Okay, I can just picture some of you with squinted eyes, scrunched brows, and a silent “What??” emerging from your brain.

Some of you have trouble saying “Thank you” and “You’re welcome.”

Is this you? Good.





If this is you, then you’re who I want to speak to today.

I’ve been part of many ministries. I’ve been in Student Ministries as a Student Leader, a prayer team member praying personally with people who approach you, Baptism Team member and leader gathering people and also baptizing them, evangelism witnessing to people randomly on the streets, outreach leader/pastor coordinating outreach activities and evangelism opportunities, worship team member, worship team leader, teaching pastor, small group leader, discipleship ministry leader, and a few others.

I’m not tooting my own horn here. Instead, I share this with you so that you will know I have experience in interacting with others, a lot. Which means, I have heard from people many times the kind words, “Thank you,” and compliments similar to, “That was really good.”

Now, as one who does ministry, I have been very reluctant to say, “Thanks” or “You’re welcome.” But why?

I think for starters, we’re afraid we will steal God’s glory

But this is not true. You will not steal God’s glory. He will be glorified with or without you.

I think most of the time people who are “working” for the Lord want to give God as much praise as they can. It’s a noble thing, really. I believe people have good intentions in doing so.

But what happens if all we ever do in response to an honest praise or a warm “Thank you” is to say, “Oh, it’s not me, it’s God”? What does that cause in the interaction or relationship between you and that person?

When we act like it was not us who just did that “thing” (what ever it is/was), which someone else enjoyed and/or benefited from, we become a bit impersonal and risk diminishing our witness.

If we don’t say “Thanks” or “You’re welcome,” we may risk disconnect

Why? Because no human in his or her right mind would not say that he or she did not just perform that guitar solo, which everyone CLEARLY saw. No one would say “I didn’t change that tire” after getting up from just bolting it on. No one would say, “I didn’t preach that sermon,” or ,”I didn’t just pray for you,” when in fact you did.

Imagine how that sounds to someone who may not know Jesus. Heck, it sounds odd to me, and I’m a Christian!

Listen, God has given each one of us gifts and talents. We get to use these to glorify Him and reflect His goodness to others. But don’t forget, we also get to enjoy our Lord through the use of our gifts. And if that produces in someone thankfulness for what we’ve done, we need to say “Thanks” or “You’re welcome.”

Of course, it doesn’t have to stop there. You can always move forward, AFTER saying thanks. Then you can tell that person why YOU are so grateful for the gift(s) God has given you.

Let me ask you this: When you hear Jesus say to you the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,” are you going to say “Thank you”?

Or when Jesus says, “Thank you for serving me. For when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me,” are you going to tell Him, “You’re welcome, Lord. Anything for you”?

Due to recent criticism, I feel the need to explain my closure: I do not intend to make Scripture fit my bill. Instead, I’m using an illustration to point to something relevant, which is to ask yourself if you ever think Jesus will say “thanks” to you? And if He does, will you welcome His thanks? Point is this: You don’t have to be ultra-humble insomuch that you cannot receive honest praise from someone else (which would be false humility). When someone gives you a warm compliment, just say thanks. Then you can tell them how God has blessed you! I’ve meet too many people (I used to be one, and fight being one now!) who would turn down a thanks or a “you’re welcome” because they’ve thought they had to reference EVERYTHING to God. It’s okay to receive a thanks. That’s the point of this post and my apologies for making it sound like anything other than that.

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Today I am sharing with you a free devotional I get via email through Ephesians Four Ministries. I thought it was a bit moving and said a lot about our love for others amidst persecution.

Persecution is going to happen, but when it does, how will you and I respond?

Enjoy the article and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” – Matthew 5:11

Recently, a friend told a true story about one of his closest friends who experienced great suffering for the soul of his persecutor. This man worked on a cargo ship. His boss was the captain. This friend was a committed Christian who shared his faith with others and was a good worker. One day the friend led the sea captain’s girlfriend to Christ. The sea captain already hated and ridiculed the Christian worker because of his faith in Christ. When his girlfriend came to Christ, she stopped sleeping with the captain. The captain blamed the Christian man for the change in his girlfriend. One day he entered the restaurant where the Christian man was having lunch. He walked over to his table and began hurling obscenities and began beating him. The Christian man simply tried to defend himself but did not fight back. The captain kept beating him until eventually the man lay on the floor bleeding.

Two men entered the restaurant and saw what was taking place. They jumped the sea captain and took him outside and began beating him. The sea captain was beaten so badly that he needed immediate medical attention. The Christian worker saw the condition of the sea captain, came to his aid, and began helping him. The sea captain was so moved that this man could do this after he had literally beaten him bloody that he began to weep, not understanding what could move a man to have such love in the face of being beaten. The sea captain accepted Jesus at that moment.

The Bible tells us that while we were yet sinners Christ came and paid our penalty so that we might live eternally. Many in the workplace have never known the love of Christ. You might be the only one they ever meet who can introduce them to this love. Ask God to show you how to love the unlovable in your workplace today.

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In fact, if you read them you will gain access to the most protected knowledge in the world.

That’s right, these articles will make you super smart—smarter than all your peers and spiritually superior. . .

Okay, maybe not. But they are good articles! And you should read them!

So here they are. Read them all!

From SortingBeans:

1. Is Jesus The Only Way To God?
2. Hello, I Am Haitian
3. Focus: It’s Unhabitual
4. Moral Obligation in a Pop Culture. Make Sense?

From Friends:

1. Win Something Free from Don
2. How Faith is Created in Your Soul
3. Daniel’s Battle with Skepticism
4. Leaders, Don’t Be A Moron

Extended Staff:

1. 10 Things that Keep Us From Mission
2. Pagan Christianity Critique
3. The Doctrine of Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul

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That is, in your faith.

I used to get involved in debates quite frequently.

Most of them were online, and sometimes in some kind of forum. Other times they have been personal.

But never have I participated in a formal debate—I still wonder about that.

Recently, though, I have been involved in a bit of a debate with another person in a comment thread on a website I often read.

It’s been a back-and-forth commenting on the issue of the Bible being exclusive truth, and Jesus being the only means to salvation—Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6).

We obviously stand in two complete different interpretations of Scripture, as he calls himself a Christian yet denies the deity of Christ and the physical resurrection.

Me? Well, you should know, I affirm them both . . . firmly.

But how far should we go in our debates
and how do we end them in love?

I do not think we should shrink from them, because we are told to always be prepared to give an answer.

Then there’s the problem with the fact that you or I can never make someone believe. We cannot rely on testimony alone, but we can give them knowledge of the truth and reasons to believe.

Some, however, will not believe because they lack the faith, and are just unable to obtain this of themselves.

We certainly want to discuss, but when do we divide? Where is the line in our witnessing? How far do we go?

Or do we divide?

What’s your answer to all this? I would love to hear.



—Jonathan

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And I suppose it couldn’t come on a better day.

Last week, as you saw for yourself, I left a post up all week long in honor of Charlie Matthews. He will be missed by many, but I know he’s experiencing something beyond what he ever thought Heaven to be. Last week was rough in many ways, but I’m glad it’s a new week and I’m looking forward to it.

I am excited in particular about Tuesday and Wednesday because I get to go to the Acts 29 Bootcamp in Louisville, KY! I am really blessed to be able to do this. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now. A little while ago, I thought I was going to be in the process of starting a new church. Things weren’t falling into place just right and I decided to not “make” anything happen and just be patient. Actually, I had about 10 people who were ready to start meeting, so I had a good size core group to start. The situation was complicated, though, and I think it was best for me to just chill for a little while.

I still hope that God gives me the opportunity to plant.

I believe the best way to get the Gospel of Jesus in to any area is to take it there. While I think outreaches to different neighborhoods are important, this is not what I mean. I mean planting, or stationing, the Gospel in that neighborhood. Live in it. Start the church in it. Do work in it. Saturate it with your presence and show the culture there that you care, that the Church cares about it.

This bootcamp in Louisville will not make me a church planter, and neither will getting a degree in ministry. God makes church planters. What I think God will use this for in my life is to convict me of error, encourage me in my calling, and help train me in that calling. When it comes time God will make it happen. I am really encouraged and excited for a friend of mine who is getting assessed as a church planter in Middletown, Ohio.

Until then, I sit patiently like a child waiting to get out of time-out.

I love ministry and I love helping people “get” it. I love seeing people grow in Christ. I love seeing people connect with God. I love to see people heal. I love seeing people understand the Scriptures. I love it. I love to ask the question, “So, what do you think God has been teaching you lately?” The wonderful thing is that you don’t have to be a church leader to do this stuff. But to be a church planter, I think, part of it means helping other people be able to do this stuff. And I love that too.

What’s your calling? Do you know what your calling is? Where do you think God may be leading you? And most of all, what do you think God is teaching you lately?

—Jonathan

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