A Ripley Story



It’s been a while since I posted anything on my blog. I’ve been very busy with family, work, college course work, and of course my ministry with Common Ground but I had to share what happened last night.

After dinner, Teresa and I were talking about the week’s schedule (another crazy busy week for the Thomasson clan). We decided I would go ahead and cut the grass last night. After I cut the front yard, I opened our gate to cut the back yard and saw Teresa and Ripley. Teresa took Ripley out with her to clear the yard of stuff. We have a patch of bare ground where I dug up a tree root last fall (it’s the future home of Ripley’s turtle sandbox) and I saw Teresa had allowed Ripley to play in the dirt. Its fine with me; Ripley loves the out doors like her father and grandfather. When Ripley saw me, she had this huge smile on her face. She walked toward me and I walked away from the lawnmower for a hug; I love me Ripley hugs. As I got closer, I saw Ripley had dirt all over her face; it was adorable. I got my min-bear hug from my little girl. After the yard was done, Teresa gave me a cup of water and I took a shower. The plan was for me to take my shower, and then Teresa would shower with Ripley.

After my shower, I came downstairs and Riley was sitting at the dining room table; in her mommy’s chair. She was trying to open the box that has her ABC flash cards. She had torn the box trying to open it. Teresa was finishing up the dishes so I pulled out a chair and sat beside her. I took out the flash cards and started to show her the cards and Ripley told me what each letter was. You see, after our dinner time, we show Ripley her flash cards and she tells us the letters. They are not in order; she knows is ABC’s. She enjoys this so much that she wanted to do it on her own. Ripley loves learning. It amazes me and I am so thankful God is allowing Teresa the time to stay with Ripley during the day so she can teach her. Ripley is 2 ½ and she knows her ABC’s and can count up to 20. We’re working on colors and shapes.

I’m not saying Ripley is a genius, but I am so thankful she loves to learn. I pray that she continues to grow in mind and body. I pray that she will ask Jesus to save her at an early age so she can serve Him all her days. Teresa and I tell her, “Daddy loves you; Mommy loves you; and most importantly, never forget, God loves you.” We say this to her all the time.

Leading and Discipling God’s People

The name that goes hand-in-hand with pastor is under shepherd so the ideal of leading God’s people should be seen through the lenses of caring for and tending to the needs of God’s people. The ultimate example in all things regarding the church is our Head; the person Jesus Christ. Jesus lead by example and with a servant’s heart; doing even the lowest of servants’ jobs by washing the disciples’ feet. Based on Ephesians 4:11-13 (. . . and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.), the pastor’s main role is to equip the Christian to be able to feed themselves the Word of God and be able to reproduce themselves spiritually. This is where discipleship comes into the picture.

The ideal of discipleship is must deeper than most churches portray it. Discipleship is much more than sitting in a Sunday morning classroom and reading a lesson out of a booklet. It’s much more than reading the Bible daily. Discipleship is having a spiritually mature person walk along side of a new Christian and aiding them in their growth. The mature saint is there to help with questions and build a relationship with the new convert. The mature saint will hold the new convert accountable (through love) with the main purpose of them growing in the new walk with Christ. As a person grows in their relationship with Christ, the old (fresh) man weakens and the new (spirit) man grows stronger. Christianity is a relationship with God through the shed blood of Christ so as a new convert grows in their relationship, they will want to do what God wants them to do. The Bible talks about praying, fasting, serving, and the like so the new convert will get to the point where they will want to do these things because they are in love with their Creator and their King. I think where the church has got it wrong is after conversion a person might get a 4 to 6 week class on the basics and let loose; that’s not discipleship. Discipleship is walking beside a new convert as long as it takes for them to grow to maturity. The period will vary and really who matures completely this side of heaven. The idea is for that new convert to one day be the mature Christian walking beside another new convert aiding them in their new found faith.

A Healthy Prayer Life

I was in the middle of answering questions about Pastor Ministry Duties for a course I’m taking for Liberty University and the question about having a healthy prayer life came up. Below is my answer for me and how I see keeping my prayer life healthy. I see this as a personal issue because every Christian prays differently. The key point is to have a consistent one.

“A healthy prayer life looks different for each person. I feel that a healthy prayer life for me consists of praying regularly. The Bible says to pray without stopping. I’ve learned over the years that prayer is just talking with God; knowing that it is because of the shed blood of Christ, I can talk with Him anytime I like and/or need. I think a healthy prayer should have four parts to it; Praise, Confession, Intercession, and Thanksgiving. Starting a prayer with giving praise to the God of the university Who came to earth and took my sin on Himself and making a way for me to be reconnected with Him is a no brainer. After spending time praising God causes me to see sins that I have not confessed to Him; so I do that. Once, I’ve confessed and received forgiveness, I ask God for blesses and needs for others first and then for myself last. I pray for my wife and daughter and then for my family; from my family I pray for my church family and friends and then for special needs I know of; lastly, I pray for my needs. After asking God to intercede for others, I can’t help but thank Him for His greatness and His might. For me, having a healthy prayer life means being transparent to my God and speak from my heart because He already knows my thoughts.”

In case you are wondering how often I pray? I pray throughout the day. I start on my way to work. I pray for most of the driving time (about 20 minutes) and once I get to work, I stop. Throughout the day, I’ll pray as God brings needs to my mind. We serve an awesome God; why shouldn’t we want to talk with Him?

Never The Same

There are events in a person’s life that will change them forever; the person will never be the same as they were before the event. The event could be as big as the birth of a child; the death of a loved one; or even as simple as graduating from high school or a college. These events leave an impression on a person. The person they were before the event will change somewhat who they are or how they view life. I remember when Teresa was giving birth to Ripley; I was encouraging her to breath and I heard the doctor say, “Here she comes.” I looked down in time to see Ripley come out and I thought, “Wow, I’m really a Daddy.” I knew I was going to be and had prepared for it but to see the birth of Ripley changed everything for me. My life has never been the same since; in a good way.

Encounters can do the same to people. If you encounter a thief in your house or on the street, it changes you. If you encounter true evil (i.e. being rapped, seeing a murder, killing someone else, etc.) it changes you. Just as encountering evil will change you, encountering true love will leave a mark as well.

Reading the gospels, we see how when people encountered Jesus they never left being the same as they were before they encountered Him. We have many examples of this in the 4 gospels and in Acts; the 12 disciples, Paul, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, Pilate, the Jewish leaders, the Roman centurion, . . . These people were never the same after they encountered Jesus. Some accepted Him as God in the flesh and some did not, but all were forever changed.

When a person encounters Jesus and accepts what He did for them on the cross; taking their sins on Himself and freeing them from the bondage of sin, they are never ever the same. Jesus will take someone who is dirty and loathsome in sin, and make them clean and loved. Whatever label people have on them - drug addict, alcoholic, dumb, slut, bastard - encountering Jesus changes them and a new label is given - loved, holy, righteous, royalty – and they will never be the same again.

Ego Trip


I’m reading through the book of Esther and I can’t help but see the underlining cautionary tale of pride. I know through my Old Testament survey course that the book was almost left out of the cannon because it never mentions God and that the main purpose of the book is to show how God is faithful in preserving His people, but it shows how pride affects people. Pay attention to Haman when reading Esther. Haman is made the right-hand man to the king by the king himself. He is over everyone in the vast Persian Empire. We are shown how he reacts when one man (Mordecai; uncle to Esther and a Jew) does not show him the respect he feels he is owed. His pride is so badly bruised, he schemes to destroy an entire race of people; the Jewish people. His plan fails and at the end, Haman is hung on the gallows he built to use on Mordecai.

I see the underlining story as an affirmation of what the Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:18 (Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.). Haman was so prideful that because of one slight, he wanted to end an entire people group. That’s extreme, but can we say we are any different? We all have some level of pride that we must give over to God especially those of us who are in the forefront of a ministry. We can lose sight of what our function is. The function of any Christian (pastor, deacon, Sunday school teacher, etc.) is to direct people to God through His Son Jesus Christ. We start to think that we are doing this or we are doing that but in reality we aren’t doing anything; God is the One who is doing it.

Part of me picking up my cross daily and dying is giving my pride over to God. Haman is an extreme example of what pride can lead to so be mindful of it. Pride caused Satan to fall; it lead Adam and Eve to sin; and it can destroy you. Take a moment and read through what I call the “Pride Test.” I found this somewhere a number of years ago. If you can yes to anyone of these items, ask God to help you die to pride.

Pride comes as we. . .
• Think about ourselves
• Talk about ourselves
• Use the personal pronoun “I” as often as possible in our conversations
• Mirror ourselves continually in the opinion of others
• As we listen greedily to what people say about us
• Insist on consideration and respect
• Demand agreement with our own views on everything
• Sulk if people are not grateful to us for favors show them
• When we never forget a service rendered
It comes when we. . .
• Expect to be appreciated
• When we are suspicious of others
• Are sensitive to slights
• Are overcome with jealousy and envy
• Never forget a criticism
• Trust nobody but ourselves

You Never Know

Over the weekend, my family and I were in Missouri. We flew back on Monday and our plane left Kansas City’s airport an hour late so we missed our connection by only minutes. It didn’t look good for all of us to make the finally flight out. Teresa and Ripley had seats but I was on stand-by. As I sat waiting for someone to take the option to sit off I was praying but in the back of my head I was thinking the devil was attacking because God did do some great stuff in our Missouri trip. As I prayed, I trusted God to have His way in this. As the last people were boarding, I stood with Teresa and Ripley waiting. The US Airway gate personnel were great; they were rooting that someone would miss the plane so we could all go together. The ladies literally counted down to the when they could give the last two seats to me and a young man and as soon as the time it 7:50pm, they told us to go and shut the door behind us. Teresa and I were rejoicing in the Lord and little did I know so was the young man.

Teresa and Ripley sat a row ahead of me and I sat with the young man. We started talking and I found out that Nathan (the young man) was on his way to interview for a summer internship with an engineering company. He is a junior at Purdue University but wanted to use his engineering degree to be a missionary. As we spoke, I learned that he was saved in middle school and is a member of a church (a Baptist Church) that focuses on reaching out to the international students of Purdue. He’s a shape young man. Please keep him in your prayers.

As I was encouraging Nathan in his calling to missions, Teresa was ministering to a young lady who was traveling alone with a 23 month old boy. He was cute but a hand full. Ripley was being so good so Teresa could help the lady. The young lady was so thankful.

What I thought was a satanic attack ended up being a ministry opportunity that Teresa and I would not have had if not for the delay. I young missionary to be was encouraged in the Lord and a young mother was helped by a stranger. You never know when or how God will use you. We are told to always be ready to give our testimony to others and what better way to share our testimony about Christ by living it out. You never know.

No Need To Fear Because God Is Here

My family and I are praying about a possible new adventure. We are slowly walking through the discussions and as we do, we are praying and seeking God’s direction and guidance. I have a group of people that I talk with for wise council. I know I can count on their wisdom and their prayers. One such person sent me a lengthy e-mail full of wise words and encouragement. One section made me smile; he writes:

“The only reason I take the time to type such a long e-mail and share these details with you is because I have had to apply these points to my personal life -- and each time I needed to make an important decision, and I was trying to listen to God, it was very frightening! . . . I wanted you to know that if you are scared, that you are not alone. God provides many examples of faithful people who listened to Him and followed Him - no matter what the cost.”

Before I received this e-mail, I had been praying through the fear of the uncertainty of this possible new adventure for my family and me. As I pray through the fear, I have Bible passages come to mind to encourage me and strengthen me. Passages like:

“. . . I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20b

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” – 1 Corinthians 1:27

These scripture passages encourage me as I seek the face of God. I know that what is uncertain to me is known to Him; what is unknown to me has already been accomplished by Him. Having just finished reading through the book of Acts and seeing men who were simple and uneducated do what was asked of them and changed the world showed me that this simple man can do whatever God is directing me to do because He will be the One doing it and I’m only a work glove He has chosen to use. Since God indwells me, I am never ever alone. There is no need to fear the uncertainty of the road ahead because God has already traveled this road and knows the way. There is no need to fear because He indwells me and since He is in me, I am never alone; and since I am never alone, why should I fear?

Thank you Holy Spirit for encouraging me and guiding me as I seek God the Father’s prefect will for my family and me. No matter the outcome; I pray the result will bring you honor and glory. That is my main purpose in this life.

We Are A Mosaic Masterpiece

On Sunday, we had a ministry luncheon and meeting. The main reason for the meeting was so the new lead pastor could share his thoughts of the merging of our two churches (Common Ground Community Church and Soul Central Church) and for me to explain the structure of the ministries of our new body. After we spoke, I had the ministry groups break out into their teams so they could get to know one another and for the minister coordinators to share their thoughts. I stood watching two churches becoming one body and one word popped in my head; Mosaic. Common Ground was mainly white with some African-American, Latin, and Asian people. Soul Central Church was all African-American with the desire to reach all of Portsmouth with no regard of race. God put us together and we are going forward hand-in-hand to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

The mosaic thought, I know, is because we are taking different people – not only by skin color, but background, education, etc. - and creating a family. By definition, mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials (From Wikipedia). An artist will take broken colored items and arrange them in a way to create a picture.

You see, all humans are broken image bearers of God. When God created Adam, he was the image bearer of God. When Adam sinned, that image became broken due to sin. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the sin-debt for man so we can be rejoined with God. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God takes the brokenness we are and puts the pieces back together so we become true image bearers of Him.

Our local church was brought together by the will of God for His purpose. The Holy Spirit brought us together. We have all the races under one roof and God has placed the right pieces in the right places to form this beautiful picture of what heaven will be like; all people groups worshiping and praising God side-by-side. When an artist takes the different tinted pieces and creates a picture, he uses a bonding agent so the pieces will stick together. The multiple pieces become one piece when the bonding agent is dry. The church’s bonding agent is love; the love that God has for His people, the love we have for Him, and the love we have for one another.

God’s people are His mosaic masterpiece.

Sharing Your Passions

I’m ate up with my daughter Ripley. When I heard she was coming, I told everyone I met that she was on her way. When she got her, I showed pictures and video of her doing anything and everything. If anyone asks me about her, I go on and on and on and on about her and her achievements; she is in the 98 percentile for her height (36 inches); her vocabulary is increasing daily; she dances at any and all music (be it music on the T.V. or radio, commercials, etc.); she is singing now; the list can go on. I love sharing stories about Ripley. I tell family members, friends, neighbors, and even strangers about how great and wonderful Ripley is to me. I love bragging on my little girl.

People do that; they love to brag on what they are passionate about. People will talk nonstop about people or things they love. Be they children, a spouse, a car, a sports team, etc. People share their passion with other people. Sometimes you can’t get them to shut up about them. As Christ-followers, we should be the same way talking about Jesus Christ. We should brag on how great our God truly is.

How can we not be talking about Him? How can we not be passionate about what He’s done for us? Jesus left His heavenly home to be born a human. He went from having all the power of God to limiting Himself of that power (yes, he had power on Earth but He chose to limit Himself of His true power) in His human form. He was tortured and hung on a tree. He was punished for sins he never committed (we committed them). He suffered. He died. He did all that so that you and I can be rejoined with God the Father. Jesus paid the sin debt in our place; we could not and can not pay the price for our sin. The payment for sin is death. Jesus paid it for us. And not only did Jesus die for us, He conquered death for us; He took the sting of death and the keys of hell away so we never need fear either of them. Because of His resurrection from the grave, we have power in Him and through Him. We have power in Jesus Christ to overcome sin, hate, bitterness, etc. and be able to love others.

For what Jesus Christ did for us, how can we not shout from the rooftops the greatness of our Savior and our God? It’s simple, start by sharing with someone; anyone what Jesus did for you. Share who you were before Christ saved you; I call that life B.C. Then share how Jesus changed you through His power and through His grace; I call that life A.D. When you testify about what Jesus did for you; you are only sharing the facts. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. Our passion for Jesus Christ should blow away our passion for our children, achievements, cars, homes, and anything else we talk to others about.

Let’s start sharing Jesus Christ to the world this Christmas season and beyond. The army of the Most High God says; CHARGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

True Meaning of Christmas

When most people think of Christmas, different things come to mind; gifts, Santa Claus, Trees, the Nativity, and/or Jesus Christ as a baby. As Christians, we have always been told that Luke 2 is the first Christmas; however, this did not take place in December. Most likely, this took place in late summer to early fall (August to early October). We know this is because in Luke 2 the shepherds were keeping watch over the sheep at night. Shepherds would only do this when the weather was warm enough and December the weather is too cold to do this.

If Christ was born in the late summer to early fall, why do we celebrate His birth in December? Most of the customs and traditions of Christmas actually pre-date the birth of Jesus, and many of them are downright deceptive in their meaning and origin. Here are a few examples:

The date of December 25th probably originated with the ancient "birthday" of the son-god, Mithra, a pagan deity whose religious influence became widespread in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries A.D. Mithra was related to the Semitic sun-god, Shamash, and his worship spread throughout Asia to Europe where he was called Deus Sol Invictus Mithras. Rome was well-known for absorbing the pagan religions and rituals of its widespread empire. As such, Rome converted this pagan legacy to a celebration of the god, Saturn, and the rebirth of the sun god during the winter solstice period. The winter holiday became known as Saturnalia and began the week prior to December 25th. The festival was characterized by gift-giving, feasting, singing and downright debauchery, as the priests of Saturn carried wreaths of evergreen tree branches in procession throughout the Roman temples. Variations of this pagan holiday flourished throughout the first few centuries after Jesus Christ, but it probably wasn't until 336 AD that Emperor Constantine officially converted this pagan tradition into the "Christian" holiday of Christmas.

The true origin of Christmas is filled with controversy and compromise. A quick study will reveal a number of disturbing roots that we haven't the time to talk about today. In short, the Christmas holiday we celebrate today is indicative of Christianity's willingness to absorb the world's customs and traditions, and forget its simple roots in the historical reality of Jesus Christ. Christmas should be nothing more than a simple, yet wonderful reminder of Christ's humble beginning as a human child in this world. His birth merely set the stage for the power, glory, and salvation that would be revealed in His life, death, and resurrection!

For me, Christmas is more about the spirit of what it represents; that God came down to our level and lived with us. I have a saying, “Jesus didn’t come to Earth for Christmas; Jesus came for Easter.” In other words, Jesus didn’t come to be born but to die for our sins.

Staying in Time With God’s Rhythm

Man’s concept of time is so different than that of God’s; we are finite and He is infinite after-all. Reading about how God laid his plan out to bring about salvation blows my small brain. God took 400 years to create a nation out of one man with 12 sons (think about it; the United States is only 235 years); for me 400 years is a long time but not to God. When Jacob (Israel) and his family went to live in Egypt, there were about 70 people in total and when God brought them out 400 years later there were over 2 million people (some scholars think the number could be bigger; closer to 6 million). The idea how God takes His time to do his work leaves me awestruck.

When God gives us a task to do for Him, we think we will do it now. Most of the time, we are no where ready to do the work He calls us to do. When Samuel anointed David with oil to be king of Israel, David was only 14 to 16 years old. He had no leadership experience, no training in war, or no political training; nothing. God had called David to do a job and when God calls us He equips us. David learned reliance on God by tending to sheep alone in the country side. God opened the door for David to be noticed by the then king Saul who made him his personal musician. From there, David was trained in the art of war, becoming a general with his own troops, and being developed into a leader by experience. God took 15 years to make David king of a portion of Israel and then made him king of all Israel. When it was all said and done, it was 20 years or so before David became king but he was called to the job before he was “qualified” for it. When God calls you to do something; all the qualifications needed are met in Him.

David served God as king of Israel for a good long time. Some people are called to a task by God and do it for a long time and some for a shorter amount of time. In either case, they are doing the task they were called to do for God. We all have a purpose in our lives as God’s people. Paul is quoted in Acts 13: 36, “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep [or died] . . .” After God is done with us, our task is completed.

Remember what I wrote in the last post about Ephesians 2:10? The task or job God calls us to do for Him; He has already completed it. Our job isn’t to produce anything; it’s to follow God and march to His drumbeat. God is the One who produces fruit from the ministry He has called us to do. We just need to stay in time with the rhythm He has set.

Giving God the Honor and Focus and Not Man

According to scripture, as a believer in Jesus Christ and a child of the living God my sole purpose in life to give praise and honor to Him. Man should never get the same honor that is reserved for God and man should never be the sole focus of any believer.

I’ve been raised in a Christian home and have been attending a Baptist church since I was in diapers; I even attended a Baptist college. I know some but little of the Catholic church. One thing I do know is that they hold Peter as their first Pope. I’ve always thought this strange since Peter is known to have been married (Jesus healed his mother-in-law) and no Catholic priest (the Pope being the highest priest) are not allowed to marry. I also know (through reading books and watching movies/TV shows) that when someone has an audience with the Pope or other Catholic officials the custom is to kneel and kiss their office ring. This practice goes against what Peter tells Cornelius in Acts 10 (When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”). As a non-Catholic, I find the practice of kneeling before any man and kissing his office ring offensive; especially in light of Acts 10 and the teachings of Jesus Christ where He teaches no one should hold themselves higher in office (or attitude) to others. No one should think of themselves better other any other person. The sad thing is that the Catholic church doesn’t have a monopoly of this type of practice.

We have churches in the Baptist convention that treat their pastors as if they were their Pope. The man can do no wrong and some of these men start believing it. I think it’s great when I see men staying longer than 2 years (that the average tenure of a pastor in the U.S.) at a church, but it seems the longer a man pastor’s a church the likelihood that they could (I say again; could) loss their focus. The focus or job of any pastor of a church is to equip the members of that church to grow in their relationship with God by reading their Bibles and having a healthy prayer life. The Christian should be looking to God for answers by reading their Bibles. Going to a pastor is good for help but a pastor is not the end all and be all. God is the end all and be all.

As a pastor of God’s people, I see myself as someone who should stay out of the way so God can do His work. Jesus Christ is the head of the church; He is the Great Shepherd of His flock. I am merely an under-shepherd; a steward. The focus should never be on me; the focus should always on God and what He wants for His people. I should never aspire to be honored; I should aspire to bring honor to my Savior and my Father. I pray I never loss that focus.

In The Shadow of the Cross

Ripley loves playing with her shadow. I’ve noticed over the last six months or so that when I’m changing her diaper, she is lifting her arms up and looking at the wall where she sees her shadow. She laughs and waves her arms around. This past Sunday, I was walking behind her trying to get her to walk through the garage without stopping to touch everything and she kept looking at the floor. I was right behind her so instead of her seeing her shadow; she saw mine. Since my shadow is bigger; her shadow was lost in the middle of mine. I wondered then and still do if she thought “Wow, my shadow is huge!”

I’m reading through the book of Acts and am seeing the same men who less than a year before who ran for their lives standing with boldness and proclaiming Jesus Christ. It is awe inspiring when I read the accounts. The apostles don’t inspire me; it’s what God did through them that inspires me. What inspires me when I read is what God can do through people who are 100% committed to Him. The apostles did nothing on their own; they were only tools that God used to further His Kingdom. We, as God filled believers, must understand that whatever we accomplish for God on this green ball we call Earth is not us doing it; it’s God Himself who is doing it and we are the tools He has chosen to use.

When I teach and/or preach, I always ask God to have the group see and hear Him and not me. I stand before people in the shadow of the cross. The shadow I see before me is not my shadow but the shadow of the cross. When properly aligned, my shadow (me as a person) is lost in the shadow of the cross so when people see me; they are seeing the cross. That is my desire when I teach and/or preach and that is my desire when I walk through this life. My desire is to be lost in the shadow of the cross so I will never forget who is at work. It’s not my church; it’s not my ministry; it’s not my flock; it’s all God’s. He is the One who develop the plan to redeem me; He is the One who paid the sin debt on the cross by shredding His blood; He is the One who drew me to Himself and is leading me and indwelling me. It’s not me; it’s Him who accomplishes anything of worth in my life.

Ephesians 2:10 breathed new life in my ideal on what I’m doing for Christ. This passage encouraged me 6 or so years ago to walk without fear of failing. Because when I am walking with God and marching to the beat of His drum, I’m right where he wants me. I’ll close with the verse and I pray it encourages you;

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Giving Thanks


Today is “Black Friday” and I’m sitting at my desk thinking about yesterday and what it means to me and how most of the history regarding Thanksgiving’s Day is all about has been rewritten. With Ripley’s birthday falling on Wednesday (Thanksgiving’s Day Eve) this year, I was very mindful how blessed Teresa and I are with a great child. I’ve written at length what a miracle baby she is; being born with malrotation and needing surgery at 10 days old. She is a walking miracle with only a faint line showing where the doctor opened her open (almost two years ago) to do his thing to make her insides right. God has my thanks for that and so much more. As a Christ-follower, I give thanks to God on a daily basis.

Thanksgiving’s Day is so much more than just turkey with the “fixings” (in fact, we had Cornish Game Hens yesterday instead) and spending time with family. It’s more than eating to much and watching footfall. It’s more than a “holiday” before the Christmas season. It’s about God’s people taking time to give thanks to Him for preserving their lives and blessing their colony in Massachusetts.

The day that we celebrate “Thanksgiving’s Day” was when the Pilgrims were giving thanks to God and not the Indians for preserving their lives from the harshness of the past winters and the fruitful harvest they had. It is true that the first winter the colony at Plymouth Rock, Mass, that half the colonists died. The following spring, the Indians did indeed show them how to grow food and hunt for beaver. The Pilgrim saw all this as God providing for His people. Their colony was based on what they read in the Old Testament and New Testament As God bless their endeavors, the Indians started to trade with them and since the trading was so successful, the Pilgrims were about to pay the companies that sponsored their colony back very quickly. The Pilgrims invited the Indian tribe to be part of the feast to show their appreciation for their assistance but at the same time showing them that God used the Indians to preserve them. The first Thanksgiving’s Day feast was a celebration and a witnessing tool; giving thanks to God and showing the Indians that there is a God and he loves His people.

Thanksgiving’s Day should be everyday for God’s people. I am thankful to God for:

Him dying on the cross in my place and drawing me to Himself and saving me at an early age.
Giving Teresa to me to be my wife and helpmate.
Giving Ripley to me to be her father and being able to watch her develop into a really neat little person.
Being raised in a Christian family (with both a Dad and Mom).
Giving me a purpose in my life and developing me into the man He will use to further His Kingdom.
Giving me a well paying job where He has used to supply a house, cars, food, and list can go on and on and on.

Once we start to mediate or think about how truly blessed we are, one day is not enough to offer thanks to our Heavenly Father. What are you thankful for? Tell God thank you.

A Pastor’s Mandate

You never know what will make a thought pop in my head. This post started yesterday (Monday, 11/21) at the dentist’s office. Teresa and I wanted Ripley to see what going to the dentist is all about so she sat on my lap as Teresa had her cleaning done. The dental assistant was in awe that Ripley drinks either milk or water during the day and no pure juice (only half water; half juice and only when she needs help with pooping; sorry if this offenses anyone). The assistant was further surprised when we told her that Ripley only ate a bite or two of her birthday cake wanting a piece of celery instead. Ripley is used to eating fruit and vegetables. I know if I come in the living room eating an apple, Ripley will want some. That’s all she has even known; eating healthy. That’s our job as her parents; making sure she knows eating the right foods will make her feel better and teaching her to feed herself will equip her to live a healthy and productive life.

When it comes to the church; there are too many anemic Christians. Those who want to be spoon fed on Sundays and thinking they are healthy/productive followers of Christ. When a pastor spoon feeds his people milk each week and never equips them to feed on streak there is an issue. Milk is great for babies and is good when added to a balance diet but for adults only drinking milk there is a lack of getting needed vitamins in their bodies. It’s partly on the pastors to get the church members to desire streak and it’s the pastor’s job to equip them to be able to feed themselves. To help me stay focused on the true role of a pastor, I’ve come up with a pastor’s mandate.

The mandate is based on two Bible passages; Ephesians 4:11-12 (And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;) and 2 Timothy 3:16 (All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.). As a pastor, I see part of my job is to teach the church member to be able to grow in their walk with Christ by giving them the tools to read and understand the Bible. I’m to teach them to be able to read the Bible and apply it in their daily lives. The old adage will fit here; give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; but if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime.

When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, he/she will be able to stand on the assurance of what is in the scripture when the storms come (Jesus said when storms come; not if they come). When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, when books like “The De Vinci Code” is published they know it’s only a work of fiction and not based on anything other than a philosophy and that a 6 week sermon series is not needed. When a Christian is rooted in the Word of God, he/she will have a better understanding where they fit in this thing we called life and what their true purpose is and how they can fulfill that purpose.

I know that not all church members want to read the Bible or want to make it part of their lives. That is the difference between a Christian and a disciple (or learner) of Christ. The word Christian means to be “Like Christ.” I like the term Christ- Follower instead of Christian. When a person is a Christ-Follower, they want to be “Like Christ” in every way. As a pastor, I want to lead like Christ led His Disciples so I read the gospels to see how He led and how He lived His life on Earth and by God’s grace I try to do the same. I fail more than I success, but I’m trying.

If a church member has no desire to grow in their walk with Christ; they could be just that, a church member. Being a church member doesn’t mean you are a Christian or a Christ-Follower. It just means you name is on the role books of a local church. A Christ-Follower’s name is in a church’s role books and in the Book of Life.

It’s been 2 years Already


It’s hard to believe that on Wednesday, 11/23, little Ripley Anne Thomasson (AKA Sunshine) will be 2 years old. The time has flown by. Everyone with children has told us that. What a rollercoaster of enjoy it has been.

I remember the evening before we knew for sure. We were shipping at Wal-Mart and Teresa picked up a testing kit and I looked at her with puzzlement. She told me that she had felt weird for a few days and wanted to see if it was true or not. We’ve stopped preventing pregnancy 4 or 5 years before. We both settled to the fact that we might not be blessed with a child and now there was a chance. I was excited. The following day, I saw the test on the bed with a plus; I ran downstairs and kissed Teresa and wanted to shout it out for the world to know. She asked me to wait a few months before we tell the family to make sure nothing went wrong; Teresa was 43 at the time. After 3 months of waiting, I was given the green light and I told everyone from our family members, church members, and even a few people at the gym.

Things went very well during the 9 months. I sang to Teresa’s stomach and read stories to her stomach. I was getting ready to be a Daddy. A position I longed for but stopped hoping for. When Ripley came out at 4:05pm on Monday, 11/23/2009, I went with the nurses as they cleaned her talking to her. Apparently after months of talking and singing to her, she knew my voice and she settled downed. I was in awe; and I still am.

Ripley gets so excited when I come home from work. I’m still getting used to her dancing around the living room when I come through the door. I love being a Daddy and I know that whatever I do and say to her will affect the way she sees God (the Father). I take that responsibility very seriously. I tell her many times during the day that I love her. I tell her that God loves her and that He died for her. I know she is only 2 years old but I’m planting a seed that I pray God will harvest. I pray that God will draw Ripley to Himself when she is young. I pray that she will come to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and use her life to serve Him all her days. I pray that God will allow me to see her grow and become a lady that will bring Him glory.

I love my little ray of Sunshine.

Unplugged

Last week, my cell phone was stolen from my gym locker. And to answer your question; no, I did not have a lock on it. I have since bought one. A dear friend gave me his older phone (same Blackberry I had but one generation removed). I had my phone number put in this phone but for some reason the website and social media was not working so for 3 days (until I made the time to go to a Sprint store) I was unplugged from e-mail and Facebook when I was away from my computer. My Blackberry is a smart phone so I can do a lot with it so it was weird not having it for those days. It felt kind of freeing to be unplugged.

In his book “Replenish,” Lance Witt writes how important it is to get unplugged. To set a time out of either your week or day to get away from the computer, cell phone, church office, and get alone. I thought it is easy to do; I do it at least three times a week. I leave my cell phone in the locker when I go to the gym. I do not use an I-pod or MP3 player while I run. When I run or swim it’s me time to get lost in my thoughts. We have a rule at our house that we do not answer the house or cell phone while we are eating dinner; it’s family time.

The difference that I found when I unplug willingly and when I was forced to was a sense of losing out on something; information. It was a weird feeling when I first had my smart phone turned back into a smart phone. I sat in my truck and put my Facebook account back on my phone before leaving the parking out. What’s up with that?

In our society, we want information now. Be it real news or trash about Hollywood. We’re a me now society. We think that if we unplug, we’ll loss out on something; anything. Jesus when He was here took time to be away from your disciples. It was His time to be along with his Father. When you read the gospels, He always went away to be alone just before He made big decisions; choosing His disciples, before teaching to bigger crowds, or when He decided to move on to another village. He always made time to spend time with His Father. He got direction, encouragement, and a sense of oneness with His Father.

As a Christ-follower, I am told to be like Christ. The Holy Spirit directs me and God the Father molds me to be like Christ. If Jesus Christ made time to unplug, I should do the same. And not just when I’m working out, but when I can spend real time alone with my Savior. Everything will not fall apart if I take an hour to get unplugged. It’s time to unplug.

Waiting or Hoping on The Lord


I’m a little down today; it started yesterday. I know what it is; its Satan throwing doubts my way. I know that God has given me a desire to pastor/shepherd His people. I read how 1,500 pastors a month leave the ministry and how there are churches looking for pastors but no doors have opened. I know that God will open the door He wants to open in his time. I know that fact, but I’m still down. When I’m like this I remember Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind (The Message).” Some English translations use the word hope instead of wait. Either word works.

This morning as I was thinking through my daily reading of Psalms and thinking about Isaiah 40:31, an older Steven Curtis Chapman song popped in my head. I’ve actually sang this song once or twice in the mid-1990s. The song is taken from Isaiah 40:31 and reading the words leaves me refreshed and encouraged. If you are wondering what God has planned for you or you have a God given desire that you are waiting to be fulfilled, read the words to this song and I pray it leaves you encouraged.

“You wonder when the Lord will renew the strength within you;
You wonder how, how can He use you as you are.
Seems like you’re wasting precious time,
But then a voice comes to remind you (to wait).

CHORUS
Wait, wait, wait on the Lord;
You will understand in time.
Why you must wait,
Wait, wait, wait on the Lord;
Yes He hears you,
But for now you must wait on the Lord.

Answers come slowly to your cries of desperation,
But time is His tool, teaching the greatest lessons learned;
So let Him do His work in you,
And watch the miracles come true as you (wait).

(chorus)

And He wants you to know that
They that wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They will rise up with wings as eagles,
They will run, not get weary.
They will walk and not faint;
That’s a promise to us when we (wait).”

Make Believe or Pretending to be Who Your Aren’t

I have a different view of Halloween than some pastors. I know most churches have Harvest Festivals instead of Halloween Festivals but they are the same thing. I know churches try to stay away from the idea of celebrating October 31 but I say use it. The church I’ve been working with have had Trunk-or-Treat events (kids go from car to car in our parking lot asking for candy) on the evening of October 31 for 4 of the 6 years I’ve been with them. We have the parking lot lights on, have hot cider and chocolate, and the last two years a few games and rides. It’s neat to see the different costumes that are worn.

I like to know the history or origins of things and words. Here’s a short history on why costumes are part of Halloween. The first Halloween costumes were rudimentary cloaks and disguises worn so travelers would resemble the wandering spirits of the dead. For this reason, costumes representing ghosts, skeletons and other morbid characters have long been the most standard costumes. In ancient times, people set out food and drinks for the dead souls, so the costumes also served as a means of gathering food from people's doorsteps. In the 19th century, churches in England popularized the baking and distribution of "soul cakes," which were traded in exchange for prayers made on behalf of their departed loved ones. Currant cakes were especially loved by children and, over time, the holiday's focus shifted from a celebration of the dead to a game of children looking for sweets. As the child-friendly version of Halloween spread through English-speaking countries via immigration and literature, costumes grew less morbid and more playful.

I know most people think wearing a costume and pretending to be someone or something else is only for children for one day a year; however, adults do it everyday. People pretend to be happy when they aren’t; they pretend to have it all together when life as they know is crumbling around them; they pretend to be fulfilled when they are in fact looking anyway and everywhere for the “meaning of life.” The whole pretending game isn’t just for the secular world; the church has our own set of pretenders. People come to church with a facade up; couples have been fighting about something on the way to church to only come in with fake smiles on their face. People going through hell during the week saying they are doing great or fine and turn the “How are your doing?” question around to someone else. In our men’s small group, the men know that they are not able to say fine when I ask how they are doing because the word “F.I.N.E.” to me stands for Feels Internalized Not Expressed. No faking it in the men’s small group.

The word that gets thrown around a lot about church goers who pretend to be well when they aren’t is “Hypocrite.” The word hypocrite has it origins in ancient Greek. The meaning of this word is saying a person is acting or being an actor. The actors of this time would wear large paper mache masks that showed different emotions. When an actor needed to show sadness, he wore a mask that shows sadness; when he needed to show happiness, he wore a mask that had a big smile; and so on. The main problem with wearing paper mache masks all the time is that they are made out of paper and start to tear and split. The upkeep on them is too much for people to endure; however, they see it as being better then showing people their true selves out of fear of rejection.

The church is a family and a family accepts their members as they are. The only person who is prefect is Jesus Christ; no one in the church is prefect. Not the pastor, the deacons, the Sunday School teacher, no one is. We are all flawed humans who need a Savior and once saved it takes time to grow in our relationship with our Savior. Being part of a church is to be part of a community of Christ-followers who should love one another and accept each other as they are but also help them grew in their relationship with Christ.

Let’s let the masks stay a Halloween thing and leave them off the other 364 days of the year. God saved you as you were with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. He is molding you into a useable vessel; sometimes that has pain involved. Don’t pretend; be who you are and God’s people will love you regardless. But remember; you have to love your brothers and sisters in Christ for who they are; with all the baggage, scares, winkles, and blemishes. Church should be a “No Pretending Zone.”

Some Take Aways from “Replenish”

I’ve been reading “Replenish” by Lance Witt. I’m in the middle of the second unit; has four main units and 41 chapters. The book is very good and it makes me rethink how I’ve conducted my life in the ministry to date. Last night I read chapter 14 which is titled “It’s All About The Groom.” I want to highlight some points that made me think and examined how I view my role an Elder/Pastor in the church.

In our modern day, the wedding is all about the bride. The parents of the bride go into debt to make sure their little princess has a fairytale wedding. The dress needs to be prefect; the location must be prefect; everything must be prefect. The bride walks down the main row of seats; the focus is on the bride as she makes her way to the front. It’s her day after-all. The groom is almost an afterthought. The groom wears a rented tux that some other guy will wear the next weekend. He comes in the side entrance and stands waiting for the bride to make her appearance.

The way we do weddings today is quite different from the weddings of the Bible; especially the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church. The wedding scene we see in Revelation has the focus on the groom (the Lamb; Jesus Christ) and not the bride (the church). All the scripture passages that have a wedding theme always focuses on the groom and not the bride. The bride (the church) belongs to the groom (Jesus Christ). That’s not only a statement about ancient marriage ritual; it’s also a great picture of the relationship between the church and Jesus.

In most churches, the spotlight has shifted from being on the groom to being on the bride. The way some churches conduct their ministries is almost to say, look at us and see what we have to offer instead of look at the Savior and see what He has done for us and what He can do for you. I agree with Lance where he writes, “As a pastor . . . my job is to watch after the bride on behalf of the groom. I am like a spiritual wedding coordinator. The coordinator’s job is to assist and serve the bride and the groom, behind the scenes, in making their wedding day a meaningful event.”

As an Elder/Pastor, I should never do anything that blocks the bride’s view of the Groom’s glory. The challenge for any/all pastors is to get out of the way so the bride will be awestruck by the majesty of her Groom. One of the indicators (according to Lance Witt) of spiritual disease in a church leader is a possessive spirit about the bride. I’ve used words like “my church” or “our church” when talking about Common Ground thinking nothing about it.

Another statement made by Lance stood out when I was reading chapter 14; “It’s helpful for me to remind myself regularly that the church is not “mine.” I am a steward . . . Yes! I am a shepherd . . . Yes! I am a leader . . . Yes! But, I am not the owner, CEO, title-holder, or groom of the church.” The bride belongs to the bridegroom. An Elder/Pastor should see our role as a steward on behalf of the groom, who’s asked us to look after His bride until he comes for her.

The book has made me reexamine on how I see my role as an Elder and pastor. It’s made me see where I have fallen short not according to what man says is productive but what God (in His Word) says. For a church to be healthy, the pastor must be healthy. A healthy church reaches the lost for Christ because they see what they want in us. I need to be less so Christ is more.

John Piper says, “Christ does note exist to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him.”