Redeemer Lubbock

As of late I have had such a difficult time with some aspects of friendships/community around me. I sit down and talk with my friends and have extended times of hanging out that more often than not end with very little soul satisfaction. Not to say that my friends are not great people. I admire all of them for various reasons. And there are times when we do talk about our souls, but this is a more rare occurrence than I would hope for. I just wonder sometimes why in the world that this is the outcome of some of our times together. Well I have at least a start to a possible problem and proceeding solution, and I would love for all of us at Redeemer to go there and wrestle through this together.

I am going to search out and discuss some things that I am extremely guilty of. And most likely this is going to affect all of us on some level or another at Redeemer. First, I am just going to present a few verses of Scripture, and then second I am going to start perusing through what this could mean for all of us. So here they are:

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

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. - Ephesians 5:4

So what is on our lips? Think about it. What do you spend your time mulling over? What do your conversations consist of? At the end of them do they represent these verses?

What I'm about to propose could most likely cause a lot of you to raise up medieval style defenses of mammoth proportions. And I am going to bring up some topics that I am trying to attempt to avoid in my life and where you might say in response to my newfound view, "Well, those are just your convictions so don't push them down my throat!" And at the end of this article I am going to leave my email address so that we can talk this out.

Despite your possible objections, here it comes. Right down the pipe.

Sarcasm and awkwardness are becoming things that are destroying our community and ultimately our souls. Hold please. Let me explain.

I have a massive affinity towards watching the show "The Office". I uncontrollably laugh every time Jim pulls a brilliant prank on Dwight or Andy. Especially the one where he hides Andy's cell phone in the ceiling tiles. Yet I have stopped watching it. Let me let you in on a tid bit about my heart. Those shows and characters as I delve deep into the results of their influence on me have had one consequence- they have pulled out the dark humor side of me and have not given me godliness and that is fact. I watch myself being proud of my wit and "brave" attempts at saying things that others are too modest to say and then I pat my own back at what courage I have. I sling sarcastic comments and throw joke grenades into serious trenches to draw out the people who are "too" serious and need to lighten up. I have recently been avoiding my heart and the hearts of others due to this lifestyle and honestly, honestly, honestly am infinitely worn to my soul about it and this is just a recent discovery.

Awkwardness is the same little monster. I pretend to be awkward to get a laugh or fill out some moments that could be important. I miss geniune times and replace them with goofy stares or snide conjectures all for the sake of our Comic god that has to be fed in times of extended seriousness. Of course, sometimes the people that don't get sarcasm or awkwardness walk away from my behavior wondering what in God's green earth is wrong with me.

My question is this- Why are we acting like this? Why am I acting like this? Stop reading this article and ask yourself. My answer is that I am avoiding honesty. Ultimately I am lying. Harsh conclusion? Well, maybe. But I could be right here.

I purposely don't watch those types of shows anymore, not out of moral high horseness, but purely from the fact that it corrupts my soul. So I know, I know you are throwing yellow flags right now and saying "man, sorry that you get corrupted by something I don't, but I'm gonna keep on trucking with this show." Well if those are your thoughts then you are going to miss my point completely. This conversation is not about the show "The Office". It is about whether or not our conversations are congruent with the verses above and if they are not is this destroying our community's life together. Something entirely different could be drawing you away from gracious conversations other than things like "The Office".

Ok, enough Joe the soapbox champ. Let's revisit these verses. What is God saying to us? How are we being obedient to the call of this portion of Scripture? Well for sure I don't want to forget about Ecclesiastes that says that there is a time for laughter. But what causes this laughter? Is it caused by slight dishonesty or witty banter? Or is it that true joy comes from our Lord and a glad heart that is inclined by His grace and love through Jesus Christ that is causing us to celebrate in laughter?

Well the verses state positively that we should have things come out of our mouths that are for building up and that fit the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear it or be words of thanksgiving. Rather than explaining these verses out I am going to ask some questions. Do your conversations meet these qualifications? Cause mine are not matching up. I could be alone here. I am not good on this subject as I mentioned before. Do your words give and breath out grace and thanksgiving? Do your conversations fit the occasion or are they out of place? Most of all, are we living a life worthy of the gospel? And life includes talking in it.

I get scared to think about this subject because I am reminded of the verse that states that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. I am mentally trying to recoil about 74 conversations that I had this week because I have realized that they represent my heart way too well and I can't believe they are out there in space.

A couple of challenges that I am going to do is to avoid all sarcasm and awkwardness for a full week to see how different my life is and my conversations. I would challenge you to do the same just for an experiment.

All this said, let's start talking this out. But during and after we do all of our talking, let's repent where repentance is necessary and stir each other up to love and good works all for the sake of Jesus Christ and his name in Lubbock, Texas and the world around us and let grace and thanksgiving be what is on our lips continually.

Email me at to start talking this through.