Grief

It is the first emotion I remember.

As a boy, standing beside the road as my father carried my beloved collie away, killed by a truck.

It is the only one I cannot put away.

Even now, just typing the phrase "my father" brings tears.

And yet it made me love Jesus more intensely - to cling to Him for life. To make me want to know Him more - to spend more time in His presence.

Because He knew... grief.

It was my first sermon. I had prayed, oh how I had prayed. Day after day I had opened my Bible and read, asking God to give me a "word" for the people at a little mill village town in Forsyth, GA. It was outside that mill that my grandfather had been struck by the car of a rich man's daughter. He died a few days later. I wanted to go there and speak a word of hope, of encouragement.

But God led me to a snippet of Scripture.

No great and lofty text. No commonly known passage. No safe, preacher's portion. I didn't do it justice that day. Perhaps no one ever could. For what it says about the Son of God is too wonderful for words.

11 Not long after that, Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with him, along with quite a large crowd. 12 As they approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession— a woman's only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. 13 When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, "Don't cry." 14 Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, "Young man, I tell you: Get up." 15 The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.
16 They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful— and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, "God is back, looking to the needs of his people!"

Luke 7:11-16 (MSG)

That day, I said all I knew to say about that passage in about 6 minutes. I was young. No one in my family had passed away. Since then I've had too many occasions to remember how Jesus reacted to the widow of Nain.

You know, when I pray for those at the point of death, I pray for God's will to be done. That doesn't mean I haven't fought the fierce inner struggles we all do when we want our loved ones restored as Jesus did that day outside Nain. No one wants those they love to leave them. But I know that God's will is always best for His children.

Because He's a God whose heart can be broken over their grief.

Some of you know exactly what I mean. I wish all of you could someday. The days, weeks, and months after someone dies do help with the pain, but it never really leaves entirely. And at certain times, or on certain days, it leaps back into your mind. That's when I turn to Jesus. That's when He looks at me and I know He shares my pain.

Even in grief, our God is there, looking to the needs of His people.

And He's exactly what we need.

May God give you peace,

David
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Searching

She was of dubious pedigree. Purchased as a full-blooded miniature schnauzer, it seemed obvious as she matured that she was all that - and a little bit more. Her coat was rough, her ears large. What else would you name a dog like that but Daisy?

And Daisy was wholly and dearly loved.

Chief among her admirers was her owner, Adam. As a young boy, his obedience to his chores had earned him enough points that he could have gone on a Toys R Us shopping spree, taken a trip to Six Flags, or get a puppy. He chose Daisy, and from the moment they met, the two were as one.

That's not to say that Daisy didn't have room in her heart for the rest of the Wilson clan, she did. After all, a dog's heart was created to love without limits. But for Adam, she reserved her utmost affection. At night, they'd go to bed together. In the morning we'd go in to wake Adam up, and find Daisy literally wrapped around his head like some sort of four-legged aviator's helmet.

Daisy was personality plus. Her antics kept us all laughing, but she could also be used to great effect to calm anyone down. Holding her in my lap lowered my blood pressure many times. So much so that when I was freaking out trying to balance work, school, church, and family, Bunny would tell the kids "Go get Daisy for your father. He needs a schnauzer break."

For all her awesome personality traits, Daisy had one that drove us crazy.

She'd run away.

We'd take her outside 100 times in a row without incident. But on that 101st trip, if you turned your back, she'd take off. Through the neighborhoods and to God knows where she would go. We would be frantic, scouring the neighborhood calling her name. Sometimes we'd get lucky and find her a couple of blocks over. Other times, though we searched on foot and by car, we couldn't find her. Hour after hour we would look, but it would get dark, and we'd pray that she would be found and promise each other we would look again in the morning. Adam would go to bed in tears as we reassured him that we would find her.

Then she'd come home, wet, muddy, and hungry.

And we'd love her again.

I thought about Daisy today because I was praying about others we know and love.

We've laughed together. We love things in common. When things are going well in their lives, they are great to be around. But they have one trait that relentlessly stalks them - they run away.

Every time they begin to make some progress in their lives, or their relationship with God, something deep within them begins the rebellion. It may be 6 days, 6 months, but one day you look up and they are gone.

And you're scared, it hurts, and you don't know what else to do.

That's when we have to put our faith in Jesus. No one loves the runaway more.

Jesus used this illustration: ⁴ "If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it? ⁵ And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. ⁶ When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. ⁷ In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!

Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 (Lk 15:1-7). Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.

One thing about lost sheep, lost dogs, and yes, even lost people. It can happen again. And again. People get tired. Call it compassion fatigue. Call it a broken heart. But to overcome it, we have to call out to Jesus. Jesus said He came to seek and to save those who are lost. He never stops.

Only a heart like Jesus' can give us the courage - the hope to keep wanting to search when history, family, and friends are telling us to give up. Only a heart like His.

Friend, would you pray with me for a heart like Jesus?

For there are not enough searchers and too many who are lost.

Grace!

David Wilson

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We're Better Together

I've been blessed and I've been cursed.

Both of those occurred with my Toshiba laptop. :)

Life with my newer laptop began last week with high hopes for more speed and greater reliability. My old IBM, while still functional, was exhibiting its age (8 years) and so I began the search for its replacement. Checking the local Craig's-list, I saw one that looked like a bargain, so I snapped it up, and sold my old one with its accessories, almost covering the newer one's price. Great!

But as soon as the old one left for its new owner, this one began acting up. It would freeze, throw a blue screen of death at me, and generally make it a challenge to get what you needed to do done before it did it again. So I began searching the Internet and beginning my education on Toshiba laptops.

What I discovered is that this model has problems with its video drivers.

Uh, duh.

I could have solved my problem right then, by tossing the laptop to the curb. But its a useful tool, and we don't have money to throw away. So I'm engaged with a community of fellow Toshiba owners who share my blessing and know my curse. Some of them even work for Toshiba. There is hope.

I was thinking earlier about church. Yea, big shock - pastor thinking about church. But I love it. I love the people in it. I love the reason it exists - to welcome other people and introduce them to God. I love the One it exists to glorify. I've been immersed in the church culture off and on (early, mostly off - lately, mostly on) since I was a boy.

So when I read the Bible, I read it like I'm part of the family. Since I trust my Father (God), I know that what I read there might not make a whole lot of sense to me at the moment, but it does to Him. And since I sometimes need help understanding what a passage means, I turn to the family for that help.

Some of the stuff in the Old Testament can hit you like Microsoft's "blue screen of death". You can lose your work that way on a computer, but you can lose something more important - your walk with Jesus - when that happens with the Bible.

If I had to depend on myself alone, I'd be woefully short of what I need to make it all clear. I don't have all the answers, and I don't pretend I do. So I turn to my family for help.

But you know, like a lot of people in churches, I forget sometimes that not everyone grew up in the family, and not everyone is in the family now.

When the Bible was written, it came through quite a few men's hands. It was collected first into Torah scrolls, then New Testament parchments. For thousands of years before the Torah came to be written, it was shared orally, which meant people had to come together to hear the Words of God.

Then in the early Christian church, the gospels of the disciples (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and the letters of others (Paul, Peter, James, etc.) were carried from church to church and read aloud. Even until the early 18th century, most people didn't have a Bible of their own.

When they learned, they learned together. Questions were asked. Questions were answered. Some other questions had to wait on God's Holy Spirit to make the answer known. But all this was done in community. With people who knew God, and people who wanted to know God, coming together in love.

I guess what I'm saying today is this - we need each other. To understand God's Word. To live our lives according to the challenging example of Jesus. We need each other to make our way with Him.

Think about it - This laptop has achieved almost three hours now of uninterrupted use, thanks to Thor from Sweden and Boris from LA. I'll never be a Toshiba engineer, and if I was to give up on the laptop just because of what I don't know, what a shame it would be. There are people out there who know what I need to know, and want to help.

Just like there are here at New Hope and in other churches. We want to help you know God and understand His Word.

Friends, don't give up on God, just because you don't yet understand His Word. You have questions - we all do. But when we come together with our questions, with our doubts, even with our fears - Jesus will meet us at the very point of our need. You want an example? Here it is.

24 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master."
But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it."
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you."
27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe."
28 Thomas said, "My Master! My God!"
29 Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing." John 20:24-29 (MSG)

Jesus met Thomas and answered every doubt. He could have appeared to Thomas when that disciple was alone, but Jesus chose to come when they were together. It's still the way He works most often, and the reason we gather as a church - to meet with Jesus.

We're better, when we're together with God.

Grace!

David Wilson

Lead Pastor - New Hope!
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God - Still Amazing

It was the end of the day. I was wrapping things up and preparing to head down to the post office, to mail something I had sold on ebay the Friday before. That's another way of saying that I knew I was late and should have done it the day before. Maybe even two days before.

Ever have that happen to you?

What's your attitude like in those cases?

Are you at your best?

Uh huh..

So two men come walking toward my office. Right away I think, "I'm going to be late". Then, "I'll bet they want something". Then as I saw the second man more clearly, "hope I'm not going to get mugged."

Paul and Robert entered my office as a study in contrasts. Paul was short, dressed like a contractor, and Asian. He was polite, even formal as he began the conversation. Robert on the other hand was about 6'5", muscular, with his hair in a do-rag, tattoos covering his arms, and dressed in a holy tank top, grimy shorts, and work boots. His language was southern and colorful.

Paul introduced me to Robert, "our new brother in Christ." He explained that they had met at a fast food restaurant, and he had been privileged to lead Robert to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Paul's language was old school. He said things like "trusting in God's righteousness and not in anything Robert had done", "Christ's death provided the substitutionary atonement for Robert's sins" - it was like listening to an old tape from Lifeway. But it was real.

He had come by to have Robert testify to what God had done in his life, to see if we had any new Christian materials, and to see if we knew anyone heading to Gainesville, FL, or could help Robert get there.

I backed up and got Robert to tell me about himself, how he had come to today's decision, and where he thought it would lead him. He was open, honest, and refreshingly raw. So we rejoiced together, and then we tried to work on the Gainesville deal. I was able to supply the new Christian material, and got some food for Robert to carry on his journey. But I was at a loss on what to do next. Paul asked if he could use our phone.

He called his home (an hour west of us) and told his son to tell his mother that he'd be home late, he had to take his new brother, Robert home to Gainesville (5 hours east). he hung up and we walked toward the car. All the while Paul was explaining to Robert that this is how the Body of Christ works - one part can supply this need, and another takes care of others. They thanked me profusely, (all the while I'm thinking, what did I do?) and they left. Wouldn't accept my offer to fill the tank up - said the church could use it more.

I kept thinking about this Scripture:

Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Paul's incredible generosity, and his explanation to Robert, a new believer - basically said, "this is the way it's supposed to be - you have a need, and God has people supplied with what you need to take care of it."

And tomorrow I get to preach about how Paul found everything He needed in Jesus.

19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19 (NLT)

Coincidence?

Don't make me laugh.

What an amazing God!

David

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Have you ever tried to change a habit?

It's so hard.

Last night Bunny and I hosted a small group focusing on communication in marriage. One of the things that I came to realize as I worked through the material was the need to make some changes in the way I communicate - not just with Bunny, but with others. I'm not sure when it started - maybe I have always done this - but while talking to a person I would look down, up, or just away for seconds at a time and then refocus on the person I was talking to.

Yeah, pretty annoying I suspect.

Here you are, having a conversation with someone, and as they reply to a comment, it seems that they have found something more interesting to look at. I'm amazed that someone over the years hasn't stopped me and said "what's so interesting?" To all you kind people, I can only express my thanks.

Once I discovered I was doing this, I put all my energies toward correcting the action. I m-a-d-e m-y-s-e-l-f look the person in the eye as I was speaking to them. And I did it! For a while. What I found out was that I had to stay focused on what I was doing and why. I had to remember to do that every single time.

Pray for me.

There are a lot of things I appreciate about the apostle Paul. His openness, transparency, and humility are just a part of that appreciation. He writes from his heart when he says:

12 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. 13 Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, 14 where God is beckoning us onward— to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.
15 So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision— you'll see it yet! 16 Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it. Phil 3:12-16 (MSG)

Maybe you started this year off with a steely determination that you were going to make some changes. But as the weeks have rolled by, your focus and determination to accomplish what you set out to do have faded. Well friends, the only way you can fail is by ceasing to try to change.

If you've set a goal and God is glorified in it, then keep going - don't look back.

or up... or at the floor..

Focus on Jesus.

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead Pastor
New Hope!
.
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I hear voices...

1 Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. 2 "Honor your father and mother" is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, 3 "so you will live well and have a long life."
4 Fathers, don't exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.

Eph 6:1-4 (MSG)

While I was searching in a closet at our home the other day, I came across several cassette tapes. One was of the Bethesda Baptist Church choir's Easter presentation of many years ago. My mother (who passed away 15 years ago) sang a solo in that musical. Another tape was of a sermon preached by Brother James Herndon, long-time pastor at Bethesda. He passed away before my mother. The final tape was of my oldest son Adam's 2nd Christmas.

I brought that tape to church to see whether you could still hear it. Surprisingly, the sound quality was okay. On that Christmas morning, apparently the whole family was at our house. So you hear my Mother and Father (who passed away last September), my aunt Louise and Uncle William (many years gone), my brother, and Bunny and me enjoying seeing Adam at 16 months of age, experience his first real Christmas.

Listening intently, I could hear Adam tell Bunny he wanted to go see "granmurner" (He got better at it). And I heard my Mother's voice for the first time in 15 years.

Sigh...

My father's voice was strong and clear - not like the man I talked to in August - so frail.

You know, I'm so glad I decided to record it all that morning, but in some ways their voices won't ever cease. I was drilled on being a certain kind of person. "We don't do that." "Son, when you go to work - work." "Remember, there but by the grace of God, go you."

What they said then affected my doing. I obeyed my parent's will.

But what that did was affect my being.

I am their son.

And I hear their voices.

I know that it's hard for some to follow God's commandment to honor father and mother, because they didn't treat you well. Some people have gone through horrible times in this life, and for you I pray. But consider this - the voice you are to listen to and obey isn't your mother or father who did wrong.

It's your God, Who gave His own Son to make you right.

Can you hear the voices?

28 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.

Matt 11:28 (MSG)

By obeying - in the doing, you'll find you are being changed. And those old hurts will be submerged beneath God's mercy and grace.

Grace!

David Wilson
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Outrageous!

It was a great morning at New Hope last Sunday. We had a great time of worship and praise, experienced God working through His Word, and saw Him at work when Emma came forward to tell everybody what Jesus had done in her life. It was glorious! Then we went over to the fellowship hall and celebrated the baptism of four children as they followed in obedience of Jesus.

We're an informal church, and never more so than when we baptize.

The kids wore their T-shirts and swim suits, and I wore a New Hope Sweatshirt and waders. We had a minute before to talk and pray and I tried to help them understand that there would be a lot of other times to decide to follow Jesus' example. I asked them what that meant to them and they told me : "Like being nice." "Or helping." "And not telling lies."

My response was, "Absolutely, all of those things and a lot more. Most of those people out there today won't see them, but being baptized like Jesus told us to - well this is in front of everybody. Everyone will know we want to follow Him."

So we headed into the round baptistry and got to work. The congregation applauded each and every one. I just grinned. There's something about being able to look them in the eyes and tell them that "I baptize you my brother (sister)..." You know that this may be a child that has more impact one day on the kingdom of God than you will ever hope to have.

God can use children to teach us about following Him.

15 When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. 16 "Do you hear what these children are saying?"
Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?"

Matt 21:15-16 (MSG)

Which do you think upset them more? Jesus' "outrageous things" or the kids running and shouting in the Temple?

Listen closely, please.

Dead churches don't have problems with noise, or children running.

And they don't often get to see Jesus do outrageous things.

So come and see what God will do next!

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead Pastor
New Hope!

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Working It Out

Here at New Hope, I have the corner office with the big picture window every corporate "suit" dreams of. In front of me I can see a corner of the school playground across the street. That lets me watch kids playing on a daily basis. Behind me sits our sanctuary. Bunny teaches piano in the afternoons here, so you could say I also get to hear kids playing.

There's a big difference though, in the groups of kids playing.

Those on the playground are free (within the constraints of the laws of physics, their imagination, and the teacher's watchful gaze) to play any way they want. If they want to run in circles until the get dizzy, they can. If they much prefer tag, then game's on. The object is simply to have fun.

The kids taking piano on the other hand, though they may have fun doing it (and Bunny works very hard to see that they do) aren't free to play anything they choose. The music before them makes that decision, and the teacher decides what music is there. Bunny's been doing this for over a year now. I've listened to just about every way "Three Blind Mice" and the other songs can be played. I've heard flub after flub, as notes were skipped, missed, or struck in error.

Through it all, the music never changed. The notes sat in the staffs, and the time signature remained the same.

Yet by working through the process of practice and repetition, the kids have amazed me lately with just how good they are getting. Looking back, it is hard for me to believe they could have come so far, based on what I've heard here.

But what I've heard is only a fraction of the time those students that have really progressed have put into their pursuit. They've devoted hours to practice at home, when they could have been doing something else, because they wanted to improve, to change, to get better at the art.

Like we should be doing as Christ-followers.

What I'm getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you've done from the beginning.
When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience.
Now that I'm separated from you, keep it up.
Better yet, redouble your efforts.
Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God.
Paul's Letter to His Friends at Philippi 2:12

Dallas Willard, author of many books on growing closer to God puts it this way.

"Grace doesn't preclude effort."

How much effort are you putting into your walk with Jesus?

Practice won't make perfect, but it'll make you more like the One who is.

Grace!

David
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Sparky

When my friend Caleb was sitting beside me last night at supper, I watched as he attacked the soda crackers in his chili. I chose the word attacked, because that's what it was. An attack! I should have guessed there would be one, since Caleb showed up in camo.

When the battle broke out, He was "zoom"ing down on the crackers with his knife. It got so rough he had me buckle him into the highchair. While we were still at the table, Caleb told me that he had been eating crackers in his chili since he was a baby. I laughed out loud, since I have socks older than him. He had me grinning.

Later, we were on the stage in the sanctuary, getting ready to pray. One of the things Bunny does to help get everyone focused is have the worship team kneel before we start with prayer. Kneeling alters your perspective on things and really helps you focus. So I had knelt down when Caleb came up to show me his shoes that lit up. Then instantly, he wasn't Caleb any more. Instead, I was nose to nose with a bucking bronco.

While we were practicing, Caleb was taking some trucks he had found in the nursery and putting together a truck convoy down the center aisle. Those trucks were really getting down the road too. He had me grinning as I watched the sheer joy and imagination God gives children on display right there. Worship comes at strange times for me I guess, because as we were practicing singing "How can I keep from singing your praise", my primary reason for singing those words at that moment was born from the wonder at just how awesome God's gift of children really is.

15 People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. 16 Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. 17 Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in."

Luke 18:15-17 (The Message)

The picture always catches me between a smile or frown depending on what mood I might be in. On a good day I'm smiling thinking about Jesus' love for those children and His eagerness to put them up as an example of how the kingdom works. On a bad day, I think about the disciples and go (usually inaudibly) GRRR.

Jesus' point wasn't that we should put children on the throne - they couldn't handle that.

No, His point was that we had to approach God with a spirit that acknowledges - even celebrates - that we don't know it all. When Jesus chose to use a word for children that meant one who was learning and growing, he meant we had to be like that too. We can't just see what is present in the now of our lives as all there is and ever will be.

No! We have to be ready to change - to morph! As Max Lucado puts it, "God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way." Exactly.

Today I found out that Caleb's daddy calls him "Sparky".

I love that. He's sure got that spark of joy - of wonder - in him.

My prayer is that as Caleb (and you and I) grow up and grow older, that we'll always leave room in our hearts and minds to learn more about the wonder of Jesus. That Sparky won't ever lose his imagination or his joy.

And that we'll live like who we are - Jesus' pride and joy.

Grace!

David Wilson

Lead pastor - New Hope!

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Too Poor To Pay Attention

Recently two guys in Virginia went to the DMV office to have their licenses renewed. No big deal, right? Just takes a few minutes and you are on your way. But these two guys decided to liven it up a bit by showing up in disguises.

Will Carsola and Dave Stewart posted Internet videos of their pranks, which included scenes of Carsola spray-painting his face and neck bright red and Stewart painting the top of his head black and sticking a row of fake buckteeth in his mouth in an ethnic caricature. They each entered the DMV office and return with real licenses with photos of their new likenesses.

In a video, a shaved-headed Carsola comes out of the DMV with a photo of his eyes crossed, and another friend obtains a license after spray-painting on a thick, black beard and mono-brow.

They got their license renewals. But when the Virginia Department of Public Safety caught on, Carson and Stewart were given a week to come back and do them again.

I had to wonder about the people at the DMV office.

We go there once every few years. They are there every day. We may gripe at waiting a few minutes. They are there all day with the patient and the impatient, the nice and not so nice. The people may change but the job never does. So after a while, you might be present in spirit, but the mind, she's checked out of the motel.

They were just phoning it in.

I wonder, how many Christians have done that?

Friends, it's a tough life. Following Jesus goes against our nature, against our culture, and against what most of the people around us during the week would do. And over time, it can seem to be a dull routine. So we look for "Our Best Life Now" or the "Prosperity Way of Living" or the like, seeking something else. Something easier. A shortcut to God.

Well, here's what the Bible says...

13 "Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. 14 The way to life— to God!— is vigorous and requires total attention.

Matt 7:13-14 (MSG)

The way to life - to God - is vigorous (characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity) and requires total ( entire: constituting the full quantity or extent; complete) attention.

You cannot phone it in.

Friend, you give your time to many things each day, and you spend your talents and energy on a host of activities. Put Jesus at the center of your life. Work for Him in whatever you do. He's given you everything, so you are not too poor to pay attention to Him.

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead Pastor, New Hope
--
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http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Where Are You?

Sean gave me an Amazon.com gift certificate for Christmas and I've been looking at various things and combinations of things ever since. I need a new pair of shoes, so I looked at a few of those. Then I thought it might be time to get a new baseball cap, so I looked at a few of those. Then I saw it.

A watch that knows how far you have gone and how fast you did it. What a gadget for a geek! It accesses the 26 Geosynchronous Positioning Satellites and calculates the differences between where you were and where you end up to do that.

Way Cool! And it tells time!

I could of course just go by the Steven Wright method - "No matter where you go, there you are" , but I really like to know my location. Not just on the planet, but with God.

The very first question asked in the Bible is God's query after Adam and Eve had sinned. "Adam, where are you?" Adam doesn't answer. He hides from God. Later, Moses is asked the same question. He responds to God, "Here I am." That's where we need to be. Available. Open. Ready to work for God's glory.

It's the first week of our New Year. When the Jewish New Year begins, the observant Jew takes some time to examine his life to see just where he or she is with God. It's a process of discovery like that which Paul noted in his letter to the Corinthians. "Examine yourself..." the apostle said.

Let me share some action steps you can take.

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
Philippians 4:8 The Message

We're usually quick to think of those things we need to cut out of our lives during our spiritual examinations. But what if we replaced those habits that take us away from God and off track with new habits that drew us closer?

What if we replaced the ordinary with the transcendent, the vulgar with beauty and grace? What if we got rid of those things that clutter our lives and replaced them with things that matter - things that will last?

I think Paul's onto something friends.

Where are you?
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Grass and Glitter

For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

You have to know what to look for.

I can remember going hunting with my father, many years ago. He was trying to get me to become a decent quail hunter without getting himself killed in the process. Neat trick, that.

In case you might not be familiar with Mr Bobwhite, he has a tendency, some might say that he gets a perverse joy (if a bird can feel joy) at suddenly bursting forth from a previously undisclosed location. This can result in various actions being taken by the hunters approaching him.

Only one of them is really acceptable in hunting circles.

The others may include: shouting in surprise, dropping your shotgun, or worse - pulling the trigger regardless of whatever direction the gun might be pointed in at that moment.

To keep the less appropriate actions from occurring, my father was training me to look for the "waves" in the tall grass as the quail began to run away from the hunters prior to taking flight. If you can spot that happening, then you can be looking in the right direction and anticipate the quail's flight. You have to know what to look for though.

Today was my first day back in the study at church after the Christmas/New Year's break. I noticed a couple of things that tell me to get ready for God to take action here. Grass and glitter.

The grass here is just the opposite of our middle Georgia broom sage. Our grass here at New Hope is worn down from use by the boys and girls who gather here on Wednesday night. And on most afternoons since the Little League season ended, a group of those kids and some others we don't know yet are playing football on the field across the street. There seem to be more and more of them.

The glitter? The other night when I was vacuuming the sanctuary after others had done the hard work of taking the decorations down, I noticed that some of the glitter used by our New Hope kids and young people during the Christmas Musical they presented during the season just didn't want to come up. I ran the vacuum cleaner this way and that, and some of the glitter stubbornly clung to the carpet.

And you know, I'm just fine with that.

Because it reminds me that here at New Hope, we're working with God's next generation of Christ-followers, teaching them not only about Jesus, but about how they can show others His love. Combine that with a lot more people of their generation in the immediate vicinity and "BOOM".

Did that scare you?

I've been in churches where having people nearby that didn't know Jesus wasn't though of as a good thing.

That's just like that long ago quail field. People's reactions can and do vary. Some who are just looking to stay as they are and have always been, can lament the way the grass looks, and those whose focus is about keeping everything tidy in case Jesus shows up wearing white gloves can complain about the glitter.

But if you want to see God at work friend, you've got to learn what to look for.

New Hope, get ready.

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead pastor - New Hope!
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God's Gifts

I'm writing this inside a house that we found available right when we needed one, the sign being put out 15 minutes before we drove by.

Beside me on the floor sleeps a wonderful friend named Henley, a Great Dane who just happened to be available as a puppy right after we had suffered the loss of another good dog friend that devastated us.

I'm writing to friends and family, most of whom I'd never have known had I not agreed to go one night (as a mere lad of 20 years of age) with a friend I met the summer before, to the home of a girl I had never met before.

Her birthday is today.

And tomorrow we'll celebrate 33 years together as husband and wife.

Coincidences?

Yeah, people find houses all the time.
And I'm sure you can make a case for your dog.
But God has this way of meeting our needs with way more than we expected. He delights in giving gifts to His children.

And no one who has ever lived has been given a more extraordinary gift than me, in the person of my wife Bunny.

I am blessed beyond measure. How great is our God that He in His infinite mercy and grace would look upon me, a wretch of a man and give me such treasure.

We are so guilty of looking for the Mt Sinai experiences and linger so expectantly outside the tomb of Lazarus that we forget sometimes just how often God uses life in all its daily experiences to teach us about His love. Our 33 years have not always been easy as the twists and turns of God's plan rolled on, but together we've seen God work again and again and again. And I've enjoyed hearing Bunny laugh. Yes, at me, but most of all with me. She's even more beautiful on the inside. Her grace and strength have helped me grow in God's grace and served as a great help to me as I have tried to follow God and lead His people. What a gift she has been and is!

She's my forever sweetheart and love.

Bunny's not here just now or I'd never have been able to write this. But friends, I thank God for her, and for what He has done in our lives together.

And I'm on firm biblical footing.

19 Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Col 3:19 (MSG)

Praising God for all His gifts, but especially one of them.

David
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What we see that the shepherds couldn't

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen.
We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created.
For everything,
absolutely everything,
above and below,
visible and invisible,
rank after rank after rank of angels
-everything got started in him
and
finds its purpose in him.
He was there
before any of it came into existence
and
holds it all together
right up to this moment.

Colossians 1:15-17
The Message

Mary held her son. The shepherds saw it and rejoiced at Messiah's coming.

What they couldn't see is what we know - He holds it all.

And we are held in love, by Him.

Merry Christmas from all the Wilson family.

In His grip of grace,

David

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Can You Hear His Song?

We were out doing some almost last minute running around today, and Bunny and I got separated in the store. So she did what we've found to be extremely helpful - she called my cell phone. It rang and began to play the Charlie Brown Christmas theme song - "Christmastime is here."

I love Charlie Brown, and especially the Charlie Brown Christmas special. So I enjoy hearing that song. What was funny today was that everyone near me in the electronics section at K Mart heard it too. "I love Charlie Brown too," one older woman said.

I walked away thinking about that. It's Christmas. Maybe I should have had a ring tone that explicitly called people to remember the real Christmas, not just cartoons about it. For me, that would be "Joy to the World." When I hear that, I think about Jesus. It's just His Christmas song.

The funny thing about it is that "Joy to the World" also points me to those shepherds I wrote about yesterday. They received the news first when they heard the angels sing. You know in the time of Jesus, sheep would get to know the one who was their shepherd. Sure the lambs would wind up at the temple, but their parents, the ewes and rams, would be with the shepherds for years. I wonder if they were more like pets than we think.

Sometimes the shepherd would sing a song to them as they walked along. Or he would carry a little flute and play a tune over and over until the sheep would know what it was. This is still practiced today. Sheep don't respond well to "hey, you - woolly!" apparently.

Gary Burge writes about it. Gary's a professor at Wheaton College and an expert on the Bible, ancient societies, and wrote an excellent commentary on John which this quote comes from.

In the 1980's, the Israeli government was in conflict with a Palestinian village near
Bethlehem over taxation. The officer in command rounded up all of the village animals
because of this conflict and put them all together in a common pen.

Later on, a woman approached them and explained that she was a widow, and that these
animals were her only means not to starve. They were her only livelihood and she desperately needed them. He said, a little cynically, that there would be no way to locate her sheep, because there was no way he could find the animals that were hers.

She asked, If I could separate them out, could I keep them?

He answered, Sure. You could do that.

Her son was the one who usually watched the sheep. He would have been the "under shepherd" who served the owner. This was common in ancient times also. Her son pulled out a little reed flute and played a simple tune over and over and over. In the pen where all the animals were, there was a group of sheep whose heads started popping up.

Hey, that's our song!

And twenty-five sheep recognized that song, walked out of that pen, and followed the
shepherd.

Jesus said,
My sheep know my voice. (John 10:27)

You can't fool the sheep. They know their shepherd.

As we prepare for Christmas at New Hope, this will be the last devotional I write. We're going to celebrate the coming of Jesus with everything we have to give. We'll certainly sing my favorite.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Friends the "Joy" is an offer from a loving God. But just like a song, you can choose not to hear it, drown it out with your own voice, or replace it with another of your choosing.

To truly hear the song of Christmas, you have to prepare your heart and surrender your will to the King.

Can you hear His song? Are you listening?

Grace!

David
Lead Pastor, New Hope, Valparaiso

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Christmas - It's For All People

I grew up in the Deep South at a time when there were great differences in our society centered on the color of a person's skin. In restaurants, in schools, and at lunchroom counters, there were lines for white people, and there was a line for colored people. At Macon Georgia's Terminal station signs cover today what was once chiseled in stone - a "White" entrance and a "Colored" one. A person coming to Macon now wouldn't see what in my memory remains so clear - we were a divided people. Some of us were the "haves" and some the "have nots", and it had always been that way. We were so blind.

I cannot understand how a nation so dedicated to freedom for all could have been so wrong about this for so long. But finally, we did change. We struggled with the truth. We refused at times even when confronted with it to acknowledge its claims. I can remember protests against Judge Bootle, conflict at Mercer's campus church, and confusion as the times really were a changing.

But they did change. Voices arose from within the nation. A rediscovery of just why we were here took place. We were exhorted to not judge a person by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. And 40 years later for the most part, Americans do.

I had to turn on the "way-back" machine for you today because I am struggling to help you understand just how the people of Israel, who saw themselves as the "light to the nations", who understood themselves to be "God's chosen people", who had law after law to remind them to treat their fellow Jew fairly - how these godly people treated those who were employed as shepherds.

Shepherds were a permanent underclass in the nation of Israel. They were despised and rejected by their own. Even though they had contributed to the making of Israel - remember at one time literally all of the tribes were nomadic shepherds, and David even rose to be the most famous king of Israel ever - by the time Christ was born all that was ancient and forgotten history. Everyone despised shepherds. They were considered second-class and untrustworthy.

To be a shepherd was to be involved in an activity critical to the worship of the people of Israel. The production of lambs for ritual sacrifices was ongoing, and the standards for those lambs were quite high. No defects, illness, or blemishes would be tolerated. So a successful shepherd delivered lambs as close to perfect as possible, and timed the birth of the newborn lambs so that they would be of sufficient age at the Passover feast, when every family in Israel was supposed to come to Jerusalem and offer sacrifice.

It was hard work- even dangerous at times as lions, wolves and thieves could threaten the sheep. To prevent the sheep from straying, a shepherd would hem the sheep into a natural sheepfold and bar the entrance with fallen logs or sometimes with his body, placing himself at the mouth of the corral. Christ Himself referred to His role as the "Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep." I'm sure Jesus' audience just chalked those references up as foolishness along with His insane penchant for hanging with tax collectors and prostitutes.

Remember, they called Jesus a friend of "sinners." Shepherds were called "sinners" because they were ceremonially unclean. Jews were told not to trade with them directly on the assumption that whatever they purchased would be stolen property. The Mishnah, a collection of rabbinic sayings, refers to them as "incompetent" and in another place intimates that no one should feel obligated to rescue a shepherd who has fallen into a pit.

They were deprived of civil rights, not being allowed to hold judicial offices or serve as witnesses at trial. People would avoid them, spit at them, chase them away.

Again, I can remember when it wasn't so different here.

If you were a gentile, there was a place for you - the Court of the Gentiles. If you were a woman, there was a place for you - the Court of Women. But if you were a shepherd, though you were where David, the shepherd-king of Israel once reigned, you were relegated to the far courts.

The shepherds brought their flocks to the wall of Jerusalem and watched as gentiles collected the lambs. The shepherds never were able to worship as the "good" people did, being made to stay in the same place as the rest of the "sinners", even though their efforts made it possible for the "good" people to worship freely.

And yet God seems to have a special place in His heart for shepherds. The rabbis marveled at how in light of the despicable reputation of shepherds, God Himself was referred to by the Psalmist in 23:1 as 'my shepherd'.

When it came time to announce the birth of the King, the logical thing to do would have been to have the angels descend on the Temple in Jerusalem. They would be immediately in contact with the learned priests, scribes, and rabbis who could respond in worship and spread the news. The worship could then go on for months - even years. The best and brightest of the people of Israel would know what to do.

But instead, God went to the shepherds.

He ignored those who were sure they were first in His eyes and chose to meet instead with those "everyone" had decided He could never love.

He rushed past all the fine furnishings, the impeccable dress, and the well rehearsed priests and musicians when He chose the people to bless with His news. How odd of God.

The shepherds had no temple, no priest, and no choir. They had nothing and no one on their side. The only reputation they had was uniformly bad. No means of worship, no hope of being heard. They had been banished to the desert plains and given only their sheep as companions. So into this context of societal smugness and prejudice, far from the "right" places and the "right" people, God decided that the first people who needed to hear "It's a boy! Oh and He's Messiah!" were the despised and rejected shepherds.

God's light began to shine clearly into their dark place.

And a worship celebration broke through to earth from heaven.

8 There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. 9 Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. 10 The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: 11 A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. 12 This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
13 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

14 "Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him."

Luke 2:8-14 (MSG)

So the nobodies who couldn't worship freely since they weren't good enough got to experience worship like no one has ever seen. Those so despised that they were forced to live on the fringes were placed in the center of God's work. The last had become first. When they were shown the side door and relegated to the outskirts of God's neighborhood, the Lord Almighty simply kicked down the doors and redrew the map to include them.

Yeah, I think that qualifies as "great joy."

The news they received let the shepherds know that even if the world's standards for people stayed the same, God's new plan included them.

This good news was "meant for everybody..." for all people.

It still is.

May we walk into the light this Christmas forever remembering just how far we have to go before we see that joy and His peace break out everywhere.

Grace!

David Wilson

Lead Pastor - New Hope, Valparaiso

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Whenever You Hold A Child

Christmas time always causes me to rummage around in my closet of memories. If you're like me, you've got stuff in there.

For me, back there past the 3rd grade report card I'm still grousing over from one December past, or the memory of the time the heat pump went out when I was 2200 miles away from a freezing Macon, GA, are memories upon memories of Christmases.

Some examples?

One Christmas when I was a child, I received a toy helicopter with a broken windshield. A note affixed read "sorry, dropped off the sleigh. - Santa". I come by my sense of humor genetically, obviously.

Another found Bunny and me walking away from a guitar store, not buying, but selling my guitar to pay for Christmas for the boys. We had smiles on our faces, thinking about how they were going to enjoy the toys. No regrets, only memories of their joy.

Or the Christmas we were working with kids at "My Friends House" in Niceville. I can still see the excited faces as those foster kids who had been abused, battered, and deprived all their lives ripped into the presents each was given. What a thrill it was to play with them that day, and to tuck them into their beds - exhausted - that night.

Really, most of my memories of Christmas revolve around children. I get excited every year to see the little ones as they begin to anticipate the day's coming. When I read the Christmas story, I remember what it's like to hold a newborn son. Joy floods your soul as you cradle this new life - full of promise, bathed in love, fresh from the arms of God. Sometimes Bunny and I will walk away from church after encounters with our New Hope kids and say "we need one of those." We love children.

So when I read Zachariah's "song" and see this

And you, my child, "Prophet of the Highest,"
will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways,
77Present the offer of salvation to his people,
the forgiveness of their sins.
78Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
God's Sunrise will break in upon us,
79Shining on those in the darkness,
those sitting in the shadow of death,
Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
down the path of peace. Luke 1:77-79

When I visualize this scene, I see a man holding his son. Maybe John was sleeping - you like them to get in that routine early. Or maybe he was looking up at his daddy, fist in his mouth, or with arms outstretched. I can see those dimples on the backs of his hands, and his little bitty toes. A baby, held tight in the arms of love.

Zachariah, unlike most anyone else, had a clear understanding from God directly about what the result of his son's life would be. That passage is God's announcement of just what the life of John the Baptist would mean.

But remember, Zach and Liz couldn't just kick back and not do the work of being John's parents - just the opposite. God's plan for John's life required Zachariah and Elizabeth to do what they only could do, and that is to "train up a child in the way he should go..." Before John could show anyone else the "path of peace", he had to be taught the "way".

Friends, when you hold a child, you are holding God's investment into the future of this world. You are holding one of His masterpieces of creation. Snug within your arms lies the continuation of God's purpose and plan.

That child you hold may be someone like John, who will show many people the way.
That child you hold may be someone like Mary, whose life will be used to change the world forever.

Your part in that isn't just to hold them, but to mold them into people who grow up to live for Jesus. Whenever you do, you are touching generations yet to come with His love.

So this Christmas, why not take time each night to read the Christmas Scriptures? Talk with your kids about God's love for the world expressed through Jesus. Let them pretend they are shepherds, wise men, Joseph and Mary. Let them enter into the wonder and experiences that surround Christ's birth.

Make their memories of Christmas include Jesus.

And give them a hug for Bunny and me.

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead Pastor - New Hope Valparaiso
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In the Wilderness

Seems like a most "un-Christmasy" title, doesn't it? But as I've been reading and rereading those texts which we use as the basis for our look at Christ's coming, this line jumped out at me.

80 John grew up and became strong in spirit. Then he lived out in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

Luke 1:80 (NLT)

It's referring to John the Baptist, and is placed immediately after Zachariah's prophetic speech about who his boy is and what he's going to become. And part of that "becoming" was a stint in the wilderness.

The wilderness is a harsh and unforgiving place. Back then the term signified places that you wouldn't see a single sign of man's presence. No houses, no farms, no roads. When you were there, it was just you - and God. I love the way Jesus explains what the wilderness is like when he responds to a crowd in Luke's gospel.

After John's messengers left to make their report, Jesus said more about John to the crowd of people. "What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? 25 Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. Luke 7:24-25 (MSG)

I get the idea that if you are headed to the wilderness, be ready for a lot more than some scenery. It's not a place that recognizes people by what they own, or by their status. It is what it is.

Jesus frequently made use of it.

Yet despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. Luke 5:15-16 (NLT)

At the height of His ministry. When the crowds around Him were like Walmart during Christmas season, Jesus went to the Wilderness.

If you're like we are here, the days between now and Christmas are stuffed - packed - nigh to bursting - with this party and that one, this activity and the other. You find yourself plunging again and again into the flood-tide of commercialism and trying to ford the deep waters of the crowds. It's tiring. It's aggravating. At this time of year, just when you want on a deep level to connect with the God Who left heaven and moved into our neighborhood, you find yourself in a mood not fit for man nor beast.

Maybe it's time for a wilderness experience.

Take 15 minutes each day beginning today. Unplug the telephones. Set your cell to stun - err vibrate. Turn off the TV and step away from IM and email. Find a place and meet with God. No one has to see you there. No one has to know. In fact, that's the idea of a wilderness experience. You have no One to turn to - but God.

Meet Him there today. And tomorrow. And the days after that.

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead Pastor, New Hope Valparaiso
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Follow That Leader

Tonight Bunny and I went out to Lewis Middle School to hear some of New Hope's kids play in their band's Christmas concert. This year, we had three involved - Nathan Fannon, Emily Shermer, and EJ Huston. It was a last minute thing for us - Emily popped into my office today and told me "we're playing the Charlie Brown music."

Well, of course, I had to be there since not only do I love New Hope's kids, but I am a huge Charlie Brown fan. His theme is my ringtone. So we braved the cold and made our way to a full and breezy gymnasium.

The concert was wonderful. They all did great and we are so proud of them. These are bright kids, full of promise. We have to figure out a way to use the tuba, saxophone and clarinet in our praise band at New Hope. I'm sure there's an arrangement of "How Great Is Our God" that features the tuba. What? Oh... Well still, they played great!

As I watched each ensemble play, one common thread ran through them all.

The band director, Mr. Tredway.

He was funny, engaging, fierce in his love for his students, and connected to the music by his heart. Racing with a microphone from musician to musician, he made sure each got their place in the spotlight. As he encouraged the audience to reward the performers with applause, it seemed to me that he was as excited about what each kid did as any parent could ever be.

It was fascinating to see this man, who no doubt has a great knowledge of and ability in music, get such joy out of every song, every measure, every note, even when sometimes every note wasn't perfect. His joy was infectious. To me it was obvious why the band did well.

But what really told me a great deal about him wasn't listed in the program. Or maybe I should put it this way - he, the band director and emcee for the evening concert - wasn't listed in the program. Thinking back, I remembered his dress was nondescript, and he deliberately withdrew from the front at times to give the kids every scrap of attention.

I think he made a conscious decision to do those things - to deflect, even disregard personal notice or acclaim.

Why?

It wasn't about him.

It was all about the kids and the music.

When I sit here tonight thinking about our "music" - the story of Jesus, I wonder - are we doing the same? Are we doing all we can to let people know that the reason we have our hope is all because of Jesus? When they see us make it through a tough scrape are we careful to point out Jesus' love or do we claim we figured it out? When we get that promotion or buy that new car, do we bask in the praise and think "I deserve this" or do we make sure we give credit where credit is due?

And do we sometimes forget that we were placed here on earth to help people find Jesus, not to make sure our needs are met? Are there times when we find ourselves thinking that we should be rewarded for doing what Christ expects us to do naturally?

Chris Tredway did an awesome job tonight of helping his kids shine.

What kind of job are we doing for Jesus?

We know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16 (NLT)

Since Jesus has given us everything we have, let's follow His lead and give up our lives for Him.

Grace!

David

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http://www.newhopevalp.org/

Sons

Last night, I was at New Hope, trying desperately to bring some light onto what for most of us is a dark and dusty part of the Scriptures - Leviticus. I know, we're New Testament Christians, not under the law but under grace - got that. But I'm convinced that we've missed a great deal of needed background - even foundational materials when we pretend the OT doesn't exist. So I'm teaching through the OT on Wednesday nights and someone snuck Leviticus in there on me, right after Exodus - who knew?

So last night I'm in chapter 8, trying to relate to the people around me that some things have changed since that day and some have not. That the High Priest's clothing said things about how they were to relate to God and each other, just as how we live today in view of the people around us who are not yet followers of Jesus says things about whether we really do follow Christ.

Folks, I was really trying with everything I've got to make the connection that even though we aren't dressed up in easily recognizable "garments" that tell the world that we are a "kingdom of priests, a royal priesthood...", that in fact we are just that. And that in a world like ours, our humility, kindness, and servant nature - our being like Jesus - might just be more visible and more powerful than seeing the high priest walk by was then.

As I was teaching, trying to connect, I looked to my left and there sat both of my sons. A rare event now, as Adam our oldest still lives in Middle Georgia. It's been quite a while since he's heard his daddy teach. He and Sean were sitting together, listening.

They are men now themselves, at 23 and 28, and have seen me in all sorts of circumstances and among all sorts of people. I love them fiercely, always have, always will. That's not to say I've been perfect at it, but helping them grow up as men and introducing them to Jesus has been my goal from the first time my eyes saw each of them after their birth.

Frankly, at that very moment last night I prayed a brief silent prayer with everything I had to give, that nothing I have done has hindered them in their journey with God. Then I moved on, trusting in the love of the Father to fill the gaps in this daddy's attempts to love them like Jesus.

I've written all this to say - as you are putting time and energy into getting just that right gift for your sons or daughters this Christmas, please take a moment each day to pray to the Father for guidance on how to live in such a way that your life offers them the gift of Jesus' love reflected through your words and actions.

Those toys and electronics will be long gone one day, as they are with my boy's toys, but the ways you have given them Jesus' love will last forever.

Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it-because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. 1 Corinthians 14: 1

Grace!

David Wilson
Lead Pastor, New Hope Valparaiso



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http://www.newhopevalp.org/