Every Thursday morning I find myself in a room in downtown Spartanburg with a group of people who are hungry and thirsty for God's Word. I have been given the great honor of being their Bible teacher (but often I find that I am the student). They are a group of senior adults who come from all over the county and from many different denominations. Most of them are black women who know their Bible and call me "Baby, "Honey" and "Rev." They have treated me with respect and love.

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose. (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)

I just finished reading a book on communication titled War of Words by Paul Tripp. It is an excellent book that I recommend everyone take the time to read. I have never come across a more detailed biblical treatment of communication. In the first part of the book he deals with where the struggle with words comes from

Many of the problems we experience when talking with one another emerge from the fact that we have usurped the authority of God: We say what we want to say, when and how we want to say it. We speak as if we are in charge and as if we have the right to use words to advance our purpose, and to achieve what would make us happy (pp. 20-21).

Words are powerful. We have the ability and freedom to choose when it comes to words. We can choose to use our words as weapons to destroy our “enemy” or we can choose to use them as loving building blocks shoring up another person’s insecurities. And there are all kinds of avenues through which we can use our words…

1. Verbal: This is what we say to each other. It’s the stuff of everyday life. Verbal communication is something that is unavoidable. It is almost impossible to make it through any day without saying something to somebody (unless we are trapped alone on a deserted island).

2. Written: The unique thing about writing is that you can edit. This is so cool! I write about 4,500 words a week. I remember writing papers in college and seminary all the while dreaming of the day when I would be released from the “writing prison” and enter ministry. Boy was I fooled. I have come to love writing, but just wish someone would read my words.

3. Body Language: A very powerful way we communicate is often through what is not said but the way our body says what we say. Are our arms folded? What is the expression on our face? Do we maintain eye contact? Often we communicate detachment just by the way we present ourselves to somebody. An important key I have learned over the years is to be genuine when I ask about how someone is doing. I have to consciously tell myself to stop, look the person in the eye, sit down if they are sitting, and shut my mouth when they are telling me about how they are doing.

Use your words wisely, here’s talking with ya!

Grace & Peace, Scott

Something about giving and stewardship has been on my mind for the last several days and I wanted to share it with you.

Over the last several months I have witnessed at Calvary Church a humble obedience through the Spirit of God. In February I challenged all of us to ask what God would want us do to Seize a God-Sized Opportunity. That opportunity was to buy a piece of property for the future. To do this we would need to raise enough money to offset the need for the interest income we use in the general budget. What took place was humble obedience. People prayed and people gave. Some gave in the thousands, some in hundreds, and some in tens. Every gift was a sacrifice that reminded me of something Jesus observed:

⁴¹And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:41-44 ESV)

I know this has been a sacrifice for everyone who has given. This is money that would normally be used to buy groceries, or pay off a credit card balance, or go to the movies, or out to eat, but humble obedience to the Spirit was far more important than food on the table or a good time out. The amount is not what is important to God, but the humble obedience is. No matter what amount was given it blessed the heart of the Father...and your pastor as well.

Grace & Peace, Scott

Have you ever lost it with your words? We all have. We’ve all had those moments when we wish we could take back what we said, and it usually happens with the people we love the most. I’m not absolutely sure why this is, but I suspect that it has something to do with the comfort we experience with those closest to us.

Something happened the other day that caused me great anguish and illustrates the point I want to make. We had just returned from a wonderful vacation and it was Friday. Now every Friday I do the yard work, wash a vehicle, and then run. Usually by the time I am finishing up washing the vehicle I am pretty exhausted. I was just about to dry the Expedition when Abby and Barb came out to go to the orthodontist. This is where it gets dicey…Abby was maneuvering her car out of the driveway and I was in the way. After about her 6^th attempt to back around me I blew up and finally moved the car I was washing, but I let both my daughter and wife know it was an inconvenience to me because it was an interruption to my work. I was telling myself as they backed out of the driveway: “Hey, it’s my driveway.” “I’ve been out in the hot sun all day working.” “Why couldn’t the appointment been five minutes later?” “I do all this for them.” They could tell I was angry by my words and actions. They left and I fumed. Immediately after they were gone I began to debate with myself. I justified my angry words and actions, but then I felt foolish and embarrassed. At the end of the self-debate I emerged victorious (I always win the debates I have with myself)!

After the cleaning of the vehicle ritual was done I got myself ready to run. As I walked outside Barb and Abby came home. All three of us were making apologies, but I was the one who needed forgiveness. I asked them to forgive me for my anger and selfishness. I was living in the flesh and my selfishness dictated my response to them. I hate to live with unresolved conflict.

This is what Paul was getting at when he wrote that we are to “speak kind words to one another” (Ephesians 4:29, 32). If that fails he said, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). I think Keith got it right when he said that if we don’t take care of the sin by the end of the day then it will be the first thing we think of in the morning. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wake up every morning with anger on my mind. I want to wake up with a fresh view of God’s grace!

Grace & Peace, Scott