Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

While in Sunday school class back in the 1980s, I heard a definition of “joy” that I’d never heard before and have never forgotten. Joy was explained as simply “Jesus” “Others” and “You.” At the beginning of 2023, I chose joy as my word for the year.  My maternal grandfather, Lawrence, was affectionately referred to as “Lawrency.” Although he died before I was born, I’ve heard many stories regarding the funny things he said and his comical outlook on life. My Grandpa and Grandma Jennings had 13 children, so I’m sure their sense of humor and ability to laugh helped them raise that passel of youngins.

Since I come from a laughing family, I’m naturally drawn toward those who love to laugh. I actually look for excuses to laugh at myself. While shopping, I spotted a piece of metal décor that was fashioned into the word “LAUGH.”  I studied it for a few seconds and quickly decided that it belonged in my home. It’s the first thing you see when you walk into my kitchen. The Bible states, “A merry heart does good like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV). I had a severe allergic reaction once to a certain antibiotic, but I’ve never had a negative reaction to laughter. I always feel fantastic when get tickled and  belly laughs erupt while tears of hilarity run down my face. Laughing is truly a blessing from God. Mom always said, “You might as well laugh as cry.”

I’ll be the first to admit that life’s not always a bowl of cherries. But even when it’s a bowl of gravel, I don’t want to be a sad sack. I don’t want to be a partly-cloudy person; I choose to be a partly-sunny person. I expect the joy of the Lord to show up in my life every day because He loves and cares for me and I love Him. As a kid, I remember singing this song in church: “If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”

Scripture reveals the truth about where a believer’s joy comes from. “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NLT). God enables us, through the Holy Spirit, to have hope, joy, and peace when life’s circumstances are heavy.

Without Jesus in their hearts, people don’t even have the proper tools to love God, others, and themselves. Life without Jesus means we’re just selfish to the core. Selfishness will ruin every relationship you ever try to develop. However, anyone can choose Jesus as Savior and then be filled with His love and joy. “He [Jesus] will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of His birth” (Luke 1:14 NIV).

Loving others by serving them, being good to them, and including them brings joy to both individuals. Enjoying life is a choice and attitude of the heart. Experiencing joy is a privilege and blessing from God that lifts us above life’s challenging turn of events. When believers are a blessing to others, it will ricochet back to us in astonishing ways. Simply do what God leads you to do and watch Him work joy into your life. When we surrender every part of our being as an offering to love God and others, it’s certain to bring us joy.

The Key: The joy of the Lord often erupts in laughter, so grab your belly and go for it!

Air bags hurt.  A lot.  Trust me, I know.

Last week, I totaled an Excursion with six of my relatives in the vehicle.  I missed a turn after entering a cloud of gravel and dirt on a country road near my son’s ranch and ended up in a deep ditch.

We left the Red Bull practice event at Adam’s ranch around 8:30 P.M. Dave’s family had flown in from Las Vegas to watch the festivities, all of them serious dirt-bike racers.  To be able to watch the professionals perform their stunts was a dream-come-true for them.  We loaded up in the car, everyone seat-belted in, with my step-daughter, her husband, their daughter and her husband, and their two children (a one-year-old and three-year-old) buckled in and sharing their thrills from the evening.

Because of a drought in our area, the roads were dry and dusty.  Nothing I haven’t seen before.  The details aren’t important, except that when we jerked to a halt, On-Star was activated and asked if it needed to call 9-1-1.  “Yes” was said in unison.  (We later found out that OnStar notified the emergency room that the hysterical cries of the babies was all the answer it needed.)

Cars coming up behind us immediately came to our aid, helping excavate those who had difficulty exiting the vehicle, tending to those who were bleeding or burned by the air bags, offering any help needed.  The emergency vehicles were close behind, all providing necessary aid and transportation to the hospital.

Clearly, God had protected us from a much worse fate.  Within twenty feet of where we landed was a telephone pole.  Had we hit that, or had I jerked the Excursion to make the 90-degree turn, the outcome could have been much more deadly.

When we viewed the vehicle the day after the wreck, Dave, my son-in-law, noticed several triggered safety precautions.  The brake lights were still on (serving as a warning to drivers behind us that we wrecked, and the brakes were locked (to keep us from continuing forward, should we be on a cliff.) Seat belts were extended, preventing anyone from buying the vehicle in this unsafe condition.

Sometimes, pain teaches the strongest lesson.  When we loaded into the car, Tyler, the passenger in the rear seat, tried to lock down the headrest in front of him but couldn’t. That ended up being a projectile that hit the one-year-old above the eye and left a V-shaped hole in Tyler’s forehead that necessitated eight stitches.  It seemed like such a little thing at the time.  Another “little thing” I ignored was that a friend at the Red Bull site set a pin on my phone to navigate my way out of Missouri.  When my son-in-law said that he knew the way, I never pushed the “pin” button.  Had I done so, this accident would not have happened.

In the Bible, Solomon warned of the “little foxes” that spoil the vines, things we dismiss that lead to grave consequences.  Drops of water are very small, yet how often they become a raging torrent. The termite is a small insect, but it can destroy a three-story house if ignored. Starting with one cigarette can make you feel cool until you end up with lung cancer.  Sneak peeks at pornography are the leading cause of men and women entering sex-trafficking.

Louis of Granada, a Dominican priest of the 16th century, in The Sinner’s Guide advises us to resist small sins “for there is no enemy too weak to harm us if we make no resistance.” A careless sin life we label as small can morph into a lifestyle devoid of God.

Dear readers, it’s never worth the risk.

Keys to the Kingdom

I love and treasure my childhood memories. Part of my growing-up years consist of not being big enough to do everything I wanted. I couldn’t ride a bicycle until I mastered the tricycle. I had to wait until I was big enough to wear makeup, ride a horse, drive a car, etc. I have happy memories of being little and carefree. But at some point, I became big enough to worry; and that is not a milestone to celebrate. For many years now, I’ve done my best to believe God is who He says He is. And I can testify that He is exactly who He says He is. God’s Word backs Him up to not be a liar and I choose to agree with Him.   

“God says, ‘Be silent and listen to Me…Let us come together to decide who is right’” (Isaiah 41:1 TEV). I’ve gotten big enough to shush my blabbing and be quiet so I can hear  God’s gentle voice. “The Lord is the everlasting God; He created all the world. He never grows tired or weary. No one understands His thoughts. He strengthens those who are weak and tired“ (Isaiah 40:28-29 TEV). I may not perfectly understand what God has up His sleeve, but those are fabulous opportunities to live out my absolute trust in Him.

“I, the Lord, was there at the beginning, and I, the Lord, will be there at the end” (Isaiah 41:4 TEV). I was not born alone, I do not live alone, and I will not die alone. My beginning, middle, and ending all include being snuggled in my Father’s strong arms.

“I will make rivers flow among barren hills and springs of water run in the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water…I will make cedars grow in the desert…People will see this and know that I, the Lord, have done it“ (Isaiah 41:18-20 TEV).  The children of God are walking billboards for the Kingdom of God. And the people of the world will see good things and miracles in your life and will ultimately understand that God has made it happen. He’s big enough to take a nobody and make him/her a somebody in Christ.

“To whom can the holy God be compared? Is there anyone else like Him? Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see? …He knows how many there are and calls each one by name!” (Isaiah 40:25-26 TEV). Our Tucker Family Band performs an Elvis cover entitled, “Somebody Bigger than You and I”, written by Hy Heath, Sonny Burke, and Johnny Lange. The contemplative lyrics and beautiful chord structure make this one of our favorite gospel renditions: “Who made the flowers to bloom in the spring? Who made the song for the robin to sing? And who hung the moon in the starry sky? Somebody bigger than you and I. He lights the way when the road is long; He keeps you company. And with His love to guide you, He walks beside you just like He walks with me…. When I am weary, filled with despair, who gives me courage to go on from there? And who gives me faith that will never die? Somebody bigger than you and I.“

God is big enough to perfectly handle all of life’s issues for the believer. Since He created and knows all the stars and calls each one by name, we can rest in His tender care because He knows our frame and name too. Why, oh why, can’t we really get a hold of this vital  truth and learn to trust Him with all our being? God simply does not know how to fail.

The Key: Somebody bigger than you and I knows your name and will take good care of you because He‘s big enough.

Where do you go when there’s no where to go?  When you have been handed a life sentence of taking care of someone with mental or physical issues?  When the doctor gives you the diagnosis, hands you some pamphlets to read and tells you “Good luck.”  No “We’re here for you.”  No “There’s a great support system in your area.”  No “It sounds worse than it really is.”

None of that.  Just “Good luck.”

This past week, I had conversations with seven people whose lives have turned upside down because of their children’s needs.  The first call came from my dear friend (“Karen”) whose son has fought drugs and whose daughter-in-law has battled alcohol but have been doing well, off and on, for about three years.  Then they decided to take their four, young kids to Las Vegas for a weekend of fun.  When Karen got the call that her grandchildren were in Nevada’s protective custody because her daughter-in-law, in a drunken rage, had tried to strangle her son, doped up on cocaine, and the people in the hotel room next to them had called the police, she and her husband, Jack, were livid.

The only way the youngsters would be released into their custody was if they moved to Nevada, one state over from where they live and work.  So, they moved.

The next call (#2) came from my “Job-friend” named after the Biblical character who endured indescribable pain. Parkinsons disease is destroying her ability to do anything for herself.  Her youngest son and father recently died, and last week, her oldest son stopped breathing, his wife gave him C.P.R., and he underwent emergency surgery because his body was filled with blood clots.  And she can do nothing to help.

When a former student (#3) texted and suggested my next book (ha!) should be about life being unfair, we set up a meeting so I could hear his story.  I won’t share it here, but his life will never be “normal” because of the plate he has been handed.

Two days ago, I did a Podcast with #4, a Christian author/speaker who spent an hour discussing my book.  When our Zoom call ended, I exited the call, only to realize that the taping was over, but she wanted to have closure to our conversation.  When she called back, I had a chance to ask about her life.  Oh, my! Her husband was in the Air Force, so she raised her four young girls with him absent much of the time.  All four have serious hearing/speech disabilities and were made fun of in school.  My heart ached for her, and when I prayed for her, she wept.

Two other young women (#5 and #6) shared with me the difficulties of adopting special-needs children who rank high on the autism scale. They can’t take their kids out in public because of their outbursts and inappropriate behavior. As they told of their daily sacrifices made to protect and love these kids, they didn’t stop smiling.  I told them both how blessed those kids were to have parents like them. I can’t imagine.

Then last Sunday, I met #7 when I spoke at Rinehart Church.  I was introduced to a kind, soft-spoken man who had been led by the Lord to start a class to help people addicted to pornography.  I asked him about his family.  He has twelve (12!) children.  His wife passed away last year of cancer.  I had prayed for this family when his wife was first diagnosed, but to meet this man who loves the Lord and is faithful to serve Him was a blessing I cannot describe.

Seven people (six Christians) in seven days who know that luck has nothing to do with their daily battles.

They rely on God and God alone, and they set an example for me to live with a grateful heart.

More than that, I need to pray for them. I hope you do the same.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

I was shopping in a very small store out of town and overheard two friends talking. Both ladies knew I was there and obviously didn’t care. “Betty” asked “Susan” if she had quit coming to church. Susan answered, “No, not yet anyway.“ After a few more exchanges, Susan said, “Well, I’m a good person, I don’t go out and sin, I don‘t…blah blah blah.” Then both women proceeded to criticize and complain about the worship music that they hated. Then they began to tear down the young pastor. They freely talked as if I wasn’t there hearing every word. I assure you, God heard every word too.

As I was subjected to this negative barrage of words, I became disheartened and greatly saddened. I realized that both of these dear ladies had no idea what God thought of their conversation. Although Susan considered herself to be a forthright individual, she was completely clueless that God was offended and displeased with her conversation. God is all about love because He is love. He is full of mercy and lovingkindness, and I heard none of those life-giving attributes in the words being uttered. The young pastor needed their prayers, support, and encouragement — not their criticism and judgment. Like an F5 tornado, these destructive attitudes and words will kill anything in its path.

I have the capacity to be just a hop, skip, and a jump away from doing the very same things that annoy the socks off of me. So every day I need to be purposely mindful of that unruly member of my body (the tongue). “With our tongues, we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women He made in His image” (James 3:9 MSG). “And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” (James 3:10 NLT).

It’s human nature to look at ourselves through rose-colored glasses. “…I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves” (Romans 12:3 NLT). Like a gunnysack full of rattlesnakes, I want to stay away from being proud and holier-than-thou. Jesus opposed the attitudes and actions of the “religious” people because of their pride and self-righteousness. “There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be” (Proverbs 30:12 TEV).

“Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give You a tenth of my income.‘ But the tax collector stood at a distance and…prayed. He beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ’O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:9-13 NLT).

I must keep a critical mouth closed and a loving heart open. Let’s always take the high road and choose love because Jesus said it wins. And the apostle Paul said love was the greatest of anything.

The Key: Let’s use our mouths to speak love and life because we don’t want to kill anybody around us.

I would love to see that invitation on the marquis of every Christian church, wouldn’t you?  Zig Ziglar tells of a time he invited a friend to go to church with him. The man answered, “Well, I’d like to go. But the church is so full of hypocrites.” Ziglar replied, “That’s okay. There’s always room for one more.”

Let’s face it.  We all are sinners.  If we were to appear before the local judge and charged with “talking the talk but not walking the walk,” we all would be behind bars.  Even King David, called “a man after God’s own heart,” was confronted by the prophet Nathan about this very thing.

The story cannot be read without being furious at David.  He is not content with being an adulterer.  Once he finds out his bed-mate Bathsheba is pregnant, he sets in motion plans to lay paternal responsibility on her husband, Uriah.  When that fails, David has Uriah killed.  Desperate measures for a desperate man, yet he refuses to repent.  We pick up the story in 2 Sam. 12:1-6 where God intervenes.

The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die!  He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

David is clueless as to Nathan’s motive.  I can only imagine how the king reacted when Nathan put his finger in the King’s face and announced, “You are the man!”  He then reminds David of all God has done for him and explains the repercussions of his actions: This is what the Lord says: “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.  You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.”

All of which came true, and all which contributed to David’s repentance.

Hypocrisy is the #1 excuse for people looking for a reason not to come to church…or to Jesus, yet it is a defense that is terribly flawed.  As Josh McDowell and Don Stewart write in their book Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask About the Christian Faith, “Christianity does not stand or fall on the way Christians have acted throughout history or are acting today. Christianity stands or falls on the person of Jesus, and Jesus was not a hypocrite. He lived consistently with what He taught, and at the end of His life He challenged those who had lived with Him night and day, for over three years, to point out any hypocrisy in Him. His disciples were silent, because there was none.”

Every one of us is a hypocrite.  That’s because, as the Bible says, we are sinners.  The next time someone calls you that, tell them that they are right.  But also tell them that the only non-hypocrite to ever live died for your hypocrisy…and wants to do the same for them.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

I had heard that it would be a good idea to put a sticky glue trap under the beds to catch spiders. When I was at the store, I figured the stickier the better, so I purchased the  heavy-duty ones. Later, my daughter Mariam came for an overnight visit, bringing my three granddaughters and their new puppy. Brutus is an adorable mini poodle mix with little chocolate curls all over and tiny hazel eyes. During the evening, Mariam, Brutus, and I were in a bedroom when I walked out and left them. Mariam then set the puppy down and, in a flash, he went under the bed and found the glue trap. I’m glad it wasn’t his nose that got stuck. Nevertheless, it was a huge ordeal to release his hairy back foot as the glue stretched out about a mile. While laughing hysterically, we did the best we could with scissors and set him down on the carpeted floor. He couldn’t walk worth a hoot because his foot would stick every time he took a step. (More laughter.)  Realizing something was terribly wrong, Brutus would just stand there.  When Mariam coaxed him to “come,” his little back leg would shake like Elvis as he tried to pry it off the carpet. (More laughter with crying.) Fortunately, we finally thought of using Goo Gone.

If you think your life is hopeless because it’s just one sticky mess after another, think again. Jesus is an expert at cleaning up messes. “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18 NKJV). God promises that even though one’s sins are as deep-dyed and irremovable as the stain of blood, His grace can restore a messed-up life to moral whiteness and purity. It’s amazing to think that Jesus’ blood washes away our sin and makes us clean.

I’m reminded of the song “Something Beautiful” written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. Allow these lyrics to offer encouragement if you’re wondering if there‘s any relief in sight: “Something beautiful, something good; all my confusion He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life.”

I also remember singing a hymn written by Anna W. Waterman: “Come  ye sinners, lost and hopeless, Jesus’ blood can make you free. For He saved the worst among you, when He saved a wretch like me. And I know, yes, I know Jesus’ blood can make the vilest sinner clean.” Apostle Paul remarked about being the worst among sinners before He came to Christ Jesus. “This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ — and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15-16 NLT).

Here is a key Christian truth: Christ came to save sinners from the mess of sin. Paul considered himself the worst sinner before the blood of Jesus cleaned him up and set him free.  Since Jesus is no respecter of persons, He’ll do the same for you if you’re tired of your sticky mess.

The Key: Jesus’ blood works way better than Goo Gone.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

The following is the email answer I sent to United Airlines, following its generic “thank you” response to the kind comment I wrote about Austin, an employee at Tulsa, Oklahoma’s airport.

“I’m not sure anyone will read this, but this ‘compliment’ almost did not happen because your website made it impossible to write because, as I later found out when I spoke to one of your customer service agents, (a) I tried to write it ‘before my final flight leg was over,’ and (b) I tried to write it ‘after my final flight leg was over.’ Not sure what other options there were. “Two phone calls and numerous attempts to navigate your website left me more than frustrated. Maybe you need to hire someone like me to find a better way to do this simple task. As I said when I spoke (finally) to your supervisor, I’m surprised any of your employees ever are complimented. The process is far too tedious.”

Is it Christian to write such a response? My family says that I am “review-happy.” I tell them that it works both ways.

My favorite evaluation is an A+ one. I will go to great lengths (like I did for Austin) to commend an employee for going above-and-beyond the required service recommended. I probably write five positive letters for every negative one. However, I believe that there are times employers need to know when their customers are receiving less-than-desirable service.

If I have a problem, I will contact the company directly as opposed to writing a bad review. (My son in the restaurant business tells me that he prefers emails/texts directly to him as opposed to reading a bad review on line.)

I’m never trying to get anyone fired; I’m always trying to help the company improve, a behavior my husband finds unnecessary and embarrassing.

As for Austin, he had the best attitude when my flight from Tulsa to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, was cancelled. I guess he saw an old, clueless woman who needed help. I didn’t say otherwise.

Not only did he book me a nearby hotel, he gave me meal vouchers for three meals and told me how to speed-dial the hotel to pick me up after I retrieved my luggage. Austin even offered to walk me to baggage claim, but I figured that would royally tick off the customers in line behind me, so I assured him that I could follow the “Baggage Claim” signs with no problem. I’m not that old. Plus, Tulsa is not that large of an airport.

Nevertheless, I thought that Austin deserved a commendation from the airlines. It’s the way I’m wired. Years ago, I took a “Spiritual Gifts” test to see how God had equipped me to bless other people. My gift was Encouragement. I love that gift, but I know that sometimes I am too self-absorbed to share it like I’m supposed to, and I’m usually not as persistent as I was with United.

The opportunities to use it are endless. Who doesn’t like to be complimented? This past week, I received a hand-written note from a wonderful Christian woman who thanked me for helping her clean up after a group meeting. I still smile when I think of that note, but it also was a reminder of how I need to do that more often to other people.

I started yesterday in Walmart when I passed a young woman with green and red hair. “You look like a really fun person,” I told her. She grinned from ear to ear before thanking me. Definitely easier than contacting the airline. I think it’s a gift I will encourage myself to practice.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

I readily admit that I don’t have cheerleader qualities — it takes a lot of strong muscles to stack people on top of each other and not collapse. I’m also mesmerized at the ability of  individuals who can to do the same thing at the same time with a bunch of other people.  My daughter played saxophone in the Pitt State marching band and, as an onlooker, I was astonished. If I’d been in the band, I would have spent most of my time on the ground  being trampled because I would have been out of sync with everybody else.

I’ve celebrated a number of birthdays and often say, “I ain’t 22 anymore.” Recently, my two kids and I had a frank conversation about aging muscles. Shortly afterwards, I joined the fitness center in order to stand firm and fight against the course of nature. Everything was fine until the day my trainer, Mr. Flex, had me do 30 minutes of squats with hand weights. Apparently, I hadn’t used those particular muscles since grade school. I was impressed that I could even walk to my vehicle on rubbery gelatin legs like that. Lying down in the parking lot and getting run over almost seemed like a realistic option.

The choices we make today impact the quality of our lives spiritually and physically. Our spiritual health can be compared to our physical health because we’re equipped with both types of muscles. But we have to work at staying strong — it doesn’t just happen automatically. We have to make the choice to do preventive maintenance and upgrading  on purpose. The road of life is often uphill and we need to be strong in order to make it to the top. But, there’s help for the climb. “The joy that the Lord gives will make you strong” (Nehemiah 8:10 GNT). You might say that God has a storehouse of muscle rub.

Coasting down a hill works just fine until a mountain of crisis appears on the horizon.  When you need power to climb, but discover there isn’t any reserve, you can find yourself in a world of hurt. God’s Word has a lot to say about the importance of our strength. We must take the initiative to encourage ourselves in the Lord, just like King David did. “But I know that God helps me. The Lord is the one who keeps me going” (Psalm 54:4 NIRV). God will keep His children strong, but we have some important instructions to follow if we want to flex those spiritual muscles.

Jesus strongly cautions us about what will happen if we foolishly think we can coast through life with no preparation for storms. “Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT).

I chose not to lay down in the parking lot, and believers can choose not to lay down spiritually. Paul wrote to the believers in the Church at Ephesus: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT).

The Key: Keep your spiritual muscles strong so you won‘t collapse under pressure.