All I want to do is something that matters. Honestly. I want to wake up every day feeling like the things I’m heading toward matter to more than just my wallet. I know I have a job to do and mouths to feed, but if the truth could really be told I’d say that I really just want to know that what I do today will echo somewhere else. It’s just not enough for my heart to maintain the status quo.

I’m deeply crying out for the courage to do something real and radical. I want to see life change. I want to invest in others. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to matter. But I don’t want to matter in a way that makes me important. I want to do something that matters in the lives of others. Something that makes them more significant, more valued, more loved and leaves them feeling embraced by Jesus. And I know I’m not the only one.

Here’s the other scary thing I know. There’s someone else waiting on me to make a difference to and there’s someone waiting on you to find the courage and faith to live life loudly. I’m praying that God never stops pushing my heart towards more of Him and the life He wants me to live. I hope I never stop wanting to matter.

We’re currently going through the book of Acts and this week was about the cripple at the gate called beautiful (Acts 3:1-10). I’m sure you know the story. Peter says “silver and gold have I none” and then the guy is miraculously healed. The newly healed cripple starts (as a song I learned in Sunday school said) ‘walking and leaping and praising God’.

Almost every time I hear that story told people rationalize his response. They say things like “of course he leapt and shouted like crazy. He was a crippled his whole life and now he’s healed!’. Here’s my only issue with that rationale. Aren’t we all like that cripple? Broken people who have had an encounter with Jesus and had, and are having, our broken places healed. So what’s our appropriate response?

One day God found my glaring weaknesses and gave me strength I never had before. I see myself when I see that cripple. Someone who was once broken and not of much use. So excuse me if you see me ‘walking and leaping and praising God’. I’m just testing out my new “legs”.

Acts 3:4a “Peter looked straight at him, as did John.”

This sentenced fascinated me today. There was a lame man at the gate called Beautiful. It says that he was there every day. Peter and John prayed every day. It stands to reason that this wasn’t the first time they’d walked by this broken man. But on the day in question Peter “looked straight at him”.

I thought about how many times I look away from the hurting. Who are we missing who’s hurting right in front of us? I think about all the people I pass in church and don’t take the time to engage in their brokenness. I think about the neighbor who doesn’t know Jesus. I think about Global Poverty,  Haiti, World Vision, Human Trafficking, The Plumpy Nut Initiative, Compassion, Chile, Voice of the Martyrs, Iran, Charity Water and the other millions of great needs of the world we live in. It’s so much easier to disengage before it ever has a chance to grab my heart. Because once it’s there I have to respond to what I’ve seen.

I know we can’t handle all the world’s problems, but I also know that we can’t hide our head in the sand and pretend the world isn’t hurting. And most of us can’t pretend like we can’t find some way to help. Let me encourage you to find some way to look straight at a problem today. Maybe it’s one of the organizations I linked to above or maybe something God’s placed in your heart (or put in your way). Look it in the eye today. Engage it with your heart, your soul, your strength and your wallet. Don’t look away.

PS…I want to thank a couple of people who make it hard for me to look away. Thanks @ShaunKing & @EugeneCho.

I recently found my high school band director through a friend on facebook. I’ve wanted to say thank you to him for a long time. Here’s what I emailed him:

Mr. J,

It’s Adam Herod. Not sure if you’ll remember me or not. I was a sax player at Terry Sanford graduating in ****.

At any rate, it’s nice to see what you’re up to. I wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for the influence you and Mrs. J had on my life. I thought you’d like to know that music is now my profession and passion. I am a worship pastor here in Raleigh after spending time in Atlanta and Virginia Beach.

I’ve used a lot of things I learned from you in my musical journey. (especially the “if you’re going to make mistakes, make them big”) Continue Reading…

I was reading this passage in Jonah the other day about the things God “prepared” for Jonah. I found it eye-opening and would love to hear your thoughts.

And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened that when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said “It is better for me to die than to live”.

Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night.  And should I not pity Nineveh, Continue Reading…