I never think of sermons as being for either the 10:00 or 11:30 service.  I always think of them as being for both, and 90 percent of the content is the same in each service.  However, this past Sunday it appears God had a different idea. 

             A few months ago when I felt led to preach the four sermons for Christmas, I was bothered because I wasn’t going to read the Christmas story and the sermons were coming from the Gospel of John, which doesn’t recount any of the birth narratives.  Yet I felt strongly led to do it.  The sermon I felt the most strongly led to preach was the one from this past week titled, “The Gift of Eternal Life.”  However, I felt it was a little out of place at Christmas.  Every time I thought about changing it, the Spirit of God said, “Don’t do it.”

             At the 10:00 service, I felt good about the message and how it went, but at the 11:30 service when the invitation was given and a lot of young people who were here for the Chick-Fil-A Classic Basketball Tournament came forward, I thought, “That was God’s purpose in putting this on my heart.”

             The experience this past Sunday was very different from many of the other times we’ve hosted these young people from around the country.  We had about 20 or 25 people come forward at the end of the worship service making different kinds of decisions but all moved by the Spirit of God.

             I’m grateful to the Lord that He led me to do that and gave our church the opportunity to see that kind of response to His message and the work of the Holy Spirit.  Keep praying that the Lord would work in my heart, in the hearts of each staff member, and in the hearts of the lay leadership in our church.  God is good.  He is at work in this world of ours to will and to do for His good pleasure and for His glory.  It is a joy to be a part of that.  I hope it is for you too.

Rule 5:  THE PROCESS SHOULD VARY.  This is a hard rule for me to write about because I have ruined more great periods of walking with God by trying to make my walk perfect than by any other way.  Sometimes the perfect really is the enemy of the good.  I have, at times, been so interested in getting my walk exactly right that I did not enjoy the rightness, imperfect though it might have been, that I had already achieved.  While overt rebellion in the sense that I am just unwilling to have a devotional life has never been my problem, wanting it to be perfect has.  This caused me to change things when I read about how other people did it instead of being satisfied with what God had led my time with Him to be. 

 That being said, if your walk with God becomes stale, don’t be afraid to vary it.  You may be surprised what a small change will make such as reading a different version of the Bible, throwing away your old prayer list no matter how guilty you feel about doing so and then starting over with a fresh prayer list, sitting in a different room, getting up a little earlier, staying up a little later, listening to music, or having your walk with God at lunch.

 Getting to know people who have a quality walk with God can also help give you guidance in the development of your time with Him.  Don’t be ashamed to admit any frustrations or failures to them or to ask them for advice.  They’ll need some from you before it’s all over.

I hope these rules have helped you.  I would love to hear from you about whether you’ve installed some of them or whether you’ve discovered some of your own.  What really works for you in your time with God?  Let me hear from you.

            This week it was my privilege to go to Astor, Florida, and give the eulogy for the recent passing away of my college roommate Bob.   It was a very satisfying visit to be able to spend valuable time with his wife Lani, and their son Robbie.   The experience of losing Bob has been one of sadness and grief, and yet, I have a profound sense of satisfaction and peace about it.  Let me tell you why.

             This was the second person in my life – my dad being the other – that I could tell I was going to lose before it happened. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, I asked myself, “What will you regret having not done or said if you lose him?”  With my dad, there were enough things I wanted to do that I needed to write them down, and then I made sure I did them.  With Bob, it was a list I didn’t need to write down. 

     While it is  sad to lose Bob, it is not crushing.  God has arranged life so we are not in control of all the things we’d like to be in control of.  Part of finding peace is trusting Him with that.  This may be something you can file away, and as you move through experiences like this in life, you’ll be able to ask yourself that question and then follow through and do it.  I don’t know when I’ll get that fateful call, but it probably won’t be long.  Be in prayer for his family.  He’s been a wonderful friend, and when I look at our church, I think his faithfulness in college is part of what made this possible.

For this blog and the several to follow, I’d like to share with you DICK’S FIVE RULES FOR THE DEVOTIONAL LIFE that have worked for me in keeping it fresh and meaningful for quite a few years.  Please don’t think I’m implying it’s fresh and meaningful every day. 

Rule 1:  SET ASIDE TIME WITH GOD.  I certainly pray when I’m riding in the car, as I’m heading into a meeting, or when I’m on the way to or in the middle of a ticklish situation.  These times are important.  They involve the discipline that Brother Lawrence called practicing the presence of God (in a famous book by that title – well worth reading).  However, they are insufficient to developing a walk with God.  They are more the outcome of a good relationship or walk with God than they are the cause of a great relationship.  As with everyone you are close to, you have to spend dedicated, focused time with that person – time that you sacrifice in order to spend that time with him or her.  I don’t think there’s a set amount of time you need to spend with God to have a successful walk.  I’ve heard lots of speculation about the amount of time you need to spend, but it seems to me to be just speculation or personal experience.  However, one thing everyone whose walk I respect has in common is dedicated time with God – time when they’re off alone with Him.  These times will vary as to amounts and intensity, probably dependent upon life circumstances, personality, and sense of need.  Is this a daily aim of yours?  It should be.  The blessings of dedicated time with God are enormous.