Isaiah 53:6. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way;

Hebrews 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

Hebrews 3:12. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

It is my observation that almost everyone who is a follower of Jesus will drift away from Him at some point. It is usually subtle, and gradual, rarely on purpose. It is usually because of getting entangled in the affairs of everyday life to the point that the basic safeguards against drifting like attending church faithfully, reading our Bibles daily, and spending some time with the Lord in prayer are compromised more and more. People often drift to the point that they are helpless to do anything about it, though at this point they don’t care. The only recourse God has now is to take them through a major crisis to get their attention. Sometimes people repent and turn around, and other times they just get angry at God, and stay where they are.

Revelation 2:4-5. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

What we need to do is to practice Revelation 2:4-5 often and regularly. “Remember from where we have fallen”, then “repent and do the basics” that kept us close to the Lord and growing before we started to drift.

A key principle is whenever we take “Communion” we need to “remember” and “repent”. When I take Communion I pray and say, “Dear Lord, You are Lord! You are my Lord, and I have drifted like a dumb sheep from You, my God, my Savior, and my Lord, I repent now and commit to seek You diligently, please help me to do that.

We are having a Communion service this weekend at JBC. If it has been awhile since you have been in Church this would be a good weekend to come and recommit your life to following and seeking the Lord, making Him first place in your life before anything else. It is the only way to live if you want His supernatural joy and peace in spite of life.

I have been doing a bunch of reading of late on this age group of people in our country. It varies some depending on who I read but they were born approximately between 1982 and 2004 which makes them the 35 to 13 year olds in our country, our town, and our church. All the information that I read asks the question, “Who are they”? but my question is what do they need that they could easily receive at church if they were connected and what do they have to offer that would bless others. Some would say that they age of the church is over, but I operate on the basis of what the Bible teaches because it goes way over the head of what our present culture teaches.  A simple definition of a local church is a group of people who gather together regularly, faithfully, and systematically because we need other people in our life in more than a casual way in order to grow as a person in our character and in order to have real joy in our life. There are all kinds of groups of people who gather together with regularity, but the church is unique in that we gather in the Name of Jesus. In the Bible Jesus says, “When you gather together is my Name, I am with you in a special way”.   So, I being an old “Boomer” believe that Jesus gives me what I need through other people when I gather with them in the Name of Jesus, and that Jesus  gives through me to  others what they need.  We in our country are super independent, all ages, from top to bottom are very inclined to say, “I don’t need you”.  But in reading about Millennials I read that they are drawn to “community”, it just needs to be real, and transparent. Well, that is what I am drawn to as well, and I am an old “Boomer”.  I guess it just boils down to choosing to regularly gather with others who are real and transparent so I can experience Jesus through them, and it probably needs to start with me. I can do that.

This is a picture of the boat I am building. It will be a 23 foot ocean going dory. I am enjoying very much the challenge of building the boat and the learning that I am doing as I build it. Doing this sort of thing is what I do for play which renews my emotional energy tank. Burnout, weariness, and even some forms of depression are basically running out of emotional energy. Refilling our emotional energy gas tank is a skill that those who carry a heavy load need to learn if they want to continue accomplishing a lot with their life.

There are so many really good books being written by some very wise and smart people. All I have to do to learn what they know is read their book. I know that is oversimplification, but the fact remains that there is a lot of knowledge and wisdom in many books if I take the time to read. Reading is a daily discipline of mine, that is I read systematically as a daily routine of my life. My goal is to read 100 pages each week in good books, notice I said good books. A good book is good for two reasons, first it has good information that will profit my life by teaching me something that will make me a better person, and second, it is written in such a way that it is hard to put down because it is interesting, because it is easy to understand, because the topic of the book is well researched and thought out and communicated well. If I get half way through the first chapter, and it hasn’t grabbed me yet, I throw it away or delete it from my Kindle. There are to many good books available to keep around a bad one. I have a similar problem that many of you have, that is I forget what I have read and learned. What I do to help overcome that weakness of mine is to underline key thoughts and passages or highlight them on my Kindle, then when I finish the book I go back and reread the highlighted sections. If it was an exceptional book I make a note in my reading diary to reread the underlined sections again in one month. That simple little review practice really helps the knowledge in those books to change me into a more successful person. I believe reading helps me think clearer and more intelligently, that it helps me communicate to people in a way that motivates them and informs them. I am so thankful that I was encouraged to read as a kid and grew to enjoy it, but I still have to make reading goals and discipline myself to read faithfully. It is interesting to me that those activities that are most important for my growth and well being are the hardest to make happen regularly.

“ Mind Set” is a two word phrase that is used in the Bible a dozen times, and used today by those who study people in regards to why some are successful and why others don’t do much with their life. “Mind Set” is that predominant way we think about life. There are a number of descriptions of “Mind Set” that are contrasting ways of thinking in response to life. One of these is “Learners vs non-learners”. Non-learners assume that we are stuck with our present level of intelligence, skill, and abilities, who we are is who we are. Therefore they don’t seek wisdom, new knowledge or new skills, because it won’t change anything anyway, so why make the effort. Learners on the other hand seek wisdom, knowledge, and skill like it was gold, silver, and valuable treasure. Learners love challenge, because it results in growth. Learners love correction, because it results in new knowledge and perspective. Learners don’t fear failure because they have just learned what doesn’t work. Learners grow rapidly in life, and eventually succeed at almost anything they put their hand to because they keep learning until they do succeed.

Non-learners on the other hand fear failure because it is permanent in their mind. Non-learners usually have low self-worth, and the only way to bolster it is to be better than someone else so they compare, and often criticize others so that they appear better. Non-learners do not appreciate correction, and become defensive when they are corrected. Non-learners blame others for their failures in an attempt to preserve their self worth.

If an adult does some honest reflective thinking, and comes to the conclusion that they are a “Non-learner”, they can change. They will need some help from others who will coach and encourage, but it is possible, rare but possible.

One of my goals for 2017 is to build a Pacific Dory.  It will be wood covered by fiberglass, 23 feet long, eight feet wide at the widest point, and  it will weigh about 1,000 lbs.  I am going to build a trailer for it as well. I worked on it most of today, and built the strong back which the boat is built on upside down, got almost all of the 7 ribs finished,  the transom, and the breast hook done. It is going to be a nice boat when I get it done. I have been watching You Tube video’s of dory’s like mine launching and loading up on the Oregon coast at Pacific City, and on the beach in Ninilchik, Alaska, and also the video’s that have been made of fishing trips on these dory’s as they fish for Halibut, bottom fish, and salmon both in Alaska and Oregon. I get more and more excited about finishing and using mine as I watch the videos as I ride my stationary bike in the evening.

Someone asked me recently about some of my goals like building a sail boat, bicycling across the USA and other equally crazy projects and goals. They wanted to know where they came from. All of my goals start with an idea, a thought that is prompted by an experience that I have, seeing someone doing something that is unique, something I read in a book, or as a result of something that frustrates me. This dory project seed was planted last July when a group of us were up on the Kenai peninsula fishing for Sockeye salmon. A number of us decided to rent a charter fishing boat and go out for Halibut. It was very expensive $280 per person, but we decided to go anyway. We showed up at the office of the charter company the day of the trip and they told us the trip had been canceled because of weather. At least I got my money back. I was curious about what the fishing was like where we were supposed to go, so, just for fun, I did a little research on line and watched a bunch of You Tube video’s of fishing in Alaska using dory’s and launching from Ninnilchik.   My thought was, “I can do that”, “that looks like fun”, “I am going to do that”.

Thursday’s are good days. I get up at 5 am, shower, shave, and brush my teeth and head off to Shari’s in South Salem for an accountability meeting with about 5 other guys at 6 am. On the drive in I pray for my kids and their spouses and all the grandkids, my Mom, and Patty, which is 30 people. It takes me 20 minutes to get to Shari’s from my house so I have to pray succinctly and quickly to get every one covered. During our meeting I usually eat an omelette and give the hash browns and pancakes to another one of the guys. During the hour meeting I also drink about 3 cups of coffee which tastes really good. We each take turns sharing how we did the previous week on our personal goals, which includes Bible reading, personal prayer and praying with our wives and 9 other goals. Most of the time everyone does well on their goals, not perfect usually but progressing. We don’t usually get on each other’s case to bad if someone doesn’t do well on their goals, it is bad enough just confessing a bad week to the guys, nobody likes to look like a wimp to his friends so we all are motivated during the week to be disciplined and faithful to our goals and commitments. I enjoy very much the sharing of our goals and the general conversation that we have each week when we meet, it is more than worth the drive into Salem each week.

I also have an accountability group on Thursday evenings at 6 pm with a different group of guys, and it is good as well. Everyone writes their own dozen goals to pursue and give a report on. Some have weight loss goals, some have dating their wives goal, we all have spiritual goals. I am of the opinion that anybody that is serious about growing rapidly spiritually ought to be in one of these kinds of groups. God gives us grace through others.

You have probably heard this story of the young guy who came to Socrates to gain wisdom; “O great Socrates, I come to you for wisdom.”
Socrates led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do you want?”
“Wisdom” said the young man with a smile.
Socrates put his strong hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again.
“Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and wise Socrates.”
Socrates crunched him under again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man was gasping. “What do you want, young man?”
Between heavy, heaving breaths the fellow wheezed, “Wisdom, O wise and wonderful…”
Socrates jammed him under again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. “What do you want?”
“Air!” the young man screeched. “I need air!”
“When you want wisdom as you have just wanted air, then you will have it.”

A question I ask myself periodically is “What do I want, really want?” I am content with the amount of money I make, and with the amount and quality of my possessions. But I am not content with the level of spiritually maturity I have, I am not content with my relationship with God, and I am not content with the amount of fruit I have born. I want, really want more, and more, and more.  Maintaining the level of “want” in me, and even increasing it is not easy, but essential to growing both myself and my ministry.

Those who want the most pray the most, work the most, and accomplish the most. Becoming passive, and  comfortable with where we are and what we have accomplished happens so easily, and often we will spiritualize it, and call it trust or contentment, or blame it on our temperament.

I build “want and desire” in myself by examining my life and ministry, and seeing all that could still be done, and I pray for it. The discipline of praying over and over for those things that should be happening and aren’t is for me a major cause of passion and fire.

We had a “Trunk or Treat” event tonight in the church parking lot. There were lots of people who had cars, pick ups, trucks, school bus, fire engine, swat rig all parked in JBC’s parking lot with games and great decorations, and they all had pounds of candy to give away to the kids as they came. There also was free hot dogs, chips and hot chocolate in the gym with a bouncy house. I had my 1949 Ford pick up, and I sat behind it in a camping chair handing out candy to kids as they came by. I gave out about 5 gallons of candy. We have had this event for a number of years, and this is the first time I can remember having it with no rain, that was so nice!! I really enjoy being part of this event because of all the kids. It is so fun to have them walking by in a steady stream for two hours saying thank you as I put some candy in their bag. Jesus said that if you give a glass of water to a little child that you will be rewarded by the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ at the end of the age. What we do for children is evidently very important to God. He also said that if we cause a child to stumble that it would be better for us if a mill stone were hung around our neck and we we were dropped into the deepest sea. My goal tonight was to bless each of the kids who I gave candy to. As I put a couple pieces of candy in their bag I would pray for them asking God to protect them and to make Himself known to them so that they would believe in him, and serve Him forever.

I read one chapter of Proverbs each day as part of my Bible reading plan. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs so I get through the book every month. I have been doing this for about 40 years so that is quite a few trips through this book, but every day I see something that seems brand new to me in its emphasis. Proverbs is a book of cause and effect, that is, “if you do this, than this is going to happen”. There are about 10 major areas that are the emphasis in the book of Proverbs, certain areas of life that are repeated often. In reading these major areas of life it seems that what were problems 3,000 years ago are still the big problems today. One of these areas is the amazing power of the words we speak to do good, to build up, to encourage, to communicate love, to change another person’s life, and to bless God. They also have the power to do the opposite, to cause great pain, to destroy others, and to destroy our own life. Proverbs 29:20 says, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Because our words do have so much power for both good and evil we should be careful, and thoughtful concerning what we say to people, and we should be constantly thinking about and reflecting on our skill level in the use of words. My personal mission statement in speaking is, “I will thoughtfully use words as an artist uses brush strokes to create amazing beauty. I will practice, evaluate, and learn, constantly pursuing greater skill as a great artist.”