Category: Humility - Jethro TOOLS

Greatness

11/9/2025

Mark 9:30-37
The other day I anonymously completed an act of service for the second time. If I told you what I did, it would cease to be service, because I would then be boasting. I could have been paid for the task, but if I had been paid, then it would become a job, and not service. Yes, it actually happened and it met a need, but it was never acknowledged or appreciated. The act was costly in terms of my time, energy and resources, yet I did it anyway. The action was something prompted by God that, by faith, I believe God will reward in the future. So for now it will remain an anonymous act of sacrificial service that I get no credit for accomplishing and gain no benefit from completing. In Mark 9 Jesus defines greatness in terms of service, not in terms of status or high position. He did this to answer a question and a brewing argument between His disciples. Jesus says that greatness is defined by voluntarily lowering yourself and serving, not just a select group, but all, without any thought of personal benefit (35). In other words, in God’s economy, sacrifice and service define greatness that will be rewarded by Him alone. Earlier in Mark 8:34 Jesus lays out the cost of following Him in terms of self denial and picking up a cross. In His day, under the rule of the Roman government, picking up a cross meant that you were walking to your certain death. Jesus wants His disciples to be ones that understand His assignment and take action to serve to promote Him, and not themselves. This can only be done with the attitude of a servant that places themselves last and others first. The greatest servant will never place themselves above any assignment or action with an attitude of superiority. Greatness is eternally defined as serving all, which was embodied by Jesus and should be imitated by us.

For More See MARK

Revealed

2/23/2025

Philippians 2:1-11
One of my favorite types of online videos involves people rescuing lost or abandoned dogs. The story typically plays out in one of two ways. First, someone sees an abandoned dog in a certain location for a number of days and then returns with group of friends and a bag of hamburgers as a mouth watering incentive for the dog. The video ends with the dog being loaded into a car and heading off for a new life. The second, involves an abandoned dog in a shelter that has literally shut down emotionally and cowers in a far corner. Someone decides to make the effort, stepping into the cage and befriends the scared dog. Both scenarios end with the dog going to a new home with a new owner and with a happy look on their face. This all took place because someone was willing to step into the world of a dog that was lost and without hope. The same is true for the human race. We are stuck, and without hope of ever finding spiritual freedom and a new life of victory over sin. Philippians 2 tells us that hopeless situation changed when Jesus, as God, humbled Himself and served humanity by giving Himself to pay for our sin (8). He did this by stepping into our world, and became human like us (7). He stepped away from His position as God (6) to meet our greatest need. In love, Jesus graciously served helpless humanity by not only revealing Himself to us but also rescuing us. Just as the animal lovers seek to restore the lost dog and give it a new life, we need to remember that apart from God we are helpless and hopelessly lost in sin. However, when we experience God’s gracious gift of salvation given through Jesus we can then step into the world of others who are lost, and joyfully point them to Jesus and the new life He gives.

For More See PHILIPPIANS or SHEBA

The Disciple's Service

2/2/2025

Mark 10:42-45
Service with a smile. That phrase describes a business that is interested in making sure their customers are happy. They do the work to provide the customer with what they want and they do it with a pleasant attitude. Service is a great motto for company employees. If done well, it will draw in many more customers. The attitude along with the action makes all the difference. In Hebrews 12:1-2 the author uses the illustration of running a race to describe our life. There is a course of faith that we are called to run without distraction. That is done as we focus on the finish line and Jesus. He sacrificed and served all humanity through His death on the cross. His death brought us life, and He did it with joy. Christ served us, giving us what we needed most with joy. In Mark 10:45 Jesus states that he did not come to have others serve Him but to serve even to the point of giving his life to buy the release of many from the power of sin. His action of service was intentional, without wavering, and we are challenged to have the same humble attitude and serve (Philippians 2:5-8). Service is the action of doing, but also the proper attitude in doing. Yet we as people struggle with serving. We are very willing to rate a restaurant on the quality of their service, but don’t like it when we are asked to serve. We want others to serve us while we scream about our rights and need for respect. If anyone deserved to be served it was Jesus. Service for the disciple of Jesus takes on the hard task that brings the greatest benefit to others. We willingly humble ourselves in order for God’s message of salvation and the joy of knowing Him to flow through us. That is service with a smile. How is God calling you to serve and build His kingdom?

For More See MARK or DISCIPLESHIP

Worship the King

12/22/2024

Matthew 2:1-12
The other day as I walked into church I was swarmed by some bubbly bouncing children. Hollering out my name they excitedly asked, “Do you know what day it is?” I was certain that it was Saturday, but decided to play along, “No, I do not know what day it is.” It was then that it all spilled out from various directions, one of them had a birthday that day and another one had a birthday the very next day. With all the excitement and jumping around I was able to join in the celebration by singing Happy Birthday. As Christmas is almost upon us I am getting very excited. Do you know whose birthday it is? In Matthew 2 we pick up the Christmas story of some very excited Magi, commonly known as Wisemen. These men were led by God to come and worship the new king that was born (1-2). Their inquiry of the new king deeply troubled the current king (3-6) because he and the others surrounding him were not interested in another king (7-8). Disregarding the discouraging response the Magi remained intent on following God’s direction to the new born king (9). Arriving at the house they were not somber. Instead they were filled with joy (10) and humbly honored Jesus, the baby born to be our Savior and king (11-12). God graciously invited the foreign dignitaries to come and worship and they did so with honest joyful expectation. Do you know whose birthday it is? At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Like the Magi, a true desire to worship will align our heart with God’s in a proper attitude of joy and humility that seeks to serve Him alone with all that we have. This Christmas lets truly celebrate the birth of Jesus as we submit to Him as the king of our life.

For More See MATTHEW or CHRISTMAS

Participate in Worship

7/14/2024

Psalm 95
Last night I walked outside before heading off to bed. The evening was quiet except for the singing of crickets, the occasional faint rumble of distant thunder, and the systematic staccato flash of lightning. The pitch black night sky was illuminated by the continued and consistent bursts of lightning that almost hurt the eyes to look at. Without a doubt, I knew there was a storm brewing because of what I saw. The pulsating flashes in the night sky announced that God was doing something. Just as the night sky as not silent about God’s work neither should the believer in Jesus be silent about His work in their life and world. In Acts 2:46-47 we see that the believers in the early church were beacons that displayed God’s greatness through their committed worship and devotion to God. What is our worship like? Do we have the same enthusiasm for God like the early church? Did you realize that believers in Jesus Christ are designed by God to be worshipers? Just as lightning lights up the night sky, we are to declare the praises of God who has saved us (1 Peter 2:9). So how do we worship? Psalm 95 provides a good starting point in directing our worship. The author begins with an invitation, and challenges his audience to participate in worship of the LORD (1-2). We are to worship God who is great (3-5) and proclaim His greatness (7). However, like the Psalmist, we must come to worship in humility (6). Worship is more than the songs we sing. Worship is a personal and corporate lifestyle honoring God. We are to sing and declare His praises, but we are also to daily live the reality of His power displayed through us. Like lightning, we as believers we are to be beacons that display God’s greatness through our committed worship of Him.

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The Unifying Bond

4/7/2024

Ephesians 4:1-6
Have you ever glued your fingers together? You may have been working on a project and accidentally gotten some on your fingers. That, is a problem! Glue is not the normal unifying factor for our fingers. Glue on our fingers is a false form of unity. In reality, our fingers are held together and supported by muscles, bones and skin. But, our fingers are not isolated. They are an essential part of our greater body. They must be properly united to the rest of our body for the health and proper functioning of the body. Glue on your fingers is a false form of unity that will not allow proper function. The same is true in the church. In the book of Ephesians, Paul leads the church to understand that unity comes through belief in Christ and what he as done for them on the cross. In writing Ephesians 4:1-6 Paul addresses three important factors of unity. First, our unity to Christ will influence our personal life (1). Paul was writing from prison. He was placed there because of his beliefs and teaching about Jesus. Second, our mutual unity with other believers is practical (2-3). A true believer is Jesus will live a life of faith in Christ through the practice of humility, gentleness and patience with others. Finally, our unity as believers has one foundation, Jesus Christ (4-6). Here, Paul lists seven foundational requirements for unity. Our world will seek unity based on human standards and arbitrary preferences. However, unity within the church, God’s body, is based solely on His work and His standards. Problems in the church arise when we as people decide that our unifying connection is something other than Jesus Christ. By using the glue of false unity we find that our faith has lost its true unifying connection to Christ and the ability to live using His strength and power in our life. May Christ alone be the one that connects and empowers us for His service.

FOR MORE SEE EPHESIANS

Christmas & Incarnation

12/4/2022

Philippians 2:5-8
I recall late one fall that we added two kittens to our household number. They were young and of course very mischievous. My Dad threatened to call them Fun and Games, but in reality they were more like Trouble and Terrible. Those two would chase each other all over the house. However, their favorite arena to display all their antics was the living room rug. I still remember all of us sitting in the living room and laughing as two kittens raced and jumped all over. Who needs an entertainment center or a TV when you have energetic kittens displaying their skill! The kittens were great, but then came Christmas and the insertion of a tree into their venue of toys. I recall several occasions where the tree ended up horizontal on the floor because of climbing kittens. My Dad, being the wise man that he was, tied a stout string to the top of the tree and the other end to a hook in the ceiling. Problem solved. Likewise, Christmas also reminds us of the problem called sin and God’s solution to send Jesus into our world to be our savior. This is called the incarnation and it highlights the truth that God stepped out of time and space and stepped into our world to be born as a baby. Philippians 2 speaks of the example and incarnation of Christ. The purpose of the incarnation is to make God known to humanity (5-6). The result is that Jesus now gives us a practical example for a new way to live (7). However, the incarnation is also personal in that Jesus is the sacrifice for our sin (8). Our problem of sin finds its solution in Jesus. Problem solved. The kittens still climbed the tree, but Dad’s solution worked. Our sin caused the Christ of Christmas to die on a tree and His solution still works.

For more see PHILIPPIANS or SYMBOLS OF CHRISTMAS

Also Blog article on Salvation

Submission of Desires

9/18/2022

James 4:1-10
In a number of combat or wrestling type sports there is a universal term and signal for submission called a “tap out.” This submission is the result of one opponent being placed in a position that chokes them or strains an arm or leg joint. The one under the control of their opponent taps the other person or the floor several times with their hand before further injury is sustained. This tap signals to the referee that they have given up and are submitting the victory to their opponent. As we move into James 4 the emphasis is now on submission to God and not our worldly selfish ways. Our worldly way of thinking tells us to insist on our own way. However, that form of thinking and operation is selfish and lacks faith in God. James opens this chapter by asking his audience about the source of their conflicts (1). He points out that conflict is the result of worldly personal and selfish desires (2-3). Worldliness is a love for the power, possessions, and positions of this world over and above a love for God. James says that a love for the things of the world and a love for God can’t exist together. In saying this he challenges the spiritual unfaithfulness of his audience (4). Thankfully, he does not leave his readers without hope. In verses 7-10 James gives the solution to this conflict. He notes that the selfish condition of worldliness finds its cure only in the grace offered through Jesus Christ and humbly submitting to His authority. Today, our situation is not all that different. It is easy to allow the self-centered attitudes of our world to influence our thoughts and action. We need faith to let God be the authority in our life and the humility to submit. That is what you call a spiritual tap out.

For more see JAMES

Control of the Heart

9/11/2022

James 3:13-18
Years ago I remember reading Famous Monkey Last Words by Paul White. This book is part of a children’s series where the author uses animal characters to teach a spiritual truth. The main characters are a wise giraffe, a friendly but strong hippo, and a mischievous monkey named Toto. Through out the various stories Toto is the one who places himself in difficult circumstances all because he has not acted wisely. In Famous Monkey Last Words, the curious Toto wanted to see a zebra. The giraffe, as his teacher, had told him to never stand behind a zebra. However, Toto did not listen and walked right up behind the zebra and smacked it with some thorns. Well, you can imagine what happened! The zebra kicked, and the little monkey Toto went flying. He had been taught and reminded, but he did not apply the knowledge to his life. In the final verses of James 3, the author records a thought provoking question by asking, “Who is wise?” (13). James says that wisdom is proven by living out what you know to be true with humility. True wisdom does not act in self centered ways (14) which point to an ungodly alliance with Satan (15) and leads to a life of disorder (16). The alternative for disorder is living by God’s wisdom (17). The rule of God and His wisdom in our lives is displayed through the purity of an upright life that seeks God’s peace (18). James wants his audience to see that the internal issues of the heart directly impact our speech and life. God’s wisdom will change our speech and life as we allow God to change our heart and thoughts. There are many things that may cause us to lack peace. When we ask God for wisdom, (see James 1:5), and submit by faith, believing that His ways are best, He will give peace.

For more see JAMES

The Purpose of Trials

7/10/2022

James 1:1-12
Do you know what an anagram is? An anagram is when you take a word or phrase and rearrange the letters to make a different word or phrase by using all of the letters only once. For example, some simple ones would be heart that turns into earth, part becomes trap, or secure that becomes rescue. Try it with any word and see what you can come up with. In fact why don’t we try one together! Let’s take the word trial. An anagram of trial could be trail. As we begin a new study in the book of James, we see that the author wants his audience to develop a faith that is lived out in everyday life and displayed through their actions, and attitudes that motivate their actions. James begins the first chapter by noting that faith in Jesus Christ brings stability to life in the midst of trials. A trial is simply God allowing difficulty and or pain to deepen and encourage our confidence in Him. James notes that trials have the purpose of growing an enduring faith in God (2-4). The practice of faith in trials causes us to seek God’s wisdom (5-8) which requires personal humility (9-11). James says that God will reward this life of faith (12). To summarize, James is not interested in his audience simply stating that they have faith. His desire is that they have a faith that impacts their behavior. Perhaps put another way, James wants his audience to view trials as a way to walk the trail of faith that God has for each believer. As we walk by faith down the trail of trial we humbly depend on God for the wisdom and strength to endure. This week may your faith impact your perspective of your trial so you can see that this is God’s way to grow you as you walk His trail.

For more see JAMES

Walk Humbly: Confident Hope in God

7/3/2022

Micah 7:1-20
Yesterday I stepped in a water puddle in the kitchen. No, there was not a hole in the roof, but I did discover that there was a hole in a pipe. Previously I had heard a scraping noise in the kitchen. I later determined it was a mouse. Yet now, a water line to the dishwasher sprang a leak. Unknown to me, the mouse had chewed the water line but not enough to cause a flood until later. However, there was hope. The very reliable and well stocked hardware store was still open. So after a trip, purchasing a new hose and some time for installation the dishwasher is back to being useful and reliable for the future. In Micah 7 we see that the nation of Israel was hopeless without God (1-6). They were facing the consequences and ruin of sin that had chewed away at their life. Now, God is calling them back to a correct walk with Him. However, because of the sin, the present situation is troubling. Micah, in verses 7-10, presents a confident attitude of trust in God even when things are looking bad. Micah reminded the people to walk humbly with God and rely on Him alone for their future to experience His restoration and work through them (11-20). The same is true for us today. We must walk through life humbly following God and His directions. If we do not, we will end up in trouble like the nation of Israel with leaking un-contained sin. However, if we do choose to walk with God and allow Him to properly orient our life we will find hope in the present. In walking with God we will find that He is completely reliable now and in the future. Micah desires that we, like the nation, find our confidence and hope in God. Are we walking humbly with our God?

For more see MICAH

Walk Humbly: Charge Against the Sinful

6/26/2022

Micah 6:1-16
The guilty party arrives in court and hears the legal case against them. The law has been broken and justice is required. The judge reads the charges, explains their seriousness and the importance of following the law. In the course of presenting the charges the guilty party is given a chance to respond and enter their plea. Their guilt is already known. They have a choice to humbly accept the charges as read or disagree in pride. When one shows true humility the judge will often show leniency and provide a lighter sentence. There are even examples of judges stepping out of their position, coming alongside the guilty party and paying their fines for their infractions of the law. In Micah 5 we saw God present a new king and a new way to live. Now, in Micah 6 God is bringing the legal case against His people for their sin. They need to humbly see their wrong and the seriousness of their rejection of God (1-5). God has made his desire clear (8) and it is not being religious and doing religious things (6-7). God desires a transformed life. He will bring punishment as a means to bring correction (9). The prideful rejection of God and not living His way will lead to God simply releasing the people to their own ruin as a resulting consequence of their sin (16). Today, we need the humility that the people of Micah’s day lacked. We need to walk humbly with our God by agreeing with His assessment of our sin. He tells us how we should live though His word. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” When we walk humbly with God we long for His will to be lived out daily in our life through submission to His ways. Are we walking humbly with our God who has given us salvation?

For more see MICAH