More…there is always more.

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

I saw an old friend today while waiting tables. She was a young lady who got married almost 10 years ago. I officiated her wedding. It has been fun to see her grow in God. She is happy with her husband and has two children. God is good.

I do not typically remember my wedding sermons. In fact, I throw away the notes and make new ones for every wedding I do. My count is around 165 or so. Most of the messages don’t stick with me. It was different for this young lady’s wedding as I can still vividly recall the message. The topic was simply “more”. I encouraged them to keep seeking God because there is always more…in God. Regardless of the circumstances or situation they will face as a married couple, there is more!

Jump back to the present.

After she leaves the restaurant, I begin thinking about Paul. You know Paul, right? He is perhaps, the most famous Christian to ever live! He also wrote much of the New Testament. Take a look at this passage from II Corinthians 11:22-30; 12:1-10:

22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! 30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 1I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul had plenty to boast about. But he realized that God allowed him to experience all of it. He also knew that his weakness was God’s opportunity to be strong.

Paul knew that there was more!

In my own flesh, I could write a list similar to Paul. It would not be quite as intense or even as long but it could be something in which I could boast. But I am learning (every day, practically) that I need God more. The more knowledge and experience I accumulate, the more I understand my need for God. But in a mind-blowing way, there is still more to God! You never even get close to the end of the Almighty! Think about…

His love for me…

His patience for me…

His mercy in my life…

Let me echo the words of Paul as I conclude;

“He is sufficient for me. In my frailty, He can be my support. When my limits are reached, His are just beginning.”

WHY?!?!

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why…?”

It seems pretty common that people ask this question. We all like answers. It is good to be informed. But there is another perspective on why someone would ask that question. Motivation.

Let me compare two sentences.

“Why is the sky blue?” vs. “Why do I go to church?”

Do you see the difference? The first question deals with facts and information. Those are great questions. Learning is good.

The second one, however, deals with motivation.

I am thoroughly convinced that a person will make time for what is important to them.

This weekend I have been challenged to seek God more than I have been. In response, I have been asking my self, “Why?”

Why do I not read my Bible more often?

Why can I only pray for a few minutes without getting distracted?

Why do I attend church?

Why do I…?

Why?

God desires me to know Him more. The Holy Spirit is a constant companion throughout my day. Jesus died for me.

Why do I do what I do? If I can sum it up in a sentence…

“I do what I do to bring glory to God.”

What are you asking yourself today?

Death and God’s Word…What a combo!

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Ever had those days? I am having that kind of week. On Monday, my grandpa, 98 years old, went to be with the Lord. He was a great man and a godly man. My life has been forever shaped by his influence. Thanks Grandpa!

We drive to North Dakota this week for the funeral. It will be great to see cousins, aunts, and uncles I have not seen for years. That is the part about this whole thing that will be wonderful. Reunion.

Reunion. A getting-back-together again. I now have all four of my grandparents in heaven. My parents are also there. I think I can say with a fair amount of certainty that when I die, I will be reunited with them. I Thessalonians 4:13-18 comes to mind. It will be pretty awesome to see Jesus and my loved one again.

So why am I fighting depression right now? Why do I feel like sleeping all day? I am not a therapist or counselor but I am a pastor. And my experience tells me to go to the Word. So I did just that. Psalm 91 to be precise. You can click on the link to open another window but I felt like posting here also.

So for any of you out there who are grieving a loss, fighting depression, or just having a rough day, let Psalm 91 do what God intended in to do.

Psalm 91

1Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^a

2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14“Because he^b loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Top Ten Things I Learned While…

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Ever had bad service at a restaurant? It is pretty easy to remember the bad ones. But what about the times when you have an exceptional experience? The service was awesome and the food was fantastic and you tipped 25%, right? Most of my week days are spent at the Olive Garden. I wait tables. Without giving all of the details, I have been a waiter for close to nine years. And all of them at an Olive Garden. In that span, I feel like I have learned some things. Dealing with people, relating to co-workers, smiling when I don’t feel like it are just some of these lessons. In this post, I would like to share with you my Top Ten Things I Learned While Waiting Tables at the Olive Garden.

Disclaimer: These reflections stem from my personal experience. The Olive Garden is a fantastic place to work. My nine years speak to that but there are coworkers of mine that have logged many more years than I have. If you have had a bum deal or feel ill feelings towards the OG, sorry but don’t let how you feel discourage you from going back to dine at an Olive Garden. Thanks…now onto the list.

Smile. At the table. In the kitchen. Even if you don’t feel like it.
Be nice and polite to the cooks. They can make or break your day.
Pre-bus your tables more than expected. Your busser can clean the table quicker.
Avoid co-worker drama. In relation to said drama, ignorance is bliss.
If you know first names, use them. If not, use “sir” and “miss”. Never call a woman “ma’am”.
Don’t freak out. When, not if, the host staff messes up the seating rotation and you get double sat, stay cool.
Relationship is key. View people as people, not as something from which you can extract a tip.
Never complain about a bad tip. Sometimes people are ignorant, not mean.
Sometimes you mess up. The tip will reflect it. Move on and do better next time.
Attitude is paramount! My goal, every day, is to make the Olive Garden a better place because I am there.

Here is a picture of my Olive Garden in Green Bay: In fact, I am going to clean up and head to work soon. Normally, I will attempt to draw some spiritual application or at least a biblical connection. Not today. I am going to let my Top Ten Things I Learned While Waiting Tables at the Olive Garden stand on their own. It was my pleasure in serving you today. We’ll see you soon.

How far to Wall Drug from here?

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Have you ever seen this a billboard or bumper sticker like this?

In my road trip out west, we encountered numerous Wall Drug signs. See my previous posts of my Yellowstone trip for some background info.

Wall Drug is a small town in western South Dakota. It’s near Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands. But you probably would not drive there just to see Wall Drug. It makes a great pit stop when seeing many other attractions. And for us, it was the last stop before heading east, back home.

As far as a tourist trap, this one sets out a fantastic bait. There are signs for miles and miles in every direction telling that Wall Drug is getting closer. They advertise anything and everything. If curiosity killed the cat then I am glad I am not a cat. I don’t recall when I first heard about Wall Drug but I feel like I have know about all my life. Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, the Grand Canyon, and similar places are places you just know about. Wall Drug is like that. You just always know that it is a real place. They have really good marketing! Like this picture I found online.

When you are at Wall Drug, there are, of course, the shops. But I found that the real treasure was in all of the pictures they have hanging on any available wall. Pictures of all things Wall Drug. Like the one of the marine. There were hundreds of people from all over the world with signs saying how far Wall Drug was from their location. It was bizarre and fascinating!

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus says that the disciples would be empowered to be witnesses. Not lawyers, judges, or even jury members but simply witnesses. They were supposed to tell what they have seen and heard.

Isn’t that what these Wall Drug signs that are scattered all over the earth are doing? They, in a very clear manner, state that Wall Drug is X miles away. They might have pictures or sayings on them as well. But they are not Wall Drug. The signs are just that, signs. They tell of something else.

When people see your life, what message are they getting? John the Baptist was a sign. He was very clear that he was not the Christ. Read the full story here.

I close with these thoughts:

I am a sign and so are you.
God has filled His followers with His Spirit.
He can help us to display the right message.
What are people reading in your life?

By the way, Google maps tell me that I am 775 miles from Wall Drug.

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