The Parable of the Snooze Button...

There was a man who had trouble waking up in the morning. He decided that he needed something to wake him up, otherwise he would keep oversleeping. The man decided the best course of action would be to buy an alarm clock. The alarm clock worked very well for a while. When the alarm would go off in the morning, the man would rise, turn off the waking sound and begin to get ready for the day. For quite some time, the man was not late and had plenty of time to get ready in the mornings.

Now, it came to pass that one day the man discovered a feature on the alarm clock he had not seen before. The largest button on the clock labeled "snooze." The man pressed it, but nothing happened. The next morning as the clock was ringing its tone to wake him, the man hit the "snooze" button on accident. The alarm stopped but only for nine minutes. The alarm then began to buzz. The man realized what this button was and decided to take full advantage of such a wonderful innovation. He began using the "snooze" button each morning to catch just a few more minutes of sleep. He even discovered the "snooze" button could be used more than once. If he felt he needed it, he could press the "snooze" button multiple times to get more sleep. The man's son saw him using the "snooze" button and soon learned to use it as well, even as young as four years old.

As time progressed, the man began to realize that he was beginning to be late again. Late to work, late to rise on weekends, and late to other morning events. Some mornings, its seemed as if the alarm didn't even buzz to wake him. On one morning, the man woke with his son asleep next to him in bed, when he looked at the time, he realized that he had overslept and was now late by 3 hours! Frustrated he checked the alarm clock to realize that it was in fact on and working. His son awoke and noticed the man looking at the clock. "I hit the "snooze" button for you, daddy" the man's son replied. The man knew then, if he were to not be late, he must stop using the "snooze" button.


What are you hitting the "snooze" button on? We do it all the time. "Not now God, I need to finish this first." "Not yet God, I don't think I am ready." "Maybe in a few years God, but I have too much going on right now." We even teach people to do it for us. "I think you should wait, I mean did God really say now?"

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." You don't even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

-James 4:13-14

Stop hitting the "snooze" button...

In Christ,
jon walton

I Still Need Work...

The more I teach the youth, the more I realize that I still need work. I'm not perfect. I don't have all the answers. I don't understand every principle in the Bible. I still have struggles. I still fail. My dad had a saying that I have adopted: "The more I learn, the more I realize just how little I know." Oh how true that is.

It is for these reasons I am so thankful for God. It is these reminders that tell me its really not me, its God.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. - 2 Cor. 12:9

"Lord Jesus, thank You for who You are. Thank You for choosing to use those of us who don't have it all together. May Your Name be glorified by my life. Thank You for not giving up on me. Teach me Your ways and help me apply them to my life. Do this even when I don't like it. Amen"

In Christ,
jon walton

Setting Lightning Free...

Graduation is just around the corner for many students. Our youth group is no different, we have six graduating at the end of this month. I count it an honor that these guys have allowed me to pour into their lives since I have been the youth pastor the past year and a half. Each of them have grown spiritually, matured mentally, and are getting ready to step out of childhood and into adulthood.

We had a pet turtle at one time, but he outgrew his tank we had at the house. We talked about getting a larger tank, but they were so expensive and we knew we couldn't afford it. Our biggest concern was trying to explain this to our 4 year old son who had named him "Lightning." (A fitting name for a turtle, right?) Then I remembered the pond on the back of our farm. So my wife and I decided to explain to our son that we were setting Lightning free to live in the pond where he will be happy. Our son was actually happy to do so. The next Saturday, we loaded up Lighting on the 4-wheeler, drove down to the pond, and placed Lightning at the edge of the pond. He sat there only a second, then proceeded to bury himself in the mud at the edge of the water. My son looked at where Lightning had gone and asked, "Where did Lightning go?" I told my son, "Well buddy, this pond is pretty big compared to Lightning's tank. He's probably a little scared so he is hiding." My son, still looking at the muddy spot in the water where Lightning buried himself said, "It'll be ok Lightning."

Remember our Graduates who are about to step out into the "pond." It's a lot bigger than the "tank" they have been living in. Pray that they don't bury themselves in the mud at the edge, but that they swim freely and boldly, not forgetting the foundation that has been laid in their lives.

"You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

-Matthew 5:14-16

In Christ,
jon walton

Its A Choice...

Please pray for Megan Maxwell. She has been missing nearly 2 weeks now. Pray for her family.

Its difficult. I was talking with a friend who had lost a sister from a car accident with a drunk driver. He told me after that, he became so bitter and angry with God. At one point, he looked up to God and said, "If you are real, I hate you! What good can come of this?" He stayed bitter for over a year. Then, while visiting the friend of his sister, it happened. He question got answered in a profound way. This friend asked him, "What does it mean to be a Christian? To know Christ?" He had the opportunity to share the gospel with this woman, and she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior!

As we talked, he said "I didn't want to praise God when my sister died." The truth is, non of us do. It is not a "natural" reaction. We want to focus on the problem. We want to try and "fix" it. When we can't, we feel helpless. Useless. We want to give up and loose hope. However, this is not what the Bible teaches us to do. Look at how Psalm 69 begins:

Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck. I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing; I have come into deep waters, and a flood sweeps over me. I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

It is clear that the author, David, is hurting. As he cries out to God, he even says it seems as though he can not find God. He goes on to talk about all those against him, those who hate him without cause. David's reaction is to focus on the problem. Yet later in verses 29-30, David demonstrates what we should do:

But as for me—poor and in pain—let Your salvation protect me, God. I will praise God's name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving.

Its not easy, but it is what we should do. This is perfectly stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

We don't always understand God's plan, but one thing we can always understand and lean on is that He HAS a plan. Trust it. Even in our darkest hour.

In Christ,
jon walton