Posts by Tommy Clayton

I’m fortunate enough to live within easy access of several popular service stations. Circle K, WaWa, and Race Trac. When I pull in, if there’s a line of cars waiting, I’m instantly aggravated and begin to re-think my decision. If the gas price seems too high, I’m tempted to jet over to one of the others and check their rates. If the pump is going slow, I’m annoye...

“Do not be conformed to this world.” That command—one of the firsts in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome—comes after 11 chapters of deep, rich, beautiful gospel doctrine. Paul has taken his readers on a voyage from the depths of human guilt and depravity that resulted in God’s wrath, to the heights of Jesus death and resurrection that has resulted in our f...

“This is not at all how I thought God would work in my life.” Ever heard that one? Ever thought it yourself? God’s ways are strange. Inscrutable. That’s the word translators used in Romans 11:33. It’s a hunter’s term that means untraceable. You can’t track God. His ways are elusive and beyond us. They’re past finding out....

Romans chapter 8 is one of the greatest if not the greatest chapter in the entire Bible because of what it tells us about the eternal plan of God, the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the endless power of the Holy Spirit....

Earlier this year we passed a historic date in our nation’s history: the Invasion of Nazi- Occupied Normandy in France. June 6, 1944 is now known as “D-Day.” That operation brought together land, air and sea forces of the allied armies. It was the largest invasion force in human history....

Has your ignorance ever manifested itself in such a way that you were shocked, grieved, and challenged? But then resolved to gain wisdom? Mine has...multiple times. One of the most memorable was the year after I got married. Something happened after Sarah and I tied the knot that prepared me for the reality of marital life....

The most infamous heretic in church history was a man named Arius in the fourth century. He denied the deity of Jesus Christ. He taught that Jesus was a created being, not divine, not eternal, and therefore, not fully God. Those claims alarmed church leaders and put Arius on the heresy watch-list....

I recently read the story of the Worst Roommate ever. Bad roommates are late on rent. They don’t flush the toilet. They make noise and fight over the thermostat setting. But this roommate takes conflict to a whole new level. Here’s the story:...

In Romans chapter 7, Paul brings clarity to a question Christians have struggled to answer for a long time: how do we as followers of Jesus relate to God’s moral law?...

Author Philip Yancey describes himself as, “a pilgrim, still 'in recovery' from a bad church upbringing, searching for the possibility of a faith rooted in grace instead of fear.”...

I met a lady years ago and began inviting her church. She was not opposed to Christianity, she just had been out of church for years. One random Sunday she showed up and loved the service. She even filled out a connect card and asked for follow up. A close member of her family needed counseling. Our church reached out and met her need. She began to attend more regularly. S...

When Jesus saves us, what changes? We know our sins have been forgiven and we’ll go to heaven when we die. But it doesn’t take 27 books and 260 chapters (The New Testament) to tell us that. What else changes when we believe the gospel? In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul argues that our justification breaks in with three new realities. He explains them in chapte...

After their parents died, three brothers living in New Jersey were cleaning up the estate. They saw a painting hanging up in the dining room that had always creeped them out as kids....

Today we’re covering the final external evidence that validates the claims of the Bible. For lack of a better name, we’ll call this point of evidence, Our Reality. ...

Last week we began considering external evidence that supports the truth claims of the Bible. Before we jump into part two, here’s some perspective on how to receive people who come to the Scriptures with doubt—honest doubt, not mocking or scoffing. ...

Many claim the Bible is corrupt, full of contradictions, and historically unreliable. Plenty of people have claimed to speak for God. Other religions have their own sacred religious texts that clearly differ with the Bible on major points of doctrine and practice. Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus have their own Scriptures. They can’t all be right, can they? What distinguis...

When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.” Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.” ...

On May 10, 1940, an old man and his two daughters gathered around a radio late at night in Holland. They tensely waiting to hear their prime minister address the country. Germany was at war with England and France. Will Holland join the war or remain neutral? One of the daughters, recalling that night years later, writes:...

’m not afraid of heights. At least, I didn’t think I was. Once I trekked 630 feet to the top of the tallest monument in the United Sates, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Okay, full disclosure, I took a Tram Car. At the observation area on top, a row of widows displayed a panoramic layout of the city—thirty miles in either direction. The view was stunning and I couldn�...

In his book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund begins: In the four Gospel accounts given to us in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—eighty-nine chapters of biblical text—there’s only one place where Jesus tells us about his own heart.…only one place—perhaps the most wonderful words ever uttered by human lips—do we hear Jesus himself open up to us his very heart. ...

“There are many false Jesuses out there to defraud you, right where you need help the most.” I recently read that sentence in a book by Ray Ortlund and it resonated with me. Have you ever been defrauded? The word means to be duped, swindled, or deceived. Usually money is involved. But let’s be honest. Spiritual defraud is more devastating than financial fraud. ...

We suffer from excess. We’re overdrawn on our bank accounts, overextended in our responsibilities, and overwhelmed with life in general. And with the cultural anger and division taking place right now, a lot of people are overheated. But when’s the last time you heard someone complain of being over encouraged? Me neither, especially after the headlines this month. They...

Thousands of years ago, a man named Job asked the question that has haunted and eluded human beings since the fall of mankind: “How can a man be right with God?”...

Closing trial arguments are critical—especially for the prosecution. They answer objections. They summarize and present compelling evidence. They establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Finally, they argue for a guilty verdict and just sentence....

When I graduated high school I repeated a pattern most of the kids in my town followed. I enrolled in a local college about 20 minutes from my house. I didn’t have to move out. I didn’t have to quit my job or leave town. I didn’t have to pay for tuition. I didn’t have to start over. It made sense...

Last week, we defined Spiritual renewal as: living each day with a functional belief that all the promises of God in the Gospel are true...

Consider with me some challenging questions about following Jesus in a broken world. When it comes to facing rejection; weathering conflict; encountering tragedy; resisting temptation; and combatting loneliness...

In the villages of Costa Rica, a man acquired a motorcycle, but had no clue how to operate it. Being a proud villager, he refused to ask for help and was content merely to push that powerful machine from one village to another, never realizing its full potential. He had no idea how it started. He did not understand it, so he did not experience it. And he certainly did not ...

My daughter is reading the novel series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. We watched one of the movies and I was struck by a scene featuring ‘The Lotus Hotel and Casino,’ an oasis in the desert. Anyone who enters never wants to leave. Luxury suites, addictive food, enticing drinks, thrilling games, and unimaginable pleasures detain you. You won’t spend any money at L...

Surgical errors occur more often than we’d like to acknowledge. Here are a few that rank in the top ten: ...

On a warm summer night in Washington, D.C., eight friends gathered around a backyard dinner table. They were celebrating their friend who opened a new restaurant the previous week. It was a beautiful evening with lots of good food and French wine. Everyone was having a good time. ...

Ted Haggard served as lead pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO, and also presided over the National Association of Evangelicals (30 million members). Married and father of 5, Haggard was named one of the 25 most influential evangelicals by Time magazine. One of the primary themes of his ministry was opposition to the LGBTQ community. Haggard was a vehemently ...

Last week we looked at The Art of Resting and Running, but didn’t finish. We only looked at what it means to rest...

The book of Hebrews was written to people who were ready to give up. They were beat down with difficulties, surrounded by troubles, and threatened by persecution They suffered from exhaustion and fear. In a word, they were overwhelmed. So the writer of Hebrews calls them to rest. He mentions that word 8 times in just two chapters. Rest. ...

At a routine medical examination in 1992, Christine Maggiore tested positive for the HIV-virus. Initially, she accepted her condition, even participating with AIDS charities, including The AIDS Project and Women At Risk. ...

Long ago, I was given false directions by a stranger...

I grew up watching a show called Tales from the Darkside. A creepy-sounding musical note opened each show, along with a correspondingly creepy narrator who introduced the theme: darkness. But what I remember most is how each episode ended. “The Darkside is always there waiting for us to enter; waiting to enter us.”...

In Bee Movie, Barry B. Benson is a honeybee who, upon discovering endless shelves stocked with honey in a grocery store, decides to take humanity to court. He sues them for exploiting honeybees everywhere. They steal, consume, and sell honey...

Life can sometimes make skeptics and cynics out of us. We begin to question everything. We see so much deception, manipulation, scandals, and abuse of power, then doubt becomes our M.O. We doubt what we see, what we hear, and what we read. We assume people are lying...

Righteousness. What comes into your mind when you hear that word? If you’re like most people, something religious probably surfaces, which is understandable. But righteousness is not simply a religious term. Everyone is on a quest for righteousness, whether they’re religious or not...

Saving Private Ryan is one of my favorite war movies. The title actually summarizes the plot. James Ryan is the last living sibling in his family and serving as a paratrooper in Normandy. His three brothers have been killed in combat so the United States Army launches a mission to find and rescue him from the war. ...

Paul couldn’t wait to get to Rome and make that announcement. He was eager, unashamed, chomping at the bit. Why? Surely a message about a crucified and resurrected Jewish carpenter would fall flat in the power center of the world. So on what basis was Paul willing to expose himself to shame, slander, and even death?...

Larry Walters needed some bigger perspective. So he went to the Army-Navy surplus store, bought forty-five used weather balloons, filled them with helium, and attached them to his self-made aircraft, a Sears lawn chair named Inspiration. ...

A friend of mine recently commented, “Perspective is the only thing that can change the whole world, without altering any of the facts.” I couldn’t agree more. ...

A. W. Tozer pointedly wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us…Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God” (The Knowledge of the Holy)....

My wife and I were recently picking up the remains of a care package from our family in Arkansas. We discovered a birthday card that had been mined for the cash inside and then tossed aside. We read the message from my family and were moved by their love, care, and thoughtfulness. In his rush to grab “the good stuff” while ignoring his grandmother’s greeting, one of ...

In 386 AD, a young man paced back in forth in a garden, deeply troubled. He had retreated to a secluded place where he could be alone with his troubled heart. Moments away from being converted to Christ, he was at war with himself....

Long ago, people wrote letters by hand. They didn’t text, email, or snapchat. No memes, gifs, or emojis either. As tedious and boring as it sounds, those hand-written letters carried more weight and left longer impressions...

“That’s not fair.” Those are often the first words we learn to speak in protest as children. But they don’t disappear with childhood. And they don’t disappear with conversion. We carry them right into God’s Kingdom where they hijack our joy. When our version of fairness collides with God’s grace, we hit a wall. Disappointment, sadness, and anger find us. Then...

Richard Baxter was a pastor in the 1600s. When he was 35, he suffered a severe sickness in the dead of winter that was so terrible, the doctors gave him no hope that he would survive. He began to mediate on the glories of heaven, anticipating his arrival. It consumed his thoughts. He was ready, eager even, to be with Jesus. But he survived. In fact, he lived another 4 deca...

It’s been a hard year. We’ve seen wildfires, hurricanes, pandemics, and human conflict at its worst. Last week wasn’t much better. Saying that Americans are sad, angry, and anxious probably sums up everyone’s attitude, regardless of your political affiliation. 2020 was a year of unending drama and disappointments. ...

When the returning exiles completed the foundation for their rebuilt temple, God did something strange. He invited them to compare their small building to the previous temple Solomon built. ...

Seminary was hard for me. I attended a school that challenged me mentally and stretched me theologically. It was exhausting work. But by God’s grace...

Alone, afraid, angry, and waiting to die. That might describe a nursing home resident with Covid-19 whose health is waning; a wounded soldier left behind in the battlefield; a small business owner who is busted and bankrupt; or a rebel whose entire life has been defiant. It’s easy to feel alone and outnumbered...

Right now, the people in Barrow, Alaska are sitting in darkness and won’t see the sun for another full month. Every year, Barrow, located 320 miles North of the Arctic Circle, is in complete darkness for 65 days. Scientists call it Polar Night. The locals call it Endless Night. It’s a long, cold, dark winter. ...

Have you ever wondered why God waited so long to send Jesus into the world...

“Do you have any stories about how kids really are?” As a child, and bored with reading kid literature that didn’t seem true to life, Stephen King asked that question to a book-cart attendant who handed him a copy of William Golding’s classic, Lord of the Flies. ...

A grateful life is a beautiful life. It’s compelling. It’s attractive. It’s contagious. Being around thankful people is pleasant. They are humble, optimistic, and appreciative....

Music wields a strange, unexplainable power. I’ve read that music is one of the most effective means of therapy for patients suffering from Dementia and Alzheimers. Their eyes grow wide upon hearing a song from their past as memories are awakened. For better or worse, music grips us. Songs can get in your head and flood your heart with emotions. Songs carry messages. ...

I used to admire rugged individualism. The “Think for yourself. Walk alone. Take the path least traveled” kind of heroic machismo. That self-reliance gene exists in each of us but gains traction through cultural influences. For me, such an influence came from movies like Rambo, in which a tough soldier fights alone and saves the day. ...

You won’t get far into the Bible without meeting a terrible adversary. Whether you start in the Old Testament, or the New, you’ll only make it a few chapters before the tempter appears on the scene. ...

When I was a teenager growing up in the south, adults often warned us about the satanic dangers lurking around us. Everything was suspect. Heavy metal music. Role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Dolls and action figures. Even Saturday morning cartoons like Thundercats, He-man, and The Smurfs were considered demonic. A satanic panic took over the culture. People we...

I once heard a church planter tell pastors, “Your culture will eat your philosophy of ministry for lunch.” What did he mean? On paper, your church may have a clear vision, carefully crafted mission, and sweet doctrinal statement. But in practice, it may reek. Church culture is the smell that lingers in the room long after you’re read the doctrinal statement. ...

“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of your soul and will sabotage your spiritual life.” That was what a Christian leader on the verge of burn-out heard from his mentor. It saved his life. ...

Farmers in Oklahoma during the late 1930’s faced an excruciating choice: would they hold onto their last seeds for self-preservation, or plant them for a larger harvest that would feed many? ...

It’s 1935. Germany is under the tyranny of Hitler and he is forming a powerful army trained to inflict cruelty and death. His tactics include fear, brainwashing, and domination. At the same time, Dietrich Bonhoeffer...

What do you do when your life becomes a dumpster fire, burning out of control? It’s scorching others, destroying relationships, pushing you closer to the edge, and you suddenly realize you struck the match? When you look in the mirror and see not an innocent victim but the guilty fool whose selfish actions are tearing the kingdom apart, then what? ...

In Dynamics of Spiritual Life, church historian Richard Lovelace writes: “Christians who are no longer sure that God loves and accepts them in Jesus, apart from their present spiritual achievements, are subconsciously radically insecure people...

About 15 years ago my wife and I vacationed in Hawaii. Upon landing, we were asked multiple times by the airport authorities if we were carrying any plants, fruits, vegetables, birds, mammals, or reptiles. We were repeatedly warned, especially about smuggling in a snake...

Culture is the “unspoken rules about the way we do things around here." Unspoken. Unanalyzed. Unchallenged. Unquestioned. Every church has a culture. Doctrine involves spoken rules, written rules...

Our church culture should match our church doctrine. The latter shapes and informs the former. Since our primary doctrine is the Gospel, then our culture should align. Do we have a gospel culture? ...

What is culture? It’s like the air you breath. The water you swim in. The strange, elusive smell of your house. It’s usually undetected by you...

In part one, we saw that the world lies under the influence of an evil power, led by a sinister ruler, with the purpose of deceiving, enslaving, and destroying the souls of those who dwell here. In the book of Revelation, that power is depicted as Babylon, a city opposed to God and hostile to His followers. But you won’t read that on the “Welcome to Babylon” sign. Th...

Have you noticed a pattern with blockbuster movie trilogies from the past several decades...

Last month, I came across a statement by a missionary in Central Asia that gripped me. He wrote: “Most missionaries are actually surprised by how few questions they get asked when they return to their home countries. Or, after years of living overseas, full of misadventures and crises, the only question that comes is, ‘So, how was your trip?’”...

Weariness is the theme I’m hearing and the vibe I’m feeling from a lot of people these days. When COVID-19 first hit and the world went into lock-down, churches scrambled to get their services online and find creative ways to care for their people. Back then, when someone asked me how I was doing, I answered “Crazy busy!” Now I say, “Crazy exhausted!” which is ...

Last week I talked about our responsibility as image-bearers to show the world what God is like--to reflect his image like a mirror. That's our privilege. That's our responsibility. And we can't do it alone. ...

It’s been quite a month for America. Which means it’s been quite a month for Americans...

Your mind has incredible potential. It can protect you or assault you; free you to engage the world or imprison you behind bars of worry and concern. It’s a weapon, really. And like any weapon, how you use it matters...

An old Comedy Central skit features Bob Newhart as a therapist. He meets a new client who suffers from the fear of being buried alive in a box. Newhart drops some forceful, two-word therapy on her: “Stop it!” As you can imagine, the session ends as poorly as it started. Newhart warns his client, “Stop it! Or I’ll bury you alive in a box!”...

What truth matters most when you hit bottom? What reality informs your response when life unravels? Trace the breadcrumbs and you’ll find something powerful....

I have a confession to make. I often skim over parts of the Bible that seem familiar, formal, or just...

I can’t remember the first time I read C.S. Lewis’ mud pies in the slum analogy, but I will never forget the imagery: It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a s...

My wife loves food, but she’s a picky eater. And a dish’s appearance often depends on her mood. Recently, after a long day of self-quarantining, toddler-chasing, homeschooling, and lunch-skipping, I cooked dinner for my exhausted wife. I take pride in preparing home-cooked hamburgers. I won’t gush or boast about it here, but nobody in my family complains. Everyone...

The Gospel is good news for bad people from a surprising God. It shocks us. It offends us. It humbles us. And it transforms us. But sometimes…it bores us. Or rather, we become bored with it. That’s our fault...

David Geffen is a billionaire. I don't begrudge him his wealth. God grants the power to accumulate wealth--or lose it. But in a cringe-worthy, tone-deaf moment, Mr. Geffen posted a picture on his Instagram account that is likely to follow him forever....

There’s a scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where Strider asked Frodo, “Are you frightened?” Frodo answers, “Yes,” and Strider says, “Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.”...

Check out the final piece to our Good Life Vlog series! So far we've been encouraged by the fact that God is sovereign, God is wise, and... watch the vlog to catch the final point!...

Continuing the encouragement for this chaotic time! Check out Pt. IV, the final piece, tomorrow morning!...

Join Pastor Tommy as he films a series of blogs as he unpacks some encouragement from Psalm 23 as is pertains to our daily lives....

Has this been a really long week for you? Tune in for some encouragement from Pastor Tommy!...

I’ll bet you’ve never seen a wild sheep. Think about it. We see wild dogs, wild cats, wild pigs (especially here in central FL). You probably see wild horses if you live out west. On their own, they’re fine. They’ll find a way to survive. But sheep? Not a chance. ...

We’re facing a unique cultural challenge. Americans are more connected but feel lonely, isolated, and depressed. We’re safer than we’ve ever been, but have grown more anxious and afraid. We can access a global network of endless information, yet we’re confused and misinformed. Therapy, 12-step programs, online courses and a gazillion books are available. But Americ...

Have you ever heard, or maybe even thought: “I want Jesus to come back, but first I really want to experience _____.” What occupies your blank? Marriage? Sex? Children? Retirement? Some kind of bucket list item like skydiving, hiking the Appalachian Trail, seeing the Grand Canyon, or climbing Mt. Everest? Those sound amazing. But do we really think God would allow some...

The French philosopher René Descartes summed up the Enlightenment when he said, “I doubt, therefore I think.” You know the rest of his statement. “I think, therefore I am.” In other words, doubting is part of being human. It’s at the core of our existence. Because of life’s relentless disappointments, we’re naturally skeptics. Doubt comes easy for us in...

When I was about eight years old, some boys on the elementary basketball team played a cruel prank on me. They shoved me in an old, abandoned locker room and held the door closed. That was the longest five minutes of my childhood....

Last week a little girl told me about the teacher at her school who kept scolding the class with these words, “Shame on you!” If that teacher wants her students to carry around shame for something they did...

Groundhog Day hit theaters in 1993 when I was a senior in high school. It became an instant classic and eventually a cult favorite, still resonating with audiences 27 years later! It’s the story of an arrogant, self-centered weatherman named Phil Connors (Bill Murray) who finds himself waking up and reliving the same day over and over again. That day was Feb. 2, Groundho...

There’s a place in the Bible where Solomon makes a keen observation about human beings. He writes, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). As one of the greatest kings of Israel...

Have you ever felt surrounded? Pressure, trouble, enemies…hemming you in and backing you up—with nowhere to turn? That’s where King David found himself when his son Absalom betrayed his trust. In a gut-wrenching act of treachery Absalom staged a mutiny against his own father. ...

Grace is confusing. Have you noticed? It provokes two completely different reactions. In one sense, we find grace attractive. Our hearts long for the one-way, unconditional acceptance that grace delivers. Love, not judgment. Pardon, not punishment. Who wouldn’t sign up for that?...

A few years ago, TIME Magazine published an article listing the top ten commonly broken New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s three of them. ...

Years ago I caught my son breaking pencils. Little convict had a whole pile of splintered number 2’s hidden in a drawer. I confronted him. “Why are you breaking all my pencils, buddy?” His answer? “To show how powerful I am.” I haven’t forgotten his response. It’s comical. It’s human. It’s an opportunity to think more deeply about “power.” We prove ou...

Have you heard of Hiroo Onoda? He was the last Japanese soldier to surrender in World War 2. But he didn’t wave a white flag in 1945. Hiroo held out for nearly 30 years deep in the Philippine jungles of Lubang. Obeying orders, he refused to surrender under any circumstances—including villagers leaving notes declaring that the war was over, the Japanese government d...