Tag: respect

Borrow My Hope

Today’s a new day!

Let’s be honest. Sometimes the world can feel pretty hopeless. Turn on the television, scroll through social media, or simply look around, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the pain, division, uncertainty, and struggles people are facing.

Some days, life gets heavy. Some days, the battles seem endless. And sometimes, finding hope feels almost impossible.

But I want you to hear something today.

On the days you feel hopeless, you can borrow my hope.

I’m not saying that because my life is perfect. Far from it. I’ve walked through some pretty dark valleys, faced battles I never imagined, and experienced days when simply getting through the next hour was an accomplishment.

But I’ve learned something along the way: My hope isn’t dependent on my circumstances. My hope is found in Jesus.

Jesus has carried me through storms I didn’t think I would survive, given me strength when I had nothing left, and reminded me that even in the darkest valleys, I’m never walking alone.

So, if today you’re struggling to find hope, let me carry a little extra for you.

If you’re tired, I’ll pray for you. If you’re discouraged, I’ll encourage you. If you’re struggling to believe tomorrow can be better, I’ll believe alongside you.

And when you can’t see the light, I’ll remind you that darkness never gets the final word when Jesus is in the picture.

Romans 15:13 reminds us that God is the source of hope, and that through Him we can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here’s my promise: You don’t have to face today alone.

Borrow my hope until you find yours again. And when you find it, pass it along to someone else.

There’s enough hope in Jesus for all of us.

Keep believing. Keep praying. Keep fighting. Keep overcoming.

And whatever you do, don’t give up hope.

Much love, and God bless! ~OC

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Start Making Assists

Today’s a new day! I wrote this post awhile back, but thought I would share it with you today.

What if the greatest measure of our Christian walk isn’t how many people we lead, but how many people we help get closer to Jesus?

I’m a sports fan. I love watching great athletes, and one of the things I appreciate most about sports is the assist.

In basketball, the NBA’s all-time assist leader is John Stockton, with an incredible 15,806 career assists.

Think about that number for a moment. Fifteen thousand, eight hundred and six times, Stockton made a pass that put someone else in a position to score.

In soccer, Lionel Messi is widely recognized as the all-time assist leader, with more than 400 official career assists across club and international competitions.

Two extraordinary athletes. Two different sports. One common thread: They understood that sometimes the greatest contribution you can make is helping someone else succeed.

And that got me thinking about something much bigger than sports.

What if we started looking at our Christian faith walk the same way?

What if instead of keeping track of how many people attend your church, how many social media followers we have, how many people listen to your podcast or how many times our name gets mentioned in “the right places”, we started keeping track of how many assists we make for the Kingdom of God?

How many people have we encouraged when they were ready to give up?

How many people have we prayed with when they couldn’t find the words to pray themselves?

How many times have we stopped what we were doing to help someone who was hurting?

How many times have we shared the love of Jesus with someone who felt forgotten, rejected, abandoned, or unloved?

How many times have we pointed someone toward Jesus rather than toward ourselves?

Those are the assists that matter.

JESUS WAS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THE ONE.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus consistently doing something that challenges the way many of us approach Christianity.

He noticed people.

He noticed the forgotten.
He noticed the rejected.
He noticed the sick.
He noticed the poor.
He noticed the lonely.
He noticed the people everyone else walked past.

Jesus didn’t build His ministry around popularity, recognition, or earthly applause.

He loved people.

He stopped for the one.
He reached for the one.
He healed the one.
He forgave the one.
He pursued the one.

And He calls us to do the same.

In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus teaches us that when we serve those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, sick, or imprisoned, we are serving Him.

Read that again.

When we serve others, we serve Jesus.

That means every act of kindness, every unexpected encouragement, every prayer, every helping hand, and every moment we choose compassion over convenience can become an assist for the Kingdom.

IT’S NOT ABOUT GETTING THE CREDIT. IT’S ABOUT GIVING JESUS THE GLORY.

Here’s something I think Churches and Christian Communities needs to remember.

We have become very good at celebrating the person who scores the basket, kicks the goal, stands behind the pulpit, leads the worship service, or stands on the platform.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating people who serve faithfully.

But what about the people making the assists?

What about the person praying behind the scenes?

What about the person visiting someone in the hospital?

What about the person encouraging a struggling brother or sister?

What about the person welcoming someone who walks into church feeling completely alone?

What about the person quietly helping a family who has fallen on difficult times?

What about the person who shares Jesus with someone who has never experienced His love?

They may never receive recognition. Their names may never appear in a church newsletter. They may never stand on a stage.

But Heaven sees them.

And perhaps some of the greatest Kingdom work happening in our communities is being accomplished by people whose names most of us will never know.

Not every Christian is called to stand on a platform, but every Christian is called to make a difference. Take a moment to read that again.

Imagine if we all became Kingdom assist leaders.

Imagine a Church or Christian where people competed, not for recognition, but instead to see who could encourage the most people.

Imagine Christians who measured success by how many people they helped, how many lives they touched, and how many people they pointed towards Jesus

Imagine believers who were more excited about someone else’s breakthrough than their own recognition.

Imagine a Christian community where we stopped asking, “What can you do for me?” and started asking, “How can I help you?”

Imagine what would happen if every Christian made it their mission to provide at least one Kingdom assist every single day.

A phone call.
A prayer.
A meal.
A helping hand.
A word of encouragement.
A moment of forgiveness.
An invitation to church.
A conversation about Jesus.

One assist at a time.

One life at a time.

One opportunity at a time.

We might never know the full impact of those seemingly small moments until we stand before Jesus.

MY CHALLENGE TO US TODAY

I want to challenge myself, and I want to challenge everyone reading this.

Stop worrying so much about being the person who scores the basket.

Start becoming the person who makes the assist.

Stop worrying about who gets the recognition.

Start celebrating what God is doing in someone else’s life.

Stop asking how many people know your name.

Start asking how many people know the love of Jesus because you took the time to show it to them.

And please remember something:

You don’t have to be a pastor, preacher, missionary, worship leader, or Bible scholar to make a difference for the Kingdom. Please read that again.

You simply have to be willing.

Willing to love.
Willing to serve.
Willing to encourage.
Willing to forgive.
Willing to reach out.
Willing to make yourself available when God puts someone in your path.

John Stockton accumulated 15,806 NBA assists.

Lionel Messi has accumulated more than 400 official career assists.

Those are extraordinary athletic accomplishments.

But imagine the eternal impact if every Christian made it their lifelong mission to help someone else get closer to Jesus.

There is no scoreboard on earth that could measure that kind of success.

And there is no trophy that could compare with hearing someone say:

“Because you took the time to love me, encourage me, pray for me, and point me toward Jesus, my life is forever different.”

THAT’S WHAT YOU CALL A KINGDOM ASSIST!

Let’s stop keeping score of our own accomplishments.

Let’s start making assists for Jesus.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how many people we get to follow us.

IT’S ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HELP FOLLOW HIM!

Keep loving. Keep serving. Keep encouraging. Keep pointing people to Jesus.

And whatever you do, don’t stop making assists! ~OC

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ~1 Peter 4:10

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A Warning

Today’s a new day!

You should never pray over people and then prey on those people.

Read that again.

If you are going to lay hands on someone and pray for their healing, you better not be the same person who takes advantage of their pain, exploits their vulnerability, manipulates their faith, or uses their struggles to get something from them.

If you are going to stand in a pulpit and preach about the love of Jesus, you better be willing to demonstrate that love when nobody is watching.

If you are going to tell people to trust God, you better be someone they can trust.

If you are going to speak life into someone, don’t turn around and use your words to destroy them.

And if you are going to call yourself a Christian leader, understand that leadership is not about power, control, popularity, or influence. It’s about humility, servanthood, accountability, and love.

People come to churches, ministries, and Christian leaders carrying some of the deepest wounds imaginable. They come looking for hope, healing, encouragement, and a safe place to encounter Jesus.

They should never have to worry about becoming someone’s next target.

Jesus didn’t exploit broken people. He loved them. He didn’t manipulate the vulnerable. He served them. He didn’t use people to build His platform. He gave His life for them.

Matthew 7:16 reminds us:

“You will know them by their fruits.”

Church, it’s time we start paying attention to the fruit, not just the religious language.

You cannot claim to represent Jesus while intentionally hurting the very people He calls us to love.

PRAY OVER PEOPLE. LOVE PEOPLE. PROTECT PEOPLE. SERVE PEOPLE.

But whatever you do, NEVER PREY ON PEOPLE.

And perhaps it’s time every one of us, especially those in positions of spiritual influence, asked ourselves one uncomfortable question:

Are people encountering more of Jesus because of the way we treat them, or are they recovering from the way we treated them?

Let’s stop giving Jesus a bad reputation through our behavior.

The world doesn’t need more religious performance. It needs more people who actually look, love, and live like Jesus. ~OC

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It’s Time To Be Quiet

Dear Christian, as I have been praying over the past few weeks, I keep hearing Jesus encouraging us to slow down, be less busy, and spend more time being silent before Him.

We live in a world that never seems to stop moving. Our schedules are full, our calendars are packed, our minds are constantly racing, and sometimes we’re so busy doing things for Jesus that we forget to simply spend time with Jesus.

I believe it’s time to change that.

It’s time to turn down the noise, step away from the distractions, stop trying to control everything, and learn to be still in His presence.

But there’s something else I believe Jesus is calling us to do: SURRENDER.

Some of us are desperately holding onto things we’ve been carrying for far too long.

Hurts we’ve never healed from. Pains we’ve never surrendered. Disappointments we haven’t released. Dreams we’ve given up on. Hopes we’re afraid to believe in. Burdens we were never meant to carry alone.

The time is now to bring ALL of it to the altar.

Not some of it. Not just the things we’re comfortable talking about. ALL OF IT.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Perhaps we’re missing something beautiful because we’re too busy, too distracted, and too consumed with everything happening around us to recognize what God wants to do within us.

Christian, you don’t always have to be doing something. You don’t always have to have the answers. You don’t always have to be the strong one.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is get on your knees, open your heart, become silent before Jesus, and surrender.

LESS BUSY. MORE JESUS.
LESS NOISE. MORE STILLNESS.
LESS CONTROL. MORE SURRENDER.

Let’s stop being so busy running around in the name of Jesus that we forget to sit at His feet.

The altar is waiting. Jesus is calling.

What are you still holding onto that you need to surrender today? ~OC

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My Fifty Year Journey With Jesus

On Mother’s Day, 1976, I gave my heart to Jesus and was baptized. Little did I know what an incredible, challenging, beautiful, and sometimes unexpected journey I was beginning.

My walk with Jesus wasn’t always consistent during those early years. But when I turned 18, something changed. I made a decision to go ALL IN. I truly surrendered my life to Jesus, and I haven’t wanted to walk this journey without Him since.

As I look back over these 50 years, I can honestly say my journey hasn’t been perfect. I’ve stumbled. I’ve questioned. I’ve had seasons when life didn’t make sense. I’ve walked through valleys I never expected to experience, faced battles I never imagined fighting, and experienced moments when I didn’t understand what Jesus was doing.

But through it all, I’ve continued to keep my eyes on Him.

I’ve learned that following Jesus doesn’t mean you will always understand the journey. It doesn’t mean life will always be easy, prayers will always be answered the way you hoped, or that you won’t experience heartache, disappointment, and suffering.

It means choosing to trust Him even when you don’t understand Him.

Fifty years later, I’m still learning, still growing, still surrendering, still believing, and still holding on to His promises.

So, wherever you are in your walk with Jesus today, I want to encourage you with something I’ve learned over these five decades:

DON’T GIVE UP.

When life doesn’t make sense, keep believing.

When the answers don’t come, keep trusting.

When the road gets difficult, keep walking.

When you stumble, get back up.

When you cannot see what Jesus is doing, remember who Jesus is.

And when everything around you tells you to let go, hold even tighter to His promises.

You don’t have to have a perfect walk to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus. You just have to keep coming back to Him, keep surrendering, and keep your eyes fixed on Him.

As I continue this journey, my prayer is that my life will always point people toward Jesus. Not toward me, not toward my accomplishments, but toward the One who has carried me through every season.

Fifty years ago, I said YES to Jesus. Today, my answer is still YES!

I’m not finished walking. I’m not finished believing. I’m not finished trusting.

And as long as Jesus gives me breath, I’ll keep following Him.

STAY THE COURSE. KEEP THE FAITH. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” — Hebrews 12:1-2

To God be ALL the glory! ~OC

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Am I Living Out My Faith?

As I live out my life as a Christian, one passage of Scripture I continually try to put into practice is Matthew 25:35-45.

Jesus reminds us that when we feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the needy, care for the sick, and visit those in prison, we are doing those things for Him.

I wish I could say I get it right every time. I don’t. I fail. I miss opportunities. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own world that I overlook the needs of someone standing right in front of me.

But I keep trying.

Because being a Christian isn’t just about what we believe, what church we attend, what songs we sing, or what Scriptures we can quote. It’s about how we treat people, especially those who have nothing to offer us in return.

I don’t want to just talk about Jesus. I want people to experience a little bit of His love through the way I live.

I’ll never get it perfect, but by His grace, I’ll keep trying.

My question for all of us is this: If someone looked at the way we treated others, would they see Jesus?

Matthew 25:40 — “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

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America, It’s Time To Start Healing

Yesterday, Americans went to the polls in record numbers. Millions of people voted for change, for a new beginning, and for what they believe is a better future for our country.

Some are celebrating today’s results. Others are disappointed, frustrated, or even angry.

But regardless of how you voted, I want to encourage you to do something today.

PRAY.

Pray for the newly elected officials. Pray that they will have the strength, wisdom, humility, and courage to make decisions that serve all Americans, not just those who voted for them.

Pray for the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. For families feeling the pressure of rising costs, for those worried about putting food on the table, and for those wondering how they’re going to make it through another month.

Pray for your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and relatives who voted differently than you. Remember, a different political opinion doesn’t make someone your enemy.

Pray for peace in America and around the world. We have enough division, hatred, violence, and suffering. We don’t need more.

But don’t stop with prayer.

LOOK AROUND YOU.

Find someone who needs encouragement. Help a neighbor. Check on a struggling family. Volunteer. Serve your community. Listen to someone whose opinions are different from yours.

Look for opportunities to become part of the solution instead of contributing to the problem.

And perhaps most importantly, LOVE PEOPLE.

All people. Not just the people who agree with you. Not just the people who vote like you. Not just the people who look like you or believe what you believe.

ALL PEOPLE.

We are neighbors. We are coworkers. We are friends. We are family. And we’re all Americans.

We don’t have to agree on everything to treat each other with dignity, kindness, compassion, and respect.

Elections come and go. Political parties rise and fall. Administrations change. But the people we love, the communities we live in, and the country we share remain.

We cannot continue allowing politics to destroy relationships, friendships, families, and communities.

America, the election is over. It’s time to put down the political weapons, turn down the rhetoric, stop pointing fingers, and start working together.

There are real people hurting. Real families struggling. Real problems that need real solutions.

Let’s spend less time arguing about what divides us and more time working on what brings us together.

Let’s choose kindness over cruelty, compassion over judgment, understanding over hatred, and love over division.

Yesterday, we exercised our right to vote.

Today, let’s exercise our responsibility to one another.

AMERICA, IT’S TIME TO START THE HEALING PROCESS.

And that healing begins with each one of us.

God bless America. ~OC

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Let’s Get To Work

Today’s a new day!

The voting is over. The votes have been counted. The American people have spoken.

Now it’s time to respect the results, put the campaigning behind us, set aside the political bitterness, and get to work.

America has real problems that need real solutions. We may disagree politically, but we’re still Americans, and we share a future together.

It’s time for our elected leaders to stop fighting each other and start fighting for the American people.

The election is over. The excuses are over. America, let’s get to work! ~OC

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Today, America Votes

After months of political advertisements, campaign commercials, and political flyers filling our mailboxes, the day has finally arrived. Today, we head to the polls.

A reminder: In America, we each have the right to vote our conscience. That may look different for every single one of us, and that’s okay. Your vote is yours. Take the time to vote for the people and issues you have studied, thought about, and prayed over.

We don’t have to agree politically to respect one another. We don’t have to belong to the same political party to love our neighbors.

And one more thing: Jesus is not a Republican, Democrat or an Independent. Let’s stop trying to put a political label on Him and start focusing on living out His teachings.

So, do your homework, pray, exercise your constitutional right, and go vote.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS. YOUR VOTE MATTERS. ~OC

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Wake Up, Church! Are We Leading Or Just Following?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once asked a question that the church today desperately needs to answer:

“Why is the church always a taillight rather than a headlight?”

Stop and think about that for a moment.

The church was never meant to spend its time catching up with society. We were called to lead, to shine light into darkness, to stand for truth, to defend the vulnerable, to love our neighbors, and to demonstrate what the Kingdom of God looks like.

Yet somewhere along the way, too many churches have become more comfortable reacting to the culture than influencing it.

Look around today’s society.

  • When children are struggling with mental health, is the church leading the conversation or waiting for someone else to address it?
  • When families are experiencing homelessness, poverty, and hunger, are we on the front lines or simply offering thoughts and prayers?
  • When human trafficking destroys lives, are we actively fighting it or waiting for another organization to step up?
  • When immigrants, marginalized communities, and people who feel forgotten need compassion, are we extending a hand or building another wall?
  • When political division is tearing apart our communities, are we bringing people together through the love of Jesus or contributing to the division?

These aren’t political questions. They’re discipleship questions.

Being a headlight doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means being willing to go first.

It means churches opening their doors, Christians getting involved in their neighborhoods, men and women standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, and believers being willing to have difficult conversations while extending grace and compassion.

Jesus didn’t wait for society to become better before He stepped into the mess. He went directly into it.

He touched the untouchable, welcomed the rejected, defended the vulnerable, challenged religious hypocrisy, and loved people others had written off.

That’s our example.

Church, we don’t need another generation of Christians who are simply good at pointing out everything wrong with the world. We need Christians willing to get their hands dirty, get outside the four walls, and actually do something about it.

Matthew 5:14 reminds us:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Notice Jesus didn’t say we were supposed to admire the light, argue about the light, or keep the light safely inside our buildings.

He called us to be the light.

So here’s the question I want every pastor, church leader, and follower of Jesus to wrestle with:

Are we helping lead society toward the love, truth, justice, and compassion of Jesus, or are we simply following behind and complaining about where society is going?

WAKE UP, CHURCH!

The world doesn’t need us to become more like the world. It needs us to look more like Jesus.

It’s time to stop being the taillight.

It’s time to turn on the headlights.

The question isn’t whether the darkness is getting darker. The question is whether the church is willing to shine brighter.

Jesus, help us stop talking about changing the world and start living like people who actually believe we can. ~OC

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