In epic narratives, the focus of events and character development understandably falls mostly on a few key figures. But the secondary characters are often important, impressive characters in their own right. Characters like Nestor (the Iliad and the Odyssey), Sydney Carton (A Tale of Two Cities), and Commodore Norrington (Pirates of the Caribbean) are often really interesting in their own right, if we take the time to fully notice what their experience is like.

The Bible features quite a few people who show up in its accounts in similar kinds of “secondary” ways. And one of my favorites is Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro.

Jethro is one of those God-fearing non-Israelites that we occasionally meet in the Bible. He stands alongside Melchizedek, Cornelius, and the magi who visited baby Jesus. And yet, Jethro is unique because of the life and leadership influence that he had on Moses—the prophet who led Israel to salvation and a new identity in God.

Jethro is described as “the priest of Midian,” which might be a bit vague, but could be meant to say that he was a priest of God similar to Melchizedek (Gn. 14:18). He is first introduced to us by the name Reuel (Ex. 2:18), which means “friend of God.” He was the figure who gave Moses a home and a family after he left Egypt (Exodus 2:18-21). Moses turned to him for a blessing when he went to Egypt to do God’s will (Ex. 4:18), and, as Hebrews 7:7 says, “It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior,” which shows Moses’ standing with his father-in-law. Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that when we next see him, we’re told that he blessed YHWH (Ex. 18:10ff) and he was welcomed into the fellowship of Moses, Aaron, and the elders of the Israelites (Ex. 18:10-12). And then, when Israel had come out of Egypt, Jethro visited them and brought such wisdom that the people’s entire system of governance and justice was changed based on his advice (Ex. 18:10-27).

Who was this man, Jethro? He appears to have been a man of character, generosity, wisdom, and faith in God. Was he of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? No. Yet he appears to have been a God-fearer. And through him, God’s people were blessed with deliverance and truth.

I think we ought to be thankful for Jethro’s presence in the story, even as a “secondary” character. The Spirit never gives a word of negative commentary on him, and he is a strong supporter of Moses at key points in the long account of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. He, along with several other God-fearing non-Israelites, show us that God’s favor is not determined by birthright, but rather, as the Scripture says, “the righteous shall live by faith” (Hb. 2:4, Rm. 1:17).

- Dan Lankford, minister

Last Wednesday night, just about the same time that we were starting our midweek Bible study, an American Airlines jet collided in midair with an Army helicopter right in the middle of Washington, DC. Both vehicles burst into flame and went down into the Potomac River. News outlets and officials were fairly certain by the next morning that no one had survived the crash, and since then, that has been confirmed. Sixty-four passengers and crew from the plane and the three soldiers from the helicopter were all killed.

And then, just two days later, another plane—this one an air ambulance that was transporting patients out of Philadelphia—crashed nose-down into a Philly neighborhood. Seven people were killed either by the crash from injuries received from it. The plane was in the air less than one minute before it met its end, and again, there were no survivors.

Tragedies like these tend to generate ripples of worries that spread far beyond the scope of the incident. We worry that these incident indicate that the entire air travel system is broken or becoming dangerous. We worry that something malicious was done to bring down any or all of the aircraft. We worry that its happening in D.C. might indicate some sort of national-level attack. All of these concerns, and more besides, were heard repeatedly in the news coverage last week. And so, again, the ripples of worry about something like this tend to spread beyond the incident itself.

Here are three reminders to help us be wise about events like these:

First: That tragedies are an inescapable part of life. It’s a reality that we should accept. In fact, airplane incidents happen more regularly than we probably realize—some with fatalities and some without. You might remember Captain Sullenberger’s emergency landing in the Hudson River in 2009, or the door blowing off the Alaska Airlines jet in March of last year, or the Baltimore bridge that collapsed that same month. All of these just remind us that life simply doesn’t guarantee us perfect safety. And this has always been the case (cf. Lk. 13:4). That’s why our hope for ultimate safety isn’t in this life. It’s with God, in eternity.

Second: While tragedy is a reality that we will face often in life, we can’t allow ourselves to become desensitized to it. We must still allow ourselves to mourn the loss of life every time we see it. We mourn the deaths of some 70 people who died suddenly, praying that God will take their souls into his care and that they knew Jesus, by whom they may find rest. As the scripture says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Mt. 10:29, NIV). If God cares about the deaths of all of his creatures, then we must especially be willing to join him in caring about these people’s deaths.

Third: That while many things in life are increasingly predictably safe (these were the first 2 jet crashes in the U.S. since 2009), nothing is guaranteed. So let’s just take a reminder to be ready for our time to meet the Lord at all times, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Mt. 24:44).

We continue to live in this world, but our hope, as always, must be anchored behind the veil in the presence of a God who is both almighty and thoroughly good.

 - Dan Lankford, minister

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.” (Phil. 4:11-12)

When you receive money—a gift, a paycheck, or some kind of support—what’s the first thought that goes through your head? As believers, I really believe that our first thought ought to be a prayer: “God, thank you for this gift.” As Paul was grateful for the support he received from the Christians in Philippi, we ought to be grateful for the providence of God in our lives, at whatever level of wealth he provides. Like Paul, we learn to be content with God himself first, and then we will naturally be content with whatever blessings he provides.

So here’s today’s challenge question: When you receive money, is your first thought, “I hope this is enough” or “What’s if this isn’t enough?” Or… Is it, “God, thank you for graciously providing for me/us”?

I hope that more and more of us are able to learn true contentment, whether we have little or much, and whether we live on little or much. In any and every case, the secret to contentment is to be content with God himself first. And once we’ve got that figured out, the rest of contentment will take care of itself.

- Dan Lankford, minister

On Monday, our country witnessed the peaceful transfer of power from one commander in chief to another. Was that transfer of power awkward? Yes, at times. If you watched the inauguration, then you surely felt that. But we can live with awkwardness when we have the gift of peace, and Monday’s ceremony was peaceful—a fact for which we ought to be grateful to God.

Our new presiding citizen spoke openly about some of the large-scale challenges that this country faces and about his intentions to change the prevailing direction set by some past administrations’ ideologies. Most presidents make similar statements in their inaugural addresses, and almost all of them deliver on some of their ambitions while failing to deliver on others. They each want to see an America that fits their understanding of what is best and right in this world, and so, with the considerable power which we the people have granted them, they set about making that happen.

To some people, these transfers of power and ideological shifts feel like they rock the very foundations of reality. Some people believe that the success or failure of everything rides on decisions made in the world’s highest offices. But Christians aren’t thrown off balance by these things. We serve the one who truly holds THE highest office, who sits on the throne above all thrones. And he is unchanging. He is immutable. He is all-powerful. And he is perfect.

And along with that, Jesus taught us that it’s not the world’s most powerful people who shape and re-shape the foundations of the world. He said that the people who do that sort of thing are poor in spirit. They mourn. They are meek. They hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are merciful. They are peacemakers at home and in their communities. And they are almost always persecuted for their efforts. Those people are the salt of the earth and the light of the world—the real agents of righteous transformation (cf. Mt. 5:1-16).

So whether you are more inclined to be excited or disheartened by Monday’s change in the presidency, I hope that you find a peace that passes understanding in the ongoing knowledge of who truly rules in the kingdoms of men (cf. Dn. 4:17, 25, 32). And I hope we can all grasp the truth that when the Holy Spirit is at work in us, we have more power to change the world than anyone who holds a high political office. Because we have, on our side, the divine power to destroy strongholds and arguments and lofty opinions until every thought is taken captive to obey Christ (2 Cr. 10:3-5).

- Dan Lankford, minister

“Mountains, especially Mt. Horeb, or Sinai as it is also known in the Old Testament, figure largely in the spiritual history of Moses. Horeb makes its first appearance in the story here [in Exodus 3] as the mountain of new beginnings, and in chapters 19 to 34 it is the mountain of revelation… Beyond Horeb lies Mt. Pisgah, which could be called Moses’ mountain of disappointment, as it was there that he viewed the land he had been forbidden to enter (Deut. 34:1). Then, in the distant future, there is the place of Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses’ mountain of homecoming (Mt. 17:1-3).”  [Alec Motyer, Commentary on Exodus, p. 34]

Mountains figure prominently in the grand narrative of the Bible, for Moses and for us. For Moses, three mountains trace the beginning, end, and even eternal continuation of his life. For us, the Bible’s significant mountains are Sinai—the mountain from which God established his law for Israel, Jerusalem—the mountain from on which our salvation was provided by Jesus, and the heavenly Zion—the new Jerusalem in which God dwells directly with his people (Rev. 21-22).

These mountains remind us of a powerful truth: That even though Moses knew God in a way no one else has (cf. Ex. 33:1), Moses was among those who longed for the relationship with God that we can have—the perfected relationship of salvation through Jesus. And some day, because Jesus laid down his life for us, we will stand side by side with Moses, face to face with our Father for all eternity.

- Dan Lankford, minister

New Year’s resolutions are typically about making improvements in our lives: correcting some of more benign bad habits and improving upon the lifestyle habits that we already have. We start from a belief that we’re doing okay as things are, and we just want to make some improvements. And for spiritual people, it’s the same: we tend to start from a position a belief that we’re doing pretty well on December 31, and we just want to make some improvements on January 1.

But maybe for some of us, the New Year ought to be a time to take a good, hard look into our lives and fully repent of some sins. That’s not exactly on par with making small improvements. That’s a matter of faithfulness and obedience to God.

Repentance is what the apostles often called for in their letters to our first-century brothers and sisters. When Paul called out the many sinful habits in the Corinthian church, it was not just to make them sad, but to make them actually change their behaviors. When John confronted the churches in Asia Minor, he said simply and forcefully, “Repent.” And when Peter talked about why God’s final judgment hadn’t come yet, he said that it was because God was patiently giving all people the chance to repent.

And, perhaps more important than any of those was the first message that our Lord himself preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt. 4:17)

So…

• Have you habitually sinned against your family—against your spouse, your parents, or your kids? Then make 2025 a time to repent of it and change it.
• How about against your employer? Then make 2025 a time to repent of it and change it.
• How about against your church family? Then make 2025 a time to repent of it and change it.
• How about against those outside of Christ? Then make 2025 a time to repent of it and change it.
• And how about against God himself , most of all (cf. Psa. 51:4)? Then make 2025 a time to repent of it, confess it, and change it.

Will that be difficult? Yes. If we’re honest about our lives, or if we take it a step further and allow someone else to give an honest assessment of our lives… we’ll hear things that are difficult to hear. And so the question is not so much about what can I improve for this year as it is about what I must fix this year. Am I willing to do the hard work of self-examination, confession, and repentance so that I can serve God truly?

- Dan Lankford, minister

From the time of the prophets, to Jesus’ own lifetime, and into eternity; these are the powerful words that God uses to tell of the Messiah’s greatness. He is worthy of our adoration, celebration, and devotion EVERY DAY!

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’” (Isaiah 40:1-5)

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:6-7)

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7)

“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:9-14)

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12)

The initial tweet: “Jesus calls us to *be* different people, not just to *do* different things.”  The response: “And yet, sometimes the only way to be someone is to do something.”

As a Bible teacher, I have often spoken about the importance of being transformed people, of having hearts and minds that are changed to our very core, and of fully being Christians—not just doing Christian things. And I don’t regret any of that, because it’s all Biblically accurate. But I find, as I look across the landscape of Christian teaching, that sometimes, I and others have taught strongly on the concepts of being, and perhaps too weakly on the ideas of doing. As the Twitter conversation above says, “Sometimes, the only way to be someone is to do something.”

The reality is that God calls his people to do a lot, and the great test of our faith is not always whether we mentally or emotionally approve of them and really “open our hearts to his truth.” The test comes down to whether or not we actually do what he’s told us to do. The lives of Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David, Samuel, and Daniel were characterized by the things they did or did not do when they followed God’s instructions. And our lives ought to be the same.

So, do we simply do what God calls us to do? Do we behave as husbands and wives like God has told us to? Do we control our words and give thanks to him always? Do we give to the poor? Do we pray? Do we refrain from gluttony and drunkenness as he has said we must? Do we turn our eyes from things that tempt us, including envy, lust, and greed? Do we control our anger? Do we forgive others who have repented toward us? Do we attend assemblies with his people to worship him and edify others?

All of those questions are based on verbs—action words. And they just compel us to ask whether we have the faith to do what God has called us to do.

“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (Jas. 2:18)

- Dan Lankford, minister

I occasionally get into ruts with my prayer life. At times, I find that I’m repeating myself with little thought, that I’m skipping times of prayer, that I’m only focused on Earthly things instead of Heavenly, or that I’m simply not being honest with God. And there could be other problems.

So how can we get out of problems like these? What guidance from God is there to help us pray better?

Simple answer: the Psalms.

Many believers have emphasized the importance of praying the psalms — adopting their language as our own when we talk to God. This is especially helpful since the Psalms cover essentially the entire emotional and spiritual spectrum of our lives. If there is a situation that we need to pray through, the psalms cover it. Times of joy, grief, anxiety, celebration, victory, despair, repentance, worship… they’re all there. And for all of them, we have divine guidance on how to talk to God.

So my encouragement for you this week is to get your Bible, open to the psalms, and pray (out loud) as your own. When the psalms praise, you praise. When they lament, you lament. When they hope in God, you hope in God. Follow the psalms, and let your heart be completely open to seeking the face and favor of God for each new day of life.

- Dan Lankford, minister

Which do you value more: perfection or honesty?

Which type of person would you rather have a relationship with: the one who never makes a mistake and never needs help from you, or the one who is willing to trust you and ask you to be there for them? Which type of friend would you rather have: One who will tell you the truth even when it’s difficult and messy, or one who will bend the truth to keep up good appearances and niceness? Which type of family would you rather be part of: One in which you can confess that you were wrong and hear someone sincerely say, “I forgive you,” or one in which your imperfections and failures are held in perpetuity as indicators that your character is flawed?

This simple dichotomy is one of the ongoing challenges that Christians face. Obviously, perfection is the goal and the calling (cf. Jas. 1:4), but that perfection depends on the ability to be honest, because all have sinned and fallen so far short of perfection (cf. Rom. 3:23). After all, what is the concept of confession but honestly confronting our sin and calling it what it really is? Perfection is not a pretense of no sin having ever existed in our past; it’s the acceptance of God’s grace that forgives the sins of the past. We can’t make ourselves unstained, but we can accept the stain-removing power of Christ in us. It’s not that we hide our sins and even our temptations; it’s that we confront them, repent of them, and turn to God to accept grace that overcomes them.

Obviously, we want to pursue both attributes in our own lives. We’re supposed to be perfect in our love for God, and we’re supposed to be honest about our failures. We’re supposed to be perfect in faithfulness to God, and we’re supposed to be honest that some temptations pull really hard on our hearts. We’re supposed to be perfect in the way we relate to our family and friends and neighbors, and we’re supposed to be honest when we sin against them so that we can repent of it and be forgiven.

Ultimately, we must learn to value both things, as they work in tandem to make us better. We must be people who value honesty even when it reveals unpleasant truth, and we must be people who strive for perfect faithfulness to God. May God help us achieve both.

- Dan Lankford, minister