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What do planks, pigs and pearls all have in common?

Jesus. Jesus referred to all three at a certain point in His sermon on the mount. In this section of His sermon He is doing two things. He is condemning judging others, while also speaking to the importance of discernment. They are two different things and both are very important. Jesus wants us to consider our own heart when it comes to both.

Let’s look closer at what Jesus says about planks, pigs and pearls.

Matthew 7:1-6 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Jesus is very clear. Do not judge. How you judge others is how you will be judged. Easy enough right? I wish. Friends, we start each day looking in the mirror, yet often we don’t see what is glaring back at us. We are blind to our own planks as we nitpick over the dust in our brother or sister’s eye. Let it begin with me. May we start each day with a posture of humility and openness to the spirit to reveal the planks we must FIRST remove. Only then, can we move toward our brother or sister to remove their speck. And before we remove a speck, how about we encourage what they’re doing right. Speak life and then that will open a door to receive correction in love.

This makes me think of my girls. In the morning if one of them has something that is not right with their hair or makeup, they are quick to help each other. Let me get that, there is something not right. Let’s get that back in place. This, I believe, is the spirit of what I call ‘speck removal’. There IS a time and a place, but it must be from a heart of love and care, not judgment. We ladies call it straightening each other’s crown. It does more to build UP than tear DOWN. We should invite that kind of ‘speck removal’ and crown straightening. It’s the sharpening and refining process we all need to clear out and fix what we can’t see. That’s a beautiful thing that moves us toward maturity in Christ.

So that’s the planks part, what about the pigs and pearls? That seems different than judging. Well, that’s where spiritual discernment comes in. We are called to tell the world about Jesus. We are not the judge, yet we are to go, tell and make disciples. How that message of truth is received is not up to us. If the truth and love of Jesus we have to give to the world, our pearls, are not welcome, we move on. We plant seeds and where they fall and if they root or not is beyond our control. We simply are called to love our neighbor, walk in obedience and be faithful to share the message.

There are many that will deny the truth of Jesus. There are many that will not receive it. Love them and move on. You will never win a heart to Jesus through a debate. Let the Holy Spirit do its work. Speak and live out the priceless truth and hope we hold dear. If it is not received as such, then shake the dust off and know the Lord will lead you to hearts that are ready to hear.

That’s the truth.

Planks, pigs and pearls, oh my. The words and ways of Jesus are what we live by. When our hearts are aligned with His, the planks are obvious, the pearls are precious and the pigs are well, pigs. Walk on my friends.

I’m Lori Cline.

What are you pursuing?

You might say you are pursuing your passion. Is pursuing your passion always a good thing? It depends on the heart behind it and the motivation. Is it rooted in the spirit or rooted in the flesh? There IS a big difference.

For me, as a believer in Jesus, I am motivated by the spirit of the living God in me. No longer is it about my will and my way, it’s His will and His way for my life. I am not my own. I was created for a purpose for such a time as this. Here’s the cool part, that purpose, becomes my passion because I was gifted for it and designed to fulfill it. That’s the way God works.

Oftentimes though, we get distracted. We get overwhelmed. We lose sight of what matters most and we clutter up our heart, life and home with things that lead us away from that passion and purpose. We settle for idols, cheap imitations and substitutes of God’s best for our life and as we pursue those things, we find ourselves lost.

Thankfully God is a new morning mercy kind of God. His grace is sufficient and his love for me never fails. His desire is for me to know His will. In this season, when so many find themselves Spring cleaning and clearing out the clutter to move forward, I am taking steps to do the same. Pray. Purge. Pursue. These three steps have led me to be still and listen to where God is leading me to move forward in areas of my life. I’m doing more listening than speaking and if you know me, you know that’s not easy. But where I am weak, He is strong and I am leaning IN to hear God’s voice and be moved to ready myself for what He has for me.

Pray and listen to what God wants to gently reveal to you.

Purge and clean out what needs to be made new, pruned or thrown out of your life.

Pursue with passion where God is leading you.

Pursue is our last step. This is where we are confident of what God has spoken and we know the steps we are to take by faith and we are now at the starting block getting ready to run! Our feet are locked and loaded and the path is clear.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do you see the example of Jesus? Pray. Purge. Pursue. He listened to the Father. He spent time in prayer. He knew the Father’s will. He laid down His own. He ran the race that was set before Him, endured the cross and made a way for you and me.

Even though the world may tell you different, this life is not about you. God created the world and knit you together in your mother’s womb for a purpose. That purpose rests completely IN Him. He has joy for you today and it is found when you pursue Him, because as you do, the path and purpose for your life becomes clear and you can’t help but pursue it with passion.

That’s the truth.

Don’t be overwhelmed in this season, do what I’m doing. Pray. Purge. Pursue. Joy isn’t found in doing all the things we should be doing, it’s found at the feet of Jesus. We listen for His voice, move by his leading and pursue the plans He has for us. Let’s ready ourselves for the race we were created to run.

I’m Lori Cline.

What is God leading you to in this season? Where is He wanting to mold you? Are there areas of your life and heart that need a clean out? It is Spring. What work needs to be done now that will lead to making room for growth and good fruit down the road?

While I love the idea of Spring cleaning, I do not want to do the Spring cleaning. That is in a way what led me to seek the Lord in this season and it really doesn’t have much to do with vacuuming or dusting. I’ve simply been overwhelmed. I know many of you can relate. As I have taken inventory of my life, home and heart, and all the things that seem obvious that I NEED to do, I’ve been stuck in ways, not even knowing where to begin.

That’s when God gave me the words pray, purge and pursue. Instead of getting stuck in a cycle of what I should be doing, my heart is seeking what the Lord wants to LEAD me to do.

One way is full of shame and guilt while the other is full of grace and is an open invitation to move closer to who God wants me to be and the plans He has for me.

We began last time with pray. If you missed it you can find it at Lifeword.org, but to recap a bit, we’re asking God to lead us to the things and areas of our life and heart that need attention. Pray till you pray, is the first step and words are not required. The purpose of the ‘pray’ step is to be still and know God wants to move you closer to His heart and will for your life in every area. So listen and see where He leads you.

The next step we are looking at today is PURGE. We begin with prayer. Once God reveals our area of focus, it’s time to purge. Now when I think of purge I think of the physical act of cleaning OUT. Get rid of it. And in fact, that may be what God wants you to do. To purge is to cleanse, purify or remove. When you have the urge to purge, you act quickly! I love that!

For me, this is where the spirit comes in. Where I am weak, thank God He is strong. I can lean on the Lord to give me the strength to follow through with any action of obedience the Lord moves me to take. (2 Corinthians 2:10) I will never have the urge to do things that aren’t easy, but in His strength, I can do all things! What this step looks like for you will be different from what it may look like for me. Ask God to reveal your step forward and then to give you the urge or desire to take it!

Where and what do we need to purge? God will reveal it. We can look to Psalm 51 as an example. David’s sin was revealed and instead of sweeping it under the rug or ignoring it, he responded, took action and brought it to the Lord.

Psalm 51:7

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

God revealed what needed to be cleaned out in David’s heart. David responded with repentance and surrender. He wanted to have the sin cut out and his life made new. He moved closer to God through the process. We can do the same whatever that looks like.

Be still and listen to His voice. By faith, you can throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. (Hebrews 12:1) You can cut out what is dead in your life and prune back areas of growth to produce more fruit. (John 15:2) You can take an honest inventory of where your treasure has been and realign your heart to what matters most. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Wherever God leads us, those are the steps we can take to respond.

That’s the truth.

We pray then we purge. God reveals and we respond. It’s Spring cleaning that goes beyond the surface. Next time we’ll move beyond the purge to PURSUE what God has in store. Join me at lifeword.org.

I’m Lori Cline.

Now that it’s Spring, what do many of us find ourselves doing on a sunny afternoon?

Spring cleaning!

Ok, maybe I should have rephrased that and asked, ‘what SHOULD many of us be doing’? Yes, it’s time for Spring cleaning, but to be honest, if I have a free sunny afternoon, the last thing I want to do is clean. But, there IS something about coming out of winter, with all its cold and dark days, into the beauty and warmth of Spring. You do want to throw the windows open, let the fresh air in, whistle while you work and allow all the woodland creatures to come clean your home like they did for Cinderella! Oh if only that could happen.

If you’re like me in this season, honestly, I’m overwhelmed. Maybe you can relate. My heart is still mourning the loss of my Dad, we’ve had many losses around us, people are hurting and life hasn’t slowed down for any of it. In fact, I think it sped up! Now hear me, I am blessed through it all. God’s grace and mercy IS new for me every morning and His goodness is all over my life, still it’s a lot at times. My heart is embracing the beauty of lament and I do find myself praising through the storms. Still, in that place, I’ve felt stuck when it comes to the things I SHOULD be doing, like Spring cleaning!

With an honest heart, I wanted to share with you what God has gently led me to in this season, to take some steps forward in areas that I find it difficult to move. It’s three steps. Pray. Purge. Pursue. Write those down if you feel led to. Pray. Purge. Pursue. We can journey together. I’ll dig deeper into each one over the next 3 broadcasts.

The thing is, in any season, God wants us to know Him more. He wants us to abide deeper in His presence and as we do, the light of truth shines bright on areas of our lives that may need some attention. As the spirit of God REVEALS, we then are moved to take steps of obedience as we RESPOND to His leading. Then the beautiful thing is our movement or action steps aren’t rooted in comparison, shame or defeat. Our steps are a response to an invitation to move closer to healing, closer to health, closer to God’s will for our lives and ultimately closer to who God has called us to be for such a time as this.

So, if you’re ready to join me in this season to take some steps forward, whatever that looks like for you, we begin today with prayer. The first step is to pray till you pray. Make time. Get quiet. Be still. Shut out distractions and take some deep breaths. This is the most important step. If you miss this, you’re motives and movements can be way off. Don’t look to what the world or social media says you need to be doing in this season. What does God say?

Psalm 46:10 says ‘be still, and know that I am God’. To hear God’s voice, we must still our own and others. This is the primary focus of the first step. Silence the noise and wait on the Lord to reveal the areas of your heart, life and home that may need attention. Your heart may need time to open. That’s ok too. Words aren’t required when we pray. The spirit intercedes for us, Romans 8:26 tells us and I’m so glad. Often I have no words and I think that’s where God wants us to begin. Just be still. Jesus invites us to come and find rest.

In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus gives us His example in how to pray. I love the Lord’s prayer, but it’s the verse right before it that in this season, moves my heart.

Matthew 6:7-8

​​And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

This is how you pray till you pray. No words are required, simply a heart open to hear. And if you know me I love words, but God is gently reminding me, I don’t have to even speak. My Father knows what I need before I even ask. Pray. It’s the first step. Your Father already knows what you need, and the process of prayer and listening to His voice is what allows Him to reveal it to you.

That’s the truth.

God is very present and He wants you to know what steps to take in this season. Be still. Know He is good and He has a good plan for your life and He has good steps for you to take today. Take this first step with me and pray. Together we’ll discover what comes next.

I’m Lori Cline.

What is something you wish so desperately you could change, right now, but you cannot?

If you’re like me, I have a mile long list.

It’s a crazy feeling isn’t it? This isn’t right. I want to make it right. This wasn’t supposed to be this way. How can I fix this? This is not how my story was to be written. What can I do to change it? Is there a REDO button for this day or this chapter of life?

When life doesn’t turn out like we expected or the big waves almost knock us down, we all must come to a place we simply understand that we are NOT in control. It’s that ‘throw your hands in the air’ moment of surrender.

Broken moments, broken chapters, broken pieces of our lives that are beyond our control, are the very moments God uses to remind us, He IS our only hope. He is the ONE who holds it all together and no matter how many pieces there may be to our life, He is the only one who can put them back together in a way we would have never imagined. He is there, IN every moment, wanting to carrying us through it.

How does a child let you know they want to be carried? They put their hands in the air. We must do the same. We come to a place where we accept the reality that we can’t, and God can. When we rest in that, there is peace.

Are you familiar with the serenity prayer? It’s a prayer to God asking for calmness and peace in all matters of life. It was written by Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr and promoted and published in the nineteen thirties and forties. There are two versions and I want to read you both.

The short version is this,

O God grant me...

the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

the Courage to change the things I can,

and the Wisdom to know the difference, Amen.

The full version reads like this,

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

The line that makes me smile is, ‘so I may be reasonably happy in this life’. There are things we can’t change and there are things we can. What I love about this prayer is it is full of surrender, while at the same time accepting responsibility. God calls us to water walk in seasons and He also calls us to be carried. My prayer is that whatever any day may hold that I always know who holds it.

Colossians 1:17

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Jesus holds me together, ever single day. I’m so grateful He does. Whether you choose to trust Him or not, He holds you too. He is IN it all and working through it all for your good. Believing that brings peace and accepting what we cannot change, is serenity.

That’s the truth.

If you’re struggling with what you cannot control, trust Jesus with it. One day all things will be made right, but until that day, we walk, rest and move by faith and find peace only when WE let go.

I’m Lori Cline.

Have you had to chase a dog lately? I sure hope you haven’t. It’s not fun. I have two dogs. One is a beagle mix named Ruby and the other is an eighty pound Goldador named Roxy. We have an invisible dog fence around our yard and our sweet dogs have collars that will remind them when they are too close to the fence so they stay IN our yard. It’s for their protection and care.

I now refer to that invisible fence as the circle of blessing. You see, inside the circle of blessing, there is safety. Inside the circle of blessing there are treats. Inside the circle of blessing there is a home with people who love you. There is a warm place to rest, fresh water and enough food for each day. There are belly rubs and couch snuggles inside the circle of blessing. In the yard there is grass to roll in and toys to chew and play fetch with. It’s beautiful inside the circle of blessing.

Roxy got outside the circle of blessing. Her collar wasn’t working properly, so she didn’t get the electric reminder to not go beyond the fence. She made her way out into an area of woods and thorn bushes, water, mud and rocks. She was chasing something. Once I discovered she was out, I put on a jacket, got my mud boots on, grabbed a leash and went after her.

I called and called. A couple times I got a glimpse of her. She was on the hunt. She was chasing something and WAY more focused on that, than she was my voice. I prayed for her. I love my dogs. I want them safe. I want them with me. I was very concerned because as I continued to make my way through the woods I saw her again and she was getting close to a highway near our neighborhood. I quickened my pace, my voice was stern and she looked up and stood still. I was finally able to get a leash on her and we turned back toward home.

The crazy thing is, she was so far out that I got turned around trying to find my way back. Thankfully I got my bearings and we slowly made our way home. It was not an easy journey. It seemed for every step she took away from me, it was double that to get back to the circle of blessing.

We made it home. She was tired. I was tired. I washed her off, brought her inside and yes, gave her a treat. She slept all afternoon.

My Dad, who is now with Jesus, used to talk to my girls about the circle of blessing and the love and care of our heavenly Father. When we ABIDE and REMAIN in the Father’s love, will and way, we are blessed. Still, how often do we chase after things that lead us away from what is good? Our eyes become fixed on the object of our desire, we go our way and before we know it, we find ourselves in unfamiliar surroundings not sure how to make our way home. Choices made in a fleeting moment lead to a path we never expected full of isolation, struggle and pain.

The Father still calls us to come home. His voice calls us by name. You may be so far gone you can’t hear it, but still, He is calling you. His love for you never changes. His desire for what is good for you is still the same. You simply need to stop running and look up.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Friend, no matter how far you’ve gone, the love of the Father remains. He calls and waits for you to come home. In fact, He is running after you even now. Stop running, hear His voice and follow Him home. There is blessing, forgiveness, healing and rest waiting for you.

That’s the truth.

Abiding IN Jesus is the circle of blessing. It’s not without pain and the trials of this life, but it is where fullness of life, joy and peace flow and it’s where I choose to remain.

I’m Lori Cline.

Do you have a green thumb?

I like to think I do. I mean I love plants and over the years I’ve had many. Some of them have done really well and others, not so much. I love the beauty of plants. I love the health benefits of having plants. One plant, or tree, I currently have is a ten foot fiddle leaf fig I named Felix.

I’ve had Felix the fiddle leaf now for almost ten years and overall he’s done great, but in this season, he’s looking a little rough. If you’ve ever owned a fiddle leaf fig, you know they are quite moody. They actually like to be ignored, but don’t neglect them. They need filtered sun, but not direct sun because they’ll burn. They like being root bound, but don’t let their roots sit in water for too long. They’re complicated, but when the conditions are just right, they thrive, grow tall and are beautiful. We’re not much different are we? We can be oh so complicated, but when the conditions are right, we thrive, grow and become something beautiful.

What does any plant need to survive? It’s really comes down to three things, soil, water and sun. A seed is just a seed until it’s buried in the soil, watered by the rain and strengthened by the sun. What was dead, is brought to life. There is so much potential in one little seed. I love the Spring because what was planted in the Fall is now blooming and what will be planted now will bear fruit in the season to come.

Faith is like that. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, that little seed of faith should be growing. But just like any seed or young plant, you need things to nurture your faith so it will grow strong roots and mature into something beautiful.

In the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13, Jesus uses the example of one of the smallest seeds and how THAT is like the kingdom of heaven. When planted, it grows, thrives and over time gives shelter and shade for all around it.

Matthew 13:31-32

​​He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

We are saved by grace alone, through faith. That tiny seed of faith is meant to grow! As it does, not only am I stronger but those around me experience the beauty and peace of God through the spiritual growth in my life. Deep roots and strong branches of a mature faith encourage others, give rest, bring shalom and strength for those on their journey. That’s how the body of Christ works! We comfort one another. We spur one another on. We grow stronger together as one body.

The kingdom of heaven is made up of small seeds of faith planted in us. Those seeds of faith are meant to grow UP out of the weeds of this life to mature into mighty oaks of righteousness we read about in Isaiah 61:3. As we grow, no matter the storms or winds of this life, we are not moved or shaken.

A mighty oak takes years to grow from a seed, so our hearts and lives take time to mature IN Christ. I think the question we can call ask is, “are we growing in our faith?” Spending time in prayer, digging into God’s word, being sharpened and encouraged by other believers, serving and building UP the body with our gifts are all things you need to grow in any season. Go read Ephesians chapter 4 and then James chapter 1. Those are great places to see where YOU are on the growth chart.

There are marks of a mature believer just as there are marks of one that is immature or doesn't know Christ at all. The fruit is always evident. The good news is that wherever YOU are today, all it takes is a seed of faith for you to begin to grow.

That’s the truth.

What do you need in this season? Add more Jesus and I guarantee something beautiful will begin to grow.

I’m Lori Cline.

Are you prepared to see it? You’ll need these glasses!

It’s being called an extremely rare astronomical event and it’s happening in just a few days! I’m talking about the great North American total solar eclipse that will occur on April 8th. Now while yes, we do see annual eclipses, this one is special for many reasons that are WAY over my head. You can dig deeper into the fascinating timing and geometry of it all, but just know it will be something special to experience and millions in North America will have the opportunity to see it. In fact, areas that will be in the “path of totality”, as they call it, will be flooded with tourists wanting to see it first hand.

But, to see it, you must be prepared. It is NEVER safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection designed and approved for solar viewing. If you do, you could cause permanent damage to your retinas. To see the eclipse safely, you will need solar viewing glasses or if you want to simply watch the shadow, you can use a pinhole projector or a colander from your kitchen.

You see the fact is, there are steps you must take to be able to fully see and experience what will take place in the sky this month. If you don’t follow those steps, you won’t see it.

Often there is a process to really seeing and understanding what it is you’re seeing. I couldn’t help but think of when Jesus healed a blind man. This healing is only recorded in the book of Mark and what I love about how it unfolds is that there was a process to this blind man being made to fully see.

Mark 8:22-25 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

This man was blind. He couldn’t see anything. He was brought to Jesus. There was a bit of a process to him gaining his sight. Jesus took him by the hand. He, without seeing, followed. At first his vision was a bit blurry. He could only partly see. Then after another touch from Jesus, he saw everything, clearly. Isn’t that interesting. This was no accident. Everything Jesus did and the way He did it had meaning and purpose. This mans sight came in stages. He didn’t see clearly at first.

Isn’t that just like the disciples. They were so close to Jesus. He revealed himself as messiah in so many ways, still they didn’t fully see or understand until His resurrection. Only Jesus has the power to open our eyes to see our need for Him OR to see where we have been blind in our own eyes. The blind man absolutely knew he was blind, but what he didn’t see was his need for Jesus until his eyes were opened.

It’s no accident you are seeing this today. You’ve been brought face to face with truth. The question is, are you prepared to see it? Jesus wants to open your eyes so you can look up and clearly see your need for a savior OR maybe see areas in your life where you’ve been blinded by sin. Take the steps you need to take right now to see clearly. Jesus is waiting to show you what you’ve been missing.

That’s the truth.

Don’t miss this opportunity. Like the rare total solar eclipse that will take place, this may be the day God has prepared your heart and eyes to see where you’ve been blind.

I’m Lori Cline.