Small Disciplines

Several years ago, my oldest son T.J. challenged me with this idea: “Dad, let’s run a marathon together! It will be a great father-son experience—one we’ll never forget!” At the time, T.J. was in his early twenties and not too far removed from his days of being an all-state cross-country athlete in high school. I was a recreational jogger at best, with a 5-mile long run as the biggest accomplishment on my short running résumé.

But as any caring and loving father would do, I accepted the challenge… . . . and so the journey began. Each weekend, we met up and headed out on our increasingly longer runs. Starting with three miles, we advanced to six, then 10, and in what seemed like no time, we were churning out 15–18 miles each Saturday. Then, on the day of our longest training run—20 miles—T.J.’s knee locked up and he could not continue.

His goal of running a marathon ended that day. For me, I thought this meant a graceful exit from the race that was just a few weeks away, and no more training, soreness, or sacrifice would be necessary. If my son couldn’t run, I wouldn’t either!

However, the thought of quitting the marathon challenge was turned upside down when I read a quote I had written down years earlier and had always kept at my office. It’s a simple quote that says, “Small disciplines done consistently lead to success.” Upon reading this and reflecting upon the training I’d endured for several months, quitting was no longer an option.

A few weeks later, I lined up at the starting line and successfully completed my first marathon. It was one of the hardest things I’d done at that point in my life, but it was also one of the most fulfilling accomplishments. The best part of that memory? My son T.J. met me at mile-marker 20 and ran the final 6.2 miles by my side. He helped me finish what we started together months earlier.

Since that time, I’ve often found motivation from the truth that “small disciplines done consistently lead to success.” Most impressive is how Jesus modeled this in his earthly life. Think about his discipline when being tempted by Satan in the desert; or when he would arise in the mornings before everyone else to spend time in prayer and fellowship with his Father; or prior to his ministry, when he was viewed as merely a “carpenter’s son” working in the shop (while knowing he was destined for world-history-changing events). Jesus’s discipline around doing his Father’s work, shepherding the lost sheep, and proclaiming love and truth are forever unmatched.

So, how does this apply to us? I’m reminded that in my roles as father, husband, employee, and leader, small disciplines really do matter. How I handle the day-to-day routines, how I schedule activities, how I treat people, and how I react to challenging situations are influenced, if not defined, by the disciplines in my life.

What small disciplines can we commit to as dads, husbands, leaders, and most importantly as followers of Jesus?

Author: Mike Ross

Musings about Men

The following is a collection of random thoughts and questions I have about men and friendships.

How many good friends do I have? How many do I need? Who can I call in the middle of the night? Why do men (myself included) tend to isolate?

Friends divide sorrow and multiply joy. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with a group of friends. A cord of three is not easily broken.

Friendly people tend to have friends.

I have lived long enough now to have had some really good lifelong friends. They are few, but they have stuck with me. I don’t think we need dozens of really close friends. I believe a man is fortunate to have two or three brothers from another mother.

I do not claim to have answers to all the questions about men and relationships. I do know we need other men in our lives to speak truth to us. I do know we tend to isolate when we’re hurting. I also believe that we do not naturally look for these relationships.

I believe you have to be intentional about developing deep relationships with other men. It’s usually best around some sort of activity: work, sports, or projects. Men are about doing stuff. We get bored sitting around a table just talking. Put a deck of cards on the table, have some competition, now we’re talking.

Iron sharpens iron. We need some sort of friction. We need some sort of action. We need to be about doing something. Something together. Together is better.

So, what are you going to do about it? What is your next step? Do you have any friends who really know you? Who can you call in the middle of the night?

I want to challenge everyone to reject being passive. Reach out to a couple of brothers and start having breakfast or coffee or something. Give each other permission to get into your business, to get to know the real you. Push on each other to be better. Be a better friend, a better husband, a better brother.

Life is journey better experienced with other brothers. Just do it!

Author: Dr. Curtis Brown

Affection

Baptists love the book of Romans, and for good reason. The book of Romans only takes an hour to read but contains some of the greatest truths in the Bible. If someone wants to understand the big picture of what Jesus has done through his death on the cross, Romans is a great place to start. If you grew up in church, you probably have the following verses from Romans memorized that explain what exactly God accomplished through Christ’s death. Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23 ESV). Romans 5:8 tells us that "while we were still in our sins Christ died for us" (ESV). Romans 6:23 encourages us by reminding us that even though we deserve death because of our sin, "the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (ESV).

All of these truths are incredible, but is Paul writing this letter just to remind Christians of some core doctrines? This letter is not just raw theology. It is a call to action. During our Tuesday morning study, we discussed the idea of working hard as a man. Landry reminded us that yes we should work hard as men, but at our core, we must understand that Christ already fixed our biggest problem for us by his death and resurrection. We can never be declared righteous by our hard work, but only because of his righteousness, and now, we get to enjoy eternal fellowship with him free from sin. Great! So, what do we do now that our sin has been dealt with? Paul pivots in chapter 12 to answer this very question. In verses 1–2, Paul tells us to be living sacrifices and to renew our mind. In verses 9–10, Paul gives a quick overview of what living with a renewed mind looks like.

In verse 9, he tell us to:

• Let love be genuine.

• Abhor what is evil.

• Hold fast to what is good.

In verse 10:

• Love one another with brotherly affection.

• Outdo one another in showing honor.

This is what it looks like to live as a person who is forgiven by God. All of these commands are easy enough in the abstract, but lets flesh them out a little bit.

How do we know if our love is genuine? Genuine love is treating someone in a way that reflects the reality of God's character and his work of redemption in us. Love is only genuine if it’s based in God's love for us. First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us” (ESV). There’s a reason Christ says that “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 ESV): it’s the single most important commandment. Genuine love operates from a place of being loved by God and being able to love him in return. Because of our love of God, we love others so they can experience the blessing of being loved by the God who made them.

A good test if an action is truly loving is to ask, "Is this person going to be closer to experiencing God based on my words/actions?" If the answer is no, you are "loving" that person for your own gain, not theirs.

As we read our Bibles and spend time with our Lord, the Holy Spirit works in us to change our affections. He will change our taste buds so that sin tastes like spoiled milk and the things of God are better than a steak. That is how we abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good. We must learn to trust that God's commands are for our own good and that obeying them is profitable to us.

So far so good, but then Paul hits us with a tough one. We might feel a strong affection for each other as men, but we struggle to express our affection. Why? If our community of men is to be compelling to the world, it must be a place overflowing with expressed affection for one another. Jesus tells his disciples that the world will know we are his disciples by our love for one another (John 13). If we truly love our brothers in Christ, that love will manifest itself in various ways. So, show brotherly affection to those men God has put in your life. If you benefit from someone teaching the Scriptures, send them a message letting them know you appreciate it. Encourage other men who are trying to use their gifts for God’s glory. Most of all, tell other men that you like spending time with them. Tell them that you value their friendship and are thankful for them. If I never told my wife that I enjoyed her presence, I would be a cruddy husband. The same is true in friendship! Don't be afraid to tell the men in your life that you love them and cherish them as some of God's greatest blessings.

Honor is not a virtue that we talk about today. To honor someone is to communicate their worth as an image bearer of our Creator. The infinite God made us in his image. Therefore, each and every person is reflecting the glory of our God in some way and is worthy of honor. We need to treat people in our lives with admiration and respect as the crown jewels of creation. Be extravagant in how you honor people in your life. Paul commands us to not be reasonable but to outdo one another in showing honor. Buy your friend an extravagant gift spontaneously. Make a feast, and invite nonbelievers into your home to enjoy great food and even better conversation. Write your wife a letter describing what’s special about her and read it out loud to her. Make others around you feel like they’re the most important person in the world.

We as men can pursue all of these commands in our specific circumstances. Pray this week that the Holy Spirit will help you understand God's love so you can love others genuinely. Ask that you would reject what is evil and hold fast to what is good. Find a way to show a friend that you love him. Finally, honor someone in your life as if they were a king.

Author: Brady Ford

RETIREMENT PART 3: MONEY

One of the reasons most of us work, at least in the beginning, is that we need the money. As we mature and gain experience, our careers become more than a paycheck in many, many ways. When we start thinking about ending that season and starting a new one, the one we call retirement, cutting off the paychecks certainly enters into the timing decision.

So, before we do that, what questions do we need to ask and what do we need to know to make the right decision? Well, looking at it from a purely financial perspective, we think we must know how much money we’ll need. But to answer that question we’ll need to also answer how long we’ll need it, what we want to do in retirement, what will happen to our health, our families, the economy, etc. Simple, right?

The good news is that this isn’t new to you. You’ve never retired before, but you’ve always considered the financial aspects of life changes. Let’s look back on how you’ve made paycheck decisions before. When you got married, did you know how you both wanted to live? What your spending habits and tastes were or would be? What your health needs would be? How many, if any, children you might have? What it would cost to raise children? What inflation would do? How much money you might be able to make? When you took your first job, did you know how long you’d work there, or if you’d want to work there for long? Did you know how your income would change relative to your wants, needs, and the economy?

I’m betting the answers to all of the above questions were “Nope” or “I only thought I did.”

Okay, so with regard to the retirement decision, you already know how to figure out the answer. You can see what you’ve got saved, what your income will be without the paycheck, etc., and you know what your cost of living is. Now, you add or subtract what will be different in the future to the extent you know what that is. Then you make your decision, right? But “I don’t know exactly what will be different in the future,” you say. Well, welcome to Realityville, the same place you’ve always been when making a life change.

So, here’s the deal. You’re not retiring from something, but to something. Is the thing you’re changing to worth whatever it costs, whatever the risks? When you got married, you couldn’t predict the future either, but you did it anyway because spending the rest of your life with that person made it worth it, whatever it turned out to be. Is the loss of a paycheck, or at least a reduction of income worth whatever changes come? Only you know the answer to that.

It’s not the amount of money you will have. You know people with lots of money who are miserable. You also know people with little money who are happy as clams. It’s not how much—it’s how much is enough for you. The old saying is: “It’s not the man with little means who is poor, but the man who wants more.” When asked how much was enough, John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest men in the world in his day, replied, “Just a little bit more.” Don’t let other people convince you to keep working because they don’t think you have enough. On the other hand, don’t kid yourself into thinking you can do with much less, unless you really know you can. Do you live on less than you make now? If so, you’re well on your way to being okay going forward regardless of how much you’re making.

Remember your “to” destination. If it requires less than you make now, you’re probably good to go. (Be sure your wife and family are on board. They live with your decision too.)

If you’re going to live on less, ask yourself if you can really do that and be happy. Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Will you compare yourself with other people who have more? Will that bother you?

I repeat: it’s not a certain amount of money or income that matters—it’s what matters to you. Remember the four universal needs:

1. Contribution or Calling (Your life has meaning.)

2. Choice or Control (You have freedom to choose your path.)

3. Competency or Capability (You’re good at something or somethings.)

4. Connection or Community (You have friends and family.)

Will your new income prevent you from meeting any of these four needs?

Money is certainly a big part of the retirement equation, but don’t let it outweigh other considerations. Do you really want the dictionary definition of retirement—“the cessation of work”—or do you just want a change? Maybe where you get your paychecks doesn’t feel like a calling and doesn’t give your life meaning. Or maybe it gives you no freedom or control over what you do every day. Maybe you’re not particularly good at it, or it’s not something you care if you’re good at. Or maybe it cuts you off from friends and family and is not a community that you feel comfortable in.

Your definition of retirement may be to open that little diner and work more hours for less money than ever before, but you love doing it. You love providing people with good food; you love serving; you love the community. Are you retired? Not by the dictionary’s definition, but you did make a life change and the paychecks stopped coming. Was it the right decision? No question.

Money is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. Don’t let it determine how you will spend the rest of your life. Remember that you have a Father of infinite wealth who loves you more that you love yourself. Follow the desires he puts into your heart. Trust him.

Author: Dave Gillogly

Below Average

This is my favorite time of the year, and Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s a time of family, football, and food—lots of food!

The average American gains 5–7 pounds from now until the end of the year. I usually tell people not to get too stressed out about losing weight this time of year. If you don’t gain any weight, you’re ahead of the average guy. But it’s always a good time to try to get a little healthier.

The latest thing in weight loss is actually a class of medicine designed for treatment of diabetes. They are in a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 or GLP-1. They are not yet approved for weight loss, but they are in front of the FDA pending approval. Three of the more common ones are Trulicity, Ozempic, and Rybelsus.

Trulicity and Ozempic are both once-a-week injectables, and Rybelsus is basically the oral version of Ozempic. Rybelsus is a once-a-day pill.

They mimic the glucagon-like peptide and raise the insulin levels when blood sugar is elevated. They also delay the stomach-emptying process. This is probably what helps with the weight loss. The actual mechanism of weight loss isn’t completely determined. It seems to make sense that you fill up faster and eat less with these medications because of the way it works on the stomach. It looks like most people can experience about a 10–15% weight loss, which is very significant. Unfortunately, most people gain their weight back when stopping the medication.

Stomach side effects including acid reflux, nausea, and diarrhea are the most common side effects reported. These medications are not recommended to take if you have had pancreatitis and or have had thyroid cancer.

For whatever reason, I have preferred Trulicity in my practice. It has a pretty easy dosing schedule. I think they all work about the same. They are expensive and not covered by insurance for weight loss. I have had very limited experience with the oral pill and not sure how effective it is. My patients have generally done well with either Trulicity or Ozempic.

As with most things, eating clean and getting regular exercise is the best first step. This time of year, it gets a lot harder for me to eat clean. Pecan pie is my nemesis!

Remember, you want to be below average this time of the year!

Author: Dr. Curtis Brown

Response to The Outsider

Dear Anonymous,

In last month’s memo, you posted an article expressing frustrations with Christianity and its current friction with science. While I disagree with only a few of your points, I do think it is an important topic for Christians to wrestle with. So, I thought I would share from a book that I found helpful on the topic called Controversy of the Ages by Theodore Cabal and Peter Rasor II.

Cabal and Rasor agree with you that the friction between science and the church began with Galileo. Prior to that, science and the church had a great relationship. In fact, throughout history, many scientists pursued their endeavors to explain God’s interaction with creation. Then in the 1500s and 1600s, Copernicus proposed that the Sun was the actual center of the solar system, not the Earth, which was the belief in society and the church. The church responded negatively because they felt that this was a contradiction of Scripture.

The church’s views were rooted in their interpretation of Psalm 93:1 and Joshua 10:12–13. These texts seemed to communicate that it was the Sun that was moving, not the Earth. The Copernican model was proven by many along the way, but one of the strongest voices was Galileo. He entered a debate with Cardinal Bellarmine and communicated that the Copernican model did not violate Scripture, but that the Cardinal’s interpretation of Scripture was wrong. Galileo stood trial and was forced to communicate his “error.” He was put on house arrest for the rest of his life.

While Galileo was preparing for trial, he wrote two letters: “Letter to Castrelli” (1613) and “Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina” (1615). His belief was that the Catholic church was mistaken on its interpretation of Scripture, not that Scripture was incorrect. He argued that “Holy Scripture can never lie, as long as its true meaning has been grasped.” You may wonder why I’m bringing this up in my response to you. You did not condemn Christians for trusting Scripture. Your argument was rooted in a frustration with us for ignoring scientific evidence. Again, I believe this is a fair critique, and I also think there is a middle ground between your view and traditional Christian interpretation. Cabal and Rasor take these letters and construct a method for interpreting Scripture with science. I want to share the list and then apply it to the Big Bang Theory (which, ironically, was proposed by a Catholic!). It is listed below:

Galilean Interpretation Model

Assumption 1: Assume Biblical Inerrancy, Not Inerrant Interpretation

Assumption 2: Nature (Science) and Scripture Cannot Disagree because God Is the Author of Both

Interpretative Step 1: Traditional Biblical Interpretations Govern Unproven Science

Interpretative Step 2: Proven Scientific Theory Requires Biblical Reinterpretation

I am no scientist. I originally went to college to study Physics and Astronomy, but the Lord used calculus and video games to lead me to business school. Therefore, I will use your description of the Big Bang and evidence provided in your article to apply it to the interpretation method.

Big Bang Theory

• Universe began as a condensed “ball” of matter, which expanded rapidly outward due to immense heat.

• Background radiation and expansion rate of galaxies serve as evidence to confirm an expansion from a central point in the Universe.

• A possible explanation is that divine intervention caused the matter to expand.

Galilean Method Applied

Assumption 1 is a given. The Bible says that in the beginning, God created everything.

Assumption 2 is also a given. If God created everything, he is the author of Scripture and of science; therefore, these cannot conflict.

Interpretative Step 1: Traditional interpretation of Genesis 1:

1. Creatio Ex Nihlio — God “created out of nothing” rooted in the interpretation of the Hebrew word for create, which is bara.

2. He actively spoke it into existence.

3. The language used to describe the creation story points to 24-hour days.

4. The genealogies of Genesis lead us to believe humanity’s existence is 6,000 years.

Interpretative Step 2: Proven theories require reinterpretation.

Has the Big Bang Theory been proven beyond reasonable doubt? I don’t think so, and neither does science, as it is still referred to as a theory. But I do believe there is some evidence for us to consider.

Numbers 1 and 2 of the traditional Christian interpretation are going to be quite challenging for science to disprove, and this is where much of my disagreement with the Big Bang Theory is rooted. If the Big Bang began as a ball of energy that expanded due to divine intervention, then this violates the interpretation of creatio ex nihlio. Your wording of the Big Bang Theory communicates that the Universe is eternal in the sense that the compressed matter was the original state of the Universe. If the matter was always there, then the Universe has no beginning. If the theory was changed to say, “God created all matter, and then caused it to expand from a central point, which gave us the Universe,” it would certainly get us closer. But the theory would have to concede to God actively creating and not just setting off a bomb and walking away. It is a foundational Christian belief that the Universe’s existence is created and sustained by the very Word of God (Heb. 1:3, Col. 1:17).

Numbers 3 and 4 are where there’s more middle ground. Does Scripture require us to believe that the days of the creation story are 24 hours long? Does Scripture require that the earth is 6,000 years old? Has science proven without a reasonable doubt that the Earth might be older than 6,000 years?

I do not believe a 14-billion-year-old Universe is in violation of Scripture. I do believe it will be challenging for those who hold to this interpretation to also argue that Adam and Eve are historical figures (which is a foundational Christian belief). But it is certainly not impossible to hold to both. There is a fair amount of evidence arguing for an old Earth that we have to seriously consider. I would also say that it is certainly logical that God created the Earth with age as well and gave us evidence that the Universe expands from a “starting point.” After all, our observations of creation through the scientific method lead us to discover more about God. Doesn’t it make sense for God to show us His order of the Universe by allowing us to study and observe things that mature and decay well past our lifetimes? I think it is possible. Both arguments seem valid, and I understand why some Christians believe one and not the other and visa versa.

So using the Galilean Method, we could say that believing the Universe is 14 billion years-old is not in violation with Scripture if we hold firm to the doctrines of “creation out of nothing,” God actively creating and sustaining the Universe, and a historical Adam and Eve. Scripture does not require us to hold to a 6,000-year-old Earth. Science has not proven that we can’t believe in a 6,000-year-old Earth yet. But to your point and Galileo’s, if science proves beyond a reasonable doubt something that is contradictory to our interpretations of Scripture, then we must reinterpret it because Scripture and science cannot be in conflict, and Scripture is inerrant.

Author: TJ Yates