Checkerz' Blog

It was November 1992 when, as a 19-year-old who didn’t grow up in church, I asked Jesus to become my Lord and Savior. I was illiterate in terms of Bible knowledge, and I certainly did not know any church etiquette. However, the Lord blessed me by sending a man, who looked like a hippie stuck in the 60’s by the way, to teach me the Word of God and how to apply it in my life. That man was named Mike Nelson and he was my boss when I worked as a construction laborer and apprentice carpenter. As I grew in understanding and began applying the things I was learning from the Bible, and through Mike, I began a journey over the next 21 years that led me from being a young Christian trying to figure out what it meant to follow Jesus, to being a Pastor of a 300+ and growing congregation. Along the way I learned many things. I would need to write a book (which I just may do someday) to share all of the lessons I’ve learned, and nuggets of wisdom that have been shared with me over the years. But, for the sake of brevity I have decided to share 5 things that I have learned along my journey that I think every Christian can benefit from. So, here goes.

AS A CHRIST FOLLOWER WE MUST:

1. Be Willing to Serve Others Always.

• Mike was a servant leader. He taught me from day one of my journey that if I wasn’t willing to be a servant to all, then I was not truly ready to follow Christ wholeheartedly. Mike not only taught me, he modeled it. He showed me a passage of Scripture in Matthew 20:26-28 that reads, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And there you have it…Jesus Himself did not come to be served, but to serve others. That passage changed my life forever. If the Son of God came to serve others, how could I (and you) as His follower do anything less?

2. Strive to Maintain Humility.

• In the United States particularly, we live in a culture that breeds pride. Interestingly enough, it was pride that allowed sin to enter the world (See Genesis 3:1-4). Pride is something most, if not all, of us struggle with. Having traveled the country rapping and speaking in front of thousands of people I found myself struggling with pride. There is a huge adrenaline rush when you hear your name being announced over the P.A. system and then walk out onto a stage in front of thousands of cheering people who came to hear you! Then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks. I read these words found in Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” I thought about Jesus’ humility, and then I thought about Mike. They both demonstrated the utmost humility and I learned that humility was one of the marks of a committed Christian. While you may not rap or speak in front of thousands, everyone wrestles with pride in one form or another, but humility is the answer to pride.

3. Guard Our Integrity.

• It was 1993 and I was 20 years old. I had only been a Christian for a few months and I was living paycheck to paycheck making $6.50 an hour. I lived on my own (yes, on that wage) and that meant I had to shop smart when I went to buy groceries. One day I went to buy fresh deli cut lunch meat and I remember flirting with the girl behind the counter so that she would discount the price of my favorite lunch meat: Cajun Roast Beef. I loved it, but it was too expensive for my budget. She discounted it and the next day I told Mike how “the Lord had blessed me” by giving me a discount. When I told him how I got the discount he told me to go back and pay the difference. I was mad and refused, but Mike gave me the “integrity” speech and reminded me that as a Christian I had to guard my integrity. Pouting the whole way, I went back and paid the difference. Some time later I came across this passage in Proverbs 26:8, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” Your integrity, or lack of it, says a lot about your walk with the Lord so guard it well.

4. Be Willing In Spite of Our Weaknesses.

• I have learned over and over that I am not qualified for many of the things the Lord has given me the opportunity to do. I have fallen short, and made mistakes along the way but God continued to use me anyway. He will do the same for you. Mike was always transparent about his past failures and current weaknesses, yet I saw God using him in mighty ways. He encouraged me through some of my darkest days when I thought I would never amount to anything. He pushed me to press on when I wanted to quit. Listen, regardless of your past failures, or present fears, the Lord wants to use you to do great things. The Bible is full of examples of jacked up people who the Lord used to accomplish His purposes and plans. We cannot allow fear or guilt to keep us from fulfilling God’s plans for us. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Today is a new day…be willing to be used by God.

5. Be Teachable.

• As a seminary graduate, seasoned evangelist, and current pastor, I have been tempted in times past to think I do not need to learn from others anymore. That temptation arises in many Christians at times when we think we have enough of God’s Word in us that we only want to be the teacher, rather than a student. Oh, how mistaken we are when we feel we “have arrived.” While you may not have a seminary degree or hold some position in the church, the temptation to become “unteachable” is always there. While Mike was a great teacher for me, he was always learning from other great men in our church. He grasped the concept of always remaining teachable, and he was one of the wisest men I have ever met. Proverbs 1:7 reads, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” According to this passage, only fools despise wisdom and instruction. So to avoid being foolish, always remain teachable.

Well, there are many things I have learned along the way but I hope these 5 things help you in your walk with the Lord the way they have helped me. Until I get another itch to blog…Peace and Chicken Grease!

-Pastor C

P.S. Meet Mike