29

Jump Start # 4123

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4123

 

2 Corinthians 11:28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

 

There were major “external things” that got Paul. Among that list included beatings, dangers, shipwrecks. But, now, he turns to the “internal things.” There at the top of the list is the concern from all the churches. The CEB words this, “there’s my daily stress because I am concerned about all the churches.”

 

What type of things do you imagine Paul was concerned about? Getting a good insight into his heart from what he wrote, we could come up with a pretty good list. And, what’s interesting about that is what we are often concerned about wouldn’t make the list. We see a similar concept when we read through the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3. What we don’t find is concern about attendance. Oh, we are. We take attendance and post the numbers on the board for all to see. Finances is another thing that doesn’t seem to be a concern in the Revelation picture. We are. Some congregations operate like a bank and they love to have mountains of money sitting on reserve “just in case.” The “just in case” never seems to happen, so the pile of money continues to grow.

 

What the Revelation picture gives us is a concern about faithfulness to God’s word. And, I expect, especially from reading the letters to Timothy, that was high on Paul’s list. A great crowd with loads of money can dance with the devil all day long. Faithful in preaching. Faithful in teaching. Staying true to the book and staying close to the book is always a concern. Some are fascinated with introducing the new and the controversial. Others want to return to the old ways. Staying on course is the key.

 

Here are some thoughts for us:

 

First, while we may be concerned about other congregations, what takes place in them, however they are, is really not our responsibility. It is within the makeup of each congregation to be faithful to God. The Lord has established a network of internal accountability and checks and balances and if followed, will ensure the path a congregation takes. It seems that some are more interested in what is going on in other places than what is happening at home. Outside looking in doesn’t always give us the total story. Let God’s way work .

 

Second, being concerned brings responsibility. That’s the step that many miss. They just want to know. They are curious. Once they know, they don’t plan on doing anything. They just want to know. Paul was concerned. What do you think he did? He prayed. He wrote letters. He sent preachers. He did all that he could to make things better. He faced the challenges with the tools of God.

 

We know that “worry” is wrong. So, instead of saying, “I’m worried,” we substitute it with, “I’m concerned.” But, wanting to know, without any response or responsibility on our part, only fuels gossip. We want to know what others do not know. If you are truly concerned, you’ll take it to the Lord in prayer. You’ll find ways to encourage and make better.

 

Third, Paul wore several hats. He was an apostle. He was a preacher. He was a disciple. And, when I read about Paul doing things, I must decide which hat he was wearing. As an apostle, which I am not, I am limited in those things. As a preacher, and I’m a preacher, I can apply those lessons. As a disciple, which I am, then I can fully follow his example. Paul was given the task to be concerned about all the churches. That is not our task. Not knowng which hat Paul is wearing can put me out of bounds with the Lord.

 

Now, narrow this thought down to the congregation that you are a part of. Are you concerned? Do you care? Do you know what is going on? Do your part to bring excellence in worship. Do your part to make the place friendly and loving. Do your part to keep true to God’s word. There is so much going on at the home congregation, that ought to keep me busy. Cards to send. People to pray about. People to encourage. Busy, busy, busy.

 

In many ways, I think these internal things were harder on Paul than the external ones. Bones heal, but it takes a long, long time for hearts to get better.

 

Concern for others…

 

Roger

 

28

Jump Start # 4122

Posted on July 28, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4122

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under Heaven.

 

It happened last Tuesday. I wasn’t surprised because I knew it was coming, but it’s one of those things that when it hits you, you are left with a “wow” moment. We typically record our podcasts on Tuesdays. We bang all three of them out in a row. Monday is Jump Start Rewind where I pull an old Jump Start from the past and read it. Wednesday is This week at Charlestown Road. We talk about the sermon from Sunday and give a little insight into what is going on Wednesday evening and what we are preaching the next Sunday. The Friday podcast is themed. We count how many Fridays in a month and break it down in a connecting theme.

 

This past Tuesday found us once again in the studio recording. We like to start with the Wednesday podcast first. Then follows the Friday podcast. The last is the one for Monday, Jump Start Rewind. And, as we wrapped up those three, those were my final podcasts here. After 940+ podcasts, I came to my last one. Now, Jason and Carson will carry them on and put their own designs to them, but the Jump Start Rewind ends. So, for that last one, I went back and read Jump Start # 1, first written in 2010. I will continue to write as long as the Lord gifts me, but the reading of them on podcasts  has reached its end.

 

So, I thought I’d add a few reflections about this.

 

First, it is hard to know what good one does. We preach. We write. We encourage. Week after week, it’s just what we do. We don’t think much about it. And, one wonders, did it help anyone? You hope so. You send out your messages with prayers attached to them. Maybe some lowly soul benefited some how.

 

And, there is two sides to this thought. First, it’s easy to think I could use that time for other things. But, you keep planting. You keep watering. You don’t know how many lives have been touched. But, the other side is also important. It’s good to let others know that you have been helped. The teacher, the preacher, wonders if they ought to stop because there seems to be so little response. Drop your preacher a text and let him know that you appreciate his efforts this week. They hear from us when we disagree. How about hearing from us when we agree?

 

Second, it is ok to stop things. One will never stop their journey with the Lord. One never stops the good that they can do. One never stops worshipping the Lord. But podcasts, articles, blogs may come and go and that’s ok. They serve a moment in time. They are but a chapter in the story. It’s not the only chapter, but just one of many. The next chapters may be better. And, because the work isn’t remembered very long does not mean that it was not effective. For the moment, it was something. But, it was not eternal.

 

I have spent a lifetime collecting bulletins and periodicals that our brethren have published. Most were tiny moments in time. Most are long forgotten. Don’t let that discourage you or discount the quality effort that you put into something. Make it the best that you can, but remember, like a rain shower, like a meal, it’s for a moment. That rain, like that meal, like those words of truth, helped for the moment, It may have answered a question. It may have helped a person weather a storm. It may have lifted a burden. There’d be more storms and more burdens, but for that moment, it did good. Don’t try to walk the entire journey today, nor live your entire life now. Chapters. Moments. Seasons. Added together they make a lifetime. But, for now, get through this time.

 

Third, treasure these special moments that are given to us. They help us. They can make a difference. What a blessing to be part of a congregation that believed in blogs and podcasts. Our audience through the years changed. It became more international than local. How special those moments have been. I wish I had something like this when I was a young disciple. When you land on something good and helpful, share it with others.

 

Jump Start Rewind. It was a chapter. I enjoyed it. Now, it’s time to turn the page and read the next chapter.

 

Thank  you

 

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 4121

Posted on July 27, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4121

 

Luke 24:50-51 “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into Heaven.”

 

Our verse today describes the ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Acts 1 continues with these thoughts, “And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.” No more Jesus on earth. No more Jesus to ask a question. No more Jesus to do miracles. No more Jesus to teach them. The Lord was now going to His Father’s house and the apostles would await the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them.

 

Tucked in our verse today is an interesting thought. Jesus led them out as far as “Bethany.” It was at Bethany where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived. It was at Bethany that Jesus was anointed with very costly perfume. After the triumphantly entry, Jesus left Jerusalem for Bethany. The journey from Bethany to Jerusalem was very small. It seems that Jesus felt comfortable in Bethany. He was welcomed there. He had friends there.

 

Of all the places to ascend back to Heaven, Jesus “lead them out as far as Bethany.” He didn’t go to Heaven from the top of the temple. He didn’t go directly from the open grave. He didn’t ascend from Jerusalem. It wasn’t Nazareth. It wasn’t Bethlehem. It wasn’t the sea of Galilee. It wasn’t from Peter’s house. It wasn’t any other huge Biblical milestone places such as Mount Nebo, Mount Sinai, Mount Ararat, or Mt. Carmel. It was not from the center of the power, Rome. He took them to Bethany and from there He ascended. A familiar place. A place He liked. A place that He was comfortable. A place He may have felt like home.

 

Now, we won’t get a choice as to where we will be when the Lord calls us home to Him. But, can you imagine being able to go as far as your Bethany before you leave. The last place. The final place on earth. Your favorite place. A Bethany to you. Do you have a “Bethany?” Maybe it’s your home and there is no place like your place. Maybe it’s the town you grew up in. Going back there fills your heart with precious memories. Maybe it’s in the place of worship in the church building. So many wonderful hymns have been sung there. So many powerful sermons were preached in that room. There is something special about that room. It just has a wonderful feel of purity and righteousness about it.

 

Your Bethany. Some are there right now. You are so blessed. Others, it’s a place from the past. Others may still be looking for their Bethany. You may have moved often in your life and no place really feels like home.

 

But, more important than where we are leaving from, is where we are headed towards. Some have left pretty dark and lonely places. Those early saints dying in Roman prisons. Others, hiding in caves and catacombs. Some were upon crosses. But, where the righteous are headed to is a glorious home with our Father. Our journeys may not all be the same, but our reward awaiting us will be.

 

I go to prepare a place for you, is the promise of the Savior. We come from different backgrounds. We’ve had different experiences. We have had different opportunities and challenges. But, one day, because of the Lord, we will all have the same address: God’s home. It awaits the faithful of the Lord.

 

As far as Bethany…what a wonderful thought that is.

 

Roger

 

24

Jump Start # 4120

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4120

 

Acts 20:17 “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

 

It was a most unusual meeting that I had recently. The days of my time with the Charlestown Road church are quickly coming to an end. The current shepherds asked if I would deliver a “Miletus Meeting” with them before I left. I have never heard of such a thing in modern generations.

 

In the context of our verse today, Paul was on his way to Jerusalem. He had been warned by God that he would suffer and be bound. Multiple times, brethren tried to talk Paul out of going. But, he was determined. His life was nothing. The cause of the Lord was most important. So, he sets the sails towards Jerusalem. At Miletus, he sent for the Ephesian elders. He loved those brethren. There would be tears as he departed.

 

Walking through the book of Ephesians, then first and second Timothy, because Timothy was at Ephesus when he got those letters, then Revelation two, there is so much about the Ephesian church. There are many warnings about coming departures from God’s word. This was a valuable, heartfelt meeting. Paul didn’t sugar coat things. He didn’t speak in such generalities that nothing much came of it. He told them to watch and be alert. He warned that even among that body of overseers, some would not be satisfied with God’s way and want to change things.

 

So, I had my “Miletus Meeting” with my shepherds. Bibles were opened. Discussion was lively, personal and heartfelt. I shared my insights. I gave some recommendations. I told of some concerns. After nearly two decades with these people, I am in the place where I could say some things. The love of the kingdom and the desire for continual excellence and success is what this meeting was built upon.

 

I find it so rare that churches do not have “Miletus Meetings” more often when preachers move. It may be that the atmosphere with the leaving preacher is not healthy nor good. Many times the leadership is not on the same page and inviting such meetings would only lead to more trouble and more turmoil. Other times, shelpherds may not feel that such a meeting is necessary. We’ve got this is the mentality and there is nothing more that we could gain from such a meeting. That is sad and very unfortunate. All of us are growing and learning and the insights from one another can be very productive.

 

Here are some thoughts:

 

First, create an atmosphere where not only is such a meeting welcomed, but that it is a natural extension of many other meetings before this. A culture of excellence only invites the thoughts and insights from others. When we are suspicious of one another, always on the defensive, then critical conversations will never take place.

 

When the Lord revealed that one of the chosen among them was going to betray Him, they started asking, “Is it I, Lord?” I suspect when Paul told the Ephesian elders that “from among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse things,” they started looking around at each other.

 

Second, a Miletus meeting only works when love fills the air and kindness is the tone of the tongue. For a preacher to use the moment to put in his final parting shots ruins such an opportunity. And, it not only looks bad on that preacher, but he doesn’t realize that he has ruined it for any preacher who follows. Think about the kingdom and not yourself. Within these Acts 20 sentences, Paul would say, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord.” Don’t use a Miletus meeting preacher to complain about how you were treated, paid, or didn’t get your way. It’s not about you, preacher. It’s  about the continuation of the work. It’s about the future of that congregation.

 

Third, some preachers are so clueless that they wouldn’t know what to say in a “Miletus Meeting.” It makes me wonder, “What have you been doing all this time, preacher?” Some just want to stand behind the pulpit on a Sunday morning and then be left alone the rest of the time. Some have disengaged from the work that they don’t know what is going on. Shame on such men. Until the very end, get busy in the kingdom and work hard.

 

Departures can be golden opportunities for powerful Miletus meetings with elders. I’m thankful that I got to be part of one. Simply amazing!

 

Roger

 

 

 

23

Jump Start # 4119

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start #4119

 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written years ago

 

Attempts to Kill Jesus

 

One of the great truths that the Gospels reveal to us is the fact that Jesus Christ gave up his life. By this, we understand that the life of Jesus was not taken from Him, but rather He had a choice. He was in control. He offered up his life. Twice in John 10 Jesus makes this claim:

 

“even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (Jn 10:15)

 

“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again” (Jn 10:17)

 

We see this even further when we look at the many attempts to kill Jesus. Many tried to kill Jesus – but they never could. It was not until Jesus was ready, that He offered, or gave up His life as a sacrifice.

 

Attempts to stone Jesus: “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple” (Jn 8:59).

 

– The Jews took up stones again to stone Him (Jn. 10:31).

 

Attempts to throw Jesus off a cliff: “and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff” (Lk. 4:29).

 

Attempts in Judea: “And after these things Jesus was walking in Galilee; for He was unwilling to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him” (Jn. 7:1).

 

Plans Formed to Kill Jesus: “So from that day on they planned together to kill Him” (Jn 11:53 – after the resurrection of Lazarus).

 

– “And he was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy him” (Lk 19:47).

 

– “But the Pharisees went out, and counseled together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him” (Mt 12:14 – after the healing of the withered hand).

 

Jesus gave up His life – by choice, for you to have a righteous relationship with the Father. Jesus’ death was not by force, but a voluntary act of love. Jesus gave up His life as a sacrifice. God’s love and grace are amazing!

 

Roger

February, 1999