The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Category: Love (Page 1 of 10)

Who Do You Love?

May 12, 2026 / / 0 Comments

Rest in Peace to Craig Morton who died yesterday at 83 years of age. A terrific passer, but one of the slowest human beings to ever play quarterback in the NFL. Morton lost a Super Bowl while starting for the Cowboys and won the Cowboys a Super Bowl by starting for the other team. He was pulled in SB XII for Norris Weese. If you remember that, you’ve been around for a while. Man, I love those old gray pants. Remember when the Cowboys pants matched their helmets? That’s a long time ago, dude.

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I’m still processing so much of what I heard and soaked up while at the Pepperdine Lectures last week in California. Just reflecting on a sentence here and a phrase there about the primary position of love in our churches has me strangely encouraged and deeply convicted. You know, this stuff will preach.

Fate Hagood asked a really simple question in one of his sessions on Wednesday: “Who do you love?”

The question was not, “Who do you say you love?” or “Who are you supposed to love?” or “Who do you think you love?” The question is simply “Who do you love?” And Fate said you know exactly who you love and who you don’t love by the metrics of 1 Corinthians 13.

Who are you patient with? That’s who you love.
Who are you not patient with?

Who are you kind to? That’s who you love.
Who are you not kind to?

Who do you protect? Who do you defend? That’s who you love.
Who do you accuse? Who do you insult?

If you are rude to someone, you do not love him or her. If someone angers you easily, you do not love that person. If you’re keeping a mental list of the wrongs of a particular person, you do not love him or her.

I’m wondering what these people I’m thinking about have in common. The people I’m nice to, the people I defend, the people I’m patient with–is there anything they have in common I need to pay attention to? What about the people 1 Corinthians 13 suggests I don’t love? What do they have in common? Is that something I need to reflect on and pray about?

What do the people I love and the people I don’t love say about me? Anything?

Yeah, something.

Who do you love?

Peace,
Allan

Nothing

May 11, 2026 / / 0 Comments

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” ~1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Think about the last time you defined yourself. You made a statement, you drew a line, you chose a side. I am this! I sure ain’t that! I believe this! I do that! You declared who you are and what you’re all about. The last time you proclaimed your values.

Was it about love?

Because if it’s not about love, it’s nothing. If it’s not about love, you are declaring that you are nothing. Your position is nothing. Your beliefs and your values are nothing. Without love, your identity is wrapped up in nothing.

The Bible makes this clear. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that any action or belief or value or deed done or proclaimed without love is nothing.

That means if your core values, your religious convictions, your political positions, your career priorities, or your personal beliefs are not founded on and motivated by love, they are nothing. You are nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind (13:4). Is the group with which you identify known for patience and kindness?

Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (13:5). Do your core values line up with this or not? Is the side you’ve chosen causing you to be more loving or less loving?

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth (13:6). Do your convictions or priorities contribute to more truth in the world or less? Do the people with whom you identify speak truth. Do they delight in evil?

Whether you’re in a heated argument or in an echo chamber, when you dig in and define yourself, is it about love?

Because if it’s not about love, you are nothing.

Peace,

Allan

Strange Bedfellows

May 6, 2026 / / 0 Comments

I’m in Malibu this week with our two amazing GCR Youth Ministers, Jadyn and J.E.,  for the annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures. Oh, and Shiloh. Jadyn’s precious daughter, Shiloh, has made the trip with us, too. Of course, as is my tradition, we flew into town a day early so we could take in a baseball game. Last night we watched Mike Trout strike out looking–twice!–as the White Sox crushed the Halos at the Big A in Anaheim. 6-0. Not much of a game. But we had awesome seats, sat by some really super nice Angels fans, and almost ate for the cycle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We drove up to Hollywood Boulevard this morning to check out all the weird stuff there: the creepy Spiderman, the sad Mickey Mouse, all the people pushing their CDs while they bark for Hollywood bus tours, mixed in with the more historical sites like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater, and the Hollywood Bowl. We also ate a hearty lunch at the Hollywood Hard Rock Cafe, right there on the strip, and spent almost two hours on the windy and freezing beach in Malibu off the Pacific Coast Highway.

We took a little rest at our rooms on campus before eating our traditional opening night dinner at Malibu Seafood, again, right on the PCH, with a wonderful view of the ocean. And then we gathered with a couple of thousand Christians from all over the country to worship God with our great friends in United Voice Worship and to listen to God’s Word proclaimed by one of the best ever, my good friend Rick Atchley. It was as good–no, way better!–as what you would think.

The theme of this year’s lectures, “The Most Excellent Way,” comes from 1 Corinthians 13. The line of the night from Rick’s keynote sermon came while he was addressing the recent tendency in our churches to be seduced by worldly power and control, which distracts us and turns us away from our mandate to love. Rick told us the Church is pursuing a love of power instead of the power of love. But here’s the line:

“When the Church gets in bed with worldly power, the baby doesn’t look like Jesus.”

We hung around to talk with some of our favorite people and then shut down the Jack-in-the-Box up the road with some late night Oreo shakes. You can tell from this picture that I was still going strong at 10:00pm while J.E. was fading and Shiloh was already gone pecan. Lightweights.

This week at Pepperdine is one of my all-time favorite things every year. My soul needs this. My Lord always meets me here. He nourishes me and encourages me. I am being strengthened and refreshed. And I am not alone.

I cannot wait for tomorrow.

Peace,
Allan

Are You Being a Neighbor?

October 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Tony Romo played ten years as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott is in his tenth season. Romo’s record as a starter was 78-49. Today, Dak’s record is 78-49-1. Dak’s career passer rating is 98.3, while Romo’s is 97.1. They each have two Wild Card playoff victories and nothing more. The past ten years have been exactly like the ten years before that. Exactly. And it’s not either one of those quarterbacks’ fault.

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Jesus and the Jewish lawyer are debating God’s great command. The expert in the Scriptures tells Jesus the greatest command is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Jesus tells him he has answered correctly. The Greek word is orthos, as in orthodox. You have not only given the correct answer, Jesus is saying, you have given the only answer! Do this and you will live.

“And who is my neighbor?”

See, obeying this commandment is either going to be easy or hard depending on who my neighbor is. I’m either going to do this or not, depending on who we’re talking about. So, let’s define the terms. Who is my neighbor?

Luke tells us he’s wanting to justify himself. This biblical scholar wants to limit the scope of neighbor so he can say in front of this crowd following Jesus, “I’m doing it. I’m obeying that command.”

This religious leader is trying to create a distinction. The very question he asks suggests that some people are neighbors and some are not, so we’re required by God to love some people, but not all people. The question implies that God’s people are only called to love God’s people, and that we get to decide who God’s people are. The guy is saying some people are neighbors and some people are not neighbors based on geography or race or language or culture or skin color or citizenship status or socio-economic factors or something–some people are non-neighbors and God’s great command to love does not apply to them.

That’s what the expert in the Scriptures is saying. That’s what Jesus is responding to when he tells his story.

A man has been robbed. He has been attacked, stripped, beaten, and left for dead. A priest walks up and “saw” this victim, but he “passed” on the other side of the road and did nothing. A Levite happens up and also “saw” this man and also “passed” on the other side. He did nothing. Two religious leaders who’ve known and taught the command to love God and love neighbor for as long as they can remember–they “saw” and “passed.”

Then a Samaritan walks up and “saw” and “went” to the man. These verbs are important. Jesus says the Samaritan “saw” the man and he “went” to the man. He took care of the man’s wounds, he took the man to an inn, he paid for the man’s medical care, and promised to return and repay whatever was necessary.

Then, Jesus says, “Now, you define neighbor for me. Who’s the neighbor?”

Well, obviously, the one who showed mercy and acted in compassion and love.

And our Lord looks this expert right in the eye and gives him two more verbs: “Go and do likewise.”

Jesus is making his point crystal clear: Instead of worrying if someone’s my neighbor or not, Jesus says make sure you’re a neighbor!

Our job is never to evaluate the worthiness of others or to judge people as to whether they deserve compassion and love. Our job as children of God and followers of Christ is to demonstrate compassion and love It’s too make sure I’m being a neighbor and you’re being a neighbor to every person you see every day.

No more conversations or debates. No more questions and answers. No more religious loopholes, religious line-drawing, or religious double-talk. No more using God or the Word of God as a way to avoid or dismiss the very real hurting men and women we see all around us.

When we understand the story, we understand that something big is going on and I’m told I can get in on it. Actually, I’m told, “Go! Get in on it!”

Peace,
Allan

Love Over Fear

October 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Three selected quotes from Love Over Fear, by Dan White, Jr:

“In the Gospels, you see Jesus get really harsh with those who use religion as a tool of oppression and self-serving power. You don’t see Jesus get harsh with anyone for being too forgiving, too merciful, to generous, or loving others too much.”

“When you live in ‘culture war mode,’ there is always a battle to fight, a side to take, and people to fear. When you live in God’s Kingdom, there is always a stranger to welcome, a neighbor to befriend, and an enemy to love.”

“When you worship power, compassion will look like a sin.”

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I made good with Myles yesterday on our annual wager concerning the Rangers-Astros Silver Boot Series. Myles is one of the many–too many!–Astros fans in our church, and we enjoy mostly good-natured back and forth ribbing through every baseball season. Texas only needed to win one of the last three games against Houston two weeks ago to clinch their first Boot in nine years but, alas, the Astros got the sweep and I had to buy Myles lunch at Whataburger. Not only do I buy the lunch but, as the loser, I am forced to tell the server taking our order, “The Astros are better than the Rangers.” Humiliating for me. Hilarious for Myles.

Peace,

Allan

Fulfilling the Law

August 18, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Here’s the last thing, I think, I’ll write about salvation and the law for a while. It’s a huge topic with lots of talking points, lots of opportunity to get into the weeds, and plenty of far-reaching ramifications. But I like to follow the lead of our Lord and boil it down to everything hanging on love. All the law and the prophets, everything God ever taught or ever thought, all of God’s plans for his people and his creation–it all hangs on love.

“Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for the one who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not covet,’ and whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.” ~Romans 13:8-10

Here’s a bottom line deal for you. If you do not love everybody, then you have to deny all the most basic things all Christians believe. If I harshly criticize anybody, if I refuse to forgive anybody, if I discriminate in any way, if I ignore or neglect anybody, if I make any move to harm anyone for any reason, then I have to reject almost all the basic points of Christian belief.

We believe that all men and women are created by God in the image of God. All men and women. Period.

We believe our God loves all people. All people. Period.

We believe Jesus died on the cross because God wants all people to be forgiven and saved, including you and your neighbor, equally.

We believe in treating others the same way we want to be treated.

We believe our God calls us to show his divine love to all people everywhere–no exceptions.

Serving others in love keeps all the commands. Serving others in love makes all the beliefs real–not just something we know in our heads, but something we live with our lives, that changes us and fulfills the eternal will of our God.

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We were delighted to welcome Josh Ross to GCR Church this past weekend to train our adult Bible class teachers on “The Spirit Poured Out,” a twelve-week curriculum he wrote for us on the person, presence, and power of God’s Holy Spirit. Of course, it’s excellent. And I am beside myself with hope and anticipation for the conversations we’re going to have and God’s will we’re going to wrestle and the formation that’s going to happen in and through our congregation during the next three months.

I believe our church recognized in Josh what Carrie-Anne and I have known for years: his uncompromising commitment to our Lord and the ways of Christ and his unwavering love for God’s people. It’s infectious.

Carrie-Anne and I have known Josh and his family for more than 25 years. Josh’s dad, Rick, was the preacher at the Mesquite CofC when Carrie-Anne and I began worshiping and serving there in October 1999. Rick was the first preacher I really listened to, the first guy in a pulpit who connected the dots for me and, more than that, the first preacher whose life I noticed clearly reflected a commitment to Christlikeness. Josh’s mom, Beverly, became a mentor and friend for Carrie-Anne in ways that still profoundly resonate in Carrie-Anne’s walk with Jesus and in our marriage and family. Josh’s big sister Jenny and her husband David became very good friends of ours–I was driving to Houston with David to see the Astros and Giants on the morning of 9/11. Josh and his younger brother Jonathan were these two dynamic young men who had a fire for the Lord and a passion for discipleship and obvious gifts for speaking and leading in God’s Kingdom.  This was the setting–the time and place and people–God used to call me into congregational ministry.

The first time we went to the Tulsa Workshop, it was with Rick and Beverly and Jenny and David. And it was mind-blowing. Earth-shaking. Paradigm shattering. I started organizing  men’s retreats at Mesquite. I led a 24 Hours of Prayer at Mesquite. I taught that Room 201 Bible class. We sat behind Jason and Tiersa, next to Chris and Liz, in front of Brian and Terri. I led worship at Mesquite. We started that Second Saturday Servants. I rappelled out of a second-story air conditioning vent into the worship center for a VBS bit. The Four Horsemen made those vows to each other and our families and started those Wednesday night dinners and those Tuesday morning Bible studies. I started reading John Mark Hicks and C.S. Lewis. Those three years at that church were the most intensely formative times for Carrie-Anne and me in our discipleship to Jesus. That Mesquite church was a dysfunctional mess, but our gracious God used that church and those people at that time to transform me into a proclaimer of his Good News.

It’s not Josh’s fault, but in my mind and my heart he is forever connected to that time and place and people that still mean so much to me. So, I just absolutely love the guy. We had a blast hanging out together this weekend, and I know our church at GCR is going to be blessed for the next three months and beyond as we dive into his material on the Holy Spirit. As Josh told us several times, we don’t need a perfect understanding of the Holy Spirit, but we do need a working understanding.

I thank God for the gifts he’s given his servant Josh and for Josh’s eagerness to share those gifts with GCR this weekend. I thank God for the whole Ross family and the eternal impact they’ve had on me and my family. And I thank God for that Church of Christ in Mesquite.

Peace,

Allan

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