religion – Grits with Grace

forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

New Life

Posted on July 11, 2024July 9, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

What do you think about religion? I know for me religion doesn’t bring a lot of comfort. I’ve said for a long time that religion is man’s attempt to reach God and by the way it always falls short. I heard a pastor recently say that you won’t find denominations in heaven, and I think he is right. There is an old joke that is still floating around that when you get to heaven you will have to be quiet in the Baptist sector because they think they are the only ones there. Smile…and remember I am one.

Now there is a religion that kinda makes God smile but it really isn’t religion as we know it. It is God’s brand, and its roots are far deeper than a building or a steeple. The roots of God’s brand of religion are found in the Gospel…the Good News and it centers on God’s grace and faith in His Son Jesus—believing what He said and what He did. Here’s what the Bible says religion truly is—we find it in James 1:27. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” You see true religion in God’s eyes is looking after the hurting and most vulnerable, as well as honoring Him with your life.

The one thing I love most about God’s brand of religion, the Gospel, is the fact that it is a game changer. You see, the Gospel isn’t just a set of rules to keep. In fact, the Gospel has the power to change lives. I was listening to a song called, Healer, and there were some comments that other listeners had written. This one caught my eye. It said, “I grew up in the streets, the streets raised me and made me a gangsta, I was a blood, I sold dope. I’d been in shoot outs, fights, in and out of jail since age 17. I robbed people and got robbed. I was a drunkard, fornicator, I used to club and pop pills. But I had an encounter with JESUS while in jail facing 5-10 years and JESUS made me over again at age 23. Eight years later, hallelujah, I’m still free and born again, still filled with the Holy Spirit. JESUS is a Mighty Deliverer bless His Holy name! NOTHING else will do!”

What a powerful testimony of the power of the Gospel. Trust me, that is something that church and just religion can never do. So, if your life is a mess, let me suggest that you give up totally on religion and turn to the One who really can and will change your life. You see, God is not in the makeover business—He is in the born-again business, the kind of business that will transform your life. No matter how messy your mess is—remember this—believe this—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Right Tool Right Job

Posted on May 31, 2024May 30, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

They’re in the garage…waiting. Ok, let’s be totally honest. I am, uh, not very handy when it comes to power tools. It’s not that I don’t use them, and it’s not that I can’t use them, I just don’t use them as effectively as others. I know when I work with the guys at church on some project, generally speaking, they won’t let me use the power tools. It’s an act of protection—for me and for them. Now, with all that said, I do have a pretty good collection of power tools. And, when I do need them, they are there and if I am careful and patient, I can usually get the job done.

I have a set of tools all made by Ryobi. The idea is that you have all these different tools, but they are all powered by the same battery or power source. Several companies do this, but I chose Ryobi mainly because they were cheaper than most of the other “he-man” professional brands. I have, and this is the short list, a couple of drills, an impact driver, a saws-all, a circular saw, a light, a grinder, two string trimmers, two blowers (one small and one big) and a partridge and a pear tree. Just checking to see if you were still there. Now all these tools use the same battery—the same power source which means I can switch the battery between them all. It is cool and it is convenient.

Several of these tools, like the drills, blowers, and string trimmers, I use pretty frequently. Some, though, I rarely use—but here is the deal. I may not use them often, but when I need one, they are so valuable. Let me explain. I had a piece of metal sticking up in my back yard from an old house that once stood there. This metal was a pain in the neck. I would forget and hit it with my lawnmower and bump it with the string trimmer. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get rid of it. Then one day I bought a grinder to add to my tool collection. I took that dude in the backyard and eight years of frustration disappeared in a matter of seconds. The difference? Right tool for the job.

While all these tools do different things, like I said, they all have the same battery. I have learned one thing. The tools without the battery are totally useless. They might look impressive as you look into my big green Ryobi tool bag but take away the power and they are just space stealers on a shelf. However, put in the battery and bam—they become powerful and useful.

I suppose you are already connecting the dots here. You probably have already figured out that all of us are different, and all of us have different skill sets, but all of us also need a power source to be what we were created to be. Some might consider that to be a positive attitude or a strong work ethic, and while those are good things…they are not the thing. From where I sit, the One who made me, who designed me is the source of strength in my life. He makes all the skill sets come alive. Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament said it right when he wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” At least for me, when I plug Jesus into life, into a situation, all of a sudden, there is power to do—to overcome.

Now, don’t make the mistake of confusing church and religion for Jesus. In and of themselves I guess they are fine, but they are anemic substitutes for the real deal. Jesus is the power source that can change lives and He is just waiting to change yours. Why not jump on the web and do a little research. Oh, sure you will find some who will think this God stuff is just a crutch to give hopeless people something to hope in. But you are also going to find a big bunch of incredible people who believe just the opposite. Hey, give it a shot. I know after these crazy times, as well as a zillion other tough situations, He is the real deal, and I’ve never found anything that He can’t handle. Take it to the bank…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Miss Pauline’s Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Posted on May 10, 2024May 9, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:7)

Try it. You’ll like it. Some things in life are worth seconds. Two of those are this story and the pie that this story is all about. So, let’s begin. Over the years I have met so many incredible people. I have learned that people are not perfect, but people add spice and challenge to life. People make life…life. I am a pastor by call and by trade and I love it. There are many reasons that’s true, but one is the people I get to serve with. One of those was Bob. Bob is a friend from my past but at the same time Bob is a friend that I could see tomorrow, and we would pick up right where we left off.

Bob is one of those people with a quirky sense of humor. I love that because I do too. I remember one time he showed up at the church office and beeped the horn. I went and opened the door and went out. He told me to go around to the other side of the truck and hop in. Well, I went and opened the door and what greeted me was a five- or six-foot rattlesnake coiled up on the from seat. We almost had a natural disaster there on the spot. Turned out the snake was headless. Bob liked snakes so I don’t think he did the honors but why miss the opportunity to scare your pastor to death?

Now Bob and I are Baptists. One thing you need to know about Baptists is that we believe food is the cure for all things. If we are sad—we eat. If we are happy—we eat. If someone dies—we eat. If someone gets married—we eat. And sometimes, well, we just eat for fun. Well, Bob and I were at one of our meetin’ eatin’ times and I was eating some raisin pie. Now this wasn’t your normal raisin pie. This was Miss Pauline’s sour cream raisin pie, and it was incredible. I was working on my second piece when I invited Bob to have a taste.

“Nope,” he said, “I don’t like raisin pie.” Well, I began to persuade him with all of my preacher passion. “This,” I explained, “is like no other raisin pie you have ever eaten.” I went on to explain how this pie would make your tongue slap your face. After about five minutes of “you really need to try this,” he did. The results were as expected and immediate. Two or three pieces later Bob was an official member of Miss Pauline’s sour cream raisin pie fan club.

Here is what he and I came to discover. There is raisin pie and there is Miss Pauline’s sour cream raisin pie and the two are not the same. And once I tasted Miss Pauline’s pie, I wanted him to experience it too. I just knew that if he did, he would be a fan for life. And do you know what? I think that is true about Jesus too. I find a lot of people are not too keen on God or Jesus. The reason is simple. They have tasted religion and decided pretty quick that wasn’t too tasty. I agree with that one. Some have tasted church and depending on their experience it was either a disaster or a delight. At any rate, church isn’t the fix all that people think that it is. Religion or church are just plain ole raisin pie. You need more…you need Jesus.

Yup, Jesus is like Miss Pauline’s raisin pie. He is so much more than religion and so much more than church…He is the One who knew the price for sin was death and then willingly paid the price for that sin. He died on a Roman cross to pay the price for our sin and then came back to life three days later to prove He was the Son of God. It is a pretty amazing story. If you have never read about it let me suggest you get a copy of the Bible read about Him. You will find Him in the first four books of the New Testament. You will find He is like sour cream raisin pie…delicious and irresistible. But you can’t know that if you don’t take a taste.

David (he is one of the Kings of Israel from Bible times) was on the run from one of his enemies when he wrote, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” David was saying if you will take just one taste of the real deal you will like what you taste. It’s not religion, it’s not church—it is the Man who died on the cross because He loved me and you.

So, if you ever get the chance to taste sour cream raisin pie, especially if somehow you can find a piece of Miss Pauline’s, well don’t wait, and don’t delay. Even if, especially if, you have tried plain ole raisin pie you are gonna be surprised! And if you haven’t read the story of Jesus, well don’t wait, and don’t delay. Even if, especially if, you have been turned off by church and religion, you are gonna be surprised.

You are gonna find out that He is the real deal. You are gonna find out when and if you decide to follow Him, He will be your new BFF (best friend forever) and He will never leave you sitting beside the road. He is the kind of friend that you can call at 2:00 am and never get a busy signal. He is the kind of friend who invites you to sit and chat on the front porch and rest a while. He is the kind of friend that is like a strong, big brother who loves you. Strong enough to say, “I’ve got this” and pull it off. Try Him…You’ll love Him. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, loving others, Military memories, pride, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Me and Major Hobbs

Posted on February 26, 2024February 25, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

I knew the outcome…I thought. The list of the things I enjoyed while serving in the Air Force is long and varied. Somehow, which I’m sure God arranged; I was assigned to work in the command section at all my duty assignments. It all started when a guy named Master Sergeant Johnson picked me up at the small airport in Minot, North Dakota and casually said, “I think I’m going to let you work for me.” He worked in the command section of the Combat Support Group and so it began. Each new duty assignment found me working for the commanders and first sergeants of each unit. It was awesome. So many of those leaders left their fingerprints on my life and helped mold me into the person I am today.

1973 found me assigned to the command section of one of aircraft maintenance squadrons at Moody Air Force Base. My immediate supervisor, the first sergeant and even the commander became friends of sorts—within the parameters of military protocol. All that leads to the point of this story. After joining the service, I learned to play racquetball and loved it. I suppose I was even pretty good at it. Well, my commander, Major Hobbs, also played. Normally, our path probably wouldn’t have crossed at the gym, but this young buck airman kept egging this 20 year my senior, slightly overweight, Major… to play him in racquetball. I assured him that I could take him and then one day, he said, “Ok.”

He told me to get a court time and I did. Now everything assured me that this was going to be a no match…and it was…but not like I thought. On the appointed day and at the appointed time we met to do battle. I was sure I was going to show my commander what a real racquetball player looked like. I served first and I may have scored a couple of points. Then, it was his turn, and that is when I began to learn that the race doesn’t always go the swiftest…or the youngest. Major Hobbs would serve and then move to the center of the court and proceeded to beat me like an unwanted tom cat. He virtually didn’t move because he didn’t need to. He totally mastered the ball with his racket and put the ball, almost every time, wherever I wasn’t.

Well, a set-in racquetball is three games…if needed. We didn’t need them. He finished me off in two games. One player left the court drenched in sweat and exhausted and one left the court without a drop. One player left the court dragging and exhausted while the other left with a strange bounce in their step. You can probably guess which was which. The young buck airman was taught a good lesson that day and it is one that I still remember today. It is not always about how light you move on your feet and how fast you can move. Sometimes it is about strategy…how you play the game.

And so, it is with life. A wise man, woman or child will know that you need to have a plan, a strategy if you will, if you are going to win the game of life. And the crazy part is the best strategy doesn’t depend on talent, wealth, or opportunity. It leans, it is driven by, a close relationship with Creator God. Now don’t miss that. Religion is nice, church is a great idea, but neither are the answer—a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son and the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit is. It is a power team of three and yet One. Amazing. With Him calling the shots, well, life just goes better…a lot better. Jesus invites us to come and do life with Him…and that is an invitation we need to accept.

That day, we left the court differently but there was one thing we shared…a smile. The older, wiser Major smiled because he had helped a prideful, young airman learn a lesson in humility. A lesson, honestly, he needed. And the airman, well, he smiled too because someone wiser than him took the time to teach. God really does want to help us do life and honestly, we need Him. Don’t be pushed away by all the hype in religion. Go ahead and schedule some court time with God and you just might discover how much He loves you and wants to help. You might discover that no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, friends, gratitude, Integrity, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Oh, Sweet Gravy

Posted on September 28, 2023September 27, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8

My eyes said “gravy”, but my mouth said “sweet.” I’m just not much of a cook. In fact, if cook was a bigger word, I probably wouldn’t even be able to spell it. With that said, every once in a while, I am forced to venture into the kitchen. I do manage to cook my own breakfast but occasionally I even manage to mess that up. Such was the case a couple of weeks ago.

It was Saturday and My wife Judy had a teaching thing in a town about an hour away, so I was on my own. She had cooked some sausage gravy the day before, so I looked in the refrigerator to see if there was any left. There was some sausage but no gravy. I did find a small container that looked like the milk and flour beginnings of gravy, so I grabbed that and poured it into the frying pan.

After a few moments, I realized whatever this was needed some help. Despite my best efforts, it simply wasn’t becoming gravy. I went to the pantry and found seasoned flour and shoveled in several tablespoons. Well, that did the trick, in fact so much, that I had to add some milk to loosen it up some. Before long it at least looked like gravy. Well, about that time a piece of sausage went over the side of pan and onto the stove. I picked it up and, being the frugal guy that I am, popped it in my mouth. “Hmmm, not bad, but sweet. How strange” I said out loud to myself.

Well, I put the gravy in a bowl and, since we were out of bread, got a spoon and proceeded to dig in. To my surprise, the “gravy” was indeed sweet and yes, I did go ahead and eat it. How strange indeed. Well, I pondered and pondered how I ended up with sweet gravy and I finally figured it out. You see, Judy had put some of her Italian sweet cream creamer into a container to take on our trip to Georgia. She had forgotten to take it and the container was still in the refrigerator. It turns out that what I thought was the makings of gravy was in fact coffee creamer.

You know, it sure looked right and it even kind of cooked right, but the bottom line was regardless of how it looked or cooked—it was not what I thought it was. And I learned that coffee creamer just doesn’t make gravy. I’m not sure what it makes—but it doesn’t make gravy. I learned there and then to make sure I knew what was going in the pan before I started cooking.

That is a great lesson for making gravy and it is a great lesson for doing life with God. There are some things in this world that can look like God. Religion is one of them. And there are plenty of things that can take the place of God and in the process become a god. So, it is important we make sure we are loving and serving Creator God and not some sort of substitute. And remember, nothing, and I mean nothing, can take the place of the real deal. Whether it is in the kitchen or on the streets—make sure you have what is real. If you find yourself a little confused, don’t worry, just ask Him and He will let you know what’s real and what’s not. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Smarty Pants

Posted on June 20, 2023June 19, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. John 6:67-68

“I’m sorry. I’m having trouble understanding you right now.” Now if you are married that is something you just might hear occasionally. My wife Judy and I have been married for 47 years and it has been a great adventure. They say after you have been with someone for so long you start completing each other’s sentences and can almost read their mind. I think that is true. But every once in a while…well…I miss it, or she misses it, and we look at each other like a “calf at a new gate.” That means like a young calf who has never gone through a particular gate and says, “I’m not sure I like this or understand this.” Calf.At.A.New.Gate.

Well, the other woman who lives in our house is named Alexa. Actually, we have several of them and we can tell her what to do and she does it. We have several items in our home that are wirelessly controlled. For example, our thermostat can be controlled from anywhere we can get an internet signal. I can tell Alexa, “Alexa set upstairs thermostat to 80” and she does it. Boom. I also have some of the lights in our home that have a “thingy” that will allow me to control them with Alexa. I just say, “Alexa, turn on the lights” and all the lights in the room come on. That is especially good at night when you are getting into bed, and you don’t want to catch your toes on the corner of something because you can’t see.

A while back we “cut the cord” and started streaming our TV through the internet. It is definitely cheaper and cleaner…if you follow my drift. All this is just great until…wait for it…the internet goes down. That happened recently. I woke up and groggily walked into my home office and asked Alexa to turn on the lights. She said, “I’m sorry. I’m having trouble understanding you right now.” That is code for there is no internet. That also means that I can’t watch the weather or anything else. Oh, and I also can’t control the thermostat…I must actually walk over and turn it up or down. Then you add to that list that you can’t check or send email, can’t check the news, can’t, can’t can’t—it almost sounds like 2020 all over again. No. No. And No.

The deal with all this cool smart stuff is if the internet connection goes down…things come to a screeching halt, and you quickly find yourself wondering if smart is so smart after all. I know this is true for me and almost eight billion of my closest friends. We often think we have it all figured out and that we don’t need God directing our lives or telling us this or that. What we often discover is that without Him…well, we can make a mess pretty quickly.

What we write off as life being crazy and messy is what life becomes without faith and believing. I’m not sure I can imagine what life would be like if we decide we don’t need God anymore, but I am sure I don’t want to find out. Oh, we can get by without religion…no problem there…but God…I don’t think so.

Well, it turned out the internet was down all that day and the next. Rumor was someone hit a pole somewhere and knocked out one of the main lines. I learned that day that all that smart stuff wasn’t worth anything without the thing that made it smart. And in the process of learning that, I was reminded that when we think we are really smart and that we have it all figured out…well, we are not much without the One who made us. Take Him out of the equation and things can grind to a halt pretty quickly. As I waited to for the internet to come back online, I think I heard a whisper from the Whisperer. He seemed to be saying, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Corned Beef Hash

Posted on March 2, 2023March 1, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?” Luke 11:11

We were close friends from the start. Although I was too young to remember, I think it must be true. I think my very first word must have been…wait for it…”food”. Then I think my first sentence was, “I’m hungry.” I’m trying to say that food and I go way back and now I’m an expert on all things food. Well, wait, maybe not all things. You see I was raised on good, common food. Our menu included things like meatloaf and egg salad sandwiches (aka Easter egg salad sandwiches). There were some things that Momma cooked up, that to a kid, were kinda hard to swallow…no pun intended. One of those things was tripe (aka cow’s stomach). We called it the “eternal meat” because it was like chewing rubber. Take one big bite and two weeks later you swallowed. Definitely-not my favorite.

However, one of the best things that Mama cooked was something called corned beef hash. For that she would cook up some potatoes and then add some corned beef. I’m not sure why they call it corned beef but I don’t think it has anything to do with corn. At any rate…it was one of my favorites…well, sorta. You see, there was a trick to this corned beef thing and Momma knew it and…I knew it.

In the world of Momma’s corned beef there were really two kinds—and they were worlds apart. First there was fried corned beef hash and then there was boiled corned beef hash. The fried hash was just as it sounds. Momma would first fry up some home fried potatoes. These, friend, are what potatoes were made for…crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And if they happened to be fried in lard—well, that was even better. Then, she would add the corned beef and well, it was pretty much heaven. I always liked mine smothered in ketchup. But sometimes she would trick me. I would ask what was for supper and she would say, “corned beef hash” and for me that had to mean fried because that was the only way it was supposed to be. It’s kinda like grits—salt, pepper and butter are the only way grits can be grits.

But then, she had an ace up her sleeve. Sometimes, she made boiled corned beef hash. That involved boiling and (in my opinion) wasting a pot full of potatoes. She boiled them till they were almost like mush. Then she would add the corned beef to the pot and that was it and let me tell you all the ketchup in the world couldn’t redeem what water had done to what was meant to be fried. I’m still not sure why she fried most of the time but still boiled others. All I know I was always disappointed because when it comes to corned beef hash—fried always topped boiled.

With some things one way always tops another and that’s how it is with corned beef hash. And never is that truer than when it comes to God and religion. People today get confused. You see, God is God and religion is mankind’s frail attempt to reach God. Try as you like, the only way to know God is by knowing His Son Jesus. And that’s really cool because His way is a sure deal and man’s way is a sure failure. Chances are you know someone who was or is totally disappointed in religion and I suppose some folks would speak of their disappointment in God. But when we understand who He is and what He wants to do for us—that disappointment fades.

Like I said I was always disappointed when Momma boiled something that was clearly meant to be fried. And I’ve been around the church world long enough to know that religion always disappoints but God never does. I’m learning to trust Him and then believe Him even when that means things didn’t turn out the way I wanted or hoped. His way is the better way. If I don’t see it now…I will later.

One time Jesus was talking about prayer and said that a father would never give a snake to his son who asked for a piece of fish. Nope…not gonna happen. With God the fried things are always fried and even when we get boiled hash…well, we can trust that at the time, that is the best thing for us. I like that sacred assurance just like I know, I know, that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Trials

Three Questions

Posted on December 19, 2022December 18, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

He nervously paced the floor as the preacher preached. My wife Judy and I were recently visiting family in South Georgia. We were at her brother’s house…patiently waiting as his wife prepared us some good southern cooking…chicken and rice, green beans, and a hearty salad…with peach cobbler and ice cream for dessert. Thinking about it…maybe we weren’t so patient after all. Anyway, one thing led to another and so her brother, who happens to be a preacher, began to share a story. Many years ago, he had decided that God was calling him into the ministry and at that time he was filling in wherever he could. He was still learning and practicing.

Well, his Daddy was the assistant warden at the local work camp…a sort of low security prison…and he suggested that he might find a captive audience there…pun fully intended. So, her brother began to preach there at the jail. They would lead him into the dining hall, bring in the prisoners and then…they would lock the doors. He would begin to tell them about God’s love for broken people…just like them…just like us. And, while he was preaching, this old man would walk the floor, slowly pacing, and in his own way engage with the preacher. It was a grunt here and moan there, but it was obvious he was tracking where the preacher was going.

One time, at the end of the sermon, he came up to Judy’s brother and asked him if he could tell him about a sermon he had. He told Judy’s preacher brother that his sermon asked three questions. “First,” he said, “Do you have religion?” Now the question wasn’t about what church you attended but rather did you know God personally. You see that is the whole point of Jesus…that if you are willing to believe what Jesus said and believe in what He did…you can be a part of God’s family. That was first because it is most important. So, do you have religion—that kind of religion?

The old man spoke again and said, “There is another question.” He wanted to know if you had religion, was it the “catching kind?” The old man was wise enough to know that religion that ain’t worth catching, ain’t worth having. The truth is too often the reason people aren’t interested in what we are “selling” is because it doesn’t seem to be working for us. And, if it isn’t working for us, why would it work for them? Now, that’s a good question. So, if you are the religious sort, is your religion worth catching?

Finally, the old man said, “Now the third question is this. If you have religion, and if it is the catching kind…if anyone catching it?” See, he knew that real religion, the kind that Jesus brings…brings change. The Bible says that if anyone believes in Jesus, they become a new creation…the old life passes away and the new comes. We have a couple of fellas in our church that met Jesus while they were serving time in prison, and they will gladly tell you that they came out different than they went in. That kind of religion is worth sharing. That kind of religion is worth catching.

Well, with that the old man turned away and Judy’s brother went his own way too. But do you know what? He never forgot that old man’s sermon. In fact, he preached it a time or two and now here I am writing about it. The old man didn’t have much education and I’m not sure he ever made it out of prison. But right there where he was, he was making a difference. You know, God created us to make a difference and those three questions can help us determine if we are. You can tweak those questions to read like this. First, do you have something you are passionate about? Second, is it a passion worth sharing with those around you? Third, is anyone catching your passion, your dream, your vision?

For me the greatest passion of life is knowing God personally and trust me…it is a passion worth sharing and certainly worth catching. Now remember, I’m not talking about religion in the plain old sense or church in the ordinary sense. I am talking about experiencing the life changing power of the grace and forgiveness of God. If you haven’t caught it yet…well, trust me it is worth catching. God loves people…all people regardless of skin color, economic status or how long or short their sin list might be. Your sin can’t out grace God’s grace. You need to know this. He wants to know you personally and wants you to personally know Him. And, no matter what you have done, rest assured, He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Confession

Posted on February 22, 2022February 21, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

It was the summer of my rebellion. I know, some people are born compliant, and some are born a little on the rebellious side. I was born compliant. I have always been a rule keeper—well, at least most of the time. I suppose that is why I took to religion so well. You see religion is all about keeping the rules. The idea is if you keep enough of the rules then people will like you and most importantly, God will like you. And sure enough, it worked—well, at least part one worked. In my younger years, most of the adults thought I was a good boy. Church? Got it. Drinking? Not a drop. Drugs? Nope. I can hear them saying it now, “That Dewayne is such a nice boy.” And, I suppose outwardly I looked pretty good, but pretty good won’t get you to heaven.

You see the second part of the religion mantra is that you can make God happy by performing—by keeping the rules. That one is 100% false. There is no one, except Jesus, that was good enough to go to heaven. Yet it seems so many church people say they believe that rules won’t get you to heaven but act as if they will. They carefully do this and that and boy, if you happened to be one of the ones who didn’t keep the rules, you were tried, convicted, and sentenced. That’s why I had to keep my cussing summer quiet.

I think maybe all the rule keeping must have finally got to me. The bottom line is during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school—I started cussing. I had a job at an apartment complex down the road from our house and I worked with the son of the head maintenance man. He was not a Jesus person, and he did like to cuss. So, one day, I just started cussing too. I had heard enough cuss words at school to know most of them, so I didn’t have to have any lessons…though I did have to work on my voice inflections.

It was a very tricky time in my life because I had to turn the cussing on at 8:00 am and I had to be sure and turn it off at 5:00pm. That’s what you have to do when you are living a double life. Under no circumstances did I want to spoil my good boy image at church or with my Momma and Daddy. I do remember one time I let a small one slip and Momma looked at me with eyes that said, “Where did that come from?” Of course, I didn’t, I couldn’t let her know that her baby son was a cusser.

And, as quickly as it came, it passed. At the end of the summer, I had to go back to school and therefore had to quit my job. All I know is that the cussing stopped and my rule keeping world got a little easier. I managed to please a lot of people, but I knew I was far from pleasing God. It would be several more years before I finally figured out that rule keeping didn’t work and religion didn’t either. When I was 21, I finally found grace and boy was that a game changer. Honestly, it is taking me a long time to shake the deep roots of rule keeping and religion. I’m still working on it.

You might ask, “How do you know if you are under the influence of religion and rule keeping?” Well, its two main indicators are self-condemnation and a tendency to judge others. Rule keepers are acutely aware when they or others around them break a rule. Rule keepers (and religious people) like to point out other people’s sins and faults because it makes them feel better about themselves. If they can make you feel bad, then it makes them feel better. It’s a twisted world.

God’s way is so much better than religion and rules. Did you know His Book, the Bible, actually says that when someone believes in Jesus and becomes one of His followers that there is no condemnation—none—nada? I mean when the prosecuting attorney and the judge both acquit you—the trial is over. I’m slowly learning just how valuable that is. There is an audience of One that Jesus followers must live for and that is God…their Heavenly Father…their Abba Father…their Dearest Daddy. I love what Toby Mac (a contemporary Christian singer) said, “I gave God a million reasons not to love me. Not one of them changed His mind.” I like that!

Well, I’m glad my cussing summer is ancient history. I still look back at those two or three months and wonder what in the world was I was thinking? The truth is…I probably wasn’t. But now, by grace, that, and all my other failures, warts and sins are forgiven…all because of Jesus. I’m so grateful for that. If you have never discovered grace and forgiveness, especially God’s kind, I hope you will check it out. Don’t get confused with religion and rule keeping like I did. God’s got something far, far, better than that. Think you’ve messed up too much to be forgiven? Nope…don’t give it a second thought. Trust me…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials, wisdom

My Cussing Summer

Posted on February 2, 2021February 1, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

It was the summer of my rebellion. I know, some people are born compliant and some are born a little on the rebellious side. I was born compliant. I have always been a rule keeper—well, at least most of the time. I suppose that is why I took to religion so well. You see religion is all about keeping the rules. The idea is if you keep enough of the rules then people will like you and most importantly, God will like you. And sure enough, it worked—well, at least part one worked. In my younger years, most of the adults thought I was a good boy. Church? Got it. Drinking? Not a drop. Drugs? Nope. I can hear them saying it now, “That Dewayne is such a nice boy.” And, I suppose outwardly I looked pretty good, but pretty good won’t get you to heaven.

You see the second part of the religion mantra is that you can make God happy by performing—by keeping the rules. That one is 100% false. There is no one, except Jesus, that was good enough to go to heaven. Yet it seems so many church people say they believe that rules won’t get you to heaven, but act as if they will. They carefully do this and that and boy, if you happened to be one of the ones who didn’t keep the rules, you were tried, convicted and sentenced. That’s why I had to keep my cussing summer quiet.

I think maybe all the rule keeping must have finally got to me. The bottom line is during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school—I started cussing. I had a job at an apartment complex down the road from our house and I worked with the son of the head maintenance man. He was not a Jesus person and he did like to cuss. So, one day, I just started cussing too. I had heard enough cuss words at school to know most of them, so I didn’t have to have any lessons…though I did have to work on my voice inflections.

It was a very tricky time in my life because I had to turn the cussing on at 8:00 am and I had to be sure and turn it off at 5:00pm. That’s what you have to do when you are living a double life. Under no circumstances did I want to spoil my good boy image at church or with my Mama and Daddy. I do remember one time I let a small one slip and Mama looked at me with eyes that said, “Where did that come from?” Of course, I didn’t, I couldn’t let her know that her baby son was a cusser.

God’s way is so much better than religion and rules. Did you know His Book, the Bible, actually says that when someone believes in Jesus and becomes one of His followers that there is no condemnation—none—nada? I mean when the prosecuting attorney and the judge both acquit you—the trial is over. I’m slowly learning just how valuable that is. There is an audience of One that Jesus followers have to live for and that is God…their Heavenly Father…their Abba Father…their Dearest Daddy. I love what Toby Mac (a contemporary Christian singer) said, “I gave God a million reasons not to love me. Not one of them changed His mind.” I like that!