Nick’s Walk

14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 As Christians, we know that we are suppose to be ministering to each other. If the Holy Spirit is in us, we are motivated to do so. However, we are fearful that we just don’t have the “gifts” to be successful in what we want to do. Let’s consider for a moment what we really need to do.  We are not called to fix, just to be there. A brother or sister in need doesn’t really expect us to have all the answers, they just want someone to be present while the questions are pondered. Just to sit quietly with a friend is a tremendous blessing.  Listen.  As we sit we need to really listen. We need to learn to listen not just to the words that are spoken, but those that are not. We need to learn to get a feel for the emotions.  Share.  It is much more helpful to someone hurting to hear that they are not alone in feeling pain. They don’t need easy answers but they can be blessed by a honest sharing of experience. Be careful not to “one up” the person in pain. We don’t need to […]

Your church needs you. I mean both the congregation of which you are a member and “The Church” meaning the entire body of Christ. You have gifts and talents. If you are like me you can’t sing a note, so the worship team might not be for you. You might cringe at the thought of speaking in front of folks, so maybe you are not a teacher.  It’s time we stop thinking in terms of a “Sunday only” establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn’t take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands. We all have spheres of influence. Our immediate sphere may not be large, but it interacts with other spheres.  When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community.  A gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports […]

I went to a local mexican restaurant to pick up supper last night. I was sitting near the door waiting for my food when some folks came in. The warm moist air filled the room and for a brief moment I was reminded of a vacation in Mexico many years ago. It was very pleasant. Rose and I had lunch yesterday with old friends. It was a short but very pleasant time. Guess you get the idea we aren’t cooking a lot lately.  I think sometimes we move in life from “big” event to “big” event and let the small special moments slip by unnoticed.  Sometimes the things we look forward to and plan for just don’t live up to the expanded expectations. That’s what makes these little unexpected blessings so great. These are as much gifts from God as are the “special” times and things. These are His little reminders that He is hanging around and thinking of us. I’m sure glad He is. Be blessed. Nick

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Somewhat unexpectedly, it was a wonderful weekend. The Cajun baseball team finished the regular season with a sweep of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks.  The Lady Cajun Softball team won the Baton Rouge regional beginning with a win over the Northwestern Demons. (Who calls themselves “Demons”? More about Sweeping Demons later.) Speaking of Demons, they then defeated the LSU Tigers in two games. They did not allow a single run against them the entire weekend. Next weekend, the Super Regional. I’m not a great fan of the NBA but even my favorite NBA Team, the San Antonio Spurs, won game one of their Western Conference Championship series. Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t a perfect weekend. My daughter who broke her ankle several weeks ago was looking forward to her first full bath at our house. The well stopped working in the middle of her bath on Saturday night. Rose had to stay home from church on Sunday to wait for the repair men. But those good friends showed up on a Sunday and got us running water again. Speaking of Sunday, church was great. My wife couldn’t come, but my daughter, after all she had a recent bath, was […]

There are 168 hours in a week. We are foolish if we think 1 or 2 hours on Sunday spent at church will be sufficient to support our spiritual lives. Church is important and Sunday worship services are important; but much more is needed to feed the spirit man.  The reality is most folks will not spend more than a couple of hours a week on their spiritual walk so those hours need to be maximized. It’s important that we gather, that we are focused, that we participate. It’s also important that we prep for Sunday. It’s not enough to be an audience. We need to be active and responsive. We need to have our churches and their leaders in our prayers all week. A few minutes of worship a week won’t do. We need to be worshipful always and put our minds on God as much as possible. A sermon of a few minutes to an  hour isn’t going to be enough. We need to read the bible. Talk about Jesus. Find other sources of information and inspiration. We are adults and are responsible for ourselves.  We need to show up full of Jesus. No doubt there will […]

Tomorrow is Sunday so I will be attending services at my church. My church is 16 miles from my house and, according to my GPS, it takes 33 minutes to drive there. I can usually make it in thirty even with a quick stop at the McDonald’s drive through. I guess I may drive a bit in excess of the speed limit. I pass a lot of churches on the way to my church. They are great churches. They just aren’t my church. Just so you understand. I am not the pastor of my church. I am not even one of the leaders. I’m not even an usher, nor do I work in children’s church. I am always ashamed when tax time comes how poorly I financially support my church. It’s my church because Jesus gave it to me a few years ago when I really needed a church. There I found a loving congregation and the best pastor couple I have ever known. There are lots of new faces whose names I don’t know at my church. This isn’t their fault. I’m just not very good at introducing myself and learning people’s names. Got to do something about […]

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, against the powers