By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I saw these gentlemen from across the way and made it a point to get closer so I could see better.  The two men were walking the sidewalks of the Boston Common.  They periodically stopped to engage in some sort of conversation with onlookers, but they seemed to be just walking around minding their own business.

Two Revolutionary War-era men in modern day America.  A quick glance in their direction might lead one to think he had stepped back into the past.  Enjoyable to see and watch, these guys were obviously giving the public a glimpse into a time long ago.

We wander around our world, ever busy, always on the go, not paying much attention to anything – much less anyone – around us.  But what if we stopped to pay attention, even for just a few minutes?  We might get a glimpse into the past.

We might see the grandparent struggling with mobility now, but who not so long ago would have been down on their knees with the grand-kids in the front yard.  We might see the young family perusing items in the “dollar-aisle” of the store because his employment of yesterday has come to an abrupt end, and money is stretched.  We might see times of days past in which there seemed to be more kindness, love, and compassion for one another.  We might hear the laughter and giggles of children who now have grown into anxiety-filled lives full of misundertood purpose.

Admittedly, I don’t know what those two dressed up characters were doing that afternoon, but I do know they gave a large crowd of people several minutes of uninterrupted entertainment that took us miles and years away from the troubles of the day.

Perhaps our role today is not necessarily to dress up and pretend to be someone or somewhere in the past, but to remind those who watch us that life is full of good memories, laughter, and child-like wonder that will never grow old.  As you love your neighbors this week, keep in mind that they each bear the weight of the past.  Perhaps we can bring the good memories to the forefront with a gentle reminder that God’s blessings upon us all are abundantly evident in our past, in our today, and in our tomorrow.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

One of the most dangerous misconceptions in the modern church is the quiet acceptance that sin is inevitable for Christians, that while we may try to live righteously, we will inevitably fail, and that is just part of the journey. Yes, Christ’s death on the cross paid the price for our sins, and His resurrection gave us new life, but nowhere in Scripture are we told that we must continue in sin. Instead, we are called to die to sin and live to righteousness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are no longer slaves to sin but freed to walk in obedience.

As we mature in faith, sanctification transforms our hearts, conforming us more and more to the image of Christ. The process does not make us instantly perfect, but it does mean that we have both the power and the responsibility to turn from sin. Every moment, we can choose the path of holiness, refusing profanity, lust, drunkenness, gossip, or any act that dishonors God. Sin is not an unavoidable condition; it is a defeated enemy.

Our daily walk with Christ is a continual renewal, a conscious decision to reject the world and embrace the Spirit. In doing so, we reflect the righteousness of the One who has redeemed us and live as living testimonies of His transforming grace.

Scripture Reference:
“We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” — Romans 6:6–7 (NIV)

By Ryan Kelly –

In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget that our strength doesn’t come from our own striving but from our connection to Christ. Jesus reminds us in John 15:5 that He is the vine and we are the branches. Just as a branch draws life and nourishment from the vine, we too must stay connected to Him to grow, to love, and to serve effectively. Apart from that relationship, our efforts may look fruitful for a moment, but they will not last.

When we stay rooted in Christ through prayer, Scripture, worship, and fellowship, we become living extensions of His grace. Together, as the body of Christ, we each play a part in His greater purpose. One branch may bloom with compassion, another with service, another with encouragement, but all are nourished by the same source.

This week, take time to nurture that divine connection. Let His Spirit flow through you, shaping your heart and actions. When we remain in Him, we not only bear fruit individually but also strengthen the entire body of Christ, bringing light and life to the world around us.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

At one time or another, I’ve probably shown you a picture of a Canada goose.  We mistakenly call them Canadian geese most of the time.  Here is a picture I took of several of those birds – thirteen to be exact.  There were many more, but that’s all I could get a picture of at one time.  We were sight-seeing.  The geese were just minding their own business, doing things that geese normally do.  They ignored the people walking nearby.

These are geese, just being geese, walking like geese, “talking” like geese, and apparently enjoying their time together, ignoring the rest of the world around them.  So what makes these Canada geese any more special than any others I’ve ever seen?  Well, you see, these Canada geese weren’t down here in my yard in Alabama.  No.  My wife and I were in Victoria, British Columbia – in Canada.  We were in their territory.  This is the only time I’ve ever seen Canada geese actually in Canada.  Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, if they’re just known as geese when they’re at home, and only become Canada geese when they visit the U.S.  Ha.

I trust that at least the majority of you attended church is past Sunday.  Inside the church house were likely Christians just doing Christian stuff.  We sang our Christian songs, talked our Christian words, studied our Christian lessons, and genuinely acted like Christians — or did we?  When those visitors showed up, did you make your way to them to welcome them, to say hello, to show them a seat, to offer a word of encouragement, or to invite them to come again?  Or, did you just keep doing your Christian things while ignoring the ‘others’ who came by?

Christians are supposed to be Christians.  There is no doubt about that.  Those Canada geese are expected to act like Canada geese, without question.  But do we get so focused in our own little world, in doing all the ‘good’ things, that we miss out on those opportunities to share the blessings with others?  

We saw those geese, walked among them, and left – all while being ignored by them.  And I’m sure they went on with their geese things after we were gone.  The church will continue being the church long after the visitors are gone.  BUT, where do those visitors go?  Back home?  Never to return again?  All-the-while wondering why anyone would want to be in that church?

Even the little child’s game of “Duck, Duck, Goose” required us to get up and run around, having contact with someone else.  In order to represent Christ in the world, we Christians must do so outside of our comfort zone!  Think of it this way — What if the Canada geese stayed in Canada and never visited anywhere else?  We likely wouldn’t be so fascinated with them.  We would write them off as just any other old bird.

To BE a Christian outside of the church doors — that’s our mission this week.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

Evil is not a force equal to God, but rather the absence of His presence just as cold is the absence of heat and darkness is the absence of light. When we turn away from God and cling to the empty promises of the world, we are stepping into that void we call evil. It is not that evil has power of its own, but that it thrives where His light and love are rejected.

Yet, even in those darkest places, God does not abandon us. His light stands ready to pierce the shadows, and His love is ever reaching to draw us back. When we repent and return, He rescues us from the very emptiness we pursued and sets us again on the path He designed for our good.

Take comfort: no matter how far we wander, the Light of Christ is greater than the darkness, and His love is stronger than any absence.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

By Ryan Kelly –

The prophets of Israel, both major and minor, paint a sobering picture of God’s people. Time and again, the Israelites turned from the Lord, chasing after idols and ignoring His commands. The voices of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, and others rang out with warnings: sin leads to destruction. And indeed, their words proved true as the nation fell to exile, their land laid waste and their temple destroyed. Yet even in the midst of judgment, the prophets spoke of hope, a promise that God would not abandon His people forever.

Through those same prophetic voices, we hear whispers of restoration. Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones rising to life, Isaiah’s promise of a suffering servant, and Hosea’s words of God’s unrelenting love all pointed toward a coming rebirth. This restoration was not just the rebuilding of walls or a return from exile, but the unveiling of God’s ultimate plan…the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In Him, the scattered people of Israel would find their true King, and through Him the covenant would be renewed and fulfilled.

And now, because of Jesus, all of us who believe are grafted into this story. Paul tells us in Romans that Gentiles have been grafted into the vine of Israel, becoming part of the one people of God. No longer is belonging determined by nation or lineage, but by faith in Christ. The warnings of the prophets remind us of the cost of sin, but their promises assure us of God’s steadfast mercy. Through Christ, we too rise from the valley of dry bones into the living body of His Church, a people chosen not by blood but by grace.

By Brad Campbell –

Just at thought to help start your week.

This week’s photo is one of those that I got simply because I happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Nothing extraordinary about it.  But as we walked around downtown Seattle, in amongst the people that were certainly very ‘interesting’ indeed, we also paid attention to the other wildlife around us.  Because we were near our nation’s western coastline, there were many seagulls all around.  Some were actually very large and would have made a small dog run for his life, I believe.

One of those birds, the one you see here, stood defiantly in front of a nearby sign.  The sign, of course, reads, “All pets must be on a leash,” and, “Please clean up after your pet.”  No leash for this animal.  Going to do as it pleased where it pleased.  Ignoring the signs, it roamed on its own with no one to clean up after it.  Certainly a seagull is not anyone’s pet, but this one apparently knew that fact and marched the sidewalk as if to say, “I will not be stopped, I will do life on my own terms, it’s my way or the highway, no one can tell me what to do.”  The people of the world seem to roam around us Christians boasting their ability to get away with whatever they want, while we, God’s people, are trying our best to allow the Lord to lead and control our lives.

We may not speak those exact words, “I will do life on my own terms, and no one can tell me what to do,” but as we roam about life’s dirty sidewalks this week, I pray we aren’t living those words.  The Lord gives us instruction in His Word about restraining ourselves and following His will and not ours.  He also reminds us that He does things such as answering our prayers on His own terms in His own time and not ours.

We may walk around ignoring the signs, but one day it will catch up with us.  Defiant we will no longer be, and we will answer to One Who created us and gave us the life we now live.  Pets belong to their master.  We Christians belong to our Master.  We should be restrained in our living, perhaps as if on a leash, so to speak.  And we must not leave a mess for those coming along behind us.  Maybe you’ve never heard these words before… Don’t be a seagull.

Just a thought.