Rick Nier...Woo!

I've said that I'm ok with being unknown, or insignificant, in the eyes of the world around me. The truth is probably closer to me dealing with the fact that I am relatively unknown and then using that reality to spiritualize it. Ah, what a twisted web we weave, rarely comprehending that the one we deceive is ourselves.  Nevertheless, reading the stories of the Bible and attempting to learn from the mistakes of others is helpful. Recently I was reading from Luke 19. Luke says the people referred to Zack as a notorious sinner. 1 Notorious. Zack wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill sinner. He was famous for sinning. Yeah, you and I might sin, but Zack sinned with flair. It was almost like an anti-spiritual gift, he was so famous for it. The people grumbled that Jesus would choose to go and dine with Zack. After all, who we choose to spend our time with says something about us, right? My mom used to tell me that I was most like the people I like the most. I’m not t...

Very few of us, when asked, would confess to believing we are the most important person in the world. The person, who above all others, deserves the time and attention of everyone else. Literally everyone else. Rare also would be the person who would say they are even the most important person in their chosen field of focus. There can, mathematically, only be one #1 doctor, teacher, firefighter, etc. But let’s narrow the field down a bit more. Would you say you are the most important person where you work? I don’t mean that the company couldn’t do what they do without you. I’ll grant you that every part of every machine serves a purpose, but you should admit there are other people who could do your job. Every person in every company has a role to play, but to believe you cannot be replaced means you may want to re-read the first few paragraphs. Also, I would suggest that if we think every part is equally important, understand the appendix has been removed from thousands of peop...

Here you and I are, just starting our day with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch, and people are out there making changes in the way we are governed. And there are other people out there studying the impact it makes on people.  So what changes and what impact are we talking about today? The impact made on high school students when states change the policies about same-sex marriages. You can read the article here for yourself , but here is a summary of their findings; This difference-in-differences analysis of representative data from 47 states found that same-sex marriage policies were associated with a 7% reduction in the proportion of all high school students reporting a suicide attempt within the past year. The effect was concentrated among adolescents who were sexual minorities. Translation: They asked adolescents who would identify as something other than heterosexual if they had attempted suicide before and after the legalization of same-sex marriages.  Please note, that w...

Acts 13 lists a guy by the name of Manaen and we are told he was a childhood friend of a Herod who would be King. Manaen is listed in Acts 13 among the prophets and teachers of the church in Antioch. If these two facts combined don’t raise some eyebrows, then maybe you’re not familiar with the name Herod. From the Bible, we’re not given anything more about the life of Manaen. He was a leader in church and he used to play tag with Herod, who was decidedly not a leader of the church. Can you imagine the background of Manaen? Did he go over to play at Herod’s house? What was that like? What did he overhear? Did he know about some baby Messiah? Were there rumors? What did this guy grow up believing about the world? About Judaism? About John the Baptist? About Jesus? Using other ancient texts, some believe Manaen’s family and Herod’s family had been connected for a few generations. Manaen was likely educated by private tutors along with Herod and his brother. What brought...

Much is said about the rush of the Christmas season. Do we even take time to slow down and remember why we asked for new tech from our wife? Or why we gave out gift cards when we didn't know what else to get our friends? What I think gets missed is that the New Year comes in with as much noise as all the Christmas songs ever could. Even if we had slowed down to read again about God become a man, the hectic pace picks up exactly where it left off once the calendar year turns over. And why not? The work our boss was kind enough to let slip in the last week of December will now require our full attention the first week of January. And those resolutions aren't going to write themselves. While I have no problem with people challenging themselves to new things this year, I wonder if we should start by resolving to know why we're resolving. My fear is that the new diet, the new exercise habit, the new reading goal, the scary business opportunity, the money saving idea....along wit...

The question has occurred to me more often in the past month than it likely has to everyone else combined. Do I still blog? As a type-A, I like to see order in things, especially my life. When order is not seen, I struggle. So, do I still blog? I ask myself the question. For starters, if I don't blog anymore, then that checklist of things to write about can stop plaguing me. If I don't blog, then I can fill that writing time with something else. Like a nap. If I don't blog, then I can bother people with something else. It occurred to me that perhaps writing was just a stage. I had some stuff on my mind and I needed to get it off my chest. Maybe that's all it was and, now that I got it off my chest, I can simply go for a bike ride. If you go back on my blog (not that you should), you'd find the overarching story line to be about my insignificance. The fact that I recognized my insignificance was something I felt like should be pointed out. Well, I am sti...

I'm not sure why I'm exercising. That's what I said to myself for two weeks. To be honest, I've said it more often that that. But, in particular, I said it for two weeks. Here's why... I had hurt my leg and was unable to run hard, which meant I was unable to play basketball, which I love to do. I love playing it. I love watching it. I enjoy talking about it. I play some early morning basketball twice a week. The guys I play with are all better than me, which means I try my absolute best every time. In order to do that, I exercise the rest of the week to stay in good shape. But now my ability to go play basketball was gone. So what was I exercising for? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can talk all you want about staying in shape and health and blah, blah, blah. The fact is the lure of the cookie is not going to stop and if I can't run, not much is going to counteract the results of my answering when the cookie calls. I'm not sure why I'm working so hard...

Here is what I find interesting. As Christians, we talk about Christmas in December, but that’s about it. To hear a lesson in July about the baby Jesus is like listening to Christmas music in January – nobody wants to hear about it anymore. It’s not that we don’t believe the story, but we basically read about it once a year. But Easter is different. As Christians, we talk about the resurrection story of Jesus all year long. Why? Because Jesus dying for our sins, and rising again (showing He had power over death) is the whole reason we are who we are. Paul wrote that without Jesus rising from the dead, we have nothing and our religion is pointless. Go ahead. Say those words out loud. Pointless. Nothing.  Say those words out loud while considering what it is you really believe. I can't speak definitively for you, but I know how I feel about things I believe. I know that I certainly don't want anyone considering my beliefs to be worthless or a waste of time. Think abou...

I fancy myself to be just like Batman...without the money, the cave, the vendetta, the car and the cool belt. Other than that, we're pretty much the same guy. Does it help my case that I have a boy wonder? It's my son, but I'd take him over a dude in green tights any day. I've also imagined myself to be similar to Superman...you know, but without the super strength, speed, or that thing he can do with his eyes. Oh, and I'm also not from another planet. But he was a reporter and I like to write, though that hasn't been proven much by my blog. At least, not compared to what I used to write. The first time I write this post, it sounded like an apology. But that's not really the message I want to convey. Yes, I wish I were posting more. I also wish I had super strength or a cool utility belt, but those things aren't happening right now either. Maybe some day . The truth is I have been keeping busy. I'm not sitting back, sipping lemonade. I've never c...

I'm a youth pastor. Oh I can gloss it up. I could tell you I'm an Associate Pastor. I could go on about how I have other responsibilities that make me more than what my calling would have you believe. But I'm a youth pastor. And most days I'm perfectly fine with that. After all, it is a calling and it's something I love. But one thing I no longer even try to deceive myself about is that people are listening to me. I give announcements at youth group about items which teens will ask about later, as if I've never spoken. I'll share ideas with big people (you call them adults) and their eyes will glaze over while they wonder what the senior pastor thinks. I preach and often wonder what, if anything, people hear. With all this ignoring going on, you might ask why I blog. Oh, another day, people, another day. Despite this, I continue to convey truth, even if nobody hears me. I'm a youth pastor. I'm a dad. For anyone that has been even a little...

If the world ever had any interest in me, I am quite sure it is gone by now. And I have good news for the world. The feeling is mutual. If this introduction is starting to sound a bit drastic or over-emotional, don't fret. This is just my New Year's self reaffirming what I value, what I care for and which hills I will decide to make a stand on. You might be familiar with the hill I will focus on. It's that hill far away where there stood an old rugged cross. As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. ~Galatians 6:14 If reading that verse doesn't make you pause for an argument with yourself, perhaps you need to read it again. That, or wake up to the hypocrisy within yourself. I have to believe that somewhere before putting those words to papyrus, Paul had to have had an inner dialogue. Upon reading that ver...

It was an interesting read this past December. My daily reading in the Bible had me in 2 Chronicles. In case you're unfamiliar, 2 Chronicles, much like 1 Chronicles, or 1 & 2 Kings, gives us glimpses into the lives of Israel's and Judah's kings. Good, bad, short rule or long, we're given relatively brief stories when one considers these guys lived for 40 years or more. What we have is their legacy. It's an elongated obituary. Having read their stories, I didn't think much of it until I came across an article in USA Today, where they were recounting the many people we lost in 2014. The actors and actresses, the athletes, the politicians and others who had contributed something considered worthy to our society. The list was interesting enough. It included names I recognized and names I did not recognize. What struck me was how short the whole article was. I imagine it was the standard length for a newspaper article, but considering the many names t...

I could be the public relations guy for God. I'm smart. I know what looks good. I'm not saying God doesn't, but who couldn't use a P.R. guy every once in a while. Someone to explain why the Flood was a good idea. Someone to extrapolate as to why Pharaoh had to go. Someone to talk to the press when things get a little out of control. Or perhaps someone to kindly suggest things to God. Listen, I work in a church. I see things. I watch the ups and downs of lots of lives. I see how it impacts the lives of others and how the general mood of an entire church family can move. There have been moments when I believed it would have been a perfect time for a miracle. Yeah, a nobody-could-do-this-but-God type of miracle. I'm not talking about a Lifetime Movie kind of miracle where the bad boy decides to make a good decision. I'm talking proven, walk-on-water, heal-the-sick, turn-water-into-wine, there's no way that could happen, kind of miracle. I'd even coordinate ...

A bronze shield. Who would have thought so much discouragement could come from a bronze shield? But when I read 2 Chronicles 12:10, which tells us King Rehoboam of Judah put bronze shields in the royal treasuries, I immediately thought of how discouraging that must have been. You wouldn't think so, would you? After all, a bronze shield would defend. It would protect. It would do what it was made to do. And yet... If you flip back a few chapters, to the description of King Solomon's reign, you read of excessive opulence. We read of vast riches and people living in the lap of luxury. Foreign Queens visit and swoon over the organization, the ritual, Solomon's wisdom and yes, the riches. For a few chapters we read of all the wealth Solomon had, including a fleet of ships which seemed to have no other purpose than going around getting Solomon more stuff. 2 Chronicles 9 tells us the ships would come back into port every 3 years loaded "with gold, silver, ivory, apes and pe...

God says He is not willing that any should perish. (See Matthew 18:14.) Meanwhile we argue over who makes it or not.  You tell me who's thinking with their heart? Let me say right from the start that this isn't about inclusion. I don't know whether to thank my generation, my parents, my pastors or my God-given brain, but I live in a world of absolutes. There is truth. There is black and white. Words have definitions, no matter how uneasy I may be with any of them.  Politicians, musicians, actors and reality shows can say whatever they want to fit their own personal agendas, but I was raised in the belief that God is God and it's okay that I don't always understand Him. In fact, why would I want to change my life around someone who I perfectly understand. (My wife would be another great example. I mean that in a good way.) I make it my goal to know God as much as I can. I want to achieve a closer relationship with Him than I have today. That means ...

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. ~Romans 8:31-34 In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful scriptures that we seldom take to heart. That's right. There are many great truths in the Bible. Many we ignore, others we choose not to obey and some we don't yet understand. But Romans 8:31-34 is simple for us to comprehend, something we've likely heard in a worship setting (probably before a power anthem), and not difficult to obey. Yet we don't live out the implications of this truth. Who is he that accuses? You...

Luke 8:40-56 They  knew  she was dead. They  knew  it! There was this guy that lived a long time ago. He did things. He did amazing things. And he spoke truth. But the truth was so amazing, people had a hard time believing it. They didn't accept it, or didn't want to accept it.  But he would do these amazing things anyway. He would do them for free. So word began to spread and people began to call him for help, hoping he would do something amazing for them.  One such time these parents had a young girl who was dying, so they called this guy. He agreed to come, but as you might imagine, people who can do amazing things often get stopped and distracted by other people who need amazing things done.  And that happened. He got stopped. By another woman who was in need. She'd been bleeding. Actually she'd been bleeding for a long time. This was in a day and age before reliable healthcare. It was also a day before health insurance. (You c...

Here is part of what I shared with my youth group last night. The ability to teach forgiveness means understanding forgiveness. It means living forgiveness. The woman caught in the act of adultery surely understood forgiveness. I want you to imagine this story (but not the act of adultery). You have a guy. You have a girl. And they are doing what they shouldn’t be doing. And they get caught. Yeah, it’s a set-up. Yeah, the guy caught with her should have been out with this woman. But the corrupt religious leaders drag this woman out in front of Jesus. They make this woman, possibly half-naked, stand in front of Jesus and the crowd. As you may know, the religious leaders remind Jesus that the Law of God says she should be stoned to death for committing this sin. As if Jesus needed to be reminded what God’s Law said. Jesus proceeds to draw stick figures (or something like that) on the ground. He tells them whoever is without sin can throw the first rock. People are shocked, they drop thei...

Check this out... One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, [ a ]  great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.   2  He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.   3  Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, [ b ]  its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,  “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5  “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”   6  And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!   7  A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8  When Simon Peter realize...

I preached recently from the book of James, where Jimmy was talking about faith and deeds. He foolishly believes the two should line up. Actually, I am just foolish enough to believe the same. But as difficult as it might sound to actually do what you say you believe, faith is harder than that. See, I think faith should actually translate into how you hope for things. This is where I've struggled lately and I've been appreciative of some people who have reminded me so. I believe in God. But more than that, I believe God has great plans for me and for the church I work with. This is not me saying I believe in my best life now or some pie-in-the-sky romance novel version of my life. You know the kind; where money always rolls in and you achieve everything practical and impractical, all within a nice abbreviated version of what reality would ever afford. But I do believe my faith in a BIG God should move me to hope BIG. To dream BIG. To expect BIG. This only makes sense if I actua...