05

Jump Start # 4026

Posted on March 5, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4026

 

Psalms 34:8 “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

 

Blessed

  Craig Wilson is a columnist for USA Today newspaper. As an act of kindness, he often takes his neighbor’s cars to be inspected. In Washington, D.C. the inspection station is across town and in a bad area. Wilson recently wrote about getting his neighbor’s car inspected.

 

“So there I was the other morning, waiting in line—Lane 4, to be exact—reading the paper when I was finally told to pull up to the garage entrance. A man about my age waved me closer, then opened my door. It was 6:55 A.M.”

 

“’How are you doing this morning?’ he asked. ‘Fine,” I said, a bit startled at his perkiness. ‘And you?’

 

“’Blessed,’ he said. ‘Blessed.’”

 

“I walked into the inspection station and down the long glass hallway where residents can view their cars going through the paces. He said ‘blessed,’  I thought to myself. ‘Blessed.’”

 

“There he was dealing with more than likely unhappy people, standing outside on a steamy July morning and he felt blessed. I can’t get the man out of my mind.”

 

Wilson added, “Why does it seem the people who appear to have the worst jobs often seem to be the happiest? I’m talking about the woman here at the newspaper office whose job it is to clean the bathrooms. She’s the happiest woman in the building. Always smiling. Always says hello. She just had an operation and is now back. Happy as ever.”

 

“The men who painted my house this summer were happy. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but they were in the hot sun, singing away. Lunch under a tree out front was even a festive affair; constant laughter floating up to my window.”

 

“And why is it the people with the most seem the most unhappy? Earlier this summer, a senator’s wife got into a altercation with another shopper at a local garden center. If I remember correctly, it was over mulch and the loading of the said mulch into the trunk of the car. Someone was being blocked, and I think the senator’s wife was doing the blocking.  In the end, chargers were filed, lawyers were called, people went to court, ‘no comments’ were issued. The judge should have just ordered them to get their cars inspected. Lane 4.”

 

We need to stop and remind ourselves that we are blessed people.

 

We are blessed to live in this nation. Even with all the problems we have, this country is far ahead of all other nations. The possibilities for education, health care, and advancement are superb in our nation. People still travel in small and unsafe boats just to get into our country. They leave homes and families and hopelessness and depression to simply have a chance in this nation. In this country young men and women can still dream big dreams. We are blessed.

 

We are blessed to live in these times. It is remarkable what takes place every day in this country. Surgeons remove veins from a person’s leg and graft them into the heart. It wasn’t too many years ago that the dreaded word ‘cancer’ meant a death sentence. It is not that way for many people today. The world has become more accessible because of mass communication. It is amazing what can be done with computers. Volumes of books that were not only very expensive to purchase but also difficult to find shelf space to hold them can now be put on a thumb drive that fits in a pocket. There are so many good reference tools available today. The information highway is crowded with useful items that were not available a few years ago. We live in comfort. We have so many choices from the food we eat, to the automobiles we ride in, to the neighborhoods we live in. These are good times. We are blessed.

 

  We are blessed to be Christians. God treats us better than we deserve. We have Christ as our Savior, Heaven as our home, and wonderful brethren spread throughout this world. God’s word is reliable which makes the way certain and clear. Because of christ, we know what the future will be. We understand our purpose. It’s great being a Christian. We are blessed.

 

Shouldn’t we all walk though life feeling ‘blessed?’ It is easy to be negative and complain. Everyone gripes about the weather, their jobs and the price of things. How refreshing it is to be someone who recognizes that he is ‘blessed.’ Count your many blessings, we sing and name them one by one.

 

It is the blessed heart that becomes a thankful heart.

 

Roger

Biblical Insights, September, 2004

 

04

Jump Start # 4025

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4025

 

Hebrews 12:4 “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, in your striving against sin”

 

There was a time in my life when I golfed often. These days, my golf clubs and I haven’t been on speaking terms. Outside, beautifully mowed fairways, golf sure has an appeal. It looks simple. Just hit that little white ball to the green. But, when one lines up to hit that little white ball, there are so many thoughts racing through your mind. Make sure your feet are set. Bend your knees, but not too much. Keep your arms straight. Head down. Grip the club, but not too tightly. Turn with your hips. Keep your eyes on the ball. For those who golf all the time, this is natural and easy. For the occasional golfer, the check list of what runs through your mind can be overwhelming. After a while, the thought is, “just hit the ball!” Now, throw in a sand trap, some water hazards, a few trees here and there and the mental process just explodes.

 

One of the great challenges in our walk with the Lord is not facing the giants that want to defeat us. It’s not dealing with the big storms in life. Even with our verse today, often it’s not the resisting of sin that is so hard. More than anything else, it’s the day to day, every day living for the Lord. Just another plain day, which ought to be so simple, but it is those days that can be the most difficult.

 

When there is a crisis, a battle, a storm, a challenge before us, we find ways to lean courageously upon our faith in the Lord. We pray hard during the storms of life. We find ourselves seeking the Scriptures diligently when we are unsure, unsteady and scared.

 

But, what about the days that are sunny and fine? No trouble at home. No problems at work. Everyone getting along fine at the church house. Things good in the neighborhood. No drama in the family. Just another regular day in our journey with the Lord. We long for days like that. Calm. Peaceful. Normal. Average. Nothing exciting and nothing out of the ordinary. Few worries. No stress. Just another plain day.

 

And, this is why such days can be a great challenge in our walk with the Lord. There doesn’t seem to be a great need for the Lord. No prayers in a crisis. No tears running down my cheeks. It’s very, very easy to put the Lord on the back burner. So many of the Psalms were written in an atmosphere of trials and troubles. But, when we don’t have those troubles, we may not feel the urgency to cling closely to the Lord. And, just like that, without intending to, nor aware of it, we use the Lord only when there is an emergency. It’s that day in and day out relationship that we need to construct within our hearts. A daily walk. A daily seeking. A daily living on God’s word.

 

So, how do we do that? How do I keep close to the Lord when things are going well? How do I keep from only turning to the Lord when there is an emergency in my life?

 

First, develop regular spiritual habits. Starting habits is hard. But, once started, you get in a groove and they become a part of your routine that you do without having to remind yourself of. Staring the day with prayer. Reading a chapter of God’s word every day. You do this when the sun is shinning in your heart and when the dark storm clouds are building.

 

On those regular, nothing special days, be thankful. Think of others who are not having that kind of day. Ask the Lord to help you remember those days. They will help you when days are crazy  and upside down.

 

Second, embrace the concept that you always need the Lord. Always. There is never a time, never a day, never a place when you do not need the Lord. I need Thee every hour, helps you remember this. Pray without ceasing, is built upon this. Knowing that you always need the Lord, will keep you close to the Lord. It will help you make the right spiritual choices. It will keep you thinking of those wonderful heavenly thoughts.

 

Third, understand that the Lord longs for you to want Him and be close to Him all the time. If the only time you heard from your grown kids was when they needed something, you’d begin to wonder about what kind of relationship you have with them. So much to be thankful for. Praying for open eyes, thinking about God’s word and His way on a regular, daily basis will only improve your character. You’ll see ways to become more useful to others.

 

It’s not the striving to the point of blood that is so difficult. It’s getting up and going to school again. It’s heading to the office for just another day. It’s doing housework. It’s just another day on this planet. Don’t waste these golden opportunities to honor the God who loves you so much.

 

Roger

 

03

Jump Start # 4024

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4024

 

John 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”

 

Here in this wonderful picture of the good shepherd we find powerful layers of leadership that is essential to a healthy church. Built within these verses are contrasts. The sheep do not listen to the thieves and robbers because they do not recognize their voices. The hired hand views his work as only a job. He does not care about the sheep.  When wolves appear, the hireling flees. He won’t risk his neck for a bunch of sheep that he doesn’t care about. What great lessons we can learn from these contrasts.

 

Within our verse today is a relationship between the sheep and the good shepherd. They know the voice of the shepherd. How would they recognize that voice? Obviously, they have heard it before. There has been communication between the shepherd and the sheep.

 

Communication is vital to all healthy relationships. This is true in a marriage, the home, the church and our relationship with the Lord. He speaks through His word. We speak through prayer. The stronger and more frequent the communication lines are the better.

 

Now, let’s look at this in the standpoint of a congregation. Communication is vital.

 

  • Sometimes members will say, “We don’t know what’s going on here.” That could be a communication problem. Or, “We didn’t know that we were having a gospel meeting next week.” Makes me wonder, why didn’t you know?

 

Here at my home congregation, we give everyone a theme booklet at the beginning of the year. Within that booklet are all the scheduled events for the year, the adult classes and a breakdown description of the many things we do. Members also get a fridge magnet that has all the dates of meetings and events here. That way they can plan their year around those things. A month before an event, like our summer series or VBS, we blast out the dates and times in our bulletin, opening and closing slides at every service and on social media. People know. Communication is vital.

 

  • When a guest preacher is invited to come and speak, open and great communication is vital. When does he need to be there? Where is he staying? What is expected of him? What are the arrangements for meals? What’s the powerpoint set up? Does he need to bring his own laptop?

 

There are so many horror stories that just about every preacher can tell that comes from a lack of communication from the inviting church. Here are just a sampling:

 

Days, not weeks, days before the preacher is expected to come and preach, he hears from the church for the first time. He is told that they want him to do a special series on some detailed topic which would require weeks of prep time. He just finds this out a few days in advance.

 

I have stood at the desk of a hotel where I was told there was a reservation for me during my stay only to find out that someone forgot to make that reservation. I have been told, after I have flown to another city to preach that I was expected to teach the teens that Sunday night, do morning classes and have a lesson for a group of preachers at a luncheon that week. I found that out after I was on the ground in that city. I have been at the airport waiting for someone to pick me up and give me a ride, only to find out after I called someone that things had changed and I needed to get a rental car. I have been to places where one of the members knew I golfed, so a tee time was made for several in the church to go golfing. The only thing is no one told me. I didn’t bring my clubs. Communication.

 

Communication. If a church is inviting a guest preacher, reach out to him multiple times at least with a month to go to let him know all the arrangements, details of what he is to do and what is expected. Assign a deacon with this task to take care of reaching out and keeping the preacher informed.

 

  • Little problems can remain little when there is good communication. When a person is upset, quick care can keep that from becoming a major storm when there is communication. When the members keep things secret from the shepherds, expecting them to know all things, a distance is created between them that doesn’t have to be there. Good communication.

 

The sheep knew the voice of the shepherd. There is something for us to learn there.

 

Roger

 

02

Jump Start # 4023

Posted on March 2, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4023

 

Hebrews 4:16 “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

I was reading through the book of Esther the other day and thought of this passage. I love contrasts and I don’t think there is an intentional thread connecting Esther to the book of Hebrews, but there is a contrast that is so hard to miss.

 

Most know well the story of Esther. Appointed queen to a Persian empire. A jealous, evil advisor to the king convinces the king to eliminate, execute all the Jews. That would include Esther, since she was Jewish. She must plead with her husband, the king, in behalf of her people. A lot of drama, prayers and courage fill the pages of Esther.

 

Here is the contrast. Even though Esther is married to the king, she can’t just go talk to him without being called. So different from our times and culture today. No pillow talk. No quiet dinners together where they could discuss things. Nope. Didn’t happen in Persia. Unless you have an appointment or the king sends for you, you cannot approach him. In fact, if one tried to do that, they could be put to death. The wife of the king could die if she tried to speak to him without being officially summoned. Esther fasts and prays and has her Jewish people praying for her. She was going out on a limb and going to approach the king. Fear, uncertainty and hesitation would fill her heart. It was the only chance her people had to live. Esther could die for doing this.

 

In contrast, our verse today calls upon us to come with confidence to God’s throne, the throne of Grace. Others word this as: come boldly. Don’t come with fear. Don’t hesitate. Don’t have doubts. Come with confidence. God wants to see you. God wants to hear from you. There is not a threat of death hanging in the air because of this.

 

The nature of prayer is amazing to me. It is something found all throughout our Bibles. We have classes about prayer. We preach about prayer. Our worship services are lined with prayers. But, that very nature and concept is remarkable.

 

Just consider this:

 

  • There is never a reception issue with prayer. Oh, there is with our technology and phones. There is a stretch of road, the Lanesville Road, going to my house that I lose phone calls on. The road dips down, hills with trees surround that section and the phone goes blank. Every time. No exception. Doesn’t matter if I’m making the call or I’m receiving the call. Family understands this and I will tell them that I’m about to hit the Lanesville Road and they know that will kill the reception.

 

Prayer is not limited that way. I have prayed in church buildings, in barns, outdoors, skydiving from an airplane, on top of a roller coaster, in a cave, at home, at work, on vacation, overseas, on boats, in hospitals, in restaurants, at cemeteries, when I’m happy, when I’m in bed sick, when I’m sad, when I’m angry and amazingly there is never a reception issue with prayer. There is never a place that you cannot pray.

 

  • There is never a time when God cannot be reached. There are times when I want to talk to one of my kids, but they are busy at work. Sometimes they will try to reach me and I’m tied up at the moment. We leave messages. God is never that way. He is never too busy for you. You never have to leave a message. As you are praying to God, so are thousands all over this planet. You may be thanking God, while at the same time another person is begging God for help. Happy and sad. Good and bad. Life and death situations and times of peace and calm. And, all at the same time, God can be reached. There is never a waiting list.

 

  • There is never an issue of priorities with God. One may be praying for a dying parent, while another is praying to find a job. You and I would not put those things in the same category. One is praying because a marriage is falling apart and another is praying because they have a dentist appointment and they are afraid. Not the same in our books. God doesn’t deal with the most important first. All prayers are heard by God. That is amazing.

 

  • There is a comfort in knowing that God is there to help us. Our verse ends with the words, “to help in time of need.” It is a prayer of mercy. It is a prayer looking for comfort. It is a prayer seeking grace. One doesn’t have to convince God. It’s not like a salesman trying to convince you or change your mind so you will buy his product. Come with confidence. Come knowing God wants to help. Come realizing that your greatest friend and your greatest help is in Heaven. God’s arms are open. He wants to help you. Come to Him. Call upon Him. Ask Him. Seek Him. Come with confidence. He doesn’t have Heaven’s radar gun pointed at you. He’s not waiting to throw the book at you. You are on His side and He is on your side.

 

Unlike Esther, we come with joy to our Father. Prayer is amazing. There is so much to thank the Lord for. There is so much to invite Him to.

 

Come. Come boldly. Come confidently.

 

Why not say a prayer right now…

 

Roger

 

27

Jump Start # 4022

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

Jump Start # 4022

 

Mark 5:3 “and he had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him any more, even with a chain.”

 

Our verse today is the opening introduction Luke gives to us of the demon possessed man. What a scary picture that is painted of this man. The Gospels tell us that he was naked, cutting himself with rocks and screaming day and night. He runs toward Jesus, loudly proclaiming who Jesus is and what He could do. The demons beg Jesus not to be cast into the abyss. They are taken from the man and put into pigs, which race toward the sea and drown. Two thousand dead pigs in the water. What a mess that would have been.

 

The demons were not sin. Demons were spirits. Sin is a choice that we make. This man would have never chosen to have demons dwelling in him. However, there is such a strong parallel between what sin does to us and what the demons did to this man.

 

First, sin makes us live where we wouldn’t live. For the possessed man it was among the tombs. No one would choose that. For us, sin makes us dwell in the filth of unclean hearts, minds and words. Sin leads us to living in guilt, misery and the consequences of terrible choices. Many live in constant fear, hoping their habits are not discovered. The joyous life that God wants us to embrace escapes those who dwell in sin.

 

Second, sin makes us do things we wouldn’t do. For the possessed man, the demons led him to disrobing and cutting himself with rocks. Bloody, dirty and disgraceful is how this man would appear to us. Sin doesn’t do any better. Sin has led some to tell lies to the people that they love the most and cherish. Sin has led some to steal from their own family. Sin has destroyed character and influence.

 

Third, sin makes us become what we wouldn’t become. Such is what the demons did to the possessed man. The people in town were afraid of him. They tried to chain him, like one would do to an aggressive dog. No father would wish his daughter to marry someone like that. Parents likely warned their children to stay far away from him.

 

And, what sin has done for us is destroy our reputation. Known as being a cheat. Understood to be a gossip. No one will believe you because you always tell lies. And, because of this, the best people, God’s people, won’t have much to do with you. The sin in your life has ruined you from serving as a teacher or leader of God’s people. Blameless is not a word that people would use to describe you. Rather, the charges and accusations are as long as your list of sins are.

 

Those painful terms are used of you: a drunk; a liar; a gossip; an adulterer; a thief. You would never choose those names for you, but this is where sin has taken you. Your life is a mess. You are running without a purpose or a direction.

 

And, for way to many, this is how their story will be told. It is not a good story. Sadly, this is how the story will end for some.  But, there is one more aspect of our man in Mark five that needs to be looked at. It is Jesus. Jesus changed this man. The demons were driven out. This man becomes decent, calm and clothed. He is no longer screaming. He has left the tombs. He stopped cutting himself.

 

And, the Lord can do the same for you. Your story doesn’t have to end in misery and pain. The Lord can forgive you, change you and lift you up. Faith in Christ will lead you to His amazing grace. Forgiveness awaits those who are willing to be immersed in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Those sinful tags that described you drop off because of a new and better life in Christ that you now seek. A blasphemer became an apostle. A liar can be a trusted disciple. A cheat can become an honest seeker of the Lord. An adulterer can be cleansed and pure in the Lord.

 

You can leave the dead and walk among the living. You can abandon the hopeless life for a life of purpose and joy. The Lord awaits. He’s looking for you, even now.

 

(could you share this with someone who might need help)

 

Roger