistle, which were written to churches and saints, were written between 30 to 70. We find clarity and growth in the epistles. There is one message and experience in Acts. Baptism in the name of Jesus and baptism in the Spirit with a language unknown.

As this chapter of our life closes, Mary and I want to thank everyone who has ever been a part of Life and allowed us to be your pastor. It has been an amazing journey and incredibly fulfilling to see so many lives impacted by the gospel. I will continue this weekly blog online and we look forward to what God has in the future for Mary and I. May God’s blessings and favor rest on each of you. Reach one more for Jesus!

Posted on

Create the Atmosphere

Creating a spiritual atmosphere in your life and home is critical to your overall success. Whether it’s in your church, home, individual life, having the ambience of the Spirit is of upmost importance. David created an atmosphere of integrity early in his life. His ruthless band of men became enamored when David refused to seize the moment and kill King Saul, in so doing he created an atmosphere of trust in a group of men who trusted no one. Paul and Silas set in a jail bruised and battered with a choice between whining and worshiping. They chose to worship and dark, dreary, and oppressive jail became a sanctuary of praise. Changing the atmosphere opened cell doors, released other prisoners, and brought a jailer and his family to God. What atmosphere are you creating? Are you a part of bringing an electric atmosphere to Life Connections? Is your home a home where there is a negative or positive vibe? Do people walk away from you downcast or exhilarated? Each day we chose the atmosphere will create. At Life we’ve been intentional over the years to create two specific atmospheres. One of prayer and the other yielding to the Spirit. We understand that for any ministry to be impactive it must be saturated with prayer. We also know that everything we do, and in every moment, we must allow the Spirit to have liberty. Paul said in 2 Corinthians that “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” These two atmospheres are not accidents at Life but have been intentionally created. They are our DNA and what we must make sure never fades or lose relevance. How about your home? What is the atmosphere inside your four walls? Take time this week to reflect and pray about the atmosphere of your home and then set to create a place that your friends and family will love to visit.

Posted on

Wear the Word

It was just a small box. It was called a phylactery or tefillin. It was worn by Hebrews, a part of their clothing. The boxes contained a portion of scripture and were to serve as a reminder that God was with them as they went about their day. If they were weary or overwhelmed, the box reminded them at God would never leave them or forsake them. If they were under siege, they were reminded that God would fight their battles. If sickness came, it served as assurance that God was a healer of all diseases. At first it might have seemed to be a chore to wear, maybe even a little inconvenient, but over time, it likely became the first article they put on as they started the day. Once a person understands the power in knowing that God is with you, on your side, it changes everything. You go into every day, every situation, and every battle with a different confidence. I believe David understood this as he faced Goliath, hid from Saul, and fought battle after battle. When he said, “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” he literally had seen God’s favor and blessings fall his way. This is why every year we give students a towel, a wristband, or a trinket as they head back to school. It’s our way to remind them that they are favored and blessed, that they have a God covering, and that they can walk into school with confidence. This years band has Joshua 1:9 etched on it and says, “God is with you wherever you go.” We believe with all that they will face they need to know one thing, that every day God is with them! As they slip one on their wrist today, we pray that like the Hebrews of old, it becomes a daily part of their apparel. Wear the Word!

Posted on

God is In Your Story

“God is in This Story,” a brand-new song by Katy Nichole and Big Daddy Weave, if you haven’t heard it yet, cue it up. In essence the song says even though God doesn’t give us all the details, He is in the details. There is so much truth there. God gives Noah the plans to build an ark but not all the details of how the future would unfold. Though Noah may have felt abandoned, God was in the details and with him throughout the journey. Moses experienced God in a miraculous way at a burning bush, but once again, God doesn’t give Moses every detail. But as the pages of Moses’ life turned, God was with Him in every moment. David is anointed king in front of his brothers, but God gives him little, if any details, to the twist and turns that will be involved in His future. When David says, “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,” he is letting us know that though there are difficult times, God is in the details. Jeremiah says, “God knows the plans He has for us,” and though He knows our journey, rarely does he give us the full description. Why? Because if he gave us every detail it would overwhelm us. We would succumb to fear and anxiety and run from His design and purpose. So, in His great wisdom, He gives us bits and pieces, day by day, just enough so that we will have the courage to take the next step. This He knows, if we will keep walking, He can take us places far beyond our imagination and natural ability. Discouraged? Overwhelmed? Broken? Fearful? Take heart. God is in your details. God is in your story!

Posted on

137 Golf Balls

For most of our lives Friday night at the Hudson home has involved pizza, games, or some crazy activity. This weekend was no different. After some pizza and banter, the conversation turned to what would be the activity of the evening. I’m not sure who suggested it, but the idea of golf ball hunting was brought up, and moments later Gent, Jake, Ris, and myself were in the woods. To give you a visual, it looked something like Easter for grown-ups. We scoured the woods looking for golf balls as though they were gold, and twenty minutes later, we strolled out with 137 golf balls! We celebrated with a photo session and perusing the mirage of colors and brands. As I reflected on our haul, I was amazed that 137 people, unless some had hit multiple shots into the woods, had chosen to leave their golf ball. Costing between $2.50 and $5.00 a piece, they were left because their value was not worth the time that it would take to find them. Jesus speaks of going on a search, not for golf balls, but for sheep. It’s the parable where 99 sheep are safe, but one has wondered away and is lost. The parable suggests that though He has 99 sheep, Jesus puts extreme value on one, so much so, that he leaves the herd to find it. His point? There are no unimportant souls, no unimportant people, everyone has value to Jesus. Important to know for ourselves and important to know about the broken and confused around us. Jesus cares, and if He does, we must. Recognize this today, no matter what you have done, you matter. Jesus is searching for you, reaching with grace and mercy . . . and, if He’s doing that for us, how much more should we be reaching for those in a world that is broken and hurting.

Posted on

Dormant, Not Dead

High heat and no rain have brought a swift change to our yards. It’s mid-July and they look like its late August, unless you don’t care about your water bill, and have been relentlessly watering. Green lawns that we were constantly mowing in May have turned dry and brown. But take heart, your yard is not dead, it’s dormant. It’s good to know. In most cases you won’t have to reseed, simply wait, and come Fall, rains will come, and your grass will turn green again. The brown isn’t a sign of death, but protection. Built into every blade a grass is the ability to defend itself when times get dry. It will live again. What a novel idea, one not just for grass, but for Christians as well. In life, dry seasons come, God knew that, so he built in safeguards. David explains this in Psalm 23 when he says, “when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” How can he have that confidence? Because he knows he’s got built in protection. He follows up the fear no evil with, “surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” What David understood we must know; that we all have times of stagnation and dryness. In those seasons, God has not forsaken us, we have not committed the unpardonable sin, or somehow become God’s least favorite child, we are simply going through a tough stretch. It’s just a part of life. When these moments hit, know you’re not dead, just dormant. Stay faithful, keep praying, know that mercy and grace will sustain you, and say to yourself often, I’m not dead, just dormant.

Posted on

Intentionally Impactive

Life’s vision involves three-segments. First, touch God every day. It may change daily, but includes Bible reading, prayer, worship, and devotion. Another segment of our vision is being involved in something that outlives you. A personal ministry, project, or a financial foundation; anything that will leave an imprint on the next generation. A final segment involves intentionally impacting someone’s life every day. That doesn’t mean grabbing a bull horn or bashing them with the Bible. It means being purposeful about making a positive impact on someone daily. Lately the Spirit has been prompting me to be more active in this area. So, I’ve been intentional. A cashier caught my attention with his amazing spirit and attitude, so I gave him a compliment. He lit up like the fourth of July, you would have thought I had given him a hundred-dollar bill. Making a run to the grocery, a group of elementary kids walking to a local park for end of the year festivities, spotted our little red car. They started giving us the “18-wheeler blow the horn motion.”  We gave them a beep, beep, smiled, waved and instantly the entire group exploded into laughter and cheers as we drove off. Finally, as we were walking through a park, I noticed a couple meandering slowly up ahead of us. Their spirit seemed heavy, so as we passed, I gave them a smile, “a good morning,” and instantly their countenance changed. The elderly lady said, “yes, it is” and before I knew it, I blurted out the first stanza of Psalm 118:24, “this is the day,” she responded with, “that the Lord has made, and I said, “I will rejoice,” and she completed it with, “and be glad in it.” We left them laughing and with a memory for the day. My point? Impacting others is simple, easy, and cost nothing. Start being intentional about impacting a world that is hopeless, hurting, and broken. Let your positive actions be the conversation at their dinner table.

Posted on

Don’t Let it Fade

Memorial Day. Its purpose wasn’t for people to picnic and party, but to pause and reflect on who we are, where we came from, and how it happened. Those reflections are an assortment of good and bad events. We remember those who died for our freedom and celebrate the liberties that makes this a great country. It’s not a unique celebration, in fact, it’s one that has its foundation in the Bible. Joshua’s book gives us insight into a moment when God opens the Jordon River and Israel walks through it on dry ground. It’s a repeat of what Moses and their ancestry had experienced forty years earlier. As the last man walks out of the dry riverbed Joshua orders the leaders of each tribe to go back into the river and get one large stone. After the stones are gathered, they are instructed to stack them in a fashion that forms a memorial. Why? So that generations later, after this miraculous moment is but a shadow, they will remember what God had done. I’m saddened by what has happened to many of the memorials in our country over the past few years, not because I glory in the abuse or condone the actions of men, but because without those memorials we won’t remember our past. Today we’re not able to take our children to memorials of past failures and teach them about our nation’s mistakes. When memorials are torn down societies tends to repeat their actions because they have no reminder of the past. Why did Israel turn away from God in Judges, just one book later? Could it be because someone forgot to protect the memorials, forgot to take their children to them, and forgot to teach them about God’s miraculously ability to deliver? I encourage you to build memorials in your family. Remind them often of how great God is and what an important role he has played in your successes.

Posted on

Thump…

It all started early Monday morning. A thump on our window, and then another, and then another. . . and it has continued all week. What is it? One small yellow finch. I am assuming it’s the same one, surely there’s not another that wants to spend its entire day crashing its head into our sliding glass window. At this moment, as I am writing, I’m safe to say he (or she) is averaging a crash about every ten seconds. Occasionally, it stops, shakes itself, inspects its feathers, and begins again. It seems absurd, and I suppose at some point it will stop, but for now, “bird tv” is a part of our daily entertainment. We’ve scared it off a few times, but it returns, and continues its relentless attack on our glass. I would love to have a conversation with it about its actions and purpose, but obviously I don’t speak bird, and I’m not really sure it would accomplish anything. Reminds me of how we sometimes handle stress, anxiety, and worry. Like the bird, no matter how much sleep we lose, how much time we spend in a mental round-about, we just end up burning energy and wasting time, and accomplishing nothing. In Matthew 6:27 Jesus puts it bluntly when He says, “who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” What are we to do? We basically have three options. First, living like the yellow finch who is assaulting our window; spend your days stressing, worrying, using a lot of energy, and accomplishing nothing.  Second, trust God. David gives us valuable wisdom in Proverbs 3:5 when he says, “trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” Finally, relax! There is not one thing that overwhelms God, and if He’s not overwhelmed, then give it your best effort to not let issues trouble you either.

Posted on

Spring Into a New Beginning!

Spring amazes me with its stunning spender of yellow, pink, purple and white colors. It’s the moment God brightens the earth with yet another masterpiece of His glorious beauty. Spring air, accompanied by rain, produces bright green hues everywhere which provides the perfect backdrop for His kaleidoscope of color. With sunlight making its way through the cloud covering, I stand in awe of the miraculous creation of color God makes for us. He thinks out every process of this majestic canvas and He does this simply for us to enjoy. Winter can be cold and barren, bitter and stagnant. And then, Spring, with its glorious colors, reminds us of His desire to make things new and fresh. Often Spring is a time when God starts something fresh and new in us. It’s a time of new beginnings. As you venture through this Spring, allow God to form something miraculous in your life. Take the time to take in the beauty around you. Let Spring remind us that we too are a canvas of God, and we have the potential to produce beauty and growth. Growth that can change the world for someone else needing hope. Before you know it, these incredible colors will be gone. The blooms will blow away and new growth will turn to leaves. So, enjoy Spring, the time for growth and new beginnings, and ask God to begin something new and beautiful in you!

-Mary Hudson

Posted on

The Power of Light

An obvious fact. The less light the more darkness. Turn off the lights in a windowless room and darkness dominates. One of the fascinating details the gospel authors mention is as Jesus is dying on the cross the sky grew dark. When the earthly presence of God went out (“I am the light of the world.” John 8:12), darkness rushed in. It’s important to note what happened during those three hours, because I believe there is a spiritual principle. We wonder why there is such darkness in the earth today, may I suggest that God’s light, the church has become dimmer. While there are more mega-churches, there are fewer people attending than ever. In 1950 nearly 70% of Americans attended church regularly, in 2007 that number had dwindled to 18%, and reports are that nearly 1/3 of those who were faithful to church before COVID have not returned. Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, says it is his belief that the actual number of faithful and active Christians in America is less than 5%. Not only did Jesus say that He was the light of the world, but that we, the followers of Christ, “were the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14). Why the darkness? Why the hate? Why such an aggression of immorality? Why does it seem no one has the answer for all that ills our world? As a pastor who trusts God’s Word, I believe we are seeing the effect of the absence of light. Jesus asked in Luke 18:8, “when the son of man comes, will He find faith,” and the author of Hebrews warns, “let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.” Easter 2022. Make a decision to make God’s house a life priority.

Posted on

I’ve Got This

The Triumphal Entry. It wasn’t an event; it was a statement. It was premeditated and calculated. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. He knew His friends and foes. He knew what the day, Palm Sunday, would hold and He knew what the week would hold. Riding into Jerusalem on a colt was no accident, it was a declaration; to every Pharisee and religious leader Jesus was saying, I am in control. To every dark and demonic Spirit, He’s saying I am not afraid. It’s not a statement for the week, but a proclamation for eternity. The week would start with a Triumphal Entry and crowds crying, “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” and would end with crowds crying “crucify Him.” He doesn’t become enamored by the accolades nor discouraged by the jeers. He knew the moment was bigger than a parade or a cross, this was about who controls eternity. It’s about who would have power over death, hell, and the grave. It’s about sickness having dominance and darkness dominating the world. When the week comes to an end and He says, “it is finished,” He is not talking about His life, but the question of who was in control. As He breathes His last breath, He knows I am forever in control of eternity. Sin, sickness, disease, and death are now powerless. Satan, his schemes, and plans are forever thwarted. All things are subject to Him. The Triumphal Entry was an everlasting statement that said, I control everything, including my death. A good thing to know. Whether it’s in a court room or hospital room. Whether life or death. Jesus has triumphed and your life is safely in His hands.

Posted on

Time for an Oil Change?

An oil change. It’s a necessary part of owning a car. It has to happen about every three to five thousand miles. Why? Because as good as the oil is, it breaks down.  What was originally strong, clean, and pure, over time becomes weak and dirty. Refuse to change the oil and eventually your car becomes sluggish and breaks down. Change the oil and you will notice that it has fresh power, renewed energy, and better gas mileage. You may have the finest car, equipped with every feature, and all the luxuries, but if the oil doesn’t get changed, it quickly becomes worthless. Fresh oil is a must! What is true of our car is true of our spiritual life. It doesn’t matter how long we have been in church, how well we look, or how much knowledge we may have of scripture, without a fresh touch of God’s spirit we will become sluggish, get weary, and break down. Are you lacking spiritual energy? When is the last time a touch of God’s Spirit has overwhelmed you or you got lost in God’s presence? When’s the last time you went to your knees in prayer and couldn’t leave? If it’s been a while, could it be that you need an invigorating anointing? Know this, your world saps your energy and steals your spiritual passion, and a fresh anointing is a must. David said in Psalm 92:10, “. . .I have been anointed with fresh oil.” What David understood was, that fighting giants, defeating adversaries, and living a God led life spends energy and wears down the soul. His solution to the daily grind? A fresh anointing of oil. Feeling weary? Lacking energy? Ask God for an oil change, for Him to send an energizing oil over your heart, soul, and life.

Posted on

The Underdog Bandwagon

The Underdog. In last year’s March Madness, it was Oral Robert University, this year it is St. Peter’s. They come out of nowhere, usually a small college that no one has heard of, and though they have been invited to the event, they’re not supposed to win, but they do. And once they win, especially when your team has lost, the crowd jumps on their bandwagon. Everyone likes to see David beat Goliath. Somewhere along the line some self-righteous pharisee turned God into Thor, a God that is just waiting to hammer people with judgement when they fail. If you’re not blessed, it’s because you are not pleasing God. If you are going through difficult times, it’s because God is against you. When the woman was caught in adultery, the “rule” people were screaming crucify her, but Jesus’ jumps on her bandwagon. Rocks drops, screams of judgement go silent, and Jesus is on his knees saying, “neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” Paul, struggling with his inadequacies, ask God to remove his thorn, instead God says, it okay if you’re broken, my grace is sufficient. Wherever you turn in the Bible, you see God rooting for broken people. Religion says cross every “t,” and dot every “i,” and then you are good enough, but Jesus throws party’s when broken people simply repent. Feeling like you don’t belong? Feel like you’re not good enough? Maybe you feel like you failed too many times. Know this, every time you have a win, every time you turn to Him, God jumps on your bandwagon. He is for you!

Posted on

Rip Off the Label!

68 Teams. Four regions. In each, teams are ranked by computers and a handful of “in the know” people. Teams with ones and twos are expected to be there at the end of the tournament, 15 and 16’s are expected to make an early exit; just pebbles for the Goliath’s on the road to the Final Four. Except for one problem. Occasionally, a pebble forgets the ranking assigned by the professionals, and plays with a fire that can’t be defined by statistics. Instead of folding, they define themselves. It only happens a handful of times, but after a mind-blowing victory, when a “David conquers a Goliath,” you hear something like this, “no one gave us a chance, but we knew in our hearts we could do it.” We live in a culture that is label driven, and too many allow others to define who they are. Too often people are defined by the clothes they wear, the people they associate with, or the letters after their name. Yet, like a 15 and 16 seeded team, there are some who rip off their labels and define themselves in God. David was called too young, unproven, and unreliable, all which may have been true, but he had something that could not be measured. His family, peers and experts measured him by the world’s metrics, but David measured himself by something no one else could see, his God factor. He knew what God had done for Him and what God had called him to do. When that kind of faith is in place it doesn’t really matter the labels put on you. To someone today, do the same as David or a low seeded team, rip off the label and be who God called you to be!

Posted on

And Just Like That

And just like that, it happened. The crowd was gone. In early January you would have thought the entire town of Noblesville had joined our health club. Whether it was seven in the morning or seven at night, the place was packed. February comes and the crowds were still steady. There was determination on people’s faces; they were going to get fit and lose weight. But as it often does, resolve and resolution fade into routine and old habits. Now it’s the committed. Those who show up day in and day out; those who are dedicated to making a change. This isn’t something new. Paul called out the Galatians, saying “you were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” It’s human nature to fade, to allow obstacles to overwhelm us and discouragements to defeat us. What is the difference between those who fade and those who fight? Often it comes down to just one thing, determination. We are awestruck by Paul’s incredible successes but realize Paul was given many opportunities to quit instead of continuing. Stoned, beaten, persecuted, misunderstood, shipwrecked, and jailed, all opportunities to quit. In 2 Corinthians 3:1 we see his resolve when we read, “I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again.” Paul went through bad times, often felt like a failure, and had seasons where so many misunderstood and opposed his teaching, yet he was determined. I will not quit. I will not be defeated. I will not give up. His determination, his passion and his vision pushed him past his problems and pain. How many churches would not have been established? How many books would not have been written? More importantly, how many lives would not know Jesus? When times are tough, don’t quit! Pray harder, fast longer, and be determined to finish what God has called you to do.

Posted on

The Purpose of Fear

Our world seems to be giving us every opportunity to be scared, to live in fear. Many did, and some still, live in fear as COVID grips the globe. Anyone else race to the store to buy water and toilet paper when COVID derailed our lives? Ever get a call from the doctor’s office saying, “we need to run some test,” and where does our mind go? Often fear fills our mind and instantly we imagine the worst possible scenario. As war breaks out in Europe, for the first time, we have the ability to watch as a nation is being destroyed. In addition, there is a fear that at any moment we could wake up to the news that our country has been impacted by nuclear weaponry. What if I told you that fear is part of God’s design? That without fear we wouldn’t have the wisdom to avoid dangerous situations. Fear often protects us, but when fear gets out of control, it is sin. What fear should do is give us an opportunity to lean in and trust God. Jesus gives us a great illustration of what to do when facing fear in Matthew 14. We find Jesus’ disciples in the midst of a storm; one he had sent them into. As waves crash, lightening flashes, and disciples are panicking, Jesus appears. Suddenly everything changes for one disciple, Simon Peter. His focus moves from fear to faith, and in an instant, he is no longer fixated on the storm, but the God of the storm. Did the storm stop? Did the waves calm? Did the lightening cease? No, but Simon Peter’s focus changed and even though we often concentrate on him sinking, the truth is he ended up where everyone needs to end up when storms come. . . in the never-failing arms and safety of Jesus.

Posted on

Are You Accessible

How accessible are you? Do you keep your cell phone by your bed at night? Are you constantly making sure its fully charged so you don’t miss a call or email? When it comes to checking texts, do you check once a day, once an hour, or once a minute. How about TikTok, Insta, or Facebook? Do you find yourself constantly refreshing or checking in? For some, being accessible is critically important, while for others, it feels better when you are off the grid. But let’s go back to the original question and ask it a bit differently, how accessible are you to God? Is your “spiritual phone” always on? Do you check in for a time of devotion and then shut it down for the day? Maybe occasionally breathe a prayer when there is an important meeting or at the lunch table. Does God have access to you at any time? Can He speak to you in the middle of a meeting, or when a waiter or waitress needs a word of encouragement? Does He have access to you when someone needs prayer in the moment? Can He stir you in the middle of the night or convict you in the middle of the day? Being accessible is critical to living a powerful Christian life. It’s not so much what happens on Sunday, but more so, what happens Monday through Friday that makes us dynamic Christians. In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul challenges Timothy to be “instant in season, and out of season.” In essence, be ready to share the gospel, your story, and your faith in any moment. What will bring energy and life to your walk with God? Being accessible, being available to fulfill His will and purpose in your day.  Turn on your spiritual phone, keep it charged and see what God can do through your life.

Posted on

The Importance of Being Present

From the beginning of the year, God has laser focused messages at Life on the importance of seeing correctly, of being aligned with your pastors and the Spirit. Luke shows us the importance of being present in Acts 1. After Jesus ascends into heaven the disciples are left with the task of replacing Judas. As they begin the process, they first set the criteria for filling the position. What was the criteria? It was this, that whoever filled the roll had to have been with Jesus from His baptism until His death. Why? They understood that if the person had not been present, that they would not be able to align with the vision that Jesus had given them. How important was being present? All we have to do is turn to the first verse in Acts 2. Luke’s first line says it all, “they were in one place and in one accord.” You can’t get to one place and one accord without being present. Faithfulness brought vision, which brought possibility, which allowed 120 to experience a miraculous moment which would lead to a moment in Acts 17 when a society said, “these are they who have turned the world upside down. A question. How can you be aligned with the passion and heart of your pastors and the Spirit if you aren’t present? Over the past six weeks at Life we have cast vision on how to live a blessed life. Beyond the teaching of being financially faithful, we have talked about the importance of expanding your vision. Currently, Mary is leading a powerful study by Beth Moore called Entrusted. She spent days choosing the series, prays and studies each week, hoping ladies will catch the vision that Beth Moore is communicating. The adversary is subtle, he knows the power of “being present.” He understands when people aren’t present, they can never catch their pastors’ vision. A few have legitimist excuses, you live far from the church, but for others, it is simply a matter of priorities. What causes people to become discontent or drift? Most times it’s not sin, simply not being connected. It isn’t a lack of vision that will cause some to fade, merely a lack of being present.

Posted on

Do Your Thing and Keep on Walking

Same health club, same routine, but we were not ready for what awaited us this day. We hopped on our ellipticals and began our half hour journey to nowhere. As we’re walking, I begin to take inventory of those around us. First, I notice a man in front of us, probably mid-forties, in full business casual on the treadmill, he’s kick’ in it in what appears to be Sketchers, khaki pants with a belt, and a long sleeve polo. I give a head motion to Mary, and there’s instant laughter. Trying to gain composure, we look to our right and see a young lady on a treadmill, she’s wearing earbuds, gray sweatpants, a pink sweater, and a toboggan. The toboggan seems a tad strange, but it’s the fashion statement of the day, so we roll with it. What catches our attention is what happens next, within seconds after noticing her, she breaks out into full Michael Jackson on her treadmill. I’m now a tad stunned. Not to be a gawker, I look to the right of her to see someone who should not be wearing a two-piece workout outfit. She too is startled and staring at Michael Jackson in a toboggan doing her thing. Suddenly, as not to be outdone, she turns around backwards and attempts to run on her treadmill, thankfully this only last a few seconds, and she wisely decides to walk backwards instead. Don’t understand the purpose, but to each their own. Finally, trying to bring some semblance and normalcy back to the day, I look down our row to see a man going full speed on his elliptical with a towel covering his entire head…he sees nothing. Whether this is intentional we will never know. I continue to walk and think, I get the man with the towel on his head. My point in all this. Sometimes it’s just good to do your thing, keep on walking, and live for another day.

Posted on

Seed Season

It’s decision time! It’s a new year and with it comes the choice to plant new seeds. It matters what we plant at the beginning of our year, because eventually, what we plant comes to life and bares fruit. Here in Indiana, farmers decide in the winter what will be in their fields, whether wheat, beans, or corn and they have no doubt that what they plant will show up later in the year. Paul cautions the Galatians of the importance of the sowing and reaping principle, that it is not just an agricultural matter, but that it is also a spiritual one. Want to experience the presence and power of God? Want to see the hand of God impact your life? Sow correctly. Sow faithfulness to God’s house. Invest regularly in prayer and devotion. Invite God to be more involved in your daily life. Start or get involved in a small group. Sow kindness, mercy, and grace. All of these are seeds, that if planted, will lead to a God impacted future. Likewise, if we sow to our fleshly or selfish desires, we will reap the fruit of those seeds DNA. Farmers don’t plant corn and expect apples, neither can we plant to the flesh and expect to see God’s presence in a new dimension. Finally, I encourage you to plant spiritual seed generously. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I plant, Apollos watered, but it is God who gives the increase.” In essence, the more we plant in the Spirit, the more we give God an opportunity to multiply and bless. As you start your year, take time to think about what you want to experience in God and then plant abundantly.

Posted on

His Name Shall Be Jesus

The book of Matthew describes the moment the angel appears to Joseph and announces that his bride to be, Mary, is pregnant. In Matthew 1:21 the angel gives Joseph the child’s name, saying, “she will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Up to this moment God has had titles and descriptive terms, but never a name. We get a glimmer, a possibility of his name in Isaiah 9:6, when Isaiah says, his name shall be . . . but then describes Him as Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Old Testament heroes described Him as El Roi (God who sees), El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah Rophe (God that Heals), Jehovah Jireh (God who Provides) and Jehovah Shalom (God of Peace), but all of these were merely describing a portion of His power. Everything changes the moment the angel gives Joseph His name. James tells us that demons tremble in fear at the name of Jesus, Paul says that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and John tells us to ask anything in the name of Jesus. We are instructed to pray in the name of Jesus, baptize in the name of Jesus and preach the name of Jesus? Why, because when we use the name of Jesus every descriptive word and title ever used is spoken. The name of Jesus is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere at all times), and omniscient (knows all things). When we honor, revere, and speak the name of Jesus we bring anything into the realm of possibility. At the name of Jesus blind see, deaf ears open, lame walk, growths fall off, disease relents and death surrenders. It is by the name and the power of Jesus that we are saved. When you say Jesus, you bring all possibilities to your situation. His name shall be Jesus!

Posted on

The Gift of Tenacity

Jim Valvano, lovingly nicknamed Jimmy V, was a basketball coach who has become an inspiration too many. He bounced around several universities before eventually coaching the NC State Wolfpack in the 80’s. In 1983, Valvano’s team won the NCAA Championship, a victory that probably is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball history. In 1992, Valvano was diagnosed with cancer and in March of 1993, nine weeks before his death, Valvano spoke at the ESPY Awards and delivered one of the most inspirational speeches you will ever hear. Here are just a few of Jimmy V quotes. I hope they inspire you to live with tenacity.

  • “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
  • “Be a dreamer. If you don’t know how to dream, you’re dead.”
  • “The greatest gift you can give your children is to believe in them.”
  • “Life changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it.”
  • “Nothing has ever been accomplished in any walk of life without enthusiasm, without motivation, and without perseverance.”
  • “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”
  • “In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary People accomplish extraordinary things.”
  • “Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be.”
  • “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

You can read more quotes from Jimmy V at everydaypower.com/jimmy-v-quotes/

Live tenaciously!

Posted on

Watchers

As a kid my mom would take us to downtown Noblesville to watch people. I don’t know where the idea came from, or what we were looking for, we just observed people as they shopped. It wasn’t as if we had a lot of other options; televisions were black and white and a little larger than an iWatch, and life ran about as fast as a turtle. I remember taking my sister to the mall to watch people. We observed their expressions, remarked on what we thought they were thinking, and laughed, more at our comments than the people. It all seems weird now, but back then it was our entertainment. My daughter Risa got in “watching” at an early age. I was working on a pipe in the bathroom when she walked in and asked, “daddy, do you need a watcher?” A tad confused, I inquired, “Risa, what is a watcher?” She said, “you know dad, someone to watch you work.” I said sure and she watched…and asked another dozen questions or so. Being an observer of people and life and can bring amazing opportunities and insights. In Acts 17 Paul observed the people of Athens. After watching them, he commented, “I had observed that you are religious people,” he then went on to introduce them to Jesus. He challenged the Philippians to observe those who walk correctly and follow their pattern. Even Jesus told us to “watch that we be not deceived.”  This holiday season become a watcher. Observe people who may be in need. Watch for the waitress who seems distraught or discouraged. Listen to the co-worker who is overwhelmed with life. Be sensitive, ask God to give you the right words, and be a source of encouragement. Being like Jesus doesn’t mean pushing religion, being condensing or judgmental, it does mean being willing to take time, listen and care for someone who needs to be introduced to Jesus.

Posted on

Leftovers

Leftovers. Our refrigerators are likely full of them after Thursday’s Thanksgiving festivities. You were either gifted containers as you left the celebration, or as the host, you got left with everything from cranberry sauce to sweet potato casserole. I must admit there are some things that seem to taste better warmed up and you may have snacked on a few goodies over the weekend, but more than likely, the leftover ham and yams will likely head to the garbage later this week. Unfortunately, we’ll probably throw away more food this week than some will see in a month. In Matthew 15 a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus begging for Him to heal her daughter who is demon possessed. Uncharacteristically, Jesus is rather rude and ignores her request. Instead of being offended, the woman becomes more persistent in crying out to him. When Jesus says, “it isn’t good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” you would think that the woman would turn and walk away in disgust. Instead, her resolve moves to another level as she says, “yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table,” in other words, even the dogs get the leftovers. Her retort softens the heart of Jesus and in an instant her daughter is healed as he commends her for her great faith. What do you need today, a physical or financial miracle? A wayward child to return or a family situation to change? This week as you open the refrigerator and look at the leftovers, remember all you need are God’s scraps for a miracle to come to pass. Be tenacious, even when it feels hopeless and God seems distant, next level faith may cause a crumb to fall off of heavens table.

Posted on

Fall, A Season for Planting

Fall, the season when leaves fall and flowers fade, but what many don’t realize, is that fall is also planting season. Over the past few weeks, I’ve planted a couple of trees, sown Kentucky Blue Grass, and hit the yard with a covering of Scott’s fertilizer with a good dose of 2-4-D. Why? Because fall is the best time to make sure you have a successful spring. Planting trees in the fall allows their roots to grow deep while the branches are dormant. Seeding has the same impact, grass grows stronger, and when you fertilize, you kill both seen and unseen weeds. By fertilizing we eliminate a lot of problems that would show up in the spring and summer. Why do I mention fall planting? Because I believe there is an important spiritual principle to be found. Why do our lives have dormant times? Why do we have seasons where God seems to disappear, or we feel abandoned? Because God knows we need developmental seasons. Dormant periods are times when God brings growth to our lives. Some look at fall, when the trees are losing their leaves, and say, the trees are dying, but we know better. The same principle works in our lives, some may look at a person and say they are dying, or you may feel as though God has forsaken you, but be confident, God is at work. It’s in dormant times that our faith grows deep. It’s in difficult stretches that we experience God in ways beyond our imagination. Moses has a Fall season. He kills an Egyptian, flees to the wilderness and his life appears to be dying. But it was in the wilderness that Moses learned to hear God’s voice, trust God, and navigate the land he would lead people through, all in a season that seemed to be counterproductive. Don’t be discouraged when your life feels inactive, God is developing you, preparing you for your next season. Embrace your fall!

Posted on

It Seemed Like a Good Idea

The can said, “do not puncture,” but since my free-on hose was not penetrating the can, I thought I would use my ingenuity. The plan was to tap the top with a small nail, then with my cat like quickness, attach the hose, and fill my Toyota’s air conditioner. It sounded like a solid idea, but was I ever wrong. I was not nearly quick enough, nor had I anticipated what would come out of the can. My gentle tap set off Old Faithful. A geyser of air and oil shot out of the can and before I realized what had happened or could get the hose on the now slippery can, I had lost over half its contents. R-134 was everywhere. Thankfully, the lesson only cost me about $5. My experience with a can of R-134 is what sometimes happens when we play with sin. The Bible is filled with caution signs warning us about the power of sin, yet for some reason we disregard its warnings. In the moment sin seems like a good idea, we justify our actions, or think we can handle it, but in the end, to often it turns out like my can of R-134, a bigger mess than we could have ever imagined and costing more than we ever anticipated. David, the man after God’s own heart, was a perfect example of the power of sin. Victorious over a bear, lion and giant, able to deny the temptation to slay his adversary, David peering over his balcony, spots a bathing Bathsheba. His flesh says, you can handle this, you deserve it, while his heart was saying, “warning, danger, stay away.” He justifies he actions, pushes past the warnings, and within days his life is in disarray. The mess was larger than he imagined and cost him more than he anticipated. What warning signs are you ignoring? Stop now! Listen to God’s promptings, don’t mess with sin.

Posted on

A New Season

The hot dry days of August have transitioned to cool nights in September. The breezes of October are beginning to blow, so it is inevitable, fall. The leaves are starting to change. Green leaves are turning yellow, orange, red and brown and soon there will be a kaleidoscope of color here in central Indiana. We’re putting out the mums, buying hay bales, adding pumpkins, and pulling out the sweaters and boots. It’s fall. Isn’t it amazing how easily we sense the changing of the seasons? Crazier still, it’s amazing how we adapt. What about the changes that are taking place in our lives, are we as aware? Unlike the change from summer to fall, too many are oblivious to the deviations that are taking place in their lives. They fail to see themselves slipping away from their time of prayer or devotion. They seem unconscious of the fact that more and more things are getting in front of their faithfulness to God and His house. Too many seem unfazed that their heart has grown calloused and cold to God’s presence and gentle voice. While we so easily see the transitions of seasons, we often miss the critical changes happening in our lives. I often wonder if Judas knew something was changing in his life. Was he aware that greed was gripping his heart? Could he feel the spirit of deception creeping into his spirit? Could he sense that he was drifting away from Jesus? People don’t go from faithful to unfaithful overnight, it is a process, like the changing of the seasons. We’ve faced a lot of changes over the past 16 months. Something is happening, and while we can’t put our finger on it, we can sense it. A word to the wise. Stay alert, aware and on guard. Be prepared for the new season.