Psalm 119:25 Dusty Roads

I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:25

We are all on the same road, from birth to death. From dust to dust.

It should be no surprise, then, that we all at some point (or at many points) find ourselves laid low in the dust. It's only the God-breathed soul within that enables us to rise out of the dust, to keep moving on.

David's literal words in this verse are "My soul clings to the dust." True words those.

On a daily basis my soul is nearly choked out by the physical, dust-made part of who I am. My body hungers for the physical in this world, the things that appeal to my dusty self.

At the same time, the dust of the dying world (and of my own inevitable death) also clings to my soul. Everything in this world is winding down, wearing out, turning to dust. It's so easy to become soul weary through the constant battle to choose a life that's more than just marking off the days until death.

The first step to climbing out of the dust is to admit your predicament to yourself. If you continue to pretend you've got it all together, you'll never find the way out of the dust.

Like David, admit your soul is covered with dust and that it hungers for the soul-scrubbing bubbles of God's Word.

Lord, teach me the discipline of refreshing my soul in your Word with the same eagerness as I refresh my body of dust with pure, clean water.

Psalm 119:25-32 Daleth

In the majority of Psalm 119's acrostic octets, David chooses from among a wide variety of words beginning with the chosen letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The unifying letter is just a poetic feature and doesn't greatly drive the topic at hand .

But occasionally, the chosen letter plays a role in dictating the chosen topic.  Bear with me as I take a little journey through the details of how David constructed Daleth, the fourth octet of Psalm 119.

In Daleth, David begins 5 of the 8 verses with the very same word, derek. 

According to my concordance, derek is translated as "way" 590 times, "toward" 31, and "journey" 23 (plus 53 other miscellaneous translations).

It's used in the 40th chapter of Ezekiel a dozen times, always translated as "toward", repeatedly using it to describe the layout of temple. "There was a gate to the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits." (v. 27)

It's used 45 times in the book of Psalms.

In Psalm 119:25-32, David references the way or the direction of himself (v. 26), the way of God's precepts (v. 27), his own way of falsehood or deceit (v. 29), his own way of faithfulness (v. 30), and the direction of God's commands (v. 32).

Two of the remaining verses begin with a description of what his soul is doing. His soul clings to the dust (v. 25) and is weary (v.28). In the remaining verse of the eight he asks the Lord that he not be put to shame (v. 31)

It's not too difficult then, to get the drift of what David is talking about in Daleth. He's taking measurements, comparing his own ways to God's way. David's soul is coming out on the short end of the deal.

Isn't that how life often goes? Our choices of how we live our daily lives can come down to a simple matter of choosing the right direction, leading to good results, or choosing the wrong way, which generally doesn't end well for us.

It's no different than if you're trying to tighten or loosen a screw and you expend your time and energy and elbow grease into rotating the screwdriver in the wrong direction, you'll not only fail in your task, you're liable to strip out the head of the screw.

It's important to pause in your life occasionally and check to make sure you're putting your effort toward the right things in the right direction. As David discovered, you might feel better for it, deep down in your soul.

I am laid low in the dust;
   preserve my life according to your word.
I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
   teach me your decrees.
Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
   that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
My soul is weary with sorrow;
   strengthen me according to your word.
Keep me from deceitful ways;
   be gracious to me and teach me your law.
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
   I have set my heart on your laws.
I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
   do not let me be put to shame.
I run in the path of your commands,
   for you have broadened my understanding.

Psalm 119:25-32

Psalm 119:24 Who Are Your Counselors?

My day job involves a lot of customer service. I receive dozens of e-mails every day, asking me to fix this or answer that or help with something else.

I also get these kind of questions every day:

"Can you change the name of who is required for approval of my requisitions?"

No, you need to contact Accounting for that.

"I need to buy something from a new vendor. Can you build that vendor in the system?"

No, you need to contact the Finance Support Center for that.

"I need to know when I'm going to get my weekly warehouse order. "

You need to contact the Warehouse for that.

"Can you tell me who I should order these Wangenstein devices from?"

No, you need to call your buyer in Purchasing for that.

"What's the lunch special today?"

I'm sorry but this isn't Ernie's Diner.

I actually did used to get that last call somewhat frequently. The diner's phone number was very similar to my office number. One time I rattled off a detailed description of a sumptuous diner-style meal and then said, "and it's only $4!"

"I'll be right over!"

I'm guessing they were disappointed when they arrived for lunch.

Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

Psalm 119:24

When you need help with life, who do you go to for counsel?

A self-help book? Facebook? Your co-workers? Or maybe it's your preacher. Or some other wise Christian. That's certainly a better choice.

But there's a better choice yet: The statutes of the Lord.

Many people don't choose the Bible as their first source of counsel because they aren't using the scriptures properly.

They'd go to the Bible more often, perhaps, if it were organized more topically.

Problems with your kids? 

There's a chapter for that!

Need to know how to effectively share the gospel at work? 

There's  chapter for that!

Trying to quit smoking? 

There's a chapter for that, too!

No, it doesn't work that way, does it?

For the Word of God to really be an effective counselor, you've got to delight in it, as David says. That means you're eager for the time you get to spend each day reading the Word. Instead of looking forward to your favorite TV show or whatever else you're currently delighting in, how about delighting in the Word?

It takes practice. Your TV watching habits or other habits were developed over years. It will take time and diligent practice for the Word to be what you automatically turn to in your free time.

The rewards will be fantastic. The scriptures still won't be organized by topic, but the more you delight in them, the answers will be written on your heart, accessible when you need them.

Try it out. You'll discover that treating yourself to the Word as often as possible is a true delight.

Psalm 119:23 Active Meditation

Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.

Psalm 119:23

If you're a Republican, you likely thought the eight years of the Obama administration was an endless onslaught against Christians. I lost track of how many times I was told by otherwise loving and patient fellow believers that President Obama had not earned the right for them to speak respectfully of him, because he had not treated Christians with respect.

If you're a Democrat, you likely think Donald Trump is a blowhard, a liar, and a slanderer of anyone who disagrees with him, including any Christians who fail to fall in line with his overwhelming support among Evangelicals. And you may be appalled at that overwhelming support.

Or, if you're like me, you probably think both of these generalizations have a lot of truth to them, and that's generally what people in power do. They spin the truth (aka lies and slander) about anyone or anything that doesn't fit tidily into their agenda.

It's hard to keep a civil tongue, let alone a kind and enemy-loving tongue, in the face of slanderous leaders. Read through the entirety of the Psalms and you'll see David struggling mightily - and frequently failing - to deal with his enemies appropriately.

So what does David say here in Psalm 119:23 about how to respond to conniving and slanderous leaders?

Meditate.

Pause for a moment and think about that. Meditate on it, if you will.

Breathe in David's counter-intuitive approach. Let it fill your soul and push out the knee-jerk reactions that have been clogging up your spirit.

David shares more of his thoughts on how to respond to bad people in Psalm 37.

Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

Psalm 37:1-4

First, he says to just chill. The bad guys in your life are only temporary.

I wish more Christians could just chill when it comes to politics in America.

Don't fret because the wrong people get into office. Don't be envious of the voting bloc that won that election. For like the grass they will soon get blown in a different direction depending on the whims of public opinion, and their power will soon wither and die away and another election cycle will come.

The only way you can develop that sort of attitude toward politics and toward political movements and leaders is to take David's advice. When you see things happening that frustrate you and make you angry, don't fret. Meditate.

Meditating on the Word is the only way you'll train your heart to trust in God and let him take care of such things.

Habitual and prolonged meditation is what led David to say, in Psalm 37:3-8, that instead of fretting we should follow this maddeningly non-reactionary 10-point plan:

1. Trust in the Lord and do good
2. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture
3. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart
4. Commit your way to the Lord
5. Trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
6. Be still before the Lord
7. Wait patiently for him
8. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked scheme
9. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath
10. Do not fret—it leads only to evil

He has a lot more advice on the matter. You should turn to Psalm 37 and read the whole thing. Meditate on it. Let it dwell in you richly and change your heart.

One last thing. Lest you look at David's plan and dismiss it as much too passive, look again. Meditate a bit longer on Psalm 37.

Every one of those points begins with an action. Actively trust in the Lord. Actively dwell in His land. Actively choose to delight in the Lord. Actively do the hard work of committing your way to the Lord. Actively return continually to trust as the thing to do. Actively choose stillness and waiting.
Intentionally choose to not fret and get all worked up about things. Intentionally refrain from anger, and actively turn away from wrath to something better. Again, actively find something productive and missional to do besides sitting and fretting about things.

It's difficult to do. It only comes as a result of meditation.

Psalm 119:22 Guilty of Contempt

Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes.

Psalm 119:22

Scorn and contempt are contagious.

If you doubt me, take a few moments to read through the trending topics on Twitter right now. I don't even know what the Top 10 trending topics will be when you read this, but I can guarantee that at least a few of them will consist of people tweeting back and forth to another with scorn and contempt for each others' opinions.

The same is true of any controversial topic on Facebook, or the comments section on any online newspaper article about any topic even remotely controversial. In 21st century America, scorn & contempt is the universal language.

As a Christian, how do you respond when people oppose you with scorn and contempt, whether in person or online?

Remember. And beware. Scorn and contempt are contagious. The very scorn and contempt you find so distasteful in those who oppose God can easily rub off on you. Your distaste for their ways and their words can shift toward scorn and contempt before you realize it's happening.

From what I've observed, there are few believers who can honestly say they've never succumbed to the temptation to respond to anti-Christian rhetoric by answering sarcasm for sarcasm. Or returning stereotypes for stereotypes. Applying labels for labels. Tossing out dismissive generalizations for dismissive generalizations. Anger for anger. Scorn and contempt for scorn and contempt.

 In Psalm 79, David comes perilously close to adopting the attitudes of the enemies of God in his expression of anger toward them.

O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have left the dead bodies of your servants as food for the birds of the sky, the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild. They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. We are objects of contempt to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us.>

Psalm 79:1-4

In the end, though, he understands that all their scorn and contempt, while it appears it's directed toward God's people, it's actually directed toward God himself.

And God is one who will answer them.

Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.

Psalm 79:12

When we give in to expressing our scorn and contempt for the enemies of God, that's when we should realize we're no longer keeping his statutes.

There is nothing the world can throw at us that will ever justify our defending God and his statutes in a way that goes against his statutes.

Psalm 119:21 Stray Cats

You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from your commands.

Psalm 119:21

It may seem, if you've been reading my blog posts thus far, that I tend to ignore the laws of God against sinners, against people who aren't following God at all. In my rush to pick on my fellow believers, it can seem like I'm ignoring the sins of the world.

Quite to the contrary, I'm quite aware of the large number of people in our culture who are wantonly trampling on the laws of God. In verse 21, David triples down on the people who are worthy of God's rebuke.

The arrogant:  As Paul describes in Romans 1, there are many people who, even though the evidence of God is clear, are too proud to submit to Him. Instead they worship themselves, their abilities, and their possessions.

The arrogant unbelievers are a tough nut to crack, because they're going to have to come to a point of doubting their own self-sufficiency before they will even consider acknowledging a Lord outside of themselves. Times of crisis can present the best possibility of a turning point for them.

The accursed: Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the accursed are those who have violated the laws of God to such a degree that both God and His people consider them to be "cast out" from their presence. Jesus makes clear that in His church this is to be done only after an earnest attempt has been made to redeem them, to bring them back into a reconciled relationship with God and with the community of believers (Matthew 18:15-20)

Paul takes that principle a step further and makes it clear that the purpose of banishing someone to the outside of God's community is to bring them to their senses. The hope is that they will return repentant and both God and the church will then forgive. (II Corinthians 2:1-11)

The strays. Did you know there's a difference between a stray cat and a feral cat? 

"A stray cat is a cat who has been socialized to people at some point in her life, but has left or lost her domestic home, as well as most human contact and dependence. Over time, a stray cat can become feral as her contact with humans dwindles. Under the right circumstances, however, a stray cat can also become a pet cat once again."

"A feral cat is a cat who has either never had any contact with humans or her contact with humans has diminished over time. She is fearful of people and survives on her own outdoors. A feral cat is not likely to ever become a lap cat or enjoy living indoors." (alleycat.org)

The spiritual parallels are clear. For those who are wandering far from God, understanding whether they are a stray believer or a feral unbeliever is crucial. People are not cats, and both can be redeemed by the grace of God and the love of God's people. But a different approach is required for stray vs. feral wanderers.

As Christians, we need to see the arrogant, the accursed, and the strays - and the ferals - the same way God sees them.

It is true, though, that I tend to not write as much about how horrible such people are. I tend to take that for granted. We're all horrible people. We all lean toward arrogance, are deserving of being accursed, and prone toward straying from the loving arms of God.

What I see, though, is that among believers there is a terrible tendency to point the fingers of rebuke at other people who are arrogant, accursed, and straying. We're much more interested in rebuking the wrong we see outside our Christian community than we are in responding the way God intends. 

In our religious arrogance, we take it upon ourselves to rebuke others, rather than trusting God to rebuke them. 

We tend to talk about "those sinners" with sanctified curses, wrapped in religious language, rather than allowing God to be the one who rebukes.

We tend to treat the church's strays the same as we treat the feral sinners of the world, without carefully considering the best way to help each individual. Instead we rebuke them all as members of "not us".

David doesn't say, "I rebuke the arrogant." Nor is he commanding or recommending God rebuke the accursed. He is humbly deferring to the Lord, who alone has the right and the wisdom to rebuke the strays. 

By all means, we need to recognize the arrogant, the accursed, and the strays for what they are. And then let God decide when and how to do the rebuking, while we go about doing the job He gave us, which is to draw them toward Him.

Psalm 119:20 At All Times

My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. 

Psalm 119:20

At all times?

Are you sure you're consumed with longing for God's laws at all times? For all of God's laws?

Are you consumed with longing for His laws when someone has disrespected you, robbed you, or abused their authority over you? No, I don't mean the obvious laws against disrespect, robbery, and abuse of authority. How about this law:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42

Are you consumed with longing for His laws when non-believers treat you poorly and make it difficult for Christians to practice their faith freely? Again, I'm not talking about the laws condemning persecution of God's people. Those are too obvious. How about these principles:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
. . . Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:2-4,12

Are you consumed with longing for His laws when you're deeply troubled by the actions and words of the president (either the current president or previous ones)? Besides the laws against whatever ungodly policies or behaviors are troubling you most. Instead, check yourself to see if you long for these laws:

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

I Timothy 2:1-4

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

I Peter 2:13-17

Are you consumed with longing for the laws of God when you see people who are enemies of God and all righteousness being praised and granted special rights and privileges? No, I'm not talking about the obvious laws against their unrighteousness. I'm talking about the laws spelling out the righteous response you should have toward them:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

Luke 6:35

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing

I Peter 3:9

Dear Lord, plant in our hearts a deep longing for all of your laws, at all times, especially when we'd rather pick and choose which laws to follow.

Psalm 119:19 Stranger for God

I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

Psalm 119:19

Some days I feel more like a stranger on this earth than I do on other days.

The one day of the week I generally don't feel like a complete stranger on earth is Monday. That's the day Karen and I get to go to a women's prison and share worship, teaching, discussion, and counseling with a chapel full of convicted criminals.

Karen gleefully calls it her "happy place," a statement that causes the prisoners to just shake their heads. Some of them roll their eyes.

Oh sure, we hear some stories there that shock us, make us shudder, and even cause us to weep.

But it really is our happy place, and the one place all week where we feel like we fit in.

Don't you dare roll your eyes at me. It's true.

That prison chapel is the one place I can always count on people to not be deluding themselves about how good they are. In that place, we're all sinners, all bowing at the feet of the God of holiness, crying out for mercy. We cling to the commands of God as lifebuoys and boundary markers, rescuing us and protecting us from our worst selves.


Monday evenings in prison help me deal with the almost overwhelming feeling of being a stranger during the rest of the week out in the "free" world.

When I encounter co-workers, friends, and total strangers whose daily lives are filled with chasing after shockingly unwholesome desires, my temptation is to lead with "wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (Matthew 7:13).

But, as true as that verse is, my Mondays have taught me to lead with the equally true "there is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12)

That's right. We're all on that same broad road, and we're all in need of mercy. Perhaps the people in my life need me to interact with them as someone who shares our predicament and our common need for grace.

Dear Lord, this world is strange. Help me to see all your commandments, and to not ignore the ones that bring us together as fellow sojourners and seekers.

The Church That Does the Recovery Program: Writer's Notebook

A few of the FCC-Belle Celebrate Recovery peeps

The story behind The Church That Does the Recovery Program, my current article in the October issue of Christian Standard magazine, begins nearly two years ago when I was doing research for a different story for Lookout magazine. My Lookout editor, Kelly Carr, wanted a listicle about rural and/or small churches reaching out to help their communities (Small Churches -- Big Impact, 2/12/17).

I sent out private Facebook messages to several preachers I know from our days together at Central Christian College. I wrote several more blind private messages and e-mails to churches in rural Missouri that I found in the Directory of the Ministry.

 I also reached out to David Fincher, President of Central Christian College, to ask if he knew of any such community outreach programs among CCCB's supporting churches. I've gotten some of my best story ideas from David, and he didn't let me down this time. He sent me a short note in response:

"You should talk to Mitchell Seaton at First Christian Church in Belle, Missouri. They have had a great outreach to many of the hurting people in their community."

So I wrote an e-mail to Seaton and received back an 800-word detailed description of First Christian Church's experience with Celebrate Recovery (CR), a very small part of which was included in that article.

I knew, though, that the time would come when I would tell that story in more detail.

A Sunday morning drive through the hills and hollers of the Ozarks followed. Mitch invited Karen and I to "interview" the members of one of the Sunday School classes. There wasn't much interviewing required, as this crowd of friends, all involved in one way or another in the Celebrate Recovery program, led me through a wild and crazy hour of stories and confessions and tears and laughter.

My editor, Michael Mack, after reading the finished manuscript, told me "Dude, love the quotes. Very compelling and I laughed out loud several times."

There were plenty more quotes that didn't make it into the 1,500 word article.  So here's your chance to hear more from the people at First Christian Church in Belle, MO. You will laugh out loud, you will be challenged, and you might even cry.

Tim Long 3, on what happened after he got arrested in the parking lot of the church after a Sunday morning service:

“I came back the following Sunday to church. I couldn’t take it no more. June 14, 2014, was my first day clean and sober. It was Father’s Day. I went to church because my daughters had asked me. 

I said, I’m done. I was done with it at that point. 12 days later they start the recovery program and I’m in jail again. I had warrants that I was still cleaning up. It took a while to clean the mess up that I had created behind me. . .  I felt God’s hand on me when I was in jail, I said we’ll work this out. I’ll sit here, I’m good. I’ve run out of options. 

The following week I came to the recovery program. I was at the ground level. The second week of the program they handed me a book and said, here, why don’t you do the lesson. I kind of giggled a little bit. “You know who you’re handing this off to?” 

I’m in a position now as ministry leader of CR, and I get to watch what guys like Kevin, Tony, and Mitchell got to watch through me, those aha moments. I get to watch them through guys like Todd and Pete, not just their recovery from drug addiction, but their recovery from life, moving forward, being the men and women god has intended them to be. When you’re going through it yourself, you don’t see it, but people like Kevin can tell me about the progression he sees people go through. 

The church people have been 100% supportive, and they’re not afraid to let you know where you’ve fallen short, or what you need to work on or give you the praises that keep you pushing forward."

Anna Long:

"I told him (Tim 3, her husband), he said he was coming to church, and I said, if you have a warrant, Tony will arrest you. I warned him and he said, I don’t but if I do I’ll deal with it. 

I came in a year before the recovery program started. I came here as a child, and then came back. I came in because I was at a low point in my marriage and everything else and needed to be around people. There was a lot more space in the pews. This Sunday School class at the time, there was like five of us. The stories that people were willing to share helped so much. 

CR has opened things up. We’re a little louder, so it opens it up to talk to everybody. We’re kind of loud and crazy but we love Jesus.

A lot of times people will come to CR first and then everyone tells them, come to our church. It doesn’t matter if you’ve tried church before, try our church. And then a lot of times then, again, Mitchell’s sermons are very relatable and they feel welcome and accepted when they come in the door."

Tim Long 2 (Tim 3's dad):

"Yesterday is 21 months clean and sober. I spent over 40 years out on the dark side, doing my will only. When i was a kid I used to spend my collection money by skipping church and going to the bowling alley. 

First time I came in here I heard Mitchell speak and he was right in my head talking to me. I even asked him, what did they teach you at that college, mind reading? You need to stay outta there! 

I came to CR to see about getting rid of my addiction, and I was in it for a while and then I asked Jesus Christ to take my addiction and he did. It’s now not about the addiction anymore, it’s about the recovery to change my life and living my life the way Christ wants me to live. 

That’s why I’m here. All these people here, the whole church they work with you, they help you, they lead you. The whole church is my accountability partner now. 

When some of us started coming, we asked Mitchell, are you going to be able to keep your job with all these rough people coming in? He said ‘This is a hospital for sinners, not a house for saints.”

Celebrate Recovery members playing with kids at FCC-Belle VBS

Denene Gehlert:

“When I came to CR, I’d been an addict my whole life. It was OK to come. I felt like everybody from all walks of life are being real here. 

It’s OK for me to come in and talk to others. They’ll help you through it and carry it. 

The realness of other people helps because people come in and think that can’t tell their story because their problem is so dark CR has made it OK for people from all walks of life to come in and be accepted. These are good Christian people who will take you as you are and say, we’ll help you with this. We all have problems and everyone can see. 

Tony Baritech:

It’s OK if you’ve got a problem. This is where you should be if you’ve got a problem. Romans 3:23. I’m one of those people. We’re family here. We walk through it all together.

Mitchell Seaton:

The impact and scope of CR:  “It's been an adjustment for sure. And we're still adjusting. But they're still coming, and they're lives are being changed by the power of Christ. This has brought on all kinds of changes to our approach. it's not just addiction. But really any of life's "hurts, habits, and hang-ups" (which is a Celebrate Recovery line). Depression. Anger. Sexual Addiction. Codependency. 

Church discipline: "Though we are patient to allow God's Spirit to convict, we also know we must play a role in that, too."

Clayton Johnson:

"Before I started coming to CR I was an atheist. I didn’t believe in Christ. The only time I went to church was for a wedding or a funeral, and I thought I was going to get struck by lightning for walking through the doors. 

I had multiple people tell me to come to CR and through CR I found Christ, I started coming to church, I’ve been baptized, I’ve been redeemed. 

Becoming one of the leaders for CR, as encouragement leader, has been wonderful. I believe last year we had more CR baptisms than we had baptism out of the regular church program. It’ changing lives. It changed mine. I went from a non-believer to a faithful, grateful believer, and I tell everybody now.".

Sundi JoGraham, on the close-knit community of CR and FCC-Bel:

"A friend said, the other day, I feel like the Sunday School class is the church. The people in this room, we do life together. 

We go to Carrie and Kevin’s to play whiffle ball. I remember going to my first whiffle ball game and seeing all this diverse group of people from all walks of life. You’ve got ex-convicts and ex drug dealers and a cop, you’ve got all these people. We were all playing whiffle ball together and eating hot dogs together. That’s the body of Christ, is doing life together. We have cried in this room together, we’ve been real and raw. It’s been amazing to watch. 

Margie Baretich:

"When I came there was maybe 50 or 60 people. Now we have probably as many children here as we did adults back then. 

The CR program here, I can’t even express the amount of hope that it gives me. 

We have a boy that’s in prison. Watching the transformations that I’ve been to see, gives me hope that’s still possible for my son. 

It has given me a different perspective in my work as well. I’m a paramedic, 28 years, and I go get the same people time after time after time for the same abuses, the same drugs, or for the same beatings from the same person and I have been jaded in the past. Here we go again. 

Now I understand addiction so much better and the life struggles than I did before. Now I have a diff perspective in my work. I can say with all honesty now, when I’m picking up somebody for the 43rd time, there really is hope. I know it’s there. 

Contact CR in your areas and give it a chance, you’ve got everything to gain."

An exchange during the group decision that highlights the unexpected and extraordinary relationships developing at FCC-Belle:

Tim Long 2: We tried to get Tony to come work for us, but he wouldn’t. 

Tony Baretich (police officer): No joke, I was offered a large monthly stipend to look the other way, but no. 

Tim Long 2: And now we got motorcycles and Tony don’t. 

Tim Long 3: I’m very happy that you didn’t take that offer.

Tim Long 2:

Broken Chains is part of CR, a Christian biker program. It brought me in to where I could have a bike again. I got rid of my bike and wasn’t going to get another one because of the lifestyle, but it’s allowed me to do other ministry work. 

That’s one of the things that is really amazing me is doing ministry work. When I was new, Mitchell would talk about ministry work. The other day I was standing around talking to guys about Jesus and a few months before I would have rather hit you than to talk about Jesus. I came on kind of fast. 

It’s crazy, the transformation is totally amazing. The acceptance and guidance they give is great. I’ve never met people like that my whole life.

Kevin Brown:

We came to FCC 5 or 6 years ago. Tony invited Morgan (his daughter) to come. I wasn’t sure how we would be accepted, because I had been divorced, twice. At that point there was 70ish attendance, probably. 

I’m thrilled we started at that point. I believe we were put here at that certain time. I didn’t even know Mitchell, but we hit it off immediately and became really good friends after some earnest conversation. It was good. 

So we were able to see the beginning and to see the wave start to swell. It was phenomenal. 

Everything they’re saying is 100% true. There was hardly nobody in this classroom. 

If you can help one person, and I believe there’s been more than one person that’s been helped, that gives me hope. 

Yes, we have people out for whiffle ball because God has blessed us to have a place where we can do that, and we absolutely love it. It’s not the whiffle ball, it’s the talks after whiffle ball. That’s the cool part. 

I was on vacation and met someone from Redding, CA. They’re from a Christian church out there, and they’re going to start a CR program. I said, that’s fine, but get ready to get your heart to broken. It’s been a huge blessing and it’s been quite the ride.

Margie Baretich:

When our boy was arrested, if that would have happened when I was in that plastic church we used to go to, I would not have had this acceptance, this love, this encouragement. I would have had to hide that, to put on a brave face or go elsewhere. But here, we’re not looked down upon because of what our child did, we’re love and accepted and carried through.

Tony Baretich:

The day before he left to go to prison, 30 some odd people from this church showed up. Mitchell got permission from the county sheriff and everybody got to say their piece and I love you’s and the body of Christ was alive and active. It wasn’t just words, they showed up.

 Tim Long 3:

Everybody’s situation, everything that has happened, is a chaotic mess of just beautiful. 

I couldn’t be where I’m at today without Tony and Marge’s struggles. It brought a whole new light. 

I always frowned upon . . the way I grew up there was only one way to handle that kind of situation, what he did. But what he did is a sin, but it wasn’t any difference than me being a drug dealer, spreading poison on the street. God used that to open my eyes. I’m on the register to go and see him. 

Each person’s struggle is unique, but if you can look at it and put it into perspective of what you’ve done, and the forgiveness you’ve accepted and offered, there’s nothing out of God’s grasp.

Clayton Johnson:

A sin is a sin is a sin. God still loves you, god works with sinners. There’s an acceptance for the many different walks of life that everyone has come from. I’ve buried two daughters, I’ve buried my parents. I’ve lost a whole lot in my life. Whenever I was going through all of that, I stayed so far gone, I didn’t know who I was. I literally did not recognize myself looking in a mirror.

Sundi Jo Graham:

People don’t let you stay stuck where you are. I was going through a bad time a few months ago. I teach people how to have healthy coping mechanisms and how to talk about their problems. But Tony and Mitch showed up to ask what was going on, to tell me I couldn’t lock myself off like that. If you hurt I’m going to hurt with you. If you celebrate I’m going to celebrate with you. 

Tony Baretich:

I love Mitchell so much; I’d bury a body for him. There have been leadership issues, but the one constant is their obedience. Mitchell doesn’t take the easy way out. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s how to have healthy confrontations with people.

If you would like to learn more about the Celebrate Recovery program, go to http://www.celebraterecovery.com/

Psalm 119:18 Seeing Wonderful Things

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.  

Psalm 119:18

In my experience, God often uses the people and circumstances I encounter to open my eyes to see wonderful things in His law.

It works the other way around also. My time in His Word opens my eyes to see the wonderful things He is doing in the people and circumstances I encounter.

One without the other produces either nearsighted or farsighted faith.

Nearsighted faith interprets scriptures entirely through the spiritual lens of my own narrowly personal impressions of the Word, isolated from what's going on in the larger world. Bias, legalism, and self-focused faith are the chief symptoms.

Farsighted faith interprets scriptures entirely through the lens of my experiences in the wider world. Relativism, post-modern uncertainty, and and a diminished attitude toward the authority of the Bible are the chief symptoms.


When I began in the prison ministry, my immediate reaction was the same as nearly everyone else I've ever taken inside with me for the first time. The women who came to the prison chapel were clearly "criminals." They were dressed in identical prison clothes. But nearly all of them looked like they could have been someone I might meet in my home church, on campus, or at the grocery store.

Following quickly after the realization that they were all just regular people like me, my eyes were opened to see a wonderful thing in God's Word. If "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), then the sins of these prisoners are no worse or better in God's eyes than my own worst sins. Certainly, the State of Missouri has a different opinion, but to God, we are all just people who have fallen short of His glory.

This led to facing a challenging question on Q&A night at the prison:

"I'm a lesbian. It's just who I am, I didn't choose it. Is that a sin?"

Many Christians, once they actually get to know people who are homosexual, begin to view the scripture's teachings on the topic differently. The weight of their experience and relationships out in the wider world begins to apply pressure on their ability to accept what the scriptures appear to be clearly teaching.

My response is to I answer that question with, "Leviticus 20:13 is pretty clear about homosexuality." I then add, "...but you should also notice that chapters 19 & 20 of Leviticus are also quite clearly opposed to adultery and tattoos and several other things."

Trust me, there are a lot more adulterers and tattooed women in that prison chapel than there are homosexuals. Just as there are in the average congregation outside of prison.

The Christian who is slipping into farsightedness begins to slip here, thinking that perhaps homosexuality is no worse than getting a tattoo, and there are plenty of people in churches on Sunday mornings with tattoos these days. They might then tell the young lady who asked the question that it's OK to continue what she's doing.

The Christian who is leaning toward nearsightedness would probably say, "Yes! All of these things are sins! You are a sinner!" At which point this young woman, a prisoner who was seeking God enough to show up to a chapel service, likely shakes her head and decides to stop seeking.

Those are both obviously over-simplifications of the two different ways of integrating scriptures with experience. But there is a third way: to let experience train my spiritual eyes to see beyond a simple YES or NO, in order to discover the heart of God as revealed in His Word for the sake of this seeker.

Yes, I tell them, Leviticus does say all these things are sins. And so is my own gluttony and my laziness.

Then I point them to Romans 1, which also clearly categorizes homosexuality as a sin. Much like Leviticus, Paul includes it among a list of other sins - including being disobedient to parents, which we've all done at some point.

The Romans passage, though, is calling everyone's sin a sin. It's the opening argument in a lengthy discussion of sin that drives its point home in Romans 3:23 with, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," and then finishes that sentence with verse 24: "and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came through Christ Jesus."

This, then, opened my eyes to a better understanding of Paul's teachings in Romans 7 and Galatians 3 about the purpose of the Law.

Thank you, Lord, for using both your scriptures and your work in the prison to open my eyes to see the reason for trusting firmly in what your Law says about sin. The point is not to build a wall between myself and "those sinners", but to paint a clear picture of the stark and beautiful contrast between "all have sinned" and "all are justified freely."

I would never have clearly seen that wonderful truth in His law if I hadn't kept my eyes open to both His revealed Word and to the people and circumstances I encounter while trying to live according to that Word.