I remember trying out for the track team as an 8th grader.  Out of a student body numbering around one thousand, I think about 999 kids were out that day to make the team.  I was one of them.  It was a lot of fun and everything was going great until we started running.  We ran, and we ran, and we ran, and we ran.  We must have run about 379 miles!

It was the fulfillment of what David said in Psalm 91:7, “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand.”  That’s how it was.  As I ran, poor Jr. High students were dropping like flies all around me.  They were laying all over the track holding their sides, gasping for oxygen.  But David was wrong when he went on to say,”But it shall not come near you,” because it did!  Eventually, I joined the ranks of the quitters and fell down crying out for air.

Not enough is said today about endurance.  How easy it is to start.  How hard it is to finish.  Starting is obviously very important.  Nothing will ever get done unless we start.  But what really counts is whether or not you finish.

The Bible compares the Christian life to a race.  Many start; few finish.  Don’t be a quitter in the greater race of all.  Don’t get discouraged by the obstacles, or weary in the midst of it all.  Lift up your eyes to the eternal prize and keep on running.  In the Christian life, the prize goes not to those who finish first.  It goes to those who finish!

Pastor Todd Weston  

A pastor was visiting the fourth-grade Sunday School class.  He was there to talk about marriage.  He asked the class, “What does Jesus say about marriage?”  Immediately, one boy raised his hand and replied, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”

I’m sure there have been those who have entered into marriage not knowing what they were doing.  We all entered into it with some degree of ignorance because marriage is one of those things requiring constant learning.  Talk about on the job training!

It might help for us to remember a few key ingredients that are necessary for a healthy marriage.

1.  CHRIST
Many marriages are built on faulty foundations.  Sadly, they don’t last.  If you want a marriage that will stand the test of time and endure the storms of life, build it upon the right foundation of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11).

2.  COMMITMENT
True commitment has nothing to do with convenience or circumstance.  It has everything to do with character.  Feelings come and go.  Commitment remains.

3.  COMMUNICATION
Communication means more than just talking about the weather, the events of the day, or the highlights on ESPN.  The root of the word is commune which speaks of intimate conversation.  When you communicate you are not just sharing facts; you are sharing yourself.

4.  CONSIDERATION
Practice common courtesy.  Be nice to one another.  Commit random acts of kindness.  You know, it isn’t always the big things that destroy a relationship.  Sometimes it’s just the accumulation of a lot of little things – unkind words, insulting remarks, inconsiderate actions, and so on.  If anyone ought to be kind, it should be a Christian.  And the first person that kindness should be showered upon is your spouse.  So do it (Eph. 4:31-32). 

At RLA we believe in multi-generational ministry.  That includes husbands and wives.  So safeguard your marriage by remembering these key ingredients.  And may God give you a marriage that lasts…for a lifetime!

Pastor Todd Weston

Psalm 37 and Matthew 6 are the “don’t worry” chapters of the Bible.  Three times in Psalm 37 David said, “Do not fret” (Psalm 37:1,7,8).  And three times in Matthew 6 Jesus said, “Do not worry” (Matthew 6: 25,31,34). 

After the third caution against fretting, David added this warning, “It only causes harm” (v8).  The act of worrying yields no constructive results; only destructive.  Worry can actually affect your physical body.  It can result in loss of appetite, insomnia, digestive problems, respiratory issues, anxiety attacks, the inability to focus and think clearly, and so on. 

There is never a shortage of things to worry about.  What we need is a plan to overcome the worry-monster!  We find such a plan in Psalm 37:3-8.  It’s a simple five-step plan that will help us live worry-free lives.

Step #1:  Trust in the Lord (v3).  The word “trust” in that passage means “to lean.”  When I am worrying I am leaning on myself.  When I am trusting I am leaning on Jesus.  So maybe we should learn to lean!

Step #2:  Delight yourself in the Lord (v4).  The word “delight” carries the idea of having a good time.  Instead of fretting and fuming over life’s problems, have a good time with God.  Spend time with the Lord, because in His presence is fullness of joy.

Step #3:  Commit your way to the Lord (v5).  This step takes trust to a higher level.  The word “commit” has to do with the length of time involved.  It speaks of a permanent thing.  When you commit something to God you give Him control.  The pressure is off when I get out of the driver’s seat and let God take the wheel.

Step #4:  Rest in the Lord and wait patiently (v7).  “Rest” means to be silent.  “Wait patiently” carries the idea of remaining under.  Here is the idea – once you commit something to God, be silent.  Quit talking about it.  Quit thinking about it.  You’ve put it under the lordship of Jesus so leave it there and wait patiently for Him to work. 

Step #5:  Cease from anger (v8).  The word “cease” means to let something alone; to let it go down.  Anger, anxiety, and worry will naturally subside unless we do something to stir them up again.  Let God settle you down.  And whatever you do, do not take matters into your own hands.

If we wanted to, we could all worry ourselves into an early grave, or at least a nervous breakdown.  Don’t go there.  Follow these five simple steps laid out by the same man who wrote in another psalm about green pastures, still waters, and paths of righteousness.  It’s the better way to live.

Pastor Todd Weston 

You’ve heard the saying, “Big things come in small packages.”  An example of that is the NT book of Titus.  This letter, written by the apostle Paul to one of his trusted team members, is only three chapters long.  But the Holy Spirit inspired message packed into those three chapters is amazing!

Titus (whom many believe was the brother of Luke) was sent by Paul to the island of Crete with the assignment of organizing the churches (1:5).  This apparently presented something of a challenge because the Cretans were known to be chronic liars and cheaters (1:12).  They were even called lazy gluttons and evil beasts.  Talk about a mess!

Paul knew that Titus had a big assignment on his hands.  So in his letter Paul emphasized the need for practical godliness.  In chapter 1 Paul emphasized the need of godliness in the Church; chapter 2, godliness in the home; and chapter 3, godliness in the world.

The order is significant.  It’s easy for Christians to focus on the need of godliness in the world because the world is such an ungodly place.  But the Bible puts the focus first on the Church.  No kidding.  1 Peter 4:17 reminds us that judgment begins at the house of God.  I know it’s a radical thought in this day and age of easy-believism, but God expects the Church to be godly.

From there, the focus shifts to the Christian home.  If a guest were invited to spend a few weeks in your home, would they leave with the impression that your home was characterized more by godliness or worldliness?  Think about it.

Finally, Paul focuses on the need of godliness in the world.  Obviously, the world is in desperate need of godliness.  No argument there.  But godliness doesn’t start with the world and work its way back to the Church.  It starts with the Church, works its way through the Christian home, and into the world. 

The NT letter to Titus is a small book that contains a big message.  What’s the message?  “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (2:12).

Pastor Todd Weston