The day after entering Jerusalem, Jesus approached a fig tree because He was hungry. It was full of leaves so it was reasonable to expect some fruit.

But when Jesus got close to the tree, He realized that there was no fruit on it.  Jesus cursed the fig tree and His disciples heard it.

On the next day, as they passed by – the fig tree withered away to its roots.

This fig tree is a symbol of a fruitless faith, a spirituality without roots that presents signs of life – leaves – but is ultimately barren.  

The fig tree is a warning and a witness. Faith without works is dead.  Not that works precede faith, but faith, living and active, is productive. 

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He did so as admonition to His disciples – to reject the religious hypocrisy they encounter at the temple, and to resist the temptation to appear faithful while bearing no fruit!

…But the fruit of the Spirit is love…

Galatians 5:22-23

It’s Holy Week!

²⁰ As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

Mark 11:20 (ESV)

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

After Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He headed to the temple. When He arrived, He confronted and cast out those who had crowded the courts with corrupt commerce.

He overturned the money-changers tables, and flipped the seats of those selling animals for sacrifice. 

No one should go to a religious service expecting to be robbed, coerced, or manipulated. Sadly this has become the stereotype that stains the perception of what the Church is.  While many of these suspicions are unfounded, there are far too many cases where they are true. 

Shame on us if we ever lose sight of why we gather.  Shame on us if our sacred spaces become places that grieve the very Spirit that we invoke.

Jesus is coming. I pray that His visitation does not culminate in vexation.

¹² And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹³ He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”  

Matthew 21:12–13

It’s Holy Week!

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

When we are trying to figure out which way to go, it behooves us to ask God, obey His word, and yield to the guidance of the Spirit.

God will always point us in the right direction!  

But our progress toward becoming who we were created to be is also directly related to our perspective, our proximity to the Creator, and our persistence when problems arise.

How do we go forward?

We must be looking, leaning, and laboring in the right direction!  Get it?

Paul said it like this:

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13–14

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

At the beginning of a new day, we can’t possibly know all the opportunities or challenges we may encounter.  It makes sense, then, that we would have some kind of plan, right?

Unfortunately we cannot plan for everything.  There will be delays, distractions, and disruptions – but we needn’t be overwhelmed or derailed by these things. 

So, what do we do?  We need a plan.  What’s this plan?  I’m glad you asked!  It’s very simple.

First – begin with gratitude, God has given us brand new mercy!  Before a groan, grumble, or complaint – remember God’s goodness and faithfulness!

Second – ask God to direct your path! Instead of inviting God along as you go, ask God to order your steps. Get it?  

God knows and holds the future, and God holds our hands! It’s a brand new day.  

Let’s pray:

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love for in you I trust.  Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  

Psalm 143:8

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

There is plenty of talk about finding and walking in our purpose, but not everyone means the same thing.

For Christians, our purpose is rooted in the plans and purposes of our Creator.  So that when we speak of walking in our purpose, we are talking about being who God created us to be!  

This isn’t as simple as dreaming about what we want to be when we grow up, or doing whatever piques our curiosity or inspires our passions.  Discerning our purpose is determined by our proximity to the One who made us!  

So, if we are going to ‘walk in our purpose’, then we must resist the urge to chase after it.  I know that sounds funny, but I need to make this subtle distinction – God does not call us to pursue purpose, inasmuch as we are compelled to follow Him!

Get it?

Chase God, stay close, obey Spirit, follow Jesus, and you will discover your purpose! Chase God.  Not blessings, not abundance, not fortune, not fame – chase God! 

Pursue God, and God’s will and purposes will be made known to and through you! There is no nobler goal! 

Chase God!

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Philippians 3:7

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

We need both encouragement and accountability.  Unfortunately, many of us chase those who compliment us while simultaneously fixating on those who criticize us.

I get it.  Who wants to be reminded that even our best can be improved?  Who enjoys having their flaws inspected?  Who wants to hear that we’ve missed the mark? None of that sounds fun, huh?  

I get it. We need to be celebrated.  We need to be affirmed.  We need to be edified. We flourish when we are appreciated. Who doesn’t love that? 

So what’s the problem?

We need both encouragement and accountability.  But we needn’t pursue either.

Maybe the problem is what we pursue. Perhaps the whole idea of seeking praise or criticism is just wrong.

Instead, do this:

Seek God.  Praises will come, but these are not our goal. They encourage and energize us.

Seek God.  Criticisms will come, but these don’t define us. These educate us and refine us.

Seek God. Live to honor God.  Live to please the LORD.  Labor for God’s, ‘well done!’  Everything else – whether cheer or critique –  let it be fuel to propel our pursuit of God.  

Seek God. Period.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Colossians 3:1

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

We live in a culture that often embodies extremes.  We always seem to be either ‘too much’ or ‘too little.’ We tend to overdo things or underperform.  But there is much to be learned about being centered and moderate!

When it comes to discipline, we need both encouragement and accountability.  To emphasize one without the other is to be either enabling or insensitive!  To receive encouragement without accountability is to be coddled, to encounter the opposite is equally disheartening.  We need both!

We need to be able to give and receive encouragement, but we also need to learn how to accept and demand accountability. This is how we protect one another and inspire one other to be our best selves!  This is the gift of being in a safe and loving community.  This is one of the gifts of true friendship!

So today, let’s stop mistaking your helpers for ‘haters.’  Let’s stop rejecting valid critiques and perceiving them as attacks.  There are people that God has placed in our lives to both challenge and encourage us – these are the ones who are looking out for our best interests and who drive us toward becoming our best selves!  

Get it?

⁵ Better is open rebuke than hidden love. ⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. 

 Proverbs 27:5–6

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

When we look at things, we are often attracted by how things appear.  It’s not always a bad thing – it’s why God gave us eyes. 

But when we overemphasize appearances, we can sometimes overlook and neglect what’s on the inside- the stuff beneath the surface that gives integrity, durability, and longevity.

It’s okay to want to look good, but health, wholeness, and confidence are inside jobs. Kindness, compassion, empathy, and goodness begin on the inside – in our hearts!  

So while we invest in appearances, let’s make sure that we give double attention to our desire for pure hearts and right intentions.

Ever heard the saying, ‘the only thing worse than a bright shiny apple with a worm in it, is one with half a worm?’

Let’s begin the day by asking the LORD to deal with our hearts, our minds, and the words we speak under our breath – the way we see others – our outlook and our attitudes.   

God looks on the inside, and people too will eventually find out what we’re made of!  

Let’s pray that the beauty we possess is beyond skin-deep!

Let’s pray that when people get to know us, they discover that we are who we present ourselves to be and not just shiny veneer but genuine, authentic, and full of integrity!

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Matthew 5:8

Good morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

When times get tough and we’re surrounded by emergencies, we can forget to care for ourselves.  We may lose our appetite.  We may become restless and find it hard to sleep.  Some of us start holding our breath…

This morning, before you allow the day to drive you, slow down for a moment and breathe…

Inhale…

Every single moment is a gift.  

Exhale… 

Every breath is grace.  

Inhale…

God loves you.

Exhale…

That’s the only truth that matters.

Inhale…

This is the day the LORD has made.

Exhale…

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Don’t be driven today, be led by the Spirit.  Let every breath be your reminder!

Good Morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam

One of the ways corrupt people attempt to preserve their illusion of control is to convince us that we have no power.  

False and misinformation are just what they sound like – lies!!  These lies are tricks of the enemy to discourage and dishearten us – to distract us from realizing the strength that lies within us when we know who we are and know who God is.

One of my mother’s favorite sayings was, ‘The truth will stand while lies run out!’  And in times like these, I cling to these words.  I suggest that you do the same.

We are intelligent, creative, resilient, and we have the capacity to endure faithfully whatever lies ahead. ‘Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world!’ (1 John 4:4)

While the enemy prowls about, sowing lies and discord, remember that we are ‘more than conquerors through Him that loves us!’ (Romans 8:37)

God is with and within us and we are going to be alright!  Remember who you are and who God is!  Get it?

So today, rather than give into the overwhelming flood of negativity and misinformation – Let us recall God’s goodness, God’s faithfulness, God’s sovereignty, and God’s love. We will not be afraid. We will draw on the Spirit’s power. We will dream.  We will build.  We will create and we will rejoice!

Join me? 

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

Good morning, I love you all!

ihs,

just adam