Tag Archives: Grace

Message in A Minute: Works In progress

I was first invited to a church when I was 17 years old.

I had been to churches a few times growing up, but nothing even resembling a consistent church attendance.

I walked into that church at 17 years old with long hair, ripped jeans, and a heavy metal t-shirt on. I honestly wasn’t trying to push any buttons. That was just who I was, and I didn’t know enough about religion to even pretend I was somebody else.

Sure I got some odd looks, yes a couple father’s in the church subtly kept me from even sitting near their daughters. On Sundays, I would usually sit in the back, to avoid any uncomfortable situations. Things like that happen. I even understand why some assumed things about me.

But there were these older ladies who sat in the front row of the church who overwhelmed me with love. They would always hug me, ask me how I was doing, and accepted me exactly the way I was.

A couple times they even invited me and my group (made up of my brother, a cousin, and a friend) to sit with them in the front.

It looked like Metallica was sitting with the Golden Girls.

That’s what God does.

He brings people together, His grace is the same for us all, He isn’t impressed with our clothes, our financial situation, or our status.

It makes me smile when I think of those older ladies who were so welcoming. They are part of the reason I’m a pastor today.

Love people where they are, if they are rough around the edges, let God make any changes needed. Make sure you are growing in your faith, you just may be the reason another person opens their heart to God.

We are all a work in progress.
We are no better than another.
We are all candidates for God’s goodness.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Return

Every time I hear the song “In the Air Tonight”, I’m instantly 8 years old riding in the back of a station wagon on my way to my grandparents’ house.

When you hear certain songs, does your mind go back to specific times in your life?

Have you ever gone through a closet and found some old photos that take you to another place and time?

Have you ever smelled something that filled your mind with nostalgia?

Of course the answer to all of those questions is yes.

This phenomenon is common in all cultures and it is bitter sweet most of the time.

There is a time in all of our lives that we hold close. A time when all seemed right with the world. He was still around. She was still in your life. Everything seemed to be at peace. What I’m touching on is deeper than we can go into in this article. But I believe “God placed eternity in our hearts” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

There is a longing in each of us for innocence, for peace, for Eden or Heaven if you will.

That’s where repentance comes in. (Don’t let the “religious” word repentance scare you.)

We commonly think of repentance in a religious sense. For example, say you’re sorry and mean it, now change your ways and do better. That’s part of it but not the full picture.

Repentance in the common Jewish understanding is known as “Teshuva” it literally means to “return”. It involves quite a process but for our purposes it means to come home, back to where you’ve always belonged.

You may have never even considered a life with Christ; He is asking you to return to Him, where you’ve always belonged. There may be changes you have to make, there may be things you have to let go of, but the most important thing is to repent… come home.

So maybe those nostalgic feelings that show up every so often do more than just point to a time in your life, maybe they are the impulse in all of us to return to the innocence (forgiveness) that is found in the love of God.

Jesus told the story of the prodigal son 2,000 years ago but it has survived and circulated because it’s true in the deepest sense. Why is the prodigal son story so powerful? Because the son comes home.

The son repents (returns) not knowing if his father will forgive him, if he has lost everything. He plans a speech about how sorry he is for all he has done. But his father jumps off the porch and welcomes Him with open arms. The father doesn’t even let the son get his apology out. He throws a huge party for his son. The father cries out…

“My son who was lost has come home.”

Is that you?

Do you need to return to where you’ve always belonged?

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: The Perfect Note

When I first started playing guitar, I didn’t know what I was doing.

It would be a full year before I took a formal lesson. Prior to that time, I learned from mimicking what I saw on music videos, reading magazines with instructions on where your fingers needed to be, and simple trial and error. I wouldn’t say I was particularly gifted musically, but I was aware enough to know what sounded good and what didn’t.

Early on, I learned how to tune the guitar, because if just one of the six strings was out of tune, the whole instrument sounded bad. But there was a problem. I could get the guitar in tune with itself, but I didn’t know that I needed a pure tone from another source outside of the instrument for it to really be in tune.

For example, the first string on a guitar should be an “E” note. Instead of finding the “E” note, I assumed the first string was where it needed to be and I tuned the other five strings relative to the first string. My guitar would sound good by itself, but when I attempted to play along with music on the radio, it wasn’t even close.

In fact, one time I had all of my strings tensioned so tight (too high pitched) that one of them snapped and the end of the guitar string went through the surface of my fingernail and all the way into my finger.

Shortly after that, I realized I needed to start with the proper note, because if I didn’t, there was really no way to play the instrument like it was meant to be played. I needed the true note to start with, the note that every recording artist starts with, the note every singer would be familiar with, the note from outside the instrument itself. I found an electronic keyboard to use as the trustworthy source for the note I needed.

We may assume we have our lives tuned up pretty well. Physically, financially emotionally, relationally, vocationally, and even spiritually, we can feel like we have our priorities aligned, our time balanced, and our life strings in tune. And honestly, you may have all of that tuned very well.

But we need to make sure we check with a source greater than ourselves. Where the note we start with is always pure, always in perfect pitch, and always ringing with consistency.
I sincerely hope your life is making beautiful music, but I encourage you to check with your source.

Are your relationships in tune with the love of God?
Does the melody of forgiveness play in your heart?
Do your words and actions harmonize with integrity?

Today I picked up a guitar, I checked the tuning, and I used an application on my phone to find the starting tone.

It’s a good idea to recalibrate your life, as often as you can, to the source of the perfect note.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Take The Detour

The town I live in is separated from the neighboring town by a good sized river. 

It’s not the Mississippi but i believe it is the largest river in the state. In order to cross this river there is one bridge in the area. Being the only bridge connecting the 2 towns, every year there is a “Battle of the Bridge”, which is where the high school football teams from both towns play. The winner of the game is deemed, the winner of the bridge. It’s a fun tradition going back for years. 

Within the last 5 years or so, the old bridge was finally replaced with a nice, new bridge. It’s wider and lit up nicely at night. And more importantly, it doesn’t make you question your sanity for crossing it like the old one did. 

My family and I don’t have a need to cross this bridge every day, but we do drive past it often enough. It’s only a mile or so from my house situated off of the main road through town. 

Inevitably, when we pass the bridge my 3 yr old son will ask if we can cross “my new bridge”. 

One night, around 8:00, it was just my son and I driving towards this bridge in order to get to our pharmacy. Of course he asks his question as we’re sitting at the red light at the base of the bridge. “Can we cross my bridge?”  My response was something along the lines of “not right now bub, maybe another time”. After all, I had to get to the pharmacy before it closed. 

As we drove on I saw him in my mirror just looking out of the window and I thought, after the pharmacy, if he wants to cross that bridge, then we are crossing that bridge. 

Sure enough, when we came back to the bridge and stopped at the red light, he asked again “Daddy, can we cross my bridge now?”

Little did he know I was already in the turn lane to cross his bridge. 

We start up the bridge to the sound of his hands clapping and as we get to the top I see him struggling to look out the window and down at the water. He was excited just for the view, and he was happy to discover that we just had to turn around and cross it again. I’m pretty sure he had a smile on his face for the rest of the 5 minute trip home. 

I will always provide what my children need. And when I can, I’ll provide what they want, as long as it isn’t harmful to them. 

God does the same for us. He provides for our needs. At times he blesses us with more.

He delights in us (Psalm 18:19). He smiles when we smile. Sometimes He finds joy in the detours. But He always tries to keep us on track and going in the right direction. 

A lot of Jesus’ ministry was detour requests of His children. His sole purpose on this earth was to die for the sins of everyone, yet he was constantly detoured by request of healing or feeding the crowd or raising the dead. 

He took these detours, not because it was required to fulfill His mission, but because His children asked It of Him. 

I know at times he got frustrated. His mission was to lead people back to God through his sacrifice. Yet he wasn’t constantly being pulled in different directions. 

“Lord, my daughter is sick.”

“If you had come sooner, my brother would still be alive.”

“The people are hungry, what are we going to do?”

“They are out of wine.”

“I just wanted to touch the hem of your robe.”

But he took the time to fulfill their requests, because he loved them. What was important to them, was important to him. Even if it detoured him from his mission briefly. He found joy in the detours. 

So, go the extra mile. 

Help others. 

Take the detour. 

Cross that bridge.

-Clay Wise

Message In A Minute: Unimaginable Forgiveness

The testimony and example of Brandt Jean got me thinking about how everyone needs forgiveness.

There is more to the story than I understand, but I know Christ-likeness when I see it.

I wrote this after considering it all…

“I am the oppressed and the oppressor, I am the student and the professor. 

I am the thief and I give away, all grown up and a child at play.

I aim to be honest but will lie to your face, I’m lost and hopeless without His grace.

I stand the tallest when I’m on my knees. I am divine royalty, and the least of these.

I’ve been hurt, and I’ve hurt others. I deeply love but forget my brothers.

I am confident today but fear the judge. I let go of wrongs while holding a grudge.

We all are empty without His love. Each are needy and seek help from above.

All fall short of His great glory. Each long to be clean but carry a story.

The ground at the cross is level for all. His mercy is enough for each child of the fall.

His passion to rescue displays our worth. His will for His children, to bring Heaven to earth.”

Father help me follow your example like Brandt Jean.

-Tom Wise