A while back, my daughter Hope and I went on an “adventure walk” around our property. In no time at all, she spotted a large stick that would make a trusty walking stick for her as we went exploring. She quickly fell in love with it and carried it for the rest of the walk. As we walked through fields, down railroad tracks, and back to our house, she wielded her trusty stick as any true adventurer would. Later, she attempted to “plant” her stick in our front yard, hoping that it would grow into a tree. While she was distracted playing with something else, Zoey (our dog) grabbed it, ran off, and promptly began chewing on it, breaking it into several pieces.

Hope was crushed. First, she was shocked, then angry at Zoey, and then she began to cry as she realized her favorite stick was beyond saving. After observing all this while sitting on the front porch, I had her come to me and tried to explain that’s what dogs do. Zoey wasn’t intending to be mean; she just wanted to play with the big stick. Hope understood as best as her 5-year-old mind could, but even after trying to have a good attitude and return to playing, the tears started to flow again. She wasn’t throwing a fit or yelling at Zoey; it was just pure, innocent sorrow that this tenderhearted 5-year-old girl was experiencing.

Instead of telling her that it was “just a stick” or that she could always get another stick, I let her climb up in my lap and softly cry as I held her. As much as I knew that this wasn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things and that she’d forget all about this “tragedy” within a day or two, I enjoyed the opportunity to just hold her close and comfort her as she cried.

As I held her for those few minutes, I wondered to myself if this is how our Heavenly Father feels with His children...

So often, we go through trials and heartbreak that are very real and very painful. But compared to an omnipotent God with an eternal view, it’s little more than a favorite stick getting broken. But even with that knowledge, God still welcomes His children to come to Him with their sorrow and pour out their heart and their tears to Him, our compassionate Father. He doesn’t scold us or scoff at our childish emotions; He just gently holds us and patiently listens to our every care.

Many people are familiar with David in the Old Testament. He was the young man who killed Goliath, the second king of Israel, and the one through whose lineage the Messiah would eventually come. But he was also a man who knew heartbreak and sorrow. In Psalm 22, David pours out his heart to God in distress and anguish. As you read through the chapter, you can witness the roller coaster of emotions that David had to work through. But as he comes to the end of the chapter, David reminds himself of his Heavenly Father’s tender, loving care, despite his circumstances.

“For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.” Psalms 22:24

Dear Christian, I don’t know what you’re going through, but God does. I don’t know what you’re struggling with, but God does. I don’t know what diagnosis you recently received, but God does. I don’t know what you weep over, but God does. God sees; God knows; God cares.

No matter what you’re going through and no matter how seemingly small it may be in the grand scheme of things, you can go to your Heavenly Father and pour out your heart and your tears to Him. After all, if a sinful earthly father can lovingly comfort his daughter about the loss of her favorite stick, how much more will our perfect Heavenly Father care for you and me?

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Hungry? Cooking at home takes too long, so just eat out. Only, restaurants take too long, so go ahead and get fast food (which somehow never seems to be fast enough).

Bored? Go ahead and put on a TV show or a movie. You can watch whatever you want—instantly—anything, anytime. Just choose any one of the 50+ streaming services available in the U.S.

Need to buy something? Don’t you dare think about getting in the car to run to Walmart. Just click a few magical buttons on Amazon, and it’ll show up on your doorstep a day or two later.

Let’s return to the subject of food, shall we? Don’t want to cook, warm up leftovers, or eat out? Just pull out your phone, and your friendly neighborhood DoorDash or Uber Eats driver will deliver your extremely overpriced dinner straight to your door faster than you can say, “Dave Ramsey would be so disappointed in me right now.”

The 24/7 News Cycle

But nowhere is this fast-paced mentality more evident than in our modern 24/7 news cycle. What used to be a limited number of sources that people would intentionally and occasionally go to for their news is now a deluge of information coming at you via TV, your phone, social media, podcasts, and a myriad of other news outlets. No longer do you have to wait for the next day’s newspaper to arrive on your doorstep or for the evening national news at 6 PM; you can summon all the latest local, national, and global news you could ever want in an instant, beamed directly into your bloodshot eyeballs as you lie in bed at 1 AM. (An excellent method to get some quality rest, I’m sure...)

We understand that whenever a newsworthy story breaks, the basic facts are presented to give the people an understanding of what has happened or is happening. The who, what, when, and where are all spelled out as much as possible so that people can be informed about the news that impacts them and/or their community. But this initial reporting of the news is simply the calm before the storm.

The Noise That Follows

What follows is a firestorm of activity, primarily in the online world. Within seconds of the initial facts being reported, people are breathlessly beginning to give their hot takes, their insights, their perspectives, their assumptions, and their suspicions. Never mind that it happened less than 24 hours ago. Never mind that the investigation is just now beginning. Never mind that they weren’t there. Never mind that they’re not experts or even remotely knowledgeable about the subject. Never mind that they only have access to a very small sliver of the whole story. No, none of that matters. What matters is that they are upset, angered, hurt, confused—you fill in the blank—and they have an opinion. And because we live in the digital age, they have a platform they can use. And use it they will.

It’s important to note that most of the “noise” and chaos of the online world is not from the news itself, but rather from the massive response to the news by influencers, pundits, and Aunt Martha, who is terrified about the latest conspiracy theory she’s fallen for.

Sound familiar? We’ve all been guilty of it to varying degrees and have witnessed it in others. So what do we do?

Take a Breath

Take. A. Breath.

Seriously—right now—take an actual breath. You know the drill: in through the nose, out through the mouth. Again, altogether now: in through the nose, out through the mouth. It feels good to take a deep, intentional breath, doesn’t it? It forces you to slow down, think, and consciously take control of what is otherwise a built-in, autonomic function of the body.

In reality, though, taking a physical breath is not so much about the breath as it is about the pause we are forced to take when we take it. So, when I suggest that you take a breath, I’m suggesting that you force yourself to pause in the moment. In other words, the act of “taking a breath” may not involve a literal breath at all. You choose what your “taking a breath” is. Maybe it’s logging out of social media for the day. Maybe it’s going outside for a walk. Maybe it’s spending some time in prayer or in God’s Word. Regardless, the point is to give yourself some space for your mind to catch up with your emotions. When you are bombarded with the latest news and are tempted to react too quickly, whether outwardly on social media or inwardly in your spirit, take a breath. Pause. Think. Consider.

In his book, The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More, attorney and world-class communicator Jefferson Fisher gives this suggestion when deciding how to respond:

Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and Holocaust survivor, put it this way:

Before you post that comment, take a breath.

Before you share that article, take a breath.

Before you give your opinion, take a breath.

Before you draw conclusions, take a breath.

Before you allow your spirit to be consumed by fear, anger, or pride, take a breath.

The Heart of the Issue

If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all been guilty of not taking a breath when we should have. After all, there’s something about quickly giving our take on a current event that makes us feel good. It can make us feel virtuous to quickly denounce a perceived or real injustice or to hop on the proverbial bandwagon with others who are giving their hot takes without knowing all of the facts. Such actions, though, are foolish and very often lead to our shame.

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13

“Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.” Proverbs 29:20

In his book, Heart and Scroll, Pastor Martin Wickens writes:

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that you should wait six months before publicly giving your opinion about a current event. I’m not even saying that you have to wait any set length of time. The point is to slow down, pause, think, and breathe.

Be Prepared

Now, get ready. Even now, as you’re reading these words, something is happening that will be deemed newsworthy. I dare say that even before the day is through, you and I both will read, watch, or hear some news that will stir our emotions. The temptation might be strong to react prematurely, whether publicly or inwardly in our spirit. No matter what it is, ask God to guide your thoughts, emotions, and words. And then, take a breath.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” James 1:19

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Although I’ve been reading my Bible daily for many years, this was a scenario I found myself in far too often. I would read and check the boxes off my Bible reading schedule, but often fail to come away with something I felt I could “sink my teeth into”, if you would.

Now don’t get me wrong, reading your Bible will benefit you regardless of whether you feel like you got something out of it. If you asked me what I had for dinner a year ago, a month ago, or even this time last week, I wouldn’t have a clue. But I can guarantee you I was nourished and strengthened by whatever meal my wife had prepared for us. So it is with the Bible. You may not always understand everything you read, and you may not get the warm and fuzzies every time you finish reading. But you’re still being nourished whether you realize it or not.

The Solution

So here’s what I began doing about two years ago.

Whenever I would read my Bible, I intentionally looked for a simple truth, principle, or “nugget” of wisdom that stood out to me. I wasn’t looking for some marvelous new revelation—just a key truth or observation from the text.

I would then open a notes app on my phone, paste the verse(s) I had read, and write down the truth or principle I got from that passage. And just like that, my Bible reading journal had begun.

Sometimes, it was just a single sentence. Other times, it was a couple of paragraphs. Occasionally, the truth would be so good, and I would be so helped by it, that I would write paragraph after paragraph about the truth God had shown me from His Word. There were even some days when I would get a full-blown sermon outline that I would file away to be preached at a later date.

Examples

Let me give some examples of passages I’ve read in the past and the actual notes I wrote down in my Bible reading journal.

How This Helps

At this point, you may be thinking, “Ok, so you write down a truth or observation from what you read. How does that actually help you get more out of your Bible reading?”

I thought you’d never ask.

First, I’ve found that it helps guard against the Bible-reading version of highway hypnosis. Have you ever been driving somewhere, especially on a long stretch of highway or an interstate, and arrived at your destination with no conscious memory of how you got there? That’s highway hypnosis. It’s essentially an altered mental state where your mind goes on autopilot and retains no memory of a long drive.

We all know what it’s like to be reading our Bible and get to the end of a chapter, only to realize we have no clue what we just read. (Oh, come on—don’t look so pious. You know you’ve been there.) So what do we do? Either we go back to reread it, or we—ahem—continue on anyway and tell ourselves that surely we absorbed some of what we read as our glazed-over eyes wandered over the page.

But if you’re reading with the intention of looking for a truth you can grasp, you’ll be much more likely to slow down and stay focused on the text.

Second, I’ve found that it helps reveal truths I had never noticed before. There’s no telling how many times I’ve read the Bible through, especially certain books and passages. But it seems like every time I approach my Bible reading with the focused intention of looking for a truth or principle, I end up stumbling across something I had read a hundred times before, yet had never really noticed.

Third, having a Bible reading journal puts the responsibility back on me to personally search for the treasures of truth found in God’s Word. In Psalm 119:127, David likens God’s Word to fine gold. The last time I checked, gold usually isn’t found lying scattered on top of the ground. If you really want to find gold, it’s going to take effort, work, and time. So it is with reading your Bible. So put in the effort, put in the time, and get to digging.

Fourth, a Bible reading journal gives me something I can look back on. As I mentioned, I have no recollection of what I ate a week ago. But do you know what I ate on March 20 of this year? I ate one of the best ribeye steaks that I’ve ever grilled. I tried a new method called dry brining. This is when you season the steaks the night before with coarse kosher salt and leave them uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours. This process pulls the moisture out of the steak, which then dissolves the salt on the surface. That liquid is then reabsorbed by the meat, essentially seasoning the steak from the inside out. To put it mildly, it was glorious.

But how do I remember what I ate that day? It’s because I took a picture of it. I’m not one to take pictures of food, but this was so good and had such an impact on my taste buds that it warranted a picture to commemorate the occasion.

When you read God’s Word and are helped, encouraged, and fed, don’t just enjoy it in the moment. Take a moment and write it down. Give yourself something you can look back on months or even years down the road and enjoy again what God gave you from His Word.

How to Get Started

So where do you begin? Here are just a few suggestions:

1. Keep it simple

Some of the most vital truths in God’s Word are very simple. Don’t overcomplicate the Bible. Begin by writing just a sentence or two when you come across a truth. Think of it as giving a simple summary answer to a child who asks what the verse means. There will be times when you may end up writing an extended entry, but don’t try to force it. Just keep it simple.

2. Manage your expectations

Don’t feel like you have to “find” something every day. Yes, read your Bible every day, but don’t feel pressured to “strike gold” every time you read. Read with your eyes and mind wide open, but remember that you’re still benefiting from reading the Bible even on days when you don’t have something to write down.

3. Choose a method

To stay consistent, choose how and where you’ll keep your Bible reading journal. For a long time, I used the Apple Journal app on my iPhone. Now, I use Obsidian, the main notes app I’ve switched to. For simplicity, consider using the default notes app on your phone or even a simple notebook.

4. Keep it organized

I recommend that each time you write something down, you create a note or journal entry with the date as the title. Even if you have multiple truths you want to record, don’t create a separate note for each one. Keep it to one note per day and separate the entries within it.

If you’re not reading your Bible on a daily basis, start today. If you already are, consider keeping a Bible reading journal for the next month and see how much more you get from God’s Word.

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When considering what I should name my blog, I kept being drawn back to this passage in Revelation 21:5.

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5

Although he was simply the penman of the divinely inspired words that Christ gave him, the apostle John was still a writer. He was responsible to faithfully transcribe the true and faithful words of Almighty God that he had been given. What a privilege. What a responsibility!

These words were not only true and faithful, but they were given from the One Who rightfully bore the title of Faithful and True.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True...” Revelation 19:11a

Truth and faithfulness—these are two words that get thrown around a lot today, yet we seem to live in a day where actual truth and faithfulness are rarely lived out.

Truth

The word true is defined as “Conformable to fact; being in accordance with the actual state of things. Genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit, adulterated, or false. Free from falsehood. Honest, not fraudulent.”

Imagine for a moment living in a world where everyone and everything was true. What would that be like? How would that change our society?

When politicians spoke, you could trust that every campaign promise and political stance on an issue was free from falsehood.

When stores advertised their products, you could confidently make your decision since the advertisement was conformable to fact.

When reading the news online, you could consume it without a second thought since it was honest, not fraudulent.

Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. Ever since Satan, the father of lies, entered this world, truth has been under his relentless assault. It started in the Garden of Eden when he attempted to sow doubt about the authenticity of God’s words, and it will continue until the day that he is cast into hell for all eternity.

Jesus Christ, however, is the very embodiment of truth. He doesn’t just speak truth, He is the truth. Truth is in His very nature. So much so that the Bible reveals that God is incapable of lying.

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” Titus 1:2

In a world seemingly void of truth, we have a God Who is the source of all truth.

Faithfulness

Faithfulness is the attribute that, if embraced, will bind us firmly to truth. It will act as a glue, if you would, that keeps us from becoming disconnected from the truth.

Webster’s Dictionary defines faithfulness as, “Firm in adherence to the truth. Firmly adhering to duty; of true fidelity; loyal; true to allegiance. Conformable to truth.”

Who better is a perfect example of faithfulness than Jesus Christ? In Titus 1:2, we see that God is incapable of being anything less than true. But in 2 Timothy 2:13, we find that He is incapable of being anything less than faithful.

“If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

We not only have a God Who is true to the core, but we have a God Who will always remain faithful to that truth. He’s not going to gradually drift from the truth; He’s not going to change from what He once was; He will always and forever be firmly adhered to the truth.

In a world seemingly void of faithfulness, we have a God Who abideth faithful.

A Return to Truth and Faithfulness

We need a revival of truth and faithfulness in our world today. It doesn’t take a theologian to observe that we are living in a world where truth and faithfulness are being utterly forsaken. Truth is often treated as something that is flexible that can be conformed to fit our opinions or lifestyle. Faithfulness has likewise become a rarity in our society today as commitments and loyalty are so carelessly forgotten. I say again, we need a revival of truth and faithfulness—in our marriages, in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and in our country.

But it begins with you. It begins with me. It begins with us returning to the very source of truth and faithfulness, Jesus Christ.

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Although I don’t like Starbucks, I am a millennial, and I do hope my mom will read my posts (you will read them...right, Mom?).

So why am I beginning to write? For a few reasons.

1. Writers Write

“Writers write.”

This is a statement I heard several years ago and was reminded of again in recent days. It seems like such an overly simplistic adage, but the principle is still true: if you want to become something, you have to actually start doing what that type of person does.

About seven years ago, I started my pressure washing business to help subsidize my income as an assistant pastor. In the months leading up to that, I tried to learn all that I could about the exterior cleaning industry and all the ins and outs of pressure washing and soft washing. I watched countless YouTube videos, joined numerous Facebook groups for professional pressure washers, and even read e-books from other pressure washing business owners. But if that was all I did, I wouldn’t have been a pressure washing business owner; I would have just been a guy with an odd overabundance of knowledge about pressure washing. To start my business, I had to actually start doing the things that a business owner does!

So it is with writing. I’ve decided to stop thinking about it and reading about it and actually start doing it.

2. The Desire to Write Books

I’ve always enjoyed reading, even from a very young age. I remember all the times my mom would take me to the library, and I would leave there with my arms piled high with all sorts of books that caught my interest. Before we would even get home, I would have my nose buried in my first book of choice and be completely lost in whatever I was reading.

As I’ve grown older, I’m thankful that I haven’t lost that joy of reading. To be able to sit down and read the thoughts and words of others, and be helped, encouraged, inspired, or educated by them years after they were written, is something I hope I never lose the wonder of.

As a young preacher quickly approaching my first decade of being in the ministry, I’ve become increasingly grateful for other preachers who have poured out their hearts on the written page over the years. These are men who wrote not for fame and not in theory, but men who have walked with God and have faithfully served in the trenches of ministry for years. Their willingness to invest countless hours through the medium of writing for the sake of the next generation of preachers is something I will always be grateful for.

Among other things, writing books to help and encourage others, as I have been, is something I hope to do one day.

3. Writing Forces Understanding

Writing can be an unforgiving mirror that reveals that you don’t know as much as you thought you did about a subject. Most people have no trouble talking about something that they have a basic understanding of for at least a little while. But when you’re forced to put what you’re trying to say into the written word, it demands that you have a true grasp of the subject.

If I were having a conversation with someone about turkey hunting, I could probably hold my own for at least a little while with the general hunting knowledge I have and the little I know about turkey hunting. But please, don’t ask me to write a paper about it. It would be a very short paper indeed.

However, if the subject was about bass fishing, that’s a different matter. I grew up fishing with my dad and brothers and enjoyed it, but I couldn’t say I was great at it. But a few years ago, while on our family vacation near Branson, I did a little bass fishing and instantly got bit by the bass fishing bug (or should I say, I got hooked?). If you asked me about bass fishing now, I could easily talk at length or write pages of information for the aspiring bass fisherman.

I could tell you how to choose your first baitcasting rod and what types of lures would work best for its particular length and stiffness. I could expound on the finer points of fishing a top-water frog and “walking the dog” with it to trigger that explosive topwater bite from bass in the shallows. I could list the pros and cons of using a Colorado blade versus a willow-leaf blade on your spinnerbaits, along with which colors of plastic worms work best in different water conditions. And of course, I’d be more than happy to tell you the story of catching my 6 lb 5 oz personal-best largemouth bass a couple of years back.

In other words, I can write intelligently and authoritatively about that subject because it’s something that I’ve put in the time to learn.

As I take these first steps into the world of writing, I’ll be writing about various topics and issues that matter to me. But the most important subject matter I’ll ever write about is truths and principles from God’s Word. Whether you’re preaching, teaching, or writing about Biblical truths, you can’t afford to “wing it”. God’s Word is too precious to approach it with that level of carelessness.

Therefore, I must put in the time. I must put in the study. I must put in the work.

And so I write, if for no other reason than that it will challenge, test, and force me to continually be a student of God’s Word.

4. The Call to Preach

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul instructs the young preacher boy, Timothy, to “Preach the Word.” The word “preach” comes from the Greek word kērýssō, the same word used to describe the actions of a king’s herald. The herald was the person sent by a king to deliver his message. He did not give his own message or his opinions of the king’s message; he was to simply deliver the king’s message with authority and urgency.

As a preacher, I have a divine duty to preach the Word of God. Simply put, I am responsible for faithfully communicating the truths found in God’s Word to others. It is truly a solemn calling to preach the Bible.

Thankfully, preachers are not responsible for the outcome of their preaching—we are simply commanded to herald the King’s message. I cannot force someone to be saved, nor can I change a heart through sheer logic and sound reasoning through the power of my words. It takes the power of God’s Word and the working of the Holy Spirit to change a person’s heart.

However, there is an element of persuasion that preachers are supposed to exhibit. After all, we are the King’s herald, and we have an urgent message for all to hear. This element of persuasion can be found in a variety of Scripture passages:

God Himself calls us to use the reasoning that we’ve been given.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Agrippa acknowledged that he was nearly persuaded to become a Christian.

“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Acts 26:28

In his letter to Titus, Paul urged him to hold fast to God’s Word for the purpose of exhortation and convincing.

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9

Writing is not preaching, and preaching is not writing. But I believe that the discipline of writing will strengthen a preacher’s ability to reason, to organize his thoughts, and to present his case for truth in a manner that will better equip him to fulfill his calling.

5. Another Voice for Truth

Lastly, I’m beginning to write simply because we need more voices in the public square who will unashamedly stand for truth.

There is no shortage of writers, podcasters, and influencers who spread an anti-Christian and humanistic worldview to all who will listen. This should not come as a surprise. We are, after all, living in an increasingly wicked world as we approach Christ’s return.

But should we just cede the public square of the internet to the world? Of course not. As Christians, we are commanded to be salt and light—to have a purifying and restraining influence on our world, and to shine the light of truth, even when it seems to only be getting darker. Whether it be through preaching, writing, podcasting, or video, Christians ought to be involved and use their voices in whatever way they can.

There are a number of preachers I follow on social media who use their platform to write and discuss topics related to Christianity, the ministry, and social issues. As a young preacher, I can’t express how much those men encourage, motivate, and challenge me by simply adding their voices in the midst of the noise of the online world. If you’re one of those men reading this, thank you.

I understand that I will largely be writing for myself, and I fully expect a good majority of my posts to essentially be me shouting into the void. But if God can use this discipline of writing to better equip me as a Christian and a preacher and perhaps be another voice for truth, it’ll be well worth the time and effort.

Final Thoughts

• If you’ve read this far, please accept my thanks and/or my apologies (whichever best applies). With few exceptions, most of my posts will be shorter and more focused.

• In my next post, I’ll explain why I chose True and Faithful as the name of this blog, and examine those two words in the light of Scripture.

• Most of my posts will focus on topics related to Christianity, the Bible, and the ministry. From time to time, I’ll also write about some personal interest topics.

• All thoughts are my own. Except for basic proofreading, and unless otherwise noted, no AI will be used in my posts. (And yes, that includes the em dash. As one author wrote, “You can pry my em dash from my cold, dead hands.”)

• I would love to hear from you! If you found an article to be helpful or have a question or comment, please feel free to leave a comment here or send me a message on social media. If you’d like to receive these posts in your inbox each week, you can subscribe using the button below.

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