Author: pastordarryl68

Love. Live. Serve. Minimizing me...making much of JESUS! Loves God, family and crossroads|church. Husband, father, teacher, student, servant and worshiper.

Truth and trust

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When someone lies to you, it cuts deep. It’s not just the words—it’s the wound of betrayal. You start to wonder, Can I trust anyone? But here’s the thing: when someone fails you, it doesn’t mean all of humanity has failed. It means one person chose dishonesty over integrity.

And yet, if we’re honest, it still shakes us. Especially when it comes from someone who claims to represent Jesus. A minister. A brother or sister in Christ. Because when they lie, it feels like the ground shifts. The one who was supposed to point you to Truth ends up hiding from it.

But friend, don’t let someone else’s lie distort your view of Jesus. He never lied. He never deceived. He is Truth. John 14:6 says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” When man fails, Christ remains faithful. When leaders disappoint, the Lord still stands pure.

The question then becomes: what about us? Is it ever permissible for a servant of the Most High to lie?

To avoid confrontation? No.

To spare someone’s feelings? No.

To escape accountability? Absolutely not.

The Word of God doesn’t bend for our comfort. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.” God doesn’t categorize lies by size or motive. A “white lie” is still a dark stain.

We may tell ourselves we’re protecting peace or saving face, but every lie—even the “small” one—erodes trust and cheapens truth. Every deception builds a wall between us and God, because the Spirit of Truth cannot dwell where falsehood rules.

When you lie to avoid confrontation, you trade courage for cowardice.

When you lie to avoid hurting feelings, you assume your words are wiser than God’s ways.

When you lie to avoid accountability, you build your own prison and call it protection.

As servants of the Most High, our words should carry the weight of Heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 5:37, “Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.” Anything more than that—He said—comes from the evil one.

So when others lie, don’t let it break your faith in humanity, and certainly not in Christ. But let it remind you how sacred truth really is. How rare. How vital.

Let’s be people who tell the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.

Even when it costs us.

Even when it means confrontation or confession.

Because every time we choose truth, we reflect the One who is Truth.

Whos Job is it?

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There’s a little story that gets passed around about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.You’ve probably heard it before. There was a job to be done. Everybody thought Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. In the end, Everybody got mad at Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

We laugh at it because it’s clever. But we also feel the sting of truth in it.

This plays out in the church. This plays out in families. This plays out in communities. When Everybody assumes Somebody else will give, serve, lead, or sacrifice… Nobody does. Or worse, the same Somebody does everything until they collapse from burnout. And then, truly, there is Nobody.

The Bible never calls the church to be a crowd of consumers, waiting for someone else to do the work. Scripture is clear:

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

Not just pastors. Not just the most energetic or the most outgoing. Not just the people with fewer kids at home or more money in their pocket. Each one of you is a part of it.

The early church turned the world upside down because every believer took responsibility for being the body of Christ. They prayed. They gave. They served. They risked. They spoke the gospel boldly. They didn’t look at one another saying, “Somebody else will do it.” They looked at the cross and said, “Here am I, Lord. Send me.”

Friend, don’t wait for “somebody else.” You are that somebody.

If there’s a need in the church—don’t assume it will magically get filled. If there’s a hurting neighbor—don’t assume someone else will show up. If there’s a meal to make, a child to disciple, a mission to fund, a hand to lend—step forward. Do what anybody could do, but few are willing to.

Jesus didn’t sit back waiting for “somebody else” to go to the cross. He became the Somebody for Everybody so that Nobody would be left out of His kingdom.

Now He calls us to follow His example.

It’s not somebody else’s job. It’s ours. It’s yours.

Living Beyond Means, Living Beneath Calling

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We live in a culture that wants more without doing more. Many believe they should be paid more, not because their work is truly worth more, but because their appetites and spending demand it. Their lifestyle exceeds their discipline. They don’t want to adjust their desires, so they demand their income adjust instead.

I cannot wrap my head around this. Maybe that’s because my entire life has been spent in a calling where expectations are the exact opposite. Pastors are expected to want little, to have little, and to work as if we were available 24/7. And many of us accepted that without bitterness, because it was a calling, not a career.

But here’s the tension: both sides—whether it’s the worker who overspends or the pastor who overgives—can find themselves living out of balance with God’s design.

The Bible speaks clearly: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Timothy 6:6–8).

Discontentment is dangerous, whether it’s found in the factory worker demanding more for less effort, or in the minister silently resentful that people expect sacrifice without support. The heart issue is the same: we want what we have not disciplined ourselves to manage, or what we have not trusted God to provide.

Paul wrote, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation… I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12–13). Notice—contentment was learned. It doesn’t come naturally. It comes by choosing gratitude, adjusting desires, and trusting God’s provision over man’s paycheck.

Here’s the call:

  • If you are constantly dissatisfied with your pay, examine your spending before you demand more. Ask—am I living beyond my means?
  • If you are serving in ministry and feel stretched thin, ask—am I trusting God to supply and setting healthy boundaries, or am I letting people’s expectations define me?

We must learn to walk in godly contentment, whether in plenty or in want. We must live as if Christ, not culture, sets our value.

Reflection Question:

Where are you demanding more—either from your paycheck or from people’s approval—when God is calling you to discipline, contentment, and trust?

When Did We Stop Listening?

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When did we stop listening to one another?

When did we lose the simple courtesy of giving our full attention to the one speaking?

Has it always been this way, and we’ve just gotten used to it?

Few things are more frustrating than talking to someone who interrupts, cuts you off, or talks over you. Even when they let you speak, you can tell they’re not really listening—they’re just planning their next words. Sometimes people even ask for advice but never slow down enough to let you give it.

And it makes me wonder: what does that say about us?

Listening is more than hearing words—it’s valuing people. Proverbs 18:13 says, “To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.” God calls it foolishness to speak before truly hearing. Why? Because listening shows love.

When Jesus walked this earth, He listened. Crowds pressed in on Him, but He paused to hear the blind man cry out. He turned aside to listen to the woman with the issue of blood. He stopped in His tracks to hear the questions of His disciples. Jesus never brushed people off. He gave them dignity by giving them His attention.

Listening is humility in action. Philippians 2:3 tells us to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” To listen is to lay down the need to control the conversation. It’s to say, “What you’re saying matters. You matter.”

We live in a culture that prizes talking points over relationships, arguments over understanding. But the Kingdom way is different. James 1:19 tells us plainly: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Imagine if we took that seriously.

Conversations would shift.

Marriages would heal.

Friendships would deepen.

Churches would grow stronger.

Maybe the best ministry you can give this week isn’t your words, but your ears.

Who in your life needs you to truly listen—not to fix them, not to outtalk them, not to prepare your comeback—but to give them your full attention and love?

Ask God for the grace to be “quick to listen” today.

Walking Testimony in the Workplace

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If you’re lousy at your job, nobody you work with cares about your Gospel. You can talk about church, invite people to services, or share your testimony—but if your work ethic, integrity, and character don’t back it up, your words fall flat. Respect is the doorway through which your witness walks. Without it, the door stays shut.

So what does being lousy at your job look like?

  • Laziness when nobody’s watching.
  • Cutting corners or lying to make yourself look good.
  • Stealing time or resources—scrolling TikTok in the bathroom, running your personal business on company time.
  • Taking every benefit offered but only giving the bare minimum in return.
  • Consistently missing deadlines, needing to be micromanaged, and failing to be dependable.
  • Measuring your work ethic against co-workers instead of against God’s standard.

The truth is, mediocrity speaks louder than your words. If the quality of your work tells others you can’t be trusted, why would they trust your Savior?

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:23–24:

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. Serve the Lord Christ.”

That means our job performance isn’t ultimately for our boss or our paycheck. It’s an act of worship. Excellence at work is one way we honor Christ, and it’s one of the most powerful testimonies we carry into the world.

So here’s the challenge:

  • Show up on time.
  • Work hard with integrity, even when no one sees.
  • Go beyond the minimum.
  • Be dependable.
  • Let your coworkers see Christ in the way you do your job, not just in what you say about Him.

When you live this way, your Gospel gains weight. Your words are no longer empty—they are backed by a life that reflects the Lord you serve.

Guarding Your Gift from Distraction

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The enemy of your gift is not always opposition. More often, it is distraction.

When the enemy can’t destroy you, he will attempt to divide your attention. If he can pull your eyes in a hundred directions, your genius, your calling, your anointing, will be diluted until it feels like nothing at all.

The truth is, this season is not about doing more. It’s not about adding another project, another commitment, or another hustle. It’s about devoting more to the assignment God has already placed in your hands. Stewardship is not measured by how many things you juggle—it’s measured by how faithfully you pour into what God asked you to carry.

Focus, then, becomes more than a productivity hack. It is a form of spiritual warfare. To protect your focus is to protect your calling. To say “no” to lesser things is to say “yes” to the greater thing God entrusted to you.

Every time you choose focus over distraction, you are guarding your gift. You are resisting the enemy’s plan to scatter your energy. You are declaring that your life will not be wasted chasing everything, but rather invested in becoming fruitful in the one thing God asked you to steward.

So guard your focus. Defend it like your life depends on it—because your assignment does.

Question to reflect on:

What is God asking you to focus on in this season, and what distractions do you need to lay down to steward it well?

A Posture of Gratefulness in Our Work

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How would it affect our disposition if more people demonstrated gratefulness and appreciation to God for their jobs rather than complain about them to anyone who will listen?

What if, instead of grumbling about long hours, difficult bosses, or tasks we’d rather not do, we chose to give thanks to the Lord that we even have work to put our hands to? What if our perspective shifted from “I have to” toward “I get to”?

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” (Philippians 2:14–15)

Gratitude doesn’t just change our words; it changes the atmosphere around us.

  • How would it change our jobs? Gratitude transforms a job from drudgery into ministry. Every task becomes an offering to the Lord. Instead of working with resentment, we work with joy, and suddenly even ordinary assignments carry eternal significance.
  • How would it change our employers? Imagine the testimony it would be for bosses and managers to oversee workers who are genuinely thankful, loyal, and committed. Gratitude disarms bitterness and builds bridges of trust.
  • How would it change the people we work around? A thankful spirit is contagious. Complaining drains a room, but gratitude lifts it. A cheerful heart in the workplace can soften hardened hearts, spark conversations about Christ, and show coworkers a different way to live.
  • How would it change our family? When we come home carrying thankfulness instead of frustration, our family receives joy instead of tension. Gratitude protects us from dragging workplace negativity into the very relationships God has entrusted us to nurture.
  • How would it change our world? If the people of God were known as a thankful people, our witness would shine all the brighter. Gratitude reveals that our trust is not in circumstances, but in a faithful Father who provides.

The truth is, grumbling is natural—but gratitude is supernatural. It requires us to pause, remember, and acknowledge the Giver of every good gift (James 1:17).

So the question isn’t really how would it change things?

The better question is—why aren’t we living this way already?

Let’s start today. Thank Him for your job, your employer, your coworkers, and the opportunities in front of you. Refuse the bait of complaint. Choose instead the joy of gratitude. And watch how God shifts not only your perspective, but the world around you.

Excuses or Responsibility?

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Do I humble myself and take responsibility, or do I play the victim and blame others, my circumstances, or just life in general? Do I allow myself to be held accountable by others—or is there always an excuse, a reason, or a long-winded explanation for why I didn’t follow through?

If I fail to meet accepted expectations or renege on commitments…

If I drop the ball…

If I bow to the cultural pressure of glorifying BUSY and find myself in the never-ending rat race of hurry, obligations, and expectations…

Don’t let me bore you with drivel. Don’t let me insult the gift of time given to me by my Creator by claiming, “I just didn’t have enough.” Time is a gift, and I am accountable for how I steward it.

No one needs to hear a nauseating list of excuses to justify my refusal to accept the time and responsibility God has placed in my hands. No one is edified by my idolatry of over-committing or my failure to fulfill what I said I would do.

Save the excuses for the judgment seat.

Because here’s the truth:

  • We will give an account. “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12).
  • Our excuses will not hold up. Adam tried to blame Eve. Eve tried to blame the serpent. But God held each accountable (Genesis 3).
  • We are called to faithful stewardship. Jesus said, “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Excuses only keep us trapped in immaturity. Taking responsibility leads into maturity, integrity, and the freedom of living honestly before God and others.

So today, Lord—strip me of excuses. Help me see that my “busy” is not holy if it keeps me from obedience. Teach me to live as a faithful steward of time, relationships, and commitments. And when I fall short, give me the humility to own it, repent, and walk forward without hiding behind words that will not matter in the end.

Because when all is said and done, I don’t want my story to be one of excuses. I want it to be one of faithfulness.

Big Impact Begins Small

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Big impact doesn’t start with a microphone in your hand or a crowd in the seats. It doesn’t begin when the spotlight hits you or when the applause breaks out. Big impact begins with small, unseen faithfulness.

It’s the small things that lead to the big things. The things no one sees are what bring about the things everyone wants. It’s the quiet, consistent, intentional choices to obey God when no one else is watching.

It’s the early mornings and the extremely late hours on our knees before God alone. It’s the wrestling—not against people—but against “the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

It’s the deep, deep self-denying sacrifices no one applauds. It’s the putting of others’ needs ahead of our own, not because it’s convenient or easy, but because Jesus did the same for us. It’s the work done in secret—acts of obedience, moments of prayer, quiet generosity—that God Himself sees and rewards openly.

The truth is, we don’t have to manufacture the work of God. We don’t have to force His hand or create our own platform. He is already at work among the small, unseen faithfulness of His servants. Our job is simply to remain faithful where He has placed us—whether the crowd notices or not.

Because in the Kingdom, the smallest seeds grow into the largest trees. The unseen moments are the birthplace of the visible miracles. And the hands that labor in secret will one day hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Friendship After the Cross

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When you’ve truly given your life to Jesus—when you’ve denied yourself, picked up your cross, and surrendered completely to follow Him—everything changes.

Your priorities shift. Your values realign. Even the way you see relationships, especially friendship, is transformed.

Before surrender, friendship is often about me.

Who do I feel most comfortable around?

Who do I have the most fun with?

Who gives back as much as I give—if not more?

But after the cross… friendship becomes ministry.

It’s no longer about cherry-picking people who make me feel good or add convenience to my life.

It’s about availability, obedience, and selfless investment.

When you walk with Jesus, He starts placing people in your life on purpose. People you may not have chosen for yourself. People who stretch you, who require grace, who invite you to go deeper than surface-level.

And here’s the key: you don’t just “hang out” with people anymore—you share life with them.

You give your time, your attention, your presence, and sometimes your tears, because Yahweh brought them into your path.

Friendship becomes about recognizing who God has entrusted to you.

Who He’s asking you to pour into.

Who He’s calling you to sit with, listen to, pray for, walk alongside—even when it’s inconvenient. Especially when it’s inconvenient.

It’s about noticing when someone opens up to you honestly and transparently… and responding like Jesus would: with compassion, consistency, and love.

That’s what I’m learning.

And I’m so grateful—so grateful—for the people Yahweh has brought into my life.

Not just to bless me… but to shape me, sharpen me, and sanctify me.

People who invite me into what God is doing in them.

People who remind me what Kingdom friendship really looks like.

This kind of friendship… is worth everything.

And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.