12

Jump Start # 4133

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4133

 

John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were no so, I  would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.”

 

We had some company coming for a visit. I took out the trash, swept the floors and my wife was busy in the kitchen doing what she does so well, baking. We were getting ready for company. I have often thought of this passage in that way. Jesus was up in Heaven, getting things ready for us to come. Company was coming and the Lord was busy preparing the place.

 

Cool thought, but I don’t think that’s the way this  passage works. First, it would imply that Heaven wasn’t ready. Don’t get there too soon, because God’s  house is a mess. It needed to be prepared for us. I doubt God’s house was ever a mess. Not with God there. Second, the going to prepare didn’t take place in Heaven but on the cross. That’s what the Lord had in mind. He prepared a people who were broken and lost for the holiness of His Father. How did He do that? It wasn’t sweeping the floors of Heaven, but instead, the shedding of His pure and innocent blood for us. That’s how the Lord prepared a place for us. Without that sacrifice we wouldn’t be invited to sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the heavenly banquet table.

 

We have moved in to our new house in Noblesville. I no longer have a home in Southern Indiana. My days of driving back and forth are just about over. The last room to get the final touches in our new home was a bedroom that was converted to an office. Custom shelves line the walls. A stained glass fandelier sits above my desk. The door is frosted glass. The books are on the shelves. Boxes and boxes of stuff had to be gone through. Pictures, collectables and mementos placed in just the right place. I poured hours into getting this room just the way I wanted it. It had to be me. It had to have character. Although, few will see it, I wanted a “wow” factor every time I walked into the room. And, now, it’s finally done.

 

Have you thought about “God’s house.” It’s His, not ours. Just as my office reflect me. There are signed baseballs, Dodger hats, rocks from Israel, pictures of my preacher friends and my favorite books. This room is so Roger. What do you think God’s house would be like?

 

First, like the Lord, it will be perfect. There won’t be one thing that’s not right. There won’t be anything to complain about. There won’t be any wishing to be somewhere else. Heaven is God’s house and it will be a reflection of the Lord.

 

Second, like the Lord, only the best will be there. Has God ever done something half way or just thrown things together to get something done? Eden is referred to as Paradise. It was the best. God’s word, simply the best. Jesus, the best. Everything God provides is the best. One might argue, we’ll be in Heaven and we aren’t the best. We aren’t. Not in our selves, but with the grace of God, we are God’s people. Imagine no bad news. Nothing to cry about. No disasters. No fear. No nights. No enemies. No trouble. Only the best, because that’s what God is. Heaven is a reflection of God.

 

Third, like the Lord, Heaven is enduring. It’s not a weekend get-a-way. We won’t pass though as tourists. God’s  home becomes our home. It’s everlasting. It’s eternity. That’s beyond us. Everything we know ends. Books end. Movies end. Pets end. We end. Nothing lasts. We get use to that. It’s the moment. It’s now that we live for. Heaven won’t be like that. It won’t  get old. It won’t get out of date. We won’t get tired of it. We won’t be looking for something new and fresh. As God is enduring, so is Heaven.

 

Personal tastes. Putting your own touches on things. We do that when we move into a new place. College dorms get fixed up to the tastes of the students living there. Apartments, homes, get new paint, new light fixtures, new updates—all to reflect our own tastes.

 

God’s house. What a wonderful concept. What a fascinating invitation. Come to God’s house.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 4132

Posted on August 11, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4132

2 Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity.”

 

Yesterday I finished writing my final sermon as one of the preachers here. I have been thinking about that for a long time. What do you say? After 18+ years with a group and more than 46 years of preaching, there are endless stories, memories and blessings. Good times. Challenging times. Fun times.

 

I shared with my good Tennessee friend Mike how I was going to structure the final sermon. He sent me an audio recording from Robert Jackson about final words. The recording was classic Robert Jackson. He pointed out Paul’s final words, Peter’s final words and John’s final words that are recorded in Scripture.

 

Paul: The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you (2 Tim 4:22).

Peter: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now an to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

John: The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen. (Revelation 22:21).

 

Three amazing apostles. Combined, they wrote twenty of the twenty-seven books of the N.T. And, in their final words, all three use the word “grace.” It makes one believe that grace is pretty important.

 

Here are some thoughts:

 

First, we are a grace filled, graced lived people. Our emphasis upon obedience and baptism can easily lead to the conclusion that grace isn’t important. It is. It is the most important. Our obedience can never do what grace can. Because many misunderstand and misuse grace, even among us, let us not shy away from this word. We are saved by grace through faith. Grace moves the attention off of us and our performance and puts it on the Lord. Had it not been for the Lord, the Psalmist declared, ought to be what we too declare. Had it not been for the Lord, we would not be saved. Had it not been for the Lord, we would be hopeless and helpless.

 

These three apostles understood that grace is important. Do we?

 

Second, grace is a choice made by a loving God. God does not owe us forgiveness. He does not have to forgive us. He does not owe us a second chance. Mercy comes from the kindness of the Lord and not because we are so cute, adorable and God can’t resist us. We were sinners. We were the enemies of God. Why not turn His back on us and walk away? He didn’t because He loves us.

 

And, once we get a good taste of that, we will quit arguing about “Do I have to attend Wednesday night,” or pushing the buttons of God’s patience. Our hearts will explode with gratitude for the kindness of God. We are prodigals who do not desrve back into God’s house. But, the Lord has done more. He has hosted a celebration in our honor when we have done nothing to deserve it.

 

When I hear folks trying to squeeze social drinking into the Scriptures or winking at the casual and indifferent manner of worship that is promoted today, I wonder why are you not content with what God has done? If you understood grace, you’ll not push God. You’ll not try to improve upon God. You’ll be happy with things just the way the Lord set the table. It’s about grace.

 

Third, growing in grace and knowledge of our Savior, as Peter ended his inspired writings, go hand in hand. The more I know the Lord, the more I’ll demonstrate grace in my life. We have learned how to be the prodigal’s older brother pretty well. We’ve got the Jonah attitude down. Now, it’s time to forgive as God has forgiven us. It’s time to show grace to others.

 

The more time one spends in the sunshine of God’s grace, the kinder, more patient and more forgiving he will be. Because of His grace, we have grace. Because we’ve been given a second chance, we give second chances. We learn from the One who was full of grace and truth. The woman at the well was a mess in her relationships. The Lord was kind to her. The woman caught in adultery was guilty. The Lord was kind to her. And, because of that, we become kind to the toxic co-worker. We become kind to the person having a bad day. We become kind to one another.

 

Three apostles ending their writings with “grace.” Simply amazing.

 

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 4131

Posted on August 10, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4131

 

Proverbs 27:10 Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.

 

Our verse today is packied full of great lessons and concepts that ought to help us on our journey with the Lord. Like a suitcase stuffed so full that you barely can close it up, so is this passage. Lessons about friendship. Lessons about responsibilities towards others. Lessons about closeness. Lessons about timing.

 

Particularily, I like the expression “your father’s friend.” Don’t abandon your father’s friend. In essence, your father’s friend is also your friend. And, I think about some of my dearest friends, and I’m blessed to have so many. Several are fellow preachers. Boy, they have helped me through the years. It’s hard to understand the world of preaching from the outside. And, what I see so clearly is that these friends have become friends of my children. My children know my friends. They reach out to them. They have their own friendships with them. And that just thrills my heart. It does so because these are quality people. These are people of God. These are people who I know will help my children when I am no longer on this side of life.

 

Have you put much thought into that? Are your friends also the friends of your children? Do they know each other? Do they like each other? Although there may be a generation gap, is there a bond between them?

 

Now, here are some things to consider:

 

First, if your friends are not the kind of people that you’d like your children to be friends with, why are you? If the language is rough, attitudes selfish and thinking worldly, why have I included them in my heart? It is so much easier to go downhill than uphill. If there are character flaws that I don’t want my children to see, why do I overlook them?

 

I ought to have the kind of friends that I would want my children to have. Don’t preach one thing and then practice something different.

 

Second, in becoming friends with your friends, your children will learn, grow and even appreciate you more. They will see the quality people that you have invited into your heart. They will see through the many stories, laughter and serious conversations that these people truly care. These relationships will help your children find quality people to include in your life.

 

It is your true friends that will be there when you experience the storms of life. Your children will see that. It is your true friends that reach out when you need help. It is your true friends that love you for who you are and are not trying to change you into what they want.

 

Third, we spend a lot of time and lessons teaching our children to find good friends at school and church, while often it’s we adults who need to deep dive into those same lessons. Surrounding yourself with miserable people will only make you miserable. Even among brethren, there are those who rejoice in the Lord and some who never seem to get it. Find the quality of people who are Heaven bound. Find those who lift your spirits and know what really matters. Find those who see the sunshine even in the storms.

 

The David and Jonathan relationship is very interesting. Jonathan’s father, King Saul, was trying to kill David. He didn’t like David. Yet, Jonathan remained loyal, true and helpful to his friend David. It takes time to develop a friendship. If all you do is talk about yourself, your friends will be limited. If all you ever do is only what you want to do, then your friends will be limited. You have to be a friend to have friends. You have to listen, share and want to be helpful to have friends.

 

Don’t abandon your father’s friends. Powerful advice for families. Powerful lessons for all of us.

 

Roger

 

07

Jump Start # 4130

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4130

 

Philippians 2:18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

 

The Bible speaks a lot about joy. Rejoice in the Lord is a common and well expressed hope found in the Scriptures. Many of our hymns follow that same thought: “I’m happy today, oh, yes, I’m happy today…” “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, down in my heart…” Sometimes it’s hard to sing those songs when one isn’t especially “happy today.”

 

You’ll not find a song leader singing, “I’m miserable today, oh, yes, I’m miserable today.” But, many do not walk in the sunlight of joy. They are waiting for someone to bring them joy. They’d be happy, if someone made them happy. But, as it is, they spend another day in sadness, misery and complaints. Some would like to find joy, but they are not sure where to look. Those without Christ will chase after immoral pleasures, the taste of alcohol or the numbness of pills. But, they haven’t found joy. They’ve hidden but not even escaped from the troubles that surround them.

 

First, joy is a choice. It’s not the environment around you, the circumstances that life puts you in, but rather, the purposeful decision to rejoice today. One can rejoice in a thunderstorm. One can rejoice when everyone around them are crying. One can rejoice when it seems that there is nothing to rejoice about.

 

If you are waiting for others to bring you joy, you might never experience it again. They may let you down. Choose to rejoice no matter what others choose to do.

 

Second, drop the baggage that keeps joy away. We can carry these old bags for a long time. We’ve convinced ourselves that we are supposed to carry them. We don’t want to. We don’t like it. But, it’s something that we are to do. That’s how it’s been presented in the past.

 

The baggage of worry. We just think having kids and worry are supposed to go together. But, also, getting older and worry seem to be good friends. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious.” He repeated that three times in the sermon on the mount. Don’t  worry, but we do. And, as long as we do, we won’t have any reason to rejoice.

 

The baggage of bitterness. Joy and bitterness are opposites that can’t stand each other. Remembering the hurts, the sins, the pain that others have caused, will only let bitterness to spread deeper and deeper into our hearts. There won’t be joy when bitterness enters a heart. Learn to let things go. Learn to forgive. Practice grace.

 

The baggage of guilt. Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving. We dread being around some, especially family, because they thrive on reminding us how we have failed. They can’t let it go. They won’t let it go. So, we are knocked down once again by those who love to blame. And, guilt, much like bitterness, cannot allow a heart to rejoice.

 

You have to carry these things? No, you don’t. You have to feel miserable, because I feel miserable. No, I don’t have to feel that  way.

 

But joy is much more than leaving the old baggae at the doorstep. Celebrating our victories will allow  joy to dwell within us. Victories over temptation. Victory over worry, fear and doubt. Victory over defeat and discouragement. Victory over the devil. Take your victory lap. Rather than counting what you didn’t’ get done, see what you did accomplish. We need goals met and battles won and the banner of joy waving high above us. It’s ok to smile. It’s ok to laugh. It’s ok to have a good day. Don’t let the ‘kill joys’ around you make you feel like they do. Rejoice.

 

Remember your hope in the Lord. Things are only going to get better and brighter because of the promises of the Lord. Tears may last through the night, but the joy of the morning shines brightly through the dark clouds.

 

Rejoice. We are Heaven bound. Rejoice. The Lord loves you. Rejoice. You are forgiven. Rejoice.

 

Roger

 

06

Jump Start # 4129

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4129

 

Mt 6:12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 

Mt 6:14-15  “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  “But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

 

Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

 

Forgiving One Another

 

 

Forgiveness is hard. When family, friends, or even our enemies hurt us, it’s hard to forgive. We should and we must, because God forgave us.

 

FORGIVE QUICKLY

To the matter of forgiveness, time is the great enemy. Time allows us to rehearse the hurt, coax and fan the flame into a roaring inferno. Time allows us to plan revenge. It increases the pain. The longer a person remains unforgiven in our heart, the worse our feelings will be toward him. Jesus was quick to forgive. While still on the Cross, He forgave those who placed Him there.

 

FORGIVE REPEATEDLY

Peter asked Jesus, How often do I forgive? The answer was not seven times, but seventy times seven. Our forgiveness is not based on numbers, but upon a heart condition. Aren’t you glad that God does not forgive you by numbers?

 

FORGIVE COMPLETELY

When God forgives, our sins are blotted out; they are remitted; they are washed away. When we say such things as:    

   I’ll forgive, but I will never forget.

  I’ll forgive, but it better not happen again.

I’ll forgive, but this is the last time.

 

we are not forgiving completely.  We have not forgiven until we forgive completely!

 

God does not treat us this way. God restores our position with him. God celebrates our return to Him. God rejoices when we seek His mercy.

 

Forgive one another.

 

Roger

March, 2002