Category Archives: Message In A Minute

Message In A Minute: As You Are

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: Running Is Winning

My dad worked at a college when I was in my teens.

One summer, I would meet a girl to play tennis at the college almost every morning, her father was employed by the college as well. It worked out great, our dads would be in their offices while we played tennis and hung around the campus.

Once, my family went to this girl’s house. The girl and I played tennis, went swimming in the pool, and our families shared a meal.

That evening, the girl told me she was going to go running and invited me along. I ran track, so I thought I would be fine. And as a normal teenage boy, I wanted to impress the girl.

That’s when the difference between sprinting and distance running was made crystal clear to me. In track, I usually competed in the 100 meters, 400 meters, and the high jump.

This girl was a cross country runner. For the first half mile of our run, I was good. But soon after, she was still able to carry on a conversation, and I felt like I was going to die. I could barely breathe, much less talk. If I remember correctly, we ran 2.5 miles, though in my mind, it felt like a marathon.

My pride wouldn’t let me stop, but I was out of my element to say the least.

Life is more like a marathon than a sprint.

We assume if we’ve fallen behind we don’t have a chance to win. But the truth is, there is always time to get back in the race.

Because it’s a long race and it’s worth running.

The story behind the first marathon is a great lesson itself. A messenger named Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens (about 22 miles) proclaiming that a battle had been won, and his people were victorious.

If you feel like you’re behind in life, like the race isn’t worth running. Don’t give up, there is more distance to cover, more meaning to uncover, and more joy to discover.

And when you get back in the race, you will be carrying a message about how your battle has been won, and you are victorious.

Learn from my teenage experience, ask for help if you need it. Maybe even stop and catch your breath. But whatever you do, make sure you get back in the race.

Life is a long distance race, running is winning.

-Tom Wise

Message in A Minute: Within Reach

I love the Andy Griffith show, so forgive me for this example.

Otis, the town drunk would come in the courthouse on the weekend and lock himself up for public intoxication. He would sleep off his hangover, and he would let himself out of the prison cell the next day. It all worked very smooth,

Otis was safe from hurting himself or someone else. The sheriff didn’t have to go out of his way to pursue the guilty man. And Barney got to have someone in a cell, which he seemed to like. All three were grateful in their own way.

Here comes the difficult idea.

We are a lot like Otis.

A good number of our problems are self-inflicted. Not all of our troubles, but many are brought on by behaviors or circumstances that we have some control over. I understand that some issues are beyond our control, some problems are caused by others, and difficult things just happen in life.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to bring guilt on all of us. I simply want to encourage you to look for a key.

The answers and solutions to most of our problems are within reach. Many of the situations we find ourselves in are like the Mayberry Courthouse. There is a key hanging on the wall, so close we can reach it.

We can let ourselves out.

God can and will do miracles in certain situations, but in other circumstances, he provides a key on the wall. He makes sure that the answer is within reach.

Maybe the key on the wall is a decision you need to make, a substance you need to avoid, or a conversation you need to have.

God can guide you, family can support you, friends can cheer you on. But only you can reach for the key, unlock the door, and walk out of the problem.

Be honest, be humble, and be grateful that sometimes the answer is hanging on the wall right beside you.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Justice and Authority

When I was in high school, I worked evenings and weekends at a retail store.

I helped customers, herded shopping carts, mopped floors, and every once in a while, I assisted the “Loss Prevention” manager with shoplifters. I felt like a hero when we would catch someone stealing.

One time a man boldly stole a video game system, he simply walked out the door with it under his arm. A call came across the intercom and I took off toward the front door where I noticed the other employees gathered.

I was ahead of the Loss Prevention manager and a couple other employees who were in pursuit of the shoplifter.

At that time in my life I ran track, played tennis, played basketball and was generally in good shape.

I was a couple hundred yards ahead of my fellow employees when I caught up to the man.

But then something happened that changed everything.

The man stopped, dropped the gaming system, turned toward me and ripped his shirt off. In my mind he looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Without a conscience thought, my body immediately slowed down. Quickly I realized that gaming system wasn’t worth as much as I thought.

It was an awkward few seconds as scrawny little me and the Terminator faced off.

Fortunately for me, the other employees showed up, followed quickly by the police.

I learned something in that moment, Justice is best left to those with real authority.

It’s not our place to chase down every sin and punish every sinner. We have enough trouble recognizing and removing our own sin.

Our calling is to love, encourage, and point to the one with real authority. We don’t enable or coddle, but at the same time we don’t condemn or accuse.

Let God make the judgements, let God make the corrections, let God make people into new creations.

Billy Graham said it this way. “It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge, and my job to love.”

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Transformation Over Information

I recently went to a Metallica concert with my brother.

Before the concert, a man in the seat next to me introduced himself. He told me what he did for a living and how he has never seen the band live. I told him I had seen them in 1992 but haven’t seen them since.

Then he asked me the question I knew was coming. “So, what do you do for a living?” I said, “I’m actually a pastor,” he sat his beer down and leaned over to tell his wife that the man beside him was a pastor.

We had a good conversation about life, music, and even church. The whole thing lasted less than ten minutes, but one thing we covered was knowing the right thing to do verses actually doing the right thing.

There is a big difference, for example this gentlemen drank alcohol, but he asked me if I would like for him to not drink during the concert. I respect that he would even consider that idea.

I’m going to make some assumptions from that conversation. The man I met would actually like to quit drinking, because it seems like it may cause lots of problems in his life. It was as if he knew the change he wanted to make but lacked the ability to make the change happen.

That is something common to all of us.

All of us know….
…we should save more and spend less.
…we should exercise more and eat less.
…we should pray more and complain less.
…we should forgive more and regret less.
…we should give more and take less.
…we should listen more and talk less.
…we should love more and fear less.

We don’t need more information, we need transformation.

God offers us a true transformation, a new spiritual heart, a renewed mind, and an eternal perspective.

I admit I’m making an assumption about the man I met at the concert. But it’s a universal issue we all share.

So, if you realize you need a transformation in your life, ask God for It, He is more than willing to answer.

You can do that at an altar, in a car, in your house, or possibly, even at a rock concert.

Tom Wise