Category: Creative

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The Battle for Status

My wife, Denise, and I are in the thick of a battle of sorts.

I want to win, and therefore, I need her to lose.

We are in a battle for “status.”

Let me explain…

I fly a lot. I’m in airplanes quite often. Perhaps it’s for denominational meetings, speaking engagements, vacation, or whatever. Simply put:  I fly a lot.

Denise, well, not so much. But when she does fly, she tends to fly longer distances, because her family lives primarily in the Midwest, and those miles add up quickly.

For many years I have been trying to achieve status on Alaska Airlines. It’s been an obsession of sorts. I like boarding earlier, having more seating options (ie: exit rows), and admittedly/shamefully, I take a small degree of delight in watching passengers scramble for overhead bin space, while I peacefully settle in with my AirPods and a magazine.

So, you can imagine my sheer horror when I recently discovered that Denise had gotten “status” before ME. She doesn’t even care about it. I CARE about IT a great deal! But she DOES enjoy rubbing it in my face, especially when they call out her premium grouping to board early, often accompanied with confetti, standing ovations, and a Dixieland band.

Meanwhile, a part of me dies inside.

All of this came to a significant head on our most recent flight to Mecca, I mean, Disneyland. Trips to Disneyland used to be for the kids, but now it’s for my wife. It’s not really my jam, but I go for her, because she loves all things Disney so much. It’s good for her soul. So you would think Denise would recognize my selfless sacrifice and not heap on the whole “status shame” any further.

But no.

When the flight attendant came down the isle with drinks and snacks, Denise let her know (in what I thought was a very loud voice) that she is one of Alaska’s finest, most preferred customers, and that one of the benefits accordingly bestowed upon her is that of a piece of premium chocolate.

I, on the other hand, humbly and quietly, made sure that the flight attendant was aware that we were together. Married. Husband and wife. The two became ONE. I mentioned that we share everything, including our airline status, and that should warrant a piece of chocolate for yours truly.

The flight attendant pulled out her corporate cellphone, clicked on the seating chart, and extended her thanks to Denise Fehlen as a preferred member of the Alaska Airlines family.

Then she actually said this:  “Denise, you are Gold. John, you are nothing.”

I kid you not.

Thankfully I had that tiny pretzel Snack Mix bag, and the deep understanding that I am a child of God.

You see, I am NOT nothing. Neither are you. It doesn’t matter what the flight attendant, or anyone else for that matter, says to you or about you.

You and I are fearfully and wonderfully made.

You and I are the apple of God’s eye.

You and I are seen, known and loved.

Our “status” is that of co-heir with Christ, seated in heavenly places.

All other status is, well, insignificant in comparison.

Period.

Any yet, I think you’ll be pleased to know (I know I was) that a few minutes later, the flight attendant came back down the isle, stopped at our row, and handed ME a premium piece of chocolate too. She said, and I quote: “Here you go, young man.”

She called me YOUNG.

Take that Denise. 🙂

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The Gap Between the Two Trapeze

Every so often a particular song grabs my heart and attention for an extended season of time. Usually it’s a recently released tune that I put on repeat until I’m flat out sick of it. Most often, admittedly, it’s a worship song, because of the way they tap into spirit and soul through my ears.

But this song is somewhat older (released in 2011) and it’s by Coldplay.

“Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”

I turn the music up, I got my records on
I shut the world outside until the lights come on
Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone
I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song

And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night
Until Monday morning feels another life
I turn the music up
I’m on a roll this time
And heaven is in sight

I turn the music up, I got my records on
From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song
Don’t want to see another generation drop
I’d rather be a comma than a full stop

Maybe I’m in the black, maybe I’m on my knees
Maybe I’m in the gap between the two trapezes
But my heart is beating and my pulses start
Cathedrals in my heart

As we saw oh this light I swear you, emerge blinking into
To tell me it’s alright
As we soar walls, every siren is a symphony
And every tear’s a waterfall

I resonate with the desire for solitude (“shut the world outside…”). I can often be found in a quiet space with “my records on.” This is how I tend to deal with feeling overwhelmed, tired or vision-less. And, by the way, this can happen often for me. I’m a fairly public person, with a lot of work, expectations, and stress. I can go for a quite awhile, but then I tap out. When I feel depleted, I withdraw. And, when I do, then my heart starts beating again. The lights start coming on. Heaven is in sight. From underneath the rubble I can start singing a “rebel song.” Bono from U2 says “joy is an act of defiance.”

Then purpose and vision start to return. I too don’t want to see another generation drop. Drop into despair. Drop into depression. Drop into death. I want to do something about it. I want to risk something again. I want to live in the “gap between the two trapeze.” This is the line that has captured my energy and passion as of late. What does it really mean to live in that gap? It’s the space between letting go of one point of security in order to reach another. You can’t hold onto both at the same time. You have to let go of something in order to grab onto something else. What’s at risk? Failure? Misunderstanding? Loss? Death, or worse, Embarrassment?

I don’t know. And that’s why it’s been said that “faith” is spelled R I S K. Faith and risk is the gap between the two trapeze. Wanna join me there?

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There is Noah Way

I’m not much of a builder. I didn’t get those genes from my father. Actually, I must not have gotten his fishing, hunting, oil-changing and handy-man genes either. Sigh.

Here’s the deal: My wife does those things. She’s good at them, and, for the most part, enjoys them.

She’s the builder, painter, landscaper, and fixer.

I cook stuff. Don’t judge (unless I’m on one of those cooking shows, then you can judge for yourself and declare me the WINNER).

So, when I read about Noah in the Biblical book of Genesis, I get a little bothered. OK, more than bothered…I get downright bugged by the guy. He not only constructed a very large boat, but he also took the helm of said boat and navigated open waters. Don’t even get me started about my boating fiascos, um, I mean, adventures.

The guy built an ARK, for crying out loud. This wasn’t a kayak or canoe. It was huge. About one and a half football fields huge!

But, catch this: he also built an ALTAR (see Genesis 8:20). The first thing he did after the waters subsided, and he was able to walk on dry land, was to build an altar.

One was his work unto the Lord and the other was his worship unto the Lord. He did both really well.

Friends, each of us have work AND worship…and they should be done well, and unto the Lord.

What is your ark?

Where is your altar?

Let’s do them both well, and do them as unto the Lord. That’s the Noah Way!

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What I’m into Right Now: Books

If you actually KNOW me then you would know that I’ve been into books for a very long time. That’s nothing new. It’s not a current fascination.

Bottom line:  I read a lot.

And by a lot, I mean…a lot.

As of this writing I’ve finished reading my 67th book of 2017. And I currently have approximately six other books in the pipeline. I’m on target to hit, and perhaps exceed, my goal of 75 books this year.

To find out more about my love for books and reading, check out a few previous blog posts:

1. Books I tackled on my 2016 Summer Sabbatical.

2. The kinds of books that my reading is focused upon.

3. The best books I’ve read (as of 2012).

So, yah, I read a lot, but it’s not the only thing I do. I don’t have countless hours to just “sit and read.” I’m a pastor of a large church (is this where you insert a joke about pastors only working one day a week???). I’m a husband, father of four, grandfather of two. I’m involved with my denomination, speaking at churches and events, as well as leading biblical tours to Israel, Greece, Rome, and Turkey and missions trips to various countries. I’m an adjunct college professor and guest lecturer at two universities. I could keep going, but you get the point that I’m not just sitting around with nothing else to do but READ A STINKING BOOK.

So then, the question I get asked often is: How do you read so much?

Here’s a few ways how:

1. I always have books close by. They are in my car, backpack, office, bedside, and home office. I use my iPad Kindle App when I fly, especially overseas, but primarily I reach for paper & ink to read from when I have some down time. It’s staggering how much you and I can read when we pick up a book instead of our phone.

2. I’m a huge fan of the public library. Any time I get a book recommendation from someone, discover something of interest in a bibliography, or see something I like on Amazon or at a local bookstore, I will try to reserve it at my local public library…for free! Sure, I do also purchase books, especially when I want or need it immediately, but for the most part I put them onto my online queue and wait for them to arrive. It’s exciting for me to get an email regarding a “book on hold” and it keeps a steady flow of reading material coming to me without cost.

3.  I have less Screen Time.  I’m gonna be brutally frank here:  if you want to read more books you simply must watch watch less TV, scroll through less Facebook, scan less Instagram and Pinterest. Sorry. There’s no judgement on my end. I love my social media. I too cry during each episode of “This is Us.” Oh, and I’m pretty bummed that Chip and Joanna are filming the last season of “Fixer Upper.” So, hey, no judgement. But if you seriously want to read more, then the trade-off has to be with your screen time. One last jab:  have you ever heard of someone on their deathbed saying: “My only regret is not spending more time on Twitter and Facebook?”

Here’s a few closing, miscellaneous thoughts regarding books and reading:

• If you don’t like the book, or don’t connect to it somehow in the opening 40 pages then put it aside. Life is too short to read something you don’t enjoy.

• This may not work for you, but I like having a bunch of books going at the same time, so that I can grab a specific one for specific times and situations. For example:  right before bed I don’t like to read business books or other topics that get my mind racing. I need to slow my brain down, so I choose a book accordingly. That’s why I have 5-6 books in varying degrees of completion, and I will often finish them all up on a rainy, slow weekend or vacation.

• When I finish reading a book, I post it online. This is a public form of motivation for me, but it also let’s others see what I’m enjoying. I will often hashtag my posts with #leadersarelearners because I really believe that I as a leader must always be learning and growing. Books are not the only way to do that, but they sure are a good way!

• I almost always read with a pen in my hand (unless I’m reading a novel). I mark up the book with underlines, asterisks, and comments. Later I can look back and see the most impacting portions and thoughts from each book. However, I don’t recommend you do this with the library books!

• Books are great gifts. I give them away often. I know how something I’ve read has powerfully been used to unlock growth in my life, so I want that same possibility for others.

• The first and most important book I read is my Bible. Nothing can or should replace the Word of God.

Happy Reading.

 

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What I’m Into Right Now: Oolong Tea

I just finished reading a great book called “The Longevity Plan:Seven Life-Transforming Lessons from Ancient China” and it got me thinking about my current fascination with Oolong Tea. The author discovered a remote region in China, known as “Longevity Village,” that has the highest concentration of people living over one hundred years of age. From it he derived a number of lessons regarding health and well-being. It sounds all “new age-y” but it’s actually not, which is good, because I’m not into that stuff. I’m into Jesus (but I DO read broadly, because leaders are learners).

The book doesn’t outright mention “Oolong Tea” but it sure got me wanting to blog about What I’m Into Right Now.

Oolong Tea. Sounds kinda funny. I forget exactly how I stumbled upon Oolong Tea, but I do know I read about it in a book around June of 2017, because my Amazon.com purchase of Oolong Tea was around that time.

There’s a lot of detailed information about Oolong Tea in Wikipedia, but that’s not what inspires me about this semi-green fermented tea. There are numerous kinds of tea in this big, big world, but in my research, Oolong tea is one of the most beneficial.

Some of the health benefits include the reduction of chronic health conditions such as heart diseases, inflammatory disorders, and high cholesterol levels. This last one is what got me. I’ve had high cholesterol for many years. It runs in my family, so I’ve been taking statins every day for a long time.

Now, I’m not a doctor, and I’ve never played one on TV, so this is just my experience and not to be taken for actual medical advise…but as I started to read about high cholesterol and look for alternatives to statins, I discovered some things that were very helpful to me.

First and foremost…REAL FOOD.  I am eating better (primarily vegetables and lean meats). I’m also working out consistently. In a nutshell:  moving more. Among a number of other lifestyle changes, I added Oolong Tea into my day. It is usually the first cup of “something” very early in the morning. I hold off on getting my Iced Grande Triple Espresso until after I’ve worked out (motivation…what ever works baby!).  I tend to get up most every morning between 5:15-5:30 am and have a cup of Oolong Tea first thing. Check out my previous blog on The Top Seven Things I Do Before 7 AM. 

Oolong tea is rich in antioxidants. It also contains vitamins and minerals such as calcium, manganese, copper, carotin, selenium, and potassium, as well as vitamin A, B, C, E, and vitamin K. Now to be honest:  most of that doesn’t thrill me. I don’t sit around trying to figure out how to get more vitamin K or selenium into my life. But I do think about my weight.

Ah, yes…weight. My cursory research has shown that Oolong tea is pretty effective at controlling the metabolism of fat in the body as well as reducing obesity. Apparently, the active components (polyphenols) in Oolong tea makes fat work for you (about stinking time!).

For me, it’s been working. In combination with eating better, moving more and other important things for weight loss, I’ve been drinking Oolong tea since June 2017 and am down 16 pounds (from 202 lbs to 186 lbs).

So, I like it. Now, it’s certainly not the Holy Grail, but, in the words of the old white-bearded guy from the Indiana Jones movie about the Holy Grail, I feel as if I’ve “chosen wisely.”

Cheers.

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What I’m Into Right Now

Hey Friends,

Periodically I get a request from folks about “what I’m into right now.” Such as, “Hey John, I know you read a bunch. So what’s your favorite book right now.” Or, “Hey John, you’re always talking about Ramen Noodles. What’s the best place in Portland?”

So, I’m gonna start a series of blog posts called “What I’m Into Right Now.”

First, you need to know that I’m a guy that gets into things for a while then moves on to something else when I get bored or discover something new. Call it “Rotating Hobbies!” I’ll blog about some of those things from my recent past, as well as what I’m into now.

My hope would be that you would get inspired, try some stuff out, explore, experiment and see what happens. You may find something you love or you may think I’m crazy (i.e.: charcoal toothpaste…blog post coming soon!). Feel free to click on any of the links I’m providing in the blog post and give it try!

I have a motto (actually a bunch of them, but this is one I’m crazy about now)… Leaders are Learners.

So, here’s to learning!

Grace and Peace,

John

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The Pastoral Roles of a Shepherd

Writing about what I do as a pastoral leader is like showing people how sausage is made. I lot of folks like sausage, but most don’t want to see the strange process with their own eyes. Pastoring can often be messy, hard to define, and, because it deals with matters of the soul, as well as the “Man Upstairs,” it is somewhat of a, well…MYSTERY.

I love how the late Ron Mehl put it: “When people come to our church, we want them to feel comfortable and simply connect with Jesus. They don’t need to see all the processes and machinery. We keep all that ‘under the carpet,’ but make no mistake, we do have a lot of machinery under the carpet.”

The intent of this particular blog post isn’t to go headlong into all the ‘machinery’ (i.e. administration, processes, etc), but rather to give an overview of the pastoral craft, especially to those that are just starting out in your ministry calling.

What do pastor/shepherds do? Using the metaphor of a shepherd and his/her sheep, the following three concepts serve as a construct for our calling.

1. Guide.

A shepherd gets the sheep to good pasture. The calling of a pastor is to guide, instruct, point, steer, nudge and encourage the congregation towards Godliness. Note something important:  we guide, but we don’t drive. Guiding involves speaking truth in love. Driving is a subtle form of brutality.

It’s also important to note that guiding sheep to good pasture is not a “one-size-fits-all” venture. It take creativity, and a unique approach with each of the sheep. Like various children within one particular family, a parent quickly realizes that not all the children can be guided in the exact same way. Therefore, pray and get a sense of leading from the Holy Spirit as you give leadership and guidance to those under your care.

The goal is to lead our people to Jesus. Not to ourselves, or to our organization. Lovingly guide them to Jesus.

 

2. Graze.

A shepherd provides the sheep with good food. This is an interesting aspect of our calling, especially in our modern culture in which so many folks decry “I’m just not getting fed at my church.” Now, to be fair, that may very well be the case in some churches. But, by and large, my belief is that most pastoral teachers are providing good food (the teaching of God’s Word), but our sheep are choosing to not eat. They don’t have an appetite. They’ve gotten full on the junk food of the world. To them I would say:  “Good food is being provided. Eat up.”

One of the primary roles of a pastor is to provide sheep with solid and sustaining instruction and direction from the Scriptures. We get them to places where they can graze on truth and life. Not all will…but keep trying. Some will want you to spoon-fed them. Don’t do it. Others may want you to say what they want to hear in order to feel good about their poor decisions. Don’t do it. Still others may press you to address every wind of doctrine or hot topic. Don’t do it.

Preach the Word. Unpack the text in context. Lay out a Bible Buffet of clear and applicable instruction and allow the sheep to graze.

The goal is to lead our people to Jesus, who is the Word made flesh.

 

3. Guard.

A shepherd protects the sheep from predators. Those predators may be actual people with evil or disturbing intent. Or it may be a point of confusion, false teaching, gossip, relational unrest, or the like. These are wolves, and many are hiding out in sheepclothing.

Make no mistake, the enemy of our soul comes to steal, kill and destroy, and his plans are often partnered with by seemingly well-intentioned folks in our faith communities. One of the roles of a pastor is to guard and protect. This is not permission to witch-hunt, police people, or demand unequivocal allegiance to our leadership. Rather, with discernment, prayer, kindness and care we cover the flock with a spiritual ‘umbrella’ of protection, often unseen nor obvious. Occasionally, shepherds need to make their presence known and felt though a timing word, clear rebuke, or training in righteousness.

The goal is that people would have all obstacles removed for them to get to Jesus. He is the Great Shepherd. We are his under-shepherds. We want people to get to HIM, and anything or anyone that attempts to thwart that need to be gracefully, prayerfully and lovingly dealt with. May God give you wisdom should that be necessary.

 

Is this all there is to pastoring?  No way. Remember how Ron Mehl said “there’s a lot of machinery under the carpet?” There’s so much more to the pastoral craft. This is only one slice from one person’s perspective. May you continue to discover all that God has created YOU to be and what He has called YOU to do! Blessings.

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I Love Books

I love to read, no surprise there. I read a lot. A LOT. But, this summer, during an extended pastoral sabbatical, I read significantly more. I counted 30 books completely read, but here’s a list of 25 of them that I remember. At the end of this blog post I’ll mention a few books that I’m currently tackling.

Happy Reading!

 

 

Simply Ramen: A complete course in preparing ramen at home by Amy Kimoto-Kahn

The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur’s Vision of the Future by Steve Case

The Angels Game (a novel) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Destiny of the Republic: a tale of madness, medicine and the murder of a president by Candice Millard

Girl on the Train (a novel) by Paula Hawkins

The 10-second Rule: following Jesus made simple by Clare De Graff

Rolling Nowhere: riding the rails with America’s hoboes by Ted Conover

How to be a Man: (and other illusions) by Duff McKagan

Before the Fall (a novel) by Noah Hawley

Prep-Ahead Meals from Scratch by Alea Milham

Koreatown: A Cookbook by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodnard

Disappearing Church: from cultural relevance to gospel resilience by Mark Sayers

Design Your Day: be more productive, set better goals and live life on purpose by Claire Diaz-Ortiz

Sea and Smoke: flavors from the untamed Pacific Northwest by Blaine Wetzel

Visual Theology: Seeing and understanding the truth about God by Tim Challies

Andy Warhol was a Hoarder: inside the minds of history’s great personalities by Claudia Kalb

Good Faith: being a Christian when society thinks you’re irrelevant and extreme by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman

Mind Hacking: how to change your mind for good in 21 days by Sir John Hargrave

Mexican Hat (a novel) by Michael McGarrity

Eat Street: the ManBQue guide to making street food at home by John Carruthers

How to Pray by R.A. Torrey

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

The Amish: a consist introduction by Steven Nolt

Prisoner of Heaven (a novel) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

 

Here’s what I’m currently reading:

• Facing Leviathan by Mark Sayer

• Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger

• Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church by Kara Powell

• The Seven Levels of Intimacy by Matthew Kelly

• People to Be Loved: Why Homosexuality Is Not Just an Issue

 

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Summer of Sabbatical

I have been given the gift of a pastoral sabbatical this summer. For this I am extremely grateful. My sabbatical will last a little over nine weeks and begin on July 1.

What is a sabbatical? It’s a good question, not least because ‘sabbath’ is a lost practice in our day. We all get vacations and “time off,” but a sabbath is something altogether different. Sabbath is a time to stop, to rest, to delight, to play, and to be renewed by the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

A sabbatical is meant to be an extended sabbath. Some may wonder if there is any sin, frustration with the church, or desire to move on to another ministry assignment. The answer is no. Some have asked if I am taking this time to focus on my doctoral work, or to write a book. The answer is no. I had considered starting my doctorate soon, but opted to wait until another season, and I have had a couple of book ideas on my mind, but don’t feel like the time is right to develop those yet. Although I will be reading and journaling…a lot. The point is to have an extended sabbath—a holy space to rest and be renewed.

For pastors, the practice of a sabbatical becomes particularly important because of the role we carry in the church. The weight of spiritual leadership is hard to explain or quantify, and yet it can take a very tangible toll on a leader’s soul. Many leaders don’t stop because they don’t feel that they can for fear that the church may fall apart without them. But I believe that Jesus is the Head of the Church! I think you agree.

Jesus withdrew in silence and solitude, even when the crowds were pressing in. Therefore, it’s important that pastors do that too. A sabbatical obviously is no substitute for regular rhythms of rest and renewal. And yet, our church council was so gracious to give me something extra, something longer, something special as a gift. This gift is really the gift of time. Thank you.

So, what will Denise and I do on my sabbatical?
We have intentionally crafted the weeks to make space for rest, recreation and renewal. There will be times for just Denise and I to be together, as well as fun memory-making adventures with the kids, cherished moments with family and friends, as well as some solitary blocks of time with just me and Jesus.

During this summer, we will be commemorating a number of milestones:
• My 45th birthday
• My 25th year as a licensed Foursquare pastor
• My 7th year as the lead pastor of West Salem Foursquare Church
and finally (and most amazingly)…
• Our 25th year of marriage (the result of the grace of God and a good lady)!

So, we’re gonna do some wonderful things, but there are also things we will NOT do. For my sabbatical, the things I will deliberately cease from are:

• Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (checking and posting)
• Email (all my addresses are being forwarded to my assistant)
• My phone (I’m shutting it off often, using it sparingly and not for business)
• Content-creation (no sermon writing, blogging, planning, etc)
• Speaking at any churches, camps or conferences

The things I will intentionally delight in are: family (including our sweet grandbaby), friends, reading (lots of fiction, mostly soul care books and a few theological ones), walking, working out, riding bike (I just bought a bike and am excited to start riding it…gotta get ready for the new bridge to Minto Brown park!), and watching The Olympics (The Fehlens really love watching the Olympics together!).

What about West Salem Foursquare Church?
Well, as you know we have an amazing team of staff, elders and servant-leaders! Our Navigational Team will continue to oversee our staff and day-to-day operations. Each Sunday service will have great communicators sharing the Word of God. Along with our staff, we have a number of incredible friends and partners in ministry that will be joining us throughout the summer.

Sunday, June 26th, will be my last Sunday before the sabbatical. I will be back in the pulpit on September 11th.

Pray for us. Pray that the Lord would surprise us with joy in beautiful ways, and that our hearts would be drawn closer to Him and to one another as family during this time.

The Best is Yet to Come,

John

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Say It With Me: Change is Good

Over the last few months I’ve been able to watch a transformation happen on the corner of Wallace Drive and Glen Greek in beautiful West Salem. I drive around that area quite often on any given day, whether I’m heading home, going to the church, hauling our kids to events, or getting groceries at Roth’s Market.

OK…I also fuel up at Starbucks pretty close to there (I’m actually writing this blog post from that hallowed spot).

The transformation in progress involves the ripping down of some old buildings, and tearing out sidewalks, in order to make way for something NEW. We are getting a re-routed intersection for better traffic flow. I personally was wanting a new strip mall, or if I’m lucky, a Vespa dealership, Trader Joes, or H&M (here’s to dreaming).

Regardless, sometimes things have to be torn down and replaced when they no longer serve the purposes for which they were intended. That’s not always a bad thing. Change is good.

Say it with me:  Change. Is. Good.

That wasn’t so hard, right?

God is into change too. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

The old becomes new in Christ. That can be a long, painful process for us, but the end-result is oh-so worth it.

Even when it comes to our methods, programs, styles, and preferences we have to consider that God is into change. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 9:16-17 “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wine skins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved.”

The work that the Lord wants to do in us in these days, I believe, is a NEW work. He desires to change us; making us more like himself.

Are you open to this?  Thankfully, we have a great promise in the Word of God that “His Mercy is New Every Morning.”

Let’s lean into his NEW mercy together!