You never know…

Luke 12:13-21

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶ Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷ And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

This morning’s verses are very meaningful to me. Starting with verse 15 “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

I have a confession to make, I REALLY, REALLY LIKE retail therapy. I am the Amazon Queen. My wife and I joke that when we’re out of town, UPS gets worried that something’s happened to us. That is not how God wants us to handle the stresses of life. That is not the point on so many levels. The point of life is to glorify God not to glorify ourselves through material possessions. God calls us to rely on Him, not assuaging some insecurity through the obtaining of things. I know this yet I find myself turning to free next day shipping. When I turn to my shopping addiction to make myself feel better, I am turning away from the God of all comfort.

I think it’s important to differentiate between earning money to survive verses spending money for the wrong reasons.

If you’re trying to feed your family, money is important.

If you’re trying to put a roof over your head, money is important.

If you’re trying to put gas in your car to drive to work, money is important.

But, money in and of itself is not important. If you’re looking for a bigger house, fancy restaurants or a new car, money needs to stop being so important to you.

If you’re wanting more money to get more things, you’ve missed the point.

Matthew 6:26-27 and 34

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to your span of life? ...So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

This is the foundation. God will provide. We are called to trust Him first because: You never know what’s going to happen

Verse 20 ^“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 

Most of you know I’ve been diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration. I’m 55 years old and I have dementia. My first response when I went to God after my new diagnosis was, “Seriously? SERIOUSLY?” Haven’t I been through enough? I’ve dealt with a lot in my life and I really thought I’d been through enough challenges. I had hopes and dreams of the way I would serve God that will not come true. Life had other plans. You never know.

So, I’m looking at life differently now. I’m stepping down from my formal ministries turning over the reins to my fellow ambassadors in Christ. I’m not giving up and God is not done with me yet, but my relationship with Him is changing. There’s still pain. Still fear. Still disappointments but I know He is with me.

I continue to go through the grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I grieve the changes taking place in my mind. I grieve broken dreams, I grieve the loss this represents. I won’t see my grandson grow up. My son wants to have his own children. I don’t know if I’ll even get to meet them let alone know them. I grieve feelings of betrayal. How could God turn His back on me now? All I’ve wanted was to serve Him. It was hard but I realized that could still happen. God hasn’t turned His back on me. I turned to my writing, sharing my journey so that others would see the needs of those suffering. I realized I can still tell my faith story. While my journey will likely end in a way I didn’t imagine or want, my journey is not over. God will continue to use me.

You never know what’s going to happen.

We cling to our own plans. We think we’re in charge. We’re not. Remember the saying, “Man makes plans and God laughs”.

Psalm 39:7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you.

God’s promises are sure. We can trust Him. What are you facing? What are you clinging to? What do you need to lay down? What do you need to trust God for?

You never know but He does.

I want answers but God is telling me to trust. Trust that He knows what’s happening to my brain. He knows my progression. Trust that He knows my distress and my fears. He sees my pain and wants to comfort me. Trust that He knows the end of my story. Just trust. Rely on Him not tests. Rely on Him not doctors. It’s not easy but it’s true.

When I struggle to trust, I find it helpful to focus on the tangibles I can see instead of struggling to grasp that which I can’t see. When I’m overwhelmed by struggles, God reminds me, He gave me Brittany. My wife is amazing. We’ll have been married for 37 years one month from today. We met when I was 13 years old. I grew up with her. We raised two children together. She has been there beside me through every major crisis I’ve had to face. She is my rock and she is a gift from God. So, when I start to feel sorry for myself, He reminds me, “I gave you Brittany.”

It's easier to trust those things we can see. It’s harder to trust in God. It’s hard to believe He will take care of us, but He will. He may not give us the answers we want or the timing we want but He is there with us through the storms we face.

Where can you see God at work? Is He in a hug from a friend? Is He in the child that calls you, “mommy” or “daddy”. Is He in providing for us just in time? Just in time at the food bank. Just in time for the new job. Just in time for a message to give you hope? Let me be your just in time. Believe me when I say God’s love is there for you just when you need it.

It may be hard to say, Ok God, I can’t make my rent, please help me. Ok God, my car just broke down. Ok God, I don’t know how I’ going to pay this medical bill. I’m waiting, I’m trusting, but I’m scared – and yes those three things can go together. God sees your fear and offers peace. Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t have trouble only that He’ll be with you in the midst of trouble.

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

You have overcome and you are not alone. I really believe this. FTD is incurable and progressive. It feels like there will be no “just in time” with a cure for me but there is to feel God’s love. I know God’s got me just in time. The doctors may fail me, the future may fail me but God will not fail me. I am His sparrow. I am his sheep. I am His Child.

I don’t know what the future will hold but I know God is with me now. He is with YOU now. Now is the time to serve God. Now is the time to serve your community. Now is the time to serve your family and friends. So, act NOW because you never know.

Let us pray, Almighty God, We are your children and we are scared. The world around us has us worried. Our lives aren’t the rosy pictures we’d like them to be. We need reminders that we all belong to you. Help us, remind us to put our trust in you. You are the one that holds our future in your hands. Help us to see you at work and trust in your love, now.  Amen

Message, United in Grace Church 8/3/2025