Estevan Church of Christ

06/07/2026

Dreams are fine. Good intentions are great. However, nothing happens if we never start.

Dreams are fine. Good intentions are great. However, nothing happ...

06/02/2026

Consider This: Comparing and Competing

“You must learn to enjoy life without needing an audience to see that you are enjoying life” – Unknown Source.

One of the lost arts is knowing who you are and how you are doing without outside approval. Of course, social media does not help this problem. It seems we cannot do anything without telling everyone how talented we are or showing how much fun we are having.

Honestly, I get it! Celebrating achievements with friends and family is important. We all want to be seen, and the desire for external validation is real. However, there is a thin line between healthy sharing and competition that makes each person better, to comparing ourselves with those around us in a way that undermines our relationships.

In 1 Corinthians 13, we find a list of what love does and does not do. Consider this part, “(Love) does not envy, it does not boast” (verse 4). Envy focuses my attention on what others have that I do not. Often, this produces feelings of shame and embarrassment. Boasting works the opposite way. It points out what I have that you lack, and makes me prideful. This sort of comparison never promotes anything good because it is not done in love. It always ends up with one person feeling bad about who they are and what they have accomplished.

In case we missed the point, the next verse gets to the root of the problem. “Love is not self-seeking” (verse 5). The main issue is that we are too wrapped up in ourselves. We are self-promoting and are not curious enough about others. Recently, I went for coffee with someone, and when I got home, Sara asked how it went. My response was, “Well, I know a lot more about them, but they know nothing more about me!”

What would happen if we stopped comparing and started caring? What if I made a point of building you up rather than building myself up? What if we learned to ask about the other person rather than talk about ourselves? What if our conversations were deeper than, “Guess what I just bought?”

Happiness begins the moment you value your own blessings and stop trying to convince others that you have a good life.

You do not need an audience.

05/31/2026

Things change. Always. The question isn't "How do we stop that?", but rather, "What are we supposed to learn from it?"

Things change. Always. The question isn't "How do I stop that?", ...

05/12/2026

Consider This: In and Among

The Bible did not come with chapters and verses. They were added later to help people find specific sections more quickly. One unintended consequence, though, is that sometimes those chapters and verses break up portions of scripture that were meant to be taken together. The end of Mark 6 and the start of Mark 7 is a good example.

First, we get a description of Jesus at the height of his popularity. “Wherever he went – into the villages, towns, or country – they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed” (Mark 6:56).

Next, because the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, wanted to investigate what Jesus was doing, they too went to the marketplace. However, their reaction to being with the common people was very different than Jesus’. “The Pharisees… do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing… When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash” (Mark 7:3-4). To be clear, the Pharisees were not worried about germs. They were worried about being made spiritually unclean by the sinners around them.

In other words, the Pharisees were concerned about getting dirty, while Jesus was focused on helping people become clean. The Pharisees ran away from people. Jesus ran toward them. The Pharisees wanted to be separate (that is what the word Pharisee means – “Separated one”), while Jesus wanted to be with people. The Pharisees had no time for the irreligious, while Jesus said he came to be a spiritual doctor for the spiritually sick (Mark 2:17).

It is difficult to help people you do not know. It is rare to make a difference in someone’s life if you do not interact with them. People will resist even the truth if they do not trust the teacher.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He did that by being in and among them.

We must do the same.

You can make an impression from a distance, but you cannot make an impact from there.

“As the Father sent me, I am sending you!” (John 20:21)

05/10/2026

We honour mothers on Mother’s Day, not because they are perfect, but because they do this over and over.

We honour mothers on Mother’s Day, not because they are perfect, but because they do this over and over.

05/05/2026

Consider This: Master the Pause

“A major cheat code in life: Master the pause. Before responding to that text. Before saying that nasty reply. The pause is where the wisdom lives. Most mistakes happen when we rush. Most regrets come from quick decisions. Remember, response time does not equal response quality” (Paraphrasing a quote by Scott Clary)

I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately. The worst purchases I have made have been the ones when I bought something on impulse. Rather than thinking it through and weighing the pros and cons, I just stormed ahead and regretted it later.

The worst arguments I have been in over the years have come from reacting rather than waiting. Someone says something that I perceive as mean or unfair, and I fire back in an attempt to hurt them in return. Then it takes hours and hours to undo the mess. Had I just paused, taken a breath and thought about it, I likely would not have said what I said.

One time, a buddy of mine sent an email about a project that I was heading up. I did not appreciate the tone of his note, as it seemed as if he thought he knew how things could have been done better. I immediately wrote back and challenged him, saying that if he thought he could do a better job, then he had better step up and do it, or keep his mouth shut. Ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was my buddy saying, “I am not sure what you thought you read, or what your problem is, but I wasn’t being critical at all”. I had misread his note and assigned a bunch of thoughts to him that he did not intend. Again, a pause, a little time to cool off and re-read what he actually said would have helped.

In the book of James, we are given these practical instructions that we can put into practice immediately: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

Learning to master the pause will save us from a lot of trouble.

05/03/2026

Jesus and the Pharisees approached people in very different ways. As with all things, we'd better follow Jesus' example.

In and Among: Jesus’ way of changing the world

04/28/2026

Consider This: One Big Test

The first event of Jesus’ public ministry did not take place in public, but it influenced everything he did from that point on.

After Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17), he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for a time of testing. For forty days, Jesus was alone and without food. Then Satan came and suggested that Jesus feed himself by turning the stones into bread. Jesus recoiled from this idea as if doing so would be the worst thing in the world. Then Satan challenges him to prove that he is God’s Son by throwing himself off the temple and seeing if God would protect him. Jesus treats this suggestion with similar contempt. Lastly, Satan tries to convince Jesus to become the ruler of the world. That was his end goal anyway, so why not start there? Again, Jesus does not choose that option (Matthew 4:1-11).

The question is, “What was the test here?” Feeding oneself after forty days seems reasonable. Proving his Sonship at the start of his ministry would have moved things along. Ruling the world would get the message out more quickly than teaching one person at a time. What is the problem?

Two phrases help us understand the real test. The first is, “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness” (verse 1). The second is Satan saying, “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me” (verse 9).

The temptation had nothing to do with hunger, God’s care, or gaining power. The real test was about who was in charge. Would Jesus do things God’s way or not? Would he wait on God’s timing or make his own? Would he take the difficult way with God or find an easier route?

Jesus’ refusal to do anything other than what his father wanted is seen throughout the rest of his ministry. He constantly said things like, “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me” (John 8:28) and “Not my will but yours be done” (Matthew 26:39/42/44).

Jesus knew that taking a shortcut instead of doing things God’s way would short-circuit the entire process.

What about us? Are we actually following God, or do we just call ourselves followers?

There is a huge difference.

04/26/2026

Things may seem dark and scary right now, but there is more to the story than what we see.

Assurance for Anxious Times (Revelation)

04/21/2026

Consider This: Can You Get on the Mat?

In Mark 2, four friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus to be healed. The house where Jesus is teaching is full of people. There is no way they can get close to him, so they use the stairs on the side of the house, go up to the flat roof and then start digging through the mud and thatch covering. Once the hole is large enough, they take the mat the man is lying on and lower it down through the hole. In this way, they get their friend to Jesus. This impresses Jesus so much that he forgives the man’s sin and heals him as well (Mark 2:1-12).

This incident can be taught from several different angles. I have heard it focused on Jesus (He is the powerful Son of God), the four friends (Have faith, bring people to Jesus and do not let anything stop you), and I have even heard a lesson about the doubters in the room (if you do not believe, you will not receive God’s blessings). Each of those lessons is good and has merit.

I wonder, though, if we have missed the point. What if the real lesson is, “Be the person on the mat”? In other words, be able to admit that you need help. Acknowledge your weakness, failings and inability to fix your own problems. Be the one who confesses that they need God’s help and healing.

Now, here is the problem: I do not want to be the person on the mat.

Why? Because my pride gets in the way!

Pride makes me pretend that everything is ok even when it is not. Pride makes me keep my problems to myself and not share them with anyone. Pride makes me compare and compete with my friends. Pride makes me think about what I should be getting rather than who I could be serving. Pride is a huge problem.

In the story above, there is no miracle without someone getting on the mat.

No one wants to humble themselves, but that is exactly where God’s grace is found.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)