Back in the 1970s a man named Laurence Peter developed a theory called “The Peter Principle.” It claimed that, within hierarchical organizations, individuals are regularly promoted past the point of their compentency. A man functions well enough at a certain level. But then he gets promoted to a positoin in which he is relatively incompetent. This is obviosuly to be avoided. And one way to avoid it is to abide by the teaching of James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom let him him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).

Now you can lack wisdom because you are simply unwise. Or you can lack wisdom because you have matured and advanced to new levels of responsibility. You are a wise man who has never faced this kind of battle before, and it is time to level-up. James has this latter example in mind because he adds that God gives liberally and upraids not. He means that God is a generous giver of wisdom, who will not find fault with you when you keep coming back to ask Him for more. When you do so, God supplies that wisdom and individuals, families, organizations, and communities rise to new levels of virtue, dominion, sanctification, and glory.

Now, anyone who has spent a good bit of time considering organizations or hierarchies will likely say, “Steady now. There is a lot of truth to that Peter principle. It is rare that people actually enlarge thier capacity and competency.” Granted, it is rare. But it is only rare becuase it is equally rare that men ask God in faith to give them wisdom. God stands ready to give you that wisdom and liberally so. But will you ask?

Jared Longshore – April 28, 2024

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As a ship on stormy seas, the Church has often swayed back and forth between two emphases: the head and the heart. Regrettably, she has also taken into her mind the notion that these two are polar opposites. But our intellect and our affections are not enemies, anymore than your two eyes are enemies. Our faith is not the analytical evaluation by our intellect of brute facts. Nor is our faith the throbbing emotions of reaction to pleasant stimuli.

Our faith is the result of God making us new, giving us a new heart by the mighty and gracious working of His Spirit. Because He called unto us, opened our ears, and made us alive we respond to Him by faith. This new life causes us to think God’s thoughts after Him. This new life gives us holy affections, where our delight is in the Lord as He satisfies our sanctified desires.

So then, if by grace you have trusted in Christ, both your mind and emotions should be enflamed with holy thoughts and feelings. You ought to sing songs of praise jubilantly, enthusiastically, and heartily; but you can sing all the more jubilantly if what you are singing is the truth in poetry with razor sharp wit and wisdom. If you wrestle by faith with the dark sayings of God’s word, you won’t come away weaker, but with the perspiring glow of a triumphant athlete.

Grace doesn’t dull our intellect it illumines it. Grace doesn’t numb our emotions it warms them. The words of that Narnian lion ring true, we are not quite as happy as he intends us to be. Intellectual rigor and emotional vibrancy are the fruits of God’s Spirit at work within us. So set your mind and affections upon Christ, and think and feel rightly.

Ben Zornes – April 21, 2024

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The Christian life is not only a race, it is a particular kind of race. You must not only run it, you must run it in a certain way. Hebrews says that we must run the race set before us with endurance. This requirement ought not to be quickly passed by. I have known men who were remarkably fast. They could out run another man without even trying. But some of these very fast men were not the kind of men who could hold up when difficulty came knocking. Over their lives, they had not steadily become men who could face significant adversity.

Your duty is to steadily become such people. Doing so requires three things of you:

First, lay aside every weight and sin that obstructs your progress. These sins take on many forms: lust, pride, laziness, worry, gossip, covetousness, pick your sin. Whatever you will confess before the Lord now is a weight. You must lay it down before the Father and then rise lighter and unburdened.

Second, consider the cloud of witnesses surrounding you. They remind you, even in the face of these new difficulties, which seem quite heavier than the last round, that you do not run alone.

Third, and this is the most essential thing: You must look to Christ. And I mean really look to Him. He is the author of your faith, and he is the finisher of your faith. That means you don’t merely look to Him as an example, saying, “Well if Jesus endured the cross, then surely I can face the day.” No, you look to the finisher of your faith, knowing you can’t finish it. The trial teaches you that you cannot trust in yourself. And so you look to Jesus because He is your endurance.

Jared Longshore – April 21, 2024

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“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.“

Titus 2:11-14

Now, there are several sermons in this short text, but I want to highlight just one command — to live soberly.  This word is not too common in our modern lexicon but it expected of Christians.  We recognize its opposite in drunkenness, but what does “to live soberly” mean or look like?  Some translations use terms like discretely, temperate/moderate, or sound mind.  A close cousin is self-controlled, which we know from Galatians 5:23 is a fruit of the Spirit.  

In his recent book on Leadership, Joe Rigney describes sober-mindedness as a combination of three elements:  clarity of mind, stability of soul and a readiness to act based on the first two.  Applying this directly to men, consider it this way.  When we are confronted with challenging circumstances or relationships, we must be in control of our passions.  We can’t let other people’s sin or hardships cause our passions and emotions to get out of control.  We can’t respond with anger, envy, bitterness, self-pity or indulgence.  

As the start of this section states, “the grace of God has appeared to us.”  And that same Grace empowered us with His Spirit of self control.  In the midst of the storm or facing a snarky comment from our wife, a criticism from a co-worker, that ‘look’ from our kids, that unexpected bill, that news of an illness or whatever, we are called to remain sober-minded.  And, in that soberness, we need to see with clear eyes what is really going on.  

If we don’t know, we need to investigate, ask questions, ponder, self evaluate ask for help, and ask for wisdom (James1).  Then, when we understand what is at hand, we will be able to measure this against God’s Word and act.  Sometimes it will be to comfort the weak.  Other times, a strong exhortation may be in order.  Or, you may have identified a wolf in your midst and have to take more extreme measures to confront and remove the danger.

In each of these situations, you likely will face real blow back from your decision and taken actions.  But, God made you men, revealed His Grace and gave you His Spirit.  So, act like men.

Matt Meyer – April 14, 2024

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