07

Jump Start # 4173

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

Jump Start # 4173

 

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

 

There has been a silent death in America that many never noticed. It is the passing of our sociability. According to an article by Derek Thompson, the percentage of people who have hosted friends and family in their home has fallen to 12%, a 70% decline in the past half-century. But at the same time, research is finding more people are home longer than ever before. People are home, but no one’s coming over. Multiple factors feed into these troubling stats, such as the impact from Covid, a digital culture that doesn’t interact with others face to face, and the choice to be alone rather than with others. Thompson writes: “In the last 30 years, Americans have seen double-digit declines in practically every measure of socializing. They are less likely to play cards; attend a sporting event; go to the bar; volunteer; or work on a community project. When it comes to hosting people at home, the declines are particularly stark.”

This ought to concern us. Hospitality is a major principle in our Bibles. It is one of the qualities of leaders in the church. Hospitality can be illustrated a number of ways, but most familiar is having someone in your home. The article interviewed people who once hosted dinner parties, but they have now given up. A lot of effort and expense when into providing a wonderful dinner experience only to have people fail to show up.

Here are some lessons for us:

First, we must teach a younger generation the value of hospitality. We do this by having people into our homes. We must be counter-culture. We must break the stats and the trends. One doesn’t have to go overboard, but there is some effort. Clean up the house. Sweep the floors, Buy and cook some food. But sitting around the table is one of the best ways to get to know each other. Casual conversations can be the bridge to deep friendships. You don’t have a lot of room? That’s ok. Use what you have. You can’t afford much food? That’s ok. Have others bring some. If one can’t host a family or two in an apartment, they likely won’t do it later on when they have a house.

And, when the guests leave, yes there is some clean up. Dishes to wash. Chairs to be put up. But, the upside benefit is worth it all. Have the family all help out and do what they can.

Second, we need to honor our word. Let your yes be yes is what the Lord said. Having gone through the weddings with our kids, I’ve seen the horror of this. Some will RSVP and never show up. Some won’t respond and do show up. And, when the father of the bride is paying for every plate, that can become very frustrating. Don’t be wishy washy. If someone invites you, give a definite answer and stick with it. This is just one aspect of integrity. Being a person of your word. A generation needs to learn this.

Third, the purpose of hospitality is to share with others and to get to know others. You don’t invite so that they will invite you in return. That’s a selfish goal. You invite even if no one ever invites you. I’ve been in zillions of homes this way as a guest preacher. I knew a situation where the woman didn’t come to services because she was so busy cooking. Don’t do that. Some of my greatest memories have come from sitting with people in their homes and getting to know one another.

What if I’m shy and I don’t know what to talk about? Invite two couples. One that you know well or one that is out going. The other couple you don’t know so well. Getting people together will just be a wonderful thing.

The times are changing and not always for the good. Let’s hold on to hospitality. Give it a chance. You’ll be amazed at the good that can be done.

Roger

06

Jump Start # 4172

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

Jump Start # 4172

Acts 20:27 “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”

  One of my granddaughters, Kaylee, is almost three. She’s a real pistol. Full of life and lots of fun. When she gets going she can speak so fast that sometimes she just blurts out words and not sentences. The other day she was in rare form. She came to me and said, “PJ,” that’s what they all call me, “snack.” I replied, “Do you want a snack?”  She said, “Yep.” I started some suggestions that were all shot down. “Watermelon?” “Nope.” “Grapes?” “Nope.” “How about some crackers?” “Nope.” Running out of ideas, I asked her, “What would Kaylee like?” Immediately, she said, “SUGAR.” To which I said, “Nope.”

In our verse today, Paul reminded the Ephesian elders that he had taught them the whole counsel or purpose of God. Paul preached in season and out of season. He taught them what they wanted to hear and what they didn’t want to hear.

But, so many these days, are like my sweet Kaylee. All they are interested in is a sugar-coated message that tastes great. And, when we complain about the other kind of sermons, we really put our preachers in a tough spot. They need us to honor the messages that are hard to preach. When talking about Heaven, we need to hear about Hell. When talking about grace, we need to hear about discipleship. When talking about love, we need to hear about judgment. Lessons only about mercy without talking about authority doesn’t present a clear picture.

Hear are some lessons from this:

First, to understand the complete will of God I need to hear lessons that may not be my favorite topics. When I visit the doctor and we talk about family and sports and laugh and have a great time, it’s amazing. But I know that I need to head down to the lab and get some blood drawn. We have to look at the numbers and that is the only way a complete look at how I’m doing will take place. I love preaching about Heaven. I love prodigal son sermons. But, I also have to talk about David’s adultery and Noah’s drunkenness.

Second, just as a parent knows what is best for the children to eat, the topics of classes and sermons need to come from shepherds and preachers. Left to the wishes of the audience, it would all be SUGAR. Some of the greatest lessons come from the storms in life. All sunshine makes a desert. So, when classes are offered and they may not be my favorite things to study, I must realize that there are those looking after my soul who feel that this is part of the balanced diet that I need.

Third, keeping a list of classes and sermons can show areas that have not been addressed in a while. I’ve been with some congregations and when asked, “When was the last time you went through the book of Revelation?” The answer shockingly is “decades ago.” Balance in preaching and balance in classes. Not all textual nor all topical. Not all O.T. and not all N.T. And, as the demographics of a church changes through the years, the sermons and classes ought to adjust to those changes. Developing a regular schedule of classes helps to see that a person is getting a well rounded spiritual development.

The whole counsel – Paul was able to do that. Are we?

Roger

05

Jump Start # 4171

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

Jump Start # 4171

Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

  This past Saturday it was off to the concert once again for us. Heard a Beethoven piece and a Stravinsky piece that was really loud and very odd in my book. What was special about this concert was that we were not in Louisville. We’ve been going to classical concerts for more than a decade in Louisville. Now we have moved. It was the Indianapolis Orchestra that we watched. A different venue. Musicians that we do not know. Some had instruments that we had never seen before. Parking was different for us.

And, all of this presents a powerful lesson about different cultures or norms. We first experience this in marriage. Like two rivers blending together, each person brings in ideas and what was normal for them. Take for instance the opening of Christmas presents. In some families, all the presents are opened at once. The wrapping paper flies through the air and it’s like hogs going to the feeding trough. In other families, one present is opened at a time and everyone watches that person open it. Different ways of doing things. Different cultures. Is one better than the other? The way we were raised always seemed the best to us.

The same happens when a person switches congregations. They move to a new city. Different people. Different order of worship. Different schedule. I’ve experienced that in leaving Charlestown Road after eighteen years. I was very comfortable with the way things were done. I’m now a part of a congregation that does things differently. Not, unbiblical nor wrong, just different time of day when Bible classes are offered. Different way of doing Lord’s Supper.

Here are some lessons I learned:

First, give the new way a solid chance. The auditorium that the Indianapolis Orchestra played in is much fancier and nicer than where the Louisville Orchestra played. Parking was more expensive in Indy and we had to walk a bit. If we go into a new culture with our minds made up that we don’t like it, there is a good chance that we won’t like it. Church buildings are different. Preachers have different styles. Elderships operate differently. Give the new place a chance.

Second, don’t make the mistake of trying to turn the new place into the place you just left. That most often fails. People, situations and resources are different. If a congregation has Sunday Bible classes in the evening rather than the morning, learn to adjust, live with it, or find a place that is more to your liking. But, do not go in with an agenda to turn things upside down and change them. If you keep talking about the church you just left and how they did things you might find people wishing you’d go back there. What works in one place doesn’t always work in another place.

Third, as long as a congregation is following the Lord’s way, I must learn to be subject and bend my will for the sake of the group. Expecting everyone to cater to my likes and my wants sure sounds pretty selfish. And, if everyone acted that way, the congregation would splinter into a dozen pieces, as some have. Be a team player. You may share ideas that the new group hasn’t thought of, but don’t get upset if they pass on your idea.

Being flexible, patient and willing to find your place in the kingdom is what you do. My first Sunday at my new congregation, I was asked to be part of a weekly podcast, teach half of next year and put on the schedule to do other things.

Moving through different cultures and norms is really a part of life. We experienced that when we moved from grade school to middle school to high school to college. Each of those were different. We experience this when our children marry and new faces become a part of the family.

It is good to visit other places. Learn ideas. See how they do things. Share those ideas with others.

If I were asked which is better, Louisville Orchestra or Indianapolis, my answer would be both. They are different. They play amazingly. And, I can enjoy them without feeling that one has to change and be like the other.

A lot of headaches in a congregation could be prevented if we understood this Biblically and spiritually.

Roger

02

Jump Start # 4170

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

Jump Start # 4170

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”

 Contentment and satisfaction live side by side on the same street. Someone who is not satisfied is not content and one who is not content is not satisfied. Contentment is a state of the mind. It’s a choice one makes.

We have moved into a new city and a new home after more than a decade in our house in Southern Indiana. My wife has asked me several times if I like the new place. It’s different than the last place. The yard is real small. The area is busy with traffic and stores. The church is different. I no longer have an office at the church building. It’s a new chapter in our lives. And, like any book, if the next chapter is the same as the last chapter, then one of them didn’t have to be written. I do like the new place. It feels like home.

When we look at contentment in the Scriptures most times it surrounds wages, circumstances and external things. There is a greater contentment that is not talked about very much. It is being content with God. Satisfied with God. I’ve poured a lot of thought into this lately. I believe much of the unrest that some congregations are experiencing these days comes from those who are not content with God. They are not satisfied with the way God has said things. They want improvements. They want changes. They have a progressive spirit and feel that certain things ought to evolve and keep up with culture. And, the bottom line is a faith issue. It’s being satisfied with God and content with God.

Here are some thoughts:

First, contentment with God begins with the understanding that God has always given the best and cannot be improved upon. Run through a list in Bible history. Could Adam have made a better place to live than the Garden of Eden? Could Noah have built a better boat than the ark? Could Moses have designed a better Tabernacle than what God did? Could we find a better Savior than Jesus? Could we develop a better message than the Gospel? Could we have built a better arrangement than the church to grow, fellowship and honor the Lord?

This is the starting point. If we can’t agree to this, then Isaiah’s words that “God’s way is higher than our way,” really means nothing. So the issue with instrumental music in worship, can be fought on the grounds of what certain words mean, the history of music, the difference between the O.T. and the N.T., the intention of everyone praising God, or simply, being content with God.

Social aspects and educational things that many want to attach to the church can be argued on the purpose of the church, what’s found in the Scriptures or simply being content with God.

 

Second, contentment with God leads to the understanding that we cannot do “God” better than God can. We can’t judge better than God. We can’t save better than God. We can’t be as compassionate as God. Let God be God. He never abandons His throne so we can sit there. He doesn’t give us the position to run the universe. Our ideas about how things ought to be usually fail because God has already revealed what is good and right.

Third, contentment with God takes a lot of pressure off of us. We don’t have to create new things. We don’t have to develop new ways. God’s way works. God’s way of marriage works. God’s way of parenting works. God’s way of evangelism works. God’s way of leadership works. Our obligation is to learn, believe and be content with what God has given to us. The Lord hasn’t hidden His ways from us. We do not play ‘hide ‘n seek’ with God. Seek and you will find, is the message of the Lord. Head home and you’ll find the Lord running towards you with open arms.

This means the way we do things, the way we worship, the message we preach is going to be the same as the last generation. And, it will be the same as it was in the 1800’s. And, it will be the same as it was originally. The church in Thessalonica was praised because it imitated the churches in Judea. It was not boldly going where no man has gone before. It wasn’t breaking new ground. It happily and contently, followed what others had been doing.

Some today tire of the old ways. They label it traditionalism or legalism. They want to look forward and not backward. They want new, different and original. What they lack is a heart that is content with God.

Satisfied with God – are you there? And, to be satisfied with God means to be satisfied with His word, His way, and His purpose. Are you there?

Roge

01

Jump Start # 4169

Posted on October 1, 2026 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 4169

Ecclesiastes 3:7 “A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; a time to be silent and a time to speak.”

 

Throwback Thursday: an article written from the past

 

Final Words 

 

The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there. As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man did not stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid had already been put in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them long, but this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out my heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say “Amen,” “Praise the Lord,” and “Glory Be.” I preached and I preached, like I’d never preached before: from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

I closed the service with a prayer and walked back to my car. I felt I had done my duty for the homeless man and that the crew would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my tardiness.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, “I ain’t never seen anything like this before . . . and I’ve been putting’ in these septic tanks for over twenty years.”

 

Roger

February, 2006