That's Showbiz

I ran across this paragraph on Facebook recently and it resonated with me: “The Church was never called to compete with the world for attention. If we have to entertain people into the room, eventually we will have to entertain them to keep them there. Jesus did not call us to build crowds. He called us to make disciples. That means we preach the Word. We call people to repentance. We worship Jesus. We pray. We disciple. We love people deeply. And we trust the Holy Spirit to do what entertainment never can: transform hearts. The goal is not to make church more impressive. The goal is to make disciples who truly know Jesus, follow Jesus, and become more like Jesus.” (John Patrick Wright)

We live in a world where entertainment opportunities abound. Companies and causes have to become more and more entertaining to compete for our increasingly-limited attention spans and increasingly-depleted bank accounts. Even serious discussions over serious matters have to be presented in an entertaining way to get views and clicks on social media. As the title of Neil Postman’s 1985 book suggests, maybe we are “Amusing Ourselves To Death.”

Some churches have been infected with the entertainment virus . After all, if you have to compete with the NFL or YouTube or Netflix to put bodies in the seats on Sundays, you better put on a good show and have lots of options. But beware! As the paragraph above points out, your surge in attendance will quickly evaporate when another group puts on a better show and offers more options than you do. After all, “that showbiz” as they say.

Where did we ever get the idea that our assemblies need to be entertaining? It’s instructive to me that Jesus never seemed to get the memo that attracting crowds was the highest priority. Yes, Jesus taught and ministered to large crowds (John 6:2-5) but that wasn’t the endgame. He was seeking committed followers even if that caused the crowd to shrink appreciably (John 6:66-67). 

God loves you!

Mike 

When Words Get In The Way

“Cartha Deloach served as J. Edgar Hoover's assistant at the FBI from 1965 to 1970. He tells a humorous story sharing insight into Hoover's quirky personality, as well as exposing the power of misunderstanding and ambiguous communication:

“One day a memo on internal security that had been sent up to Hoover came back with a message in the familiar scrawl: "Watch the borders! H." Telephones began to ring all over the building, everyone asking the same question: "Is there anything going on in Mexico or Canada we should know about?" "Maybe we ought to call the Immigration and Naturalization Service." Somebody said, "Why don't you just ask Hoover what he knows that we don't know?" But no one wanted to show his ignorance. So we called Customs and they didn't know any more than we did.

“Several days later a supervisor was again reviewing the memo when the answer to the question jumped out and smacked him in the face. The memo had been typed with the narrowest possible margins. Hoover, always fastidious, had picked up his pen and in annoyance had scrawled, "Watch the borders!" (illustrationexchange.com)

Words can be tricky things. That is why they should be used with care. This story illustrates how even plain speech can be misunderstood when the speaker and the hearer do not have a shared reference point. Of course the good news about salvation in Christ is the most valuable message we have to share. Paul speaks of the gospel as “...treasure in earthen vessels…” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Perhaps that is why he never wanted how he used his words about the good news to get in the way. He desired “...to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void” (1 Corinthians 1:17). Paul desired his hearers to be converted to Christ by the power of God, not the power of his oratory skills (2 Corinthians 2:4-5). May the words we choose and the way we use them never obscure the cross of Christ.

God loves you!

Mike

The Supremacy Of Love

“In his book Chicken Soup for the Soul, Eric Butterworth tells of a college sociology class that was sent into the Baltimore slums to take case histories of 200 young boys. The students were required to write an evaluation of each boy’s projected future, and in virtually every case, they wrote, “He hasn’t got a chance.”

“Some twenty-five years later, another professor came across the earlier study and decided to do a follow-up study. With the exception of twenty boys who had died or moved, the study revealed that 176 of the remaining 180 boys had gone on to surprising success, with many becoming lawyers, doctors, and leading businessmen.

“When the men were asked for the reasons that contributed to their successes, they all pointed to one particular teacher who had influenced them. The teacher was still alive, so the professor went to visit her to ask how she had influenced boys seemingly destined for poverty and crime to become such success stories. “It’s really very simple,” she responded. “I loved those boys.”*

The life-changing power of love is truly amazing! It’s also something that the Bible has taught all along. Notice how Jesus emphasizes it. When someone asks Him about the greatest commandment, here is what he says: “And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets”” (Matthew 22:37-40). I suppose that’s why Paul would promote love as supreme over human and angelic speech, over prophecy and knowledge, and over sacrificial generosity (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). These things are all important in their own way but will fail. But love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Even faith and hope, as vital as they are, yield to the supremacy of love -- “...the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). 

God loves you!

Mike

*Robert R. Kopp, Logans Ferry Presbyterian Church, New Kensington, PA

Own It

        In Psalm 7, David is appealing to God for deliverance from wicked opponents who were seeking to harm him in some way. He vividly describes them as a lion seeking to tear his soul and drag him away (vv.1-2). He calls upon God, as the Righteous Judge, to rise up and vindicate him before his enemies (vv.6-11). And while the upright can trust God to deliver them, the wicked cannot expect the same treatment (vv.12-16).

But in the midst of this larger discussion, David has a moment of introspection. Note what he writes in vv. 3-5: “O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice in my hands, if I have rewarded evil to my friend, or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; and let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah” (Psalm 7:3-5). David was struggling to find a reason for what he was enduring. These words perhaps give us some insight into the methods of David’s accusers. In some way, they were calling into question his character. It isn’t that he is professing to be sinless but he does believe there is no basis for the accusations against him. To his credit, David is willing to own it if he has been blind to his own flaws.

This is a great example to all of us when we face our own critics in life. It’s always good to pause long enough to consider if perhaps our struggles with others may be the result of some sinful behavior in our own life. It may or may not be true. If our conscience is clear, then great. Forge ahead and trust God to deal with the critics. But if there is a sin in our life that has provided fuel for the critic, then we need to own it before God (and maybe even our critic). May God help us to be honest about our own flaws

God loves you!

Mike

 

Like A Dread Champion

“I am weary with my sighing; every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears. My eye has wasted away with grief; it has become old because of all my adversaries” (Psalm 6:6-7).

Perhaps these words of David resonate with you. Maybe you have walked the road of suffering that makes this description seem hauntingly familiar. The specific situation that prompted the deep emotions isn’t revealed. He does mention “adversaries” in v.6 and “enemies” in v.10. Whatever the “backstory,” the pain and struggle David is experiencing is deep and overwhelming. Where do you turn in times like these?

David turns to the Lord. And in doing so, he has a word for those who were causing him grief. “Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping. The LORD has heard my supplication, the LORD receives my prayer.” (Psalm 6:8-9). What gives David confidence to confront his adversaries?  His hope is centered in the faithful attention of God. “...for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping…” (v.8). “The LORD has heard my supplication…” (v.9). “...the LORD receives my prayer.” (v.9). 

The final verse in Psalm 6 highlights an important reversal. “All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed; they shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed” (v.10). Earlier in the psalm, it was David’s bones and soul that were dismayed (vv. 2-3). Now it’s David’s enemies who will experience it. David’s hope in God allows him to see the fate of his enemies, even though his eyes are filled with tears.

When you are facing your own difficult season in life, remember you have a Champion in your corner. “But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten” (Jeremiah 20:11). Lean on Him to deal with your adversaries.

God loves you!

Mike

Switched At Birth

The headline of an apnews.com article from July 17, 2026, reads “Men sue hospital after DNA tests showed they were switched at birth 38 years ago.” Here is part of the article: “The families of two men who discovered through DNA tests that they were switched at birth 38 years ago are accusing a North Dakota hospital of robbing them of the lives they were supposed to lead. Kyle Bylin discovered his birth family after taking an at-home test he chose randomly during a Christmas gift-exchange. That led to his biological aunt on a genealogy platform. Her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, then had his DNA tested. The results were irrefutable. “That’s when my mind was just completely blown,” Bylin said. “We could have never imagined that it was an actual birth switch that occurred.” Morrison said he was convinced as soon as he saw a photo of Bylin’s brother and realized they looked very much alike. Bylin and Morrison were the only babies born on Jan. 26, 1988, at Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota, according to their lawsuit filed in state court last week. Somehow, they went home with the wrong parents.”

If you are a child of God, do you realize you were switched at birth? Everyone who turns to God and puts their faith in Christ is spiritually reborn. Jesus puts it this way: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). At the moment of that birth, some switching takes place. We switch kingdoms: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). We also exchange death for life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). Thank God we were switched at birth!

God loves you!

Mike 

Plant A Tree

“As Napoleon met in conference with his generals, he began discussing the problem of moving his armies across Europe during the summer heat. He proposed planting shade trees along the roads of the continent. His ministers said, “Why, that will take thirty years!” To that, Napoleon replied, “Then begin immediately. We don’t have a moment to waste.” Men and women of vision know that their dreams may not become reality overnight, but they are willing to begin the process that will ultimately culminate in success” (preaching.com).

The principle of being willing to begin the process is a vital part of any successful endeavor. An ancient Chinese proverb puts it this way: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." It is so true! Let’s apply this idea to the struggle that all of us face in overcoming a persistent sin in our lives. Viewed as a whole, the battle can seem unwinnable. We seek to overcome the sin but, often, the defeats are more numerous than the victories. In such cases, some find it easier to not even make the effort any more. “What’s the use? I’m not going to succeed anyway?”

Perhaps part of the problem is being overly-focused on comparing victories and defeats in our battle against sin. Of course, we should have some sense of the overall progress of the battle. But if that is our only metric, then it can be easy to get distracted and discouraged. A better course of action would be to start each day with a commitment to take that first step. When presented with an opportunity to commit that sin that gives us so much trouble, we say “no” that first time without thinking about the other times we may have to do it again. After taking that first step, then we lean on that victory to help us say “no” the next time. The battle is won by being successful in many smaller skirmishes. Take that first step before thinking about all the others that will need to follow. Plant a tree and the shade will eventually come.

God loves you!

Mike