Can't Beat the Heat (Friday Devotional)

Note: This will be the last weekly devotional I write until September, owing to a 5-week sabbatical my church has granted me from July 27 through August 29. I will endeavor to use that time for rest, reflection, and development, including some travel and a couple of special projects.

If memory serves, this will be only the third break I’ve taken from writing these weekly devotionals since I began in 2012, the first due to a trip overseas and the second when my family moved from Waco to Garland. I hope that I’ll come back refreshed and that you’ll continue reading these once they resume on September 4.



The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.

- Psalm 19:1-4

It’s been hot this week. Like, really hot. Really, really hot.

I should explain why this is so front of mind for me. Starting Wednesday, 5 kids and 4 adults from my church, including myself, have been at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Encampment in Cedar Hill for preteen camp. There has been worship, Bible study, and plenty of recreation as we’ve all sought to draw near to the Lord and grow together. The nature of such a camp is that much of what we do happens outdoors, which is certainly a blessing…most of the time. Unfortunately, the two days we’ve been at camp so far have been the two hottest days of the summer, with temperatures hitting triple digits and the humidity doing its part to make things even worse.

That kind of heat takes your breath away. It’s the kind of heat where the only running you want to do is towards an air-conditioned building. It’s the kind of heat where you feel like you need a shower roughly 2.5 seconds after stepping outside. It’s the kind of heat where…well, you get the picture. It’s hot.

Natural extremes—whether severe heat or cold, natural disasters like tornadoes and hurricanes, and awe-inspiring landmarks like the Grand Canyon—have a way of revealing how fragile human beings really are, and how great God is. We like to think we’ve conquered the elements, but all it takes is a change in the weather to reveal the reality.

The psalmist knew that God’s majesty is on display every time we step outside—even if sometimes we don’t notice until things get extreme. The earth and the sky, the plants and the animals, all of creation reveal the glory of God and our dependence on his mercy.

Tonight I’ll join in with hundreds of children and adults in praising God, all from the relative comfort of an air-conditioned worship center, and then we’ll exit into the muggy, mosquito-filled air of a Texas evening. The good news is that God is at work in both places. All we have to do is pay attention.

July Reading Log

 

It was a short month, with youth camp at the beginning and preteen camp at the end, but I managed to cram plenty of reading in. Take a look!

DIDN'T SEE IT COMING by Cary Nieuwhof

I found this leadership book by former pastor and coveted conference speaker Cary Nieuwhof to be far more instructive and helpful than I'd anticipated, and timed perfectly coming right before my sabbatical. It addresses seven of the most common issues that leaders face over time, the sort that drive people out of leadership: cynicism, compromise, disconnection, irrelevance, pride, burnout, and emptiness. Nieuwhof's goal is to give the reader some early warning signs they can recognize, as well as point to better ways of being before it's too late.

Most startling for me was the burnout chapter, which cited eleven signs and symptoms that you're at the end of your rope and in dire need of rest and renewal. Ten of them applied to me. Thankfully, Nieuwhof also offers ten ways to come back from burnout, and taking a sabbatical is one of them.

This book came at just the right time in my life, with me having picked it up on a whim years ago at a used bookstore, but never opening it until now. I would definitely recommend it as education and encouragement for other leaders, especially those in ministry.

COMMON SENSE by Thomas Paine

After spending all of last month reading Democracy in America, I decided to dive into another primary source for July 4, Thomas Paine's Common Sense. This little pamphlet—I read it in two sittings—made the case in January 1776 that the time has come for the colonists to split from England. Part polemic against the king, part Enlightenment-era rational argument why the colonies are deserving of political independence, the pamphlet circulated widely and was considered by the Founding Fathers to be crucial in persuading people that the time for revolution had come.

Blessedly short (especially after 800+ pages of de Tocqueville), this is required reading for every American, right along with the Declaration of Independence. And in a time when "no kings" has become a rallying cry for roughly half the country, you may even find its arguments to be prescient, some 250 years after its publication.

HOW TO READ AND WHY by Harold Bloom

Harold Bloom is arguably the most famous literary critic of the 20th century, a Yale literature professor who continued arguing for the existence and importance of a western canon even as many postmodern scholars dismissed the notion. How to Read and Why is an entry-level look into his thinking, as he makes the case that wisdom can be found in reading some of the great novels, plays, and poetry.

Unfortunately, this book has two major problems. First, Bloom assumes the readers familiarity with the books he's examining, rarely offering even a sentence of plot summary before getting into the weeds of Henry James or Flannery O'Connor. This may be fine for Shakespeare or Moby Dick, but it's a barrier to entry for other works.

Second, and most aggavatingly, Bloom is an inveterate snob, the kind of critic who dismisses "grocery store fiction" and who seems to believe that, with two or three exceptions, no great books have been written since 1945. For Bloom, there is no compliment higher than "Shakesperean," and indeed, he compares virtually every author to Shakespeare, whether favorably or unfavorably.

While I stubbornly finished this book—it's less than 300 pages long, and I paid $5 for it at Half Price Books—I won't pretend I enjoyed it, and I will happily be returning it to the store where I got it for pennies on the dollar. If you're wanting a book on books, I can think of at least 20 I'd recommend before this one.

JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough

John Adams' fate, it seems, was to always be an afterthought, always second to come to mind. He was, of course, the second president of the United States, following the revered George Washington. Before that, he was the most vocal and influential proponent for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress—but history's credit goes not to him, but to Thomas Jefferson, the declaration's author. Even in his own family, it was Abigail Adams who universally beloved and respected, and the comparisons others drew between her and her husband did not tend to reflect favorably upon John.

So David McCullough's authoritative 2001 biography of John Adams is fitting in its approach: on the one hand, it seeks to give the reader a fuller understanding of who the Founding Father really was, offering a sympathetic look at his life and legacy. But on the other hand, one never shakes the feeling that he was overshadowed in life and in death—by Washington, by Jefferson, and even by Abigail.

McCullough, one of America's preeminent historials, offers a traditional, life to death biography here, akin to what he did for Harry Truman in 1992. And as was his approach then, his approach to his subject is to treat him as a protagonist—while never shying away from Adams' faults, he is coming at him from a sympathetic perspective, seeking to glorify his accomplishments and offer explanation for his defects.

For McCullough, Adams is the most approachable and humble of the Founding Fathers, a farmer and family man thrust into service by the American Revolution. Adams in his view never saw himself as a Great Man of History in the way that Jefferson clearly did, but he rose to the occasion nevertheless, whether as a revolutionary, a diplomat, or a president. And so it was at home, whether in his simple birthplace in Braintree, Massachusetts or his later house in Quincy, that Adams felt most comfortable, not the halls of Versailles or the presidential abode of his own young nation.

Adams is often viewed in the popular imagination as a transitory figure, a bridge from the Revolution to the nation's expansion in the 19th century, from Washington to Jefferson. McCullough doesn't really dispell this idea, even as he seeks to show that Adams was crucial in making that transition as smooth as possible. His account of the Adams administration is of a president who could never hope to be as revered as his predecessor nor be given the freedom to move forward that his succesor had—it fell to Adams to prepare the way for a future he would never see.

When we think about John Adams, we inevitably compare him to his peers, and usually unfavorably. He lacked Washington's gravitas, Franklin's genius, and Jefferson's charisma. But McCullough persuasively makes the case that, in an era of titans, Adams deserves his own recognition. Simply put, being second to George Washington is nothing to be ashamed of.

NO CURE FOR BEING HUMAN by Kate Bowler

Kate Bowler, through her research, writing, and personal story, has become a generational voice for those tired of the glib, "power of positive thinking" messages we hear so often in America, particularly in evangelical circles. Her Everything Happens podcast, where she talks about suffering and grief with assorted guests, and her first memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved, deal extensively with the culture's allergy to these difficult subjects, offering an authentic, faithful, and even hopeful alternative. She continues in that vein in No Cure for Being Human, a second memoir that leans more heavily on her personal story than its predecessor while still drawing out some universal messages.

That story is about how Bowler, a successful professor at Duke University with a husband and a baby boy, was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and told she had mere months to live. The book traces her journey through an experimental immunotherapy treatment that, shockingly, ended up proving completely effective. Along the way, she traces all the fears, surprises, and ultimately, cautious joy that came with her experience. This is not a "and they all lived happily ever after" kind of book, but rather one that wrestles with the struggles she endured and seeks to find meaning in them.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book comes at the very end, a quick 2 page chart that contrasts superficial cliches (like "everything happens for a reason") with what she has found to be the truth. The last one gives the book its title: instead of "you're invincible!" she reminds the reader, "there's no cure for being human." The world (and the church) needs more people willing to tell those kinds of truths.

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by C.S. Lewis

I remember when my dad first read The Chronicles of Narnia to me as a child, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was my least favorite. Between all the nautical vocabulary and the episodic nature of the adventures, it didn't compel me as much as the other books in the series.

Based on the four months it took for me and my kids to finish Dawn Treader, it seems I haven't changed my mind.

The third book in The Chronicles of Narnia sees the two youngest of the Pevensie children, Edmund and Lucy, transported back to the magical realm along with their spoiled, obnoxious cousin Eustace. They find themselves aboard a Narnian ship, the Dawn Treader, where their friends King Caspian, the valiant mouse Reepicheep, and a crew of sailors are sailing to find the end of the world. Along the way, they encounter all sorts of friends and foes, seeing strange sights they'd never known back in Narnia. Oh, and Eustace grows up (thank goodness—if you thought Edmund was bad in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, he's got nothing on his cousin.)

Mostly absent in this tale is Aslan, though he makes a few important appearances. That may be another reason this one never gripped me like other Narnia stories. Once you've met a Jesus lion, you don't really want to go without him for too long.

Jokes aside, this is not a bad book by any means, but I do think it's a weaker story than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Prince Caspian, and that Lewis spends too much time on description and too little time on characterization. I doubt this one will make anybody give up on The Chronicles of Narnia, but I suspect I'm not the only person who ever rejoiced at finishing it and moving on to the next book.

ESSENTIAL AVENGERS VOL. 3 by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, Gene Colan, et al.

THIS is where The Avengers starts to get good. Following nearly 50 issues by the likes of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Heck, and friends, writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema were handed the keys and they stepped on the gas. Black Panther, having first been introduced in Fantastic Four, is added to the roster. The villainous Ultron enters the picture, followed soon after by his android offspring, the Vision. Hank Pym has his first mental breakdown, resulting in a new superhero identity and his marriage to the Wasp (I know how it sounds...you had to be there.) And after years of somewhat aimless storytelling, the book starts to find its identity.

Thomas bears much of the responsibility for that, and indeed his vision (pun intended) for the team would arguably shape the book for decades. But the real star of this volume is John Buscema, who alongside inker Tom Palmer puts out some of his best work. With a look that would eventually become Marvel's house style for the 1970s, Buscema combines realism with dynamism...and, crucially for these Essential volumes, it looks great in black and white.

The seeds planted in this volume would come to bear fruit for at least the next decade (as you'll see over the rest of the year while I make my way through all nine of the Essential Avengers books). To see where it all really began, these issues are the best place to start.

Cleaning Up the Mess (Friday Devotional)

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

- Colossians 3:12-13

Don’t cry over spilled milk, they say. Little messes are unworthy of big reactions, and it’s important to keep your head when something goes awry in life.

But here’s the thing—when your kitchen table is covered in milk, it’s hard to remember that lesson. You’re scrambling for a towel, you’re trying to contain the mess, and you’re wondering why nobody is helping you. And in that moment, crying over spilled milk feels pretty reasonable.

That’s why Scripture ties virtues like patience and forgiveness to something bigger than doing the right thing merely for the sake of doing the right thing—living well is tied to life in Christ. We forgive because Christ has forgiven us. We bear with one another because we are one in Christ. We love because he first loved us.

It’s not about what you’re capable of, in other words, but remembering what he has done for you. If you count on yourself to be a saint at all times, you will find yourself yelling when you should have listened and holding grudges when you know you should forgive. You will cry over spilled milk. So focus less on your abilities, your strength, and your will, and lean instead on the Lord’s.

Losing Jesus (Friday Devotional)

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand

- John 10:27-28

Over the last few years, my family has picked up a small assortment of miniature rubber Jesus figures, some given to us by friends and others picked up as giveaways. So last week, Andrew and Katherine decided it would be fun to hide four of them around the house and then send me and Lindsey on a scavenger hunt.

They hid them well—one on a light switch, another on the fireplace, still another on a wall decoration. But as we ransacked the house for the final Jesus figure, neither Lindsey nor I could find it anywhere. When we asked for a clue, Andrew said he didn’t know where it was either, that Katherine had hidden that one. And when we asked her, she couldn’t remember where she’d put it.

We kept searching, but to no avail. And no matter how hard she tried, Katherine couldn’t recall in what room she’d hidden it. As the minutes crawled by and Lindsey and I prepared to give up, Katherine grew more upset that she couldn’t remember where she’d put it. Finally, in tears, she exclaimed, “I lost Jesus!”

What a nightmare it would be if believers could really do that—not lose a rubber figurine, but lose their relationship with the Lord. Having placed your faith and your hope in Jesus to save you, what a terrifying thought that he might leave you if you step out of line.

After all, that happens sometimes with earthly relationships. Parents get divorced and only one sticks around to help raise the child. Spouses determine their differences are irreconcilable and call it quits. Friends drift apart. Some earthly relationships wind up having a shelf life far shorter than you ever anticipated they would.

But the Lord promises that he never leaves nor forsakes us, and that no one can snatch us out of his hand. Once you follow the call of the Good Shepherd, you are part of his flock—and he will never abandon you to the wolves.

You can lose possessions. You can lose friends. You can even lose family members. But praise God, you can never lose Jesus.

Prayers for Our Nation (Friday Devotional)

“...if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

- 2 Chronicles 7:14

I’ve spent the past week at youth camp with 16 campers and 3 adult sponsors from our church, along with hundreds of other participants from around the state. Youth camp is one of my favorite weeks of the year, and something I’ve made a priority since my first year as a pastor—I love everything from the bad food and the silly games to the inspiring worship services and the infectious earnestness of teenagers captivated by their love for Jesus.

At Mt. Lebanon Baptist Encampment, where our church typically goes every summer, camp ends with the “Concert of Prayer,” a 2+ hour service that is routinely the most meaningful gathering of the week. No sermon is preached. The band leads in a few worship songs, but the vibe is considerably more muted than at the more raucous morning and evening worship services. Mostly it’s just a morning of guided prayer, huddle after huddle of teenagers bowing their heads and lifting their requests to God. It never ceases to move me.

Camp is over now, but I can’t shake the sight of hundreds of young believers repenting and confessing and thanking and petitioning their God. And on this weekend when we celebrate 250 years as a nation, I don’t want to forget it.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God promises his children that, by turning to him in a spirit of humility and repentance, they will receive his forgiveness and blessing. To be sure, America is not Israel, and a promise given to one group of ancient Israelites ought not necessarily be read as a universal guarantee for God’s people for all time.

Nevertheless, James 5:16 reminds us that the prayers of the righteous have great power. I saw it myself just yesterday in a crowded auditorium in Cedar Hill. When believers cry out to God—not triumphally, but humbly; not demanding power, but offering repentance; not wanting to see our will done, but God’s—we see change come.

If you’re wanting a spiritual awakening in America, don’t fix your eyes on the ballot box, but on Jesus. Don’t focus on the White House, but the church house. For it is to the humble, obedient, repentant prayers of his children that the Father responds.

June Reading Log

Happy 250th birthday, America! I read a seminal, prophetic work about you this month (along with an excellent memoir and a bunch of old Avengers comics). To see what I thought, keep reading!



ALL MY KNOTTED-UP LIFE by Beth Moore

Growing up, I knew Beth Moore as "that lady who writes women's Bible studies," which was both correct and extremely reductive. In fact, Moore was one of the most prominent people in Southern Baptist (and therefore, more broadly, American evangelical) life. She wrote books that were instant bestsellers, she filled megachurches and conference centers when she spoke, and, yes, she wrote Bible studies that Sunday School classes and life groups devoured.

Then in 2016, when the Access Hollywood tape hit the airwaves, she crossed Donald Trump and his followers by questioning how Christians could possibly excuse such behavior. When she refused to retreat from that conviction, she was abruptly cancelled by the SBC universe, in ways both social and official. Having given decades of her life to the church, specifically the Southern Baptist Convention of churches, she was now a pariah within it.

Moore has since bounced back—she does not have and probably will never again reach an audience the size she once did, but she maintains a following, particularly among that segment of the country that loves the Lord but is ambivalent about where evangelicalism finds itself in the age of Trump. In 2019, she was one of the guests at Truett Seminary's inaugural preaching conference and preached what I consider the finest sermon I've ever heard. She continues to write and speak, even as the opportunities are more limited than they once were.

So, especially in light of the news coming out of this year's Southern Baptist Convention meeting, I decided it was time to read her 2025 memoir, which traces the circuitous path her life has taken and offers thanks to the Lord for holding her through it all. This was my first Beth Moore book, but it won't be my last.

Those looking for a tell-all about her life post-2016 will be disappointed; this is not that kind of book. In typical Moore fashion, full of grace and wit, she tells her story from childhood through today, reflecting on the highs and lows and never flinching from uncomfortable moments.

Indeed, the newsworthy headline that came from this book's release was that Moore was sexually abused by her father as a young girl. Those wanting a cathartic confrontation will be disappointed; she maintained a relationship with him (as did her mother) until his death, even reminding him that she forgave him on his deathbed. Her childhood, as she narrates over nearly half the book, was chaotic and cruel at points, joyful and loving at others. You don't get clear-cut heroes and villains, just fallen people trying to get by.

That pattern is consistent throughout her life, whether she's talking about her parents; her husband Keith, whom she adores even as she is unafraid to point out his flaws and blind spots; or the Southern Baptist church which gave her so much only to cruelly rip it all away. Moore is both honest and gracious, sincere in both her love and her criticism.

Those willing to read about a faithful life where only one person is perfect will love this book, as I did. Having checked it out from the library, this is one where I'm going to have to hunt down a copy for my shelf. We need more Christians willing to tell the truth about their "knotted-up lives."

DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA by Alexis de Tocqueville

In 1831, the French diplomat Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to America to observe what made our still-young country so special. His findings, presented in the two-volume Democracy in America, were a sociological study so insightful that we're still reading it today. So this month, in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I read the whole thing, all 880 pages of it.

Volume 1 examines the political structures of the United States, from the three branches of government to the rule of the majority to the preeminence of the Constitution. This volume takes you back to your high school social studies classroom, and is pretty easy reading for the nerds like me who eat that stuff up.

Volume 2 I found more challenging to read, riskier in its predictions, and, given where our country finds itself today, sadder. It deals with the more abstract nature of the country: our religiosity, our ambitiousness and industriousness, how we relate to one another, etc. Many of de Tocqueville's insights into the American character held strong for 150+ years, only to suddenly seem questionable in the last decade or so. For example, the arisocratic de Tocqueville writes often of the United States as a classless society, where the rich and the poor alike hold the same beliefs about what would one day be called "the American Dream." That used to feel true; it feels more tenuous today.

Democracy in America, given the dry subject matter and date of its writing, was more readable than I feared it would be, though only a completist or a hard-core nerd (I qualify on both counts) needs to read the whole thing; key passages will do just fine for most. It's always worth asking what outsiders think of what you're doing, and this Frenchmen hit the nail on the head more times than you might expect.

ESSENTIAL AVENGERS VOL. 1-2 by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Jack Kirby, Don Heck, et al.

This month I decided it was time to jump back into the Essentials, specifically the first two of nine volumes containing 200+ issues of The Avengers. Long before they were the faces of Hollywood, the Avengers were Marvel's answer to the Justice League, a team mixing the stars of its universe (Iron Man, Thor) with B-level characters popular enough to feature, but not capable of helming their own books (Giant Man, the Wasp). It would take 50 years and some blockbuster films for the team to surpass other Marvel properties like the Fantastic Four, but it all started here.

These initial Essential volumes, covering the first 46 issues and an oversized annual, are reflective of the early Silver Age, when Stan Lee was still developing his voice and was throwing way too many words at the page. Similarly, the art—first by Jack Kirby, then Don Heck—is serviceable but nothing special. Reading two issues per day of these books, my pace for most of the month, was a bit of a slog, taking me every bit of 45 minutes most mornings.

But there are some things worth highlighting. The first comes in issue #4, when Captain America—a Kirby creation from the Golden Age of comics—is revived from the icy waters of the Atlantic and joins the team. Another is a heavy-handed but well-intentioned story where the Avengers oppose the Sons of the Serpent, a xenophobic stand-in for the Ku Klux Klan. Lastly is one of the book's biggest swings, when the entire original lineup is replaced by "Cap's Kooky Quartet," i.e. Captain America joined by villains-turned-heroes Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye. That lineup would see the comraderie and competency of the original group replaced by a squad of bickering, jealous Avengers eager to prove themselves.

These early issues show a book finding its footing, but managing to consistently offer entertaining stories while doing so. In the next volume, things really start to take off. Tune in next month to see for yourself!

Freebies (Friday Devotional)

"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." 

- Matthew 10:8

There is a tradition at certain restaurants that, as an act of hospitality, certain food is given to you free of charge before you ever receive your entrée. At a fried fish joint, you can stuff yourself on saltines and butter crackers. At a steakhouse, they’ll bring out fresh bread. And most famously, at any reputable Tex-Mex restaurant you get limitless baskets of chips with salsa.

The funny thing about this tradition is how it affects your perception of the restaurant—you start to judge the place as much on the free food as what you’re paying for. Texas Roadhouse gets forgiven if your medium steak comes out well done, because you started the night with four dinner rolls slathered in cinnamon butter. Your enchiladas at Chuy’s are forgotten, but the creamy jalapeño dip that came with your chips lives on in your memory. The freebies matter more than you think.

The same is true in relationships. We place a lot of importance on big moments and events—birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, etc. By showing up in these moments, by buying the perfect gift, by checking all the boxes, you think you’re doing your part for your friends and family members.

But while those big moments certainly matter, there’s something to be said for the smaller moments: texting your friend that you’re thinking about her on a random Tuesday, buying your coworker lunch for no reason at all, hugging your child extra tight just because. It is the accumulation of these relational “freebies” that communicates consistent, sincere love most effectively.

Jesus did both throughout his ministry—he gave his life on the cross for us all, but he also gave his time to a Samaritan woman at a well. In ways that were sometimes small and sometimes cinematic, on the most extraordinary occasions and the most ordinary, Jesus gave himself fully to people. As his disciple, may you show that same kind of love: gracious, sacrificial, and free.