Create Solutions, Not Excuses

Posted on by pastordarryl68

We all spend energy every day.

The question is not if you’re spending it.

The question is what you’re spending it on.

Excuses take energy.

Complaining takes energy.

Blaming takes energy.

So does faith.

So does obedience.

So does taking responsibility.

It’s the same amount of effort.

Just aimed in a different direction.

Excuses Feel Easier—But They’re Costly

Excuses feel productive because they make us feel justified.

They explain why we didn’t act.

They protect our pride.

They give us permission to stay where we are.

But Scripture doesn’t confuse excuses with wisdom.

“The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion in the road!’” (Proverbs 26:13)

That verse isn’t about danger.

It’s about exaggeration used to avoid responsibility.

Excuses are lazy energy.

They keep you busy without moving you forward.

And the enemy loves them.

Because as long as you’re explaining, you’re not obeying.

God Honors Responsibility, Not Rationalization

From the beginning, God has been looking for people who respond, not retreat.

When Adam sinned, he blamed Eve.

When Eve sinned, she blamed the serpent.

No one took responsibility.

And nothing was restored until responsibility was owned.

Jesus tells a parable about servants given talents.

Two invest what they’re given.

One hides it—and explains why.

“I knew you were a hard man…” (Matthew 25:24)

That servant wasn’t rebuked for fear.

He was rebuked for doing nothing with what he had.

Excuses don’t impress God.

Faithfulness does.

Solutions Require Courage, but They Build Strength

Creating solutions is productive energy.

It’s asking:

  • What can I do with what I have?
  • What step is mine to take?
  • Where do I need to stop waiting and start acting?

Solutions don’t always feel good.

They often feel uncomfortable.

They require humility, discipline, and trust.

But they build something excuses never will—momentum.

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

God doesn’t ask you to solve everything.

He asks you to steward something.

A Better Way Forward

This week, don’t ask:

“Why is this so hard?”

Ask:

“What’s the next obedient step?”

Stop spending your energy defending inactivity.

Spend it building faithfulness.

Same effort.

Different outcome.

Don’t be lazy.

Be faithful.

When God Leaves the Situation but Works on the Heart

Posted on by pastordarryl68

“Sometimes God doesn’t change your situation because He is on a mission to change your heart.”

There are seasons when we’re praying hard, believing hard, begging God to move something out there… and nothing budges.

The pressure stays.

The problem lingers.

The circumstance refuses to shift.

And if you’re like most people, that’s when frustration starts to rise.

“Lord, why won’t You fix this?”

“Why is this still here?”

“Why am I still here?”

But that quote hits a deeper truth:

Sometimes God isn’t changing the situation because the situation isn’t the target. You are.

God loves you too much to only work on your surroundings.

He wants to work on your heart, because your heart is the steering wheel of your life.

It’s the same thing God did with Israel. He delivered them from Egypt in a single night, but it took forty years to get Egypt out of them. He didn’t delay the Promised Land out of punishment—He delayed it out of preparation.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23

Everything you do flows from what’s happening inside you.

So if God doesn’t shift the external, it’s because He’s forming the internal.

Let’s be real:

  • You’re praying for God to remove a difficult person… He’s forming patience.
  • You’re begging Him to solve a financial challenge… He’s building stewardship and trust.
  • You’re asking Him to calm the storm… He’s teaching you how to stand in faith while the wind still blows.
  • You want relief… He wants transformation.

Paul says it like this:

“Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” — Romans 5:3–4

Notice the order.

Hope doesn’t come first.

Character doesn’t come first.

Endurance doesn’t come first.

Pressure comes first.

God uses pressure to form people.

If God hasn’t changed your situation yet, don’t assume He’s absent.

Assume He’s aiming deeper.

Instead of asking only, “Lord, when will this end?” ask,

“Lord, what are You shaping in me through this?”

Because the truth is this:

Your breakthrough may not start when something around you changes.

Your breakthrough may start when something in you changes.

God is on a mission.

Not to make life easier—

But to make your heart stronger, softer, purer, more like Jesus.

And that’s the kind of change that lasts.

Reflection Question:

What situation in your life has God left in place because He’s trying to form something in your heart?

Let Him do the deep work.

Let Him finish the mission.

The Gospel isn’t about making bad peope good – it’s about making dead people alive

Posted on by pastordarryl68

We live in a culture obsessed with self-improvement.

Read this book.

Try this habit.

Fix that part of your life.

And if we’re not careful, we start dragging that same mindset into our faith. We begin to treat the Gospel like a spiritual upgrade. A moral tune-up. A little polish on the rough edges.

But then a quote like Voddie Baucham’s cuts through the noise:

“The Gospel is not about making bad people good. It’s about making dead people alive.”

That’s not just a clever line.

That’s the difference between religion and resurrection.

Between effort… and grace.

Scripture doesn’t describe life before Christ as “imperfect,” “messy,” or “needs improvement.”

The Bible uses one word:

Dead.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.” — Ephesians 2:1

Dead means no pulse.

Dead means no movement toward God.

Dead means no ability to fix yourself, reach for Him, or climb your way out of the grave.

So the Gospel isn’t God giving you a spiritual to-do list.

It’s God breathing life into a corpse.

This is why the Christian life isn’t built on trying harder.

It’s built on receiving what only God can do.

Paul goes on to say:

“But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ.” — Ephesians 2:4–5

Notice the subject.

But God.

Not but me.

Not but my discipline.

Not but my good intentions.

The miracle of salvation is not self-reform—it’s divine resurrection.

And when God brings you from death to life, everything else begins to change from the inside out. Holiness stops being a performance and becomes a byproduct of a resurrected heart. Obedience becomes joy. Transformation becomes possible. Not because you’re striving, but because you’re alive.

Some of us are exhausted because we’re trying to live the Christian life without remembering the miracle that started it. We’re trying to act alive without knowing we are alive.

If the Gospel was only about making bad people good, then you would constantly live in fear of slipping backwards.

But if the Gospel made you alive… then your story is anchored in something far stronger than your performance.

So here’s the call today:

Stop trying to patch up the old you.

Start walking in the new life Christ has already given you.

Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of the miracle you’ve received.

Ask Him to help you live like someone who has passed from death to life.

And here’s a question to carry into your week:

“Where in my life am I trying to be ‘good’ instead of remembering I’ve been made alive?”

Let the Lord meet you there.

Let resurrection power do what self-effort never could.

Serving From Overflow or Obligation?

Posted on by pastordarryl68

Some people live to serve others passionately. You can see it in the way they move, the way they love, the way they show up. They serve out of the overflow of the love of Christ in their hearts. And because the love is real, their service is real. Their lives preach a quiet sermon—#LovingOneAnotherWell.

But others… others serve reluctantly and minimally.
You can tell.
It’s half-hearted. Heavy. Mechanical.
And often, it’s rooted not in love but in guilt, obligation, or the quiet craving for attention.

And church, the difference between the two is night and day.

Jesus spoke directly to this in Matthew 6.
“When you give… when you serve… when you pray… do it in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.”

He didn’t just tell us what to do.
He told us how to do it—from a heart that wants God, not applause.

There is a kind of servant that is a joy to stand beside.
They walk into a room and something in the atmosphere lifts.
They don’t drain you; they fill you.
They don’t make serving heavier; they make it lighter.
Their presence pulls people in—“Come serve with me!”—because they carry joy that’s contagious.

And then there’s the other kind.
The one who counts minutes.
And acknowledgements.
And fairness.
And who’s watching.
And whether someone said thank you.
Their service costs everyone around them.
They leave people empty… and sometimes wounded.

And Jesus says plainly:
One is leveraged for the Kingdom eternally.
The other… already has their reward.

God sees it all.
Not just the work of your hands, but the posture of your heart.

So let me ask you the question Jesus pushes us toward.

Which one are you?

Are you serving from overflow—or obligation?
From love—or from guilt?
For Kingdom impact—or for earthly acknowledgement?

The beauty of the gospel is this:
You don’t have to manufacture joy.
You don’t have to pretend.
You don’t have to push yourself into a version of serving that feels fake.

You can ask the Holy Spirit to fill you again.
To restore love.
To purify motives.
To make your service worship.

Because when service comes from worship, even the smallest task becomes holy.

The strength you already know

Posted on by pastordarryl68

We live in a world that trains our eyes to study giants.

We analyze them.

We measure them.

We replay their threats in our minds like a loop we can’t shut off.

And the more we stare at the giant, the smaller we feel.

David didn’t do that.

He didn’t need to know Goliath’s strength.

He already knew God’s.

And that’s where many of us struggle today—not with the size of the giant, but with our forgetfulness of God’s strength.

The enemy loves to magnify the problem.

God loves to magnify His presence.

When David stood before Goliath, he didn’t rehearse Goliath’s resume. He rehearsed God’s faithfulness.

“The LORD who delivered me… will deliver me…”

(1 Samuel 17:37)

David anchored himself in what God had already done. He remembered the lion. He remembered the bear. He remembered the private victories God gave him in hidden places.

Some of you are staring at a financial Goliath.

Some of you are staring at a health Goliath.

Some of you are staring at a relational Goliath.

Some of you are staring at a sin, a fear, a pressure, a burden that feels bigger than you.

Hear me:

You don’t defeat giants by being big. You defeat giants by knowing God is bigger.

The enemy wants you studying the problem.

God invites you to study His power.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

(Psalm 46:10)

The command isn’t: Be strong.

The command is: Be still.

Because stillness forces your soul to look up instead of around.

David’s confidence wasn’t arrogance.

It was alignment.

He aligned himself with the covenant, the character, and the presence of God.

And when you know who stands with you, the size of who stands against you doesn’t matter.

Whatever you’re facing today—

it’s not stronger than God.

Not the diagnosis.

Not the bill.

Not the depression.

Not the fear of the future.

Not the shame from the past.

Not the mountain you can’t seem to move.

God’s strength hasn’t changed.

You just need to remember it.

So here’s your call today:

Stop studying the giant. Start remembering your God.

Walk toward what intimidates you with the confidence of who empowers you.

Lift your eyes. Take your stand. Swing your stone.

The battle is the Lord’s.

“For the battle is the LORD’s…”

(1 Samuel 17:47)

Where Have All the Godly Men Gone?

Posted on by pastordarryl68

I’ll be honest—I’m weary.

Weary and disappointed by the way men, especially husbands and fathers, have been portrayed in the shows, sitcoms, and movies of the last couple of decades.

From The Simpsons to Married with Children, from Disney to Nickelodeon, we’ve been fed a steady diet of dads who are bumbling fools. Husbands who are lazy, clueless, and dependent. Fathers who are either absent, mocked, or irrelevant.

These caricatures are everywhere.

The husband who can’t make a decision without his wife correcting him.

The dad who sits on the couch while his kids roll their eyes.

The man whose only motivation is sex, food, or avoiding work.

And here’s the tragedy: those men have become the heroes and role models for a generation.

Somewhere along the way, our culture decided that strong, godly manhood wasn’t worth portraying—or worse, was something to laugh at. The man who leads with conviction is called controlling. The husband who provides and protects is labeled old-fashioned. The father who disciplines and guides is accused of being harsh or out of touch.

But Scripture paints a very different picture.

In Ephesians 5, husbands are called to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”

That’s not lazy love. That’s sacrificial love.

It’s a call to lead, not with dominance, but with humility and strength.

In Proverbs, the father is depicted as a teacher, a voice of wisdom saying, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart.”

That’s not clueless. That’s intentional. That’s present.

And in Micah 6:8, the man of God is commanded to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with his God.”

That’s integrity. That’s courage. That’s leadership.

These are not the men our screens celebrate—but they are the men our homes, churches, and communities desperately need.

There’s a quiet crisis in our culture today.

We’ve raised generations of men who think leadership is weakness, that masculinity must be mocked, and that passivity is peace.

But men of God, hear me: our world doesn’t need more sitcom dads. It needs kingdom fathers.

Our families don’t need more couch-bound husbands. They need servant-hearted leaders.

Our children don’t need men who blend into culture—they need men who stand against it.

This is not about ego or dominance. It’s about responsibility.

It’s about stepping into the divine design God gave men—to love, to lead, to protect, to serve, and to reflect Christ in the way we carry ourselves.

So where are those men?

Where are the husbands who are faithful, patient, and Spirit-led?

Where are the fathers who teach, encourage, and protect?

Where are the men who live with courage and integrity, leading with vision and wisdom?

Maybe the better question is—will we be those men?

Because while Hollywood may not celebrate it, Heaven does.

While the world mocks strong, humble leadership, the Kingdom honors it.

While culture rewards self-indulgence, God blesses self-sacrifice.

Men of God, it’s time to rise.

To lead our homes with prayer.

To serve our wives with honor.

To train our children in righteousness.

To manage our work and our words with integrity.

We can’t control what the media portrays—but we can control what we model.

And when we walk in the Spirit, when we lead with the heart of Christ, the world will see something it hasn’t seen in a long time:

A man who is both strong and gentle.

Both humble and bold.

Both firm in conviction and rich in grace.

That kind of man doesn’t just change a family—he changes generations.

Why the Church doesn’t need to check your boxes

Posted on by pastordarryl68

We live in a time where even committed believers approach the local church like a consumer approaches a product. We “shop” for the church that checks our boxes—strong worship, engaging preaching, a thriving youth group, coffee bar, community service, or programs that align with our passions.

But let’s stop and ask a deeper question:

What if God didn’t lead you to that church because of what it already has… but because of what it needs—and what you bring to it?

When we only attend a church that meets all our personal preferences, we unintentionally shift from being contributors to consumers.

We stop asking, “God, where are You calling me to serve?” and start asking, “What can this church do for me?”

But that’s not how the Kingdom works. The Body of Christ is not a showroom. It’s a living organism, designed by the Spirit and built by believers who show up to strengthen what’s lacking and supply what’s missing (Ephesians 4:16).

Throughout Scripture, God never places people where everything is already done. He places them where something needs to be built.

When God led Nehemiah back to Jerusalem, the walls were broken down. When God sent Paul to Corinth, the church was divided. When He called Timothy to Ephesus, false doctrine was spreading.

Why?

Because the Spirit doesn’t lead us to comfort — He leads us to contribution.

The Holy Spirit might lead you to a church that’s still growing, where ministries are underdeveloped, where systems are messy, and people are imperfect — because He knows you’re part of the solution.

If the church already has everything you’re passionate about… why do they need you?

Romans 12:6 says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” That means your gifts were never meant to be spectators in the stands — they were meant to be engaged on the field.

Maybe the worship ministry needs your encouragement.

Maybe the youth group needs your leadership.

Maybe the hospitality team needs your smile.

Maybe the pastor needs your prayer.

You might be the missing piece God wants to use to bring that church to maturity.

Let’s be honest — the “church shopper” mindset is subtle. It sounds spiritual on the surface:

“I just want to be fed.”

“I’m looking for a place that fits my calling.”

“I need a church that meets my family’s needs.”

But underneath, it can become self-centered rather than Spirit-led.

The New Testament doesn’t say, “Find the perfect church.” It says, “Be the church.”

When Jesus said, “I will build My Church” (Matthew 16:18), He didn’t mean a church perfectly tailored to your taste — He meant a people perfectly yielded to His will.

The real question isn’t, “Does this church feed me?” but rather, “Am I feeding others through my presence here?”

We must shift from attending church for what we can consume to belonging to church for what we can contribute.

Before you decide where to plant yourself, don’t just make a checklist — make an altar.

Ask the Holy Spirit, “Lord, where have You called me to build?”

Psalm 92:13 says, “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish in the courts of our God.”

Flourishing doesn’t come from finding the perfect church. It comes from being planted in the right one.

So instead of looking for the church that has it all together, look for the church where God is stirring your heart to help build. Because your obedience may be the very thing He uses to bring strength, stability, and revival to that house.

And when you stay where He plants you, you’ll discover something powerful — the blessing isn’t just in being served, it’s in being spent for the sake of His Kingdom.

This Day Belongs to the Lord

Posted on by pastordarryl68

Every year around this time, the same conversations start circulating. People begin debating whether Christians should celebrate certain days, avoid certain symbols, or stay locked inside their homes because “it’s the enemy’s day.” But friend, let me say this clearly: the adversary does not own a single day on the calendar. He never has, and he never will.

When we allow fear or superstition to guide our decisions, we’re not walking in faith—we’re giving attention to the wrong kingdom. The enemy loves attention. He feeds off fear, distraction, and confusion. But as believers, we’re not called to magnify darkness; we’re called to declare the light.

Scripture reminds us in Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Notice it doesn’t say, “This is the day the Lord has made, except for October 31st,” or any other day you might think belongs to the enemy. Every sunrise belongs to Yahweh. Every breath, every moment, every day—His.

Jesus didn’t just come to forgive sin; He came to establish His Kingdom. When He declared in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me,” He meant it. There is no spiritual vacuum where Satan rules freely. The devil only operates under permission, not possession.

That’s why we, the Church, must stop giving the enemy free publicity. Whether it’s through fear-driven conversations or constant focus on what darkness is doing, we’re unintentionally glorifying the wrong side. Paul told the Colossians, “He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).

So why would we, as citizens of light, keep rehearsing the enemy’s influence when we’ve already been relocated into the dominion of the King?

This is not the day of fear. This is not the day of witchcraft. This is not the day of the enemy.

This is the day of the Lord.

Instead of retreating, let’s rejoice. Instead of hiding, let’s shine. Instead of fearing the darkness, let’s fill the streets with light—with worship, with prayer, with laughter, with the joy of the Lord.

The Church doesn’t take its cues from culture or calendars; we take our marching orders from the King. Jesus is King. His Kingdom has no end. And as long as He reigns—and He reigns forever—every single day belongs to Him.

So lift your head, believer. Stop watching the shadows and start walking in the sunlight of His Kingdom.

Because this is the day that Yahweh has made.

And we will rejoice and be glad in it.

A need for Rest

Posted on by pastordarryl68

I completely understand the need for rest…7 to 8 hours nightly, one day weekly, maybe even a week or two annually to step away from the tasks of life to do things that you otherwise couldn’t do because of time, space, or location restraints. I even understand the joy that a holiday brings to an extended weekend away from a manual labor job in order to spend more quality time with family.

But I struggle to understand the NEED to take a break from something I voluntarily committed to participate in for the mutual joy and wellbeing of myself and those to whom I’ve committed. What are these things, you say? Based on the idle complaints I hear and read about, the big three are:

1. Marriage (family).

2. Immediate family.

3. Church family.

Aside from the tragic abuses of these God-designed institutions, why would we voluntarily enter into a covenant relationship or participate in the act of procreation if these are relationships from which we feel so deprived that we NEED a break? Is it any surprise that rulers, authorities, world forces of darkness, and spiritual forces of wickedness primary target for their destruction is the family? Is it any wonder that these forces have found easy prey in our homes and churches?

If it’s because of misuse, abuse, or sinful issues in the relationship(s), what are we doing to diagnose and remedy the root issues rather than run from them? Do we introspectively seek to know how we are contributing to the problem from which we NEED relief? Are we willing to confront the self-centric issues in the family that contribute to the fatigue and burnout we experience?

Burn out

Posted on by pastordarryl68

I cannot legitimize burnout as an acceptable state of ministry for a healthy servant of God…and I’m currently dragging bottom emotionally and mentally toasted.

As common as this may be, this is not an acceptable status. This is not a label that I can brand as a “season of life”. This is a moment of conviction and soul-searching. It is a warning signal that the Holy Spirit is firing across all my systems. It is an opportunity. There is something in my life that needs to be addressed…something that needs to be eliminated, confessed, or healed. It may be brokenness. It may be unforgiveness. It may be an illness that is preventing my mind and body from securing the rest my Creator and Designer requires. It may be sin.

If I am mentally and emotionally unable to navigate the journey that Yahweh has put me on for today, with the time He has allotted each of us, it is not because I’m “in a season”. It is possibly because I am doing something or carrying something that was never mine to bear. It is possibly because I’m ignoring a system-wide warning sign the Holy Spirit is making me all too aware of. It is possibly because I am failing to do something I KNOW I should do, but am giving myself the excuse to continue in sin. I can’t blame anyone but myself…no one has the power to put anything on me that I don’t also have the power to refuse that task or load. No burden can be put on me that I do not accept. No hardship can be put on me that God has not promised to walk with me, providing me the strength and relief needed to bear through it or take it from me.

I don’t need excuses. I don’t need a vacation. I don’t need attention, comfort, or pity. Those are things my flesh craves. What I need is to be on my knees before the Lord, seeking wisdom for when to say “no”, or “enough”, or “not now.” What I need is to be more discerning in how to bear the burdens of my community WITH Jesus, not AS Jesus. I’m no Messiah. What I need is to be reminded that Jesus is our rest…He is my Sabbath. What I need is to stop denying the Holy Spirit of His function in me and stop trying to BE the Holy Spirit.

How about you? What are you carrying that is not yours to take? What are you trying to do that was never assigned to you? This is not permission to be uncaring or to not participate in the mission of responsibility that God has placed on us as functional members of families, churches, and communities. It’s not permission to forsake responsibility. It is, however, a wake-up call to walk in our calling and in the Spirit – to discern the difference between being like Jesus, being filled with His Spirit and BEING Jesus or His Spirit.