Tag Archives: jesus

Panera: “Man shall not live on bread alone”

It’s time for another post about Panera Bread since I have begun my direct seminary studies. I found it interesting during my bachelor’s degree the number of people who meet at Panera for religious purposes. It was amazing to see the quality and quantity of Bible study groups.

Now that I am spending more time here, instead of at home in my office with the dogs, I am seeing even more of God’s work around the restaurant. How so?

On May 1, I was delivering a sermon at church to be recorded and submitted as the capstone assignment for my bachelor’s degree. I stopped by Panera briefly to get coffee to go on the way to church. John, who I met on a Thursday after his men’s Bible study group stopped me to say hi. I told him where I was running off to. Wouldn’t you know it, he showed up for the sermon. Since that time, I am poured into by John regularly as he updates me where his faith has been taking him so God can speak to him. I am so often encouraged by John by his texts. It was just a chance meeting at Panera one day, or so I thought.

Last week, I was preparing to write a significant piece of my research paper, and a couple sat down in the booth across from mine. She ran away from him to go join a group of knitting mom-moms to learn how to crochet. about an hour later, she returned to her abandoned husband. Somehow we got to talking then, and faith came up. She came to Panera last June and had a conversation with a man about some rabbits that were playing outside across the parking lot. That conversation led to a few more. They were married in March of this year. He runs a motorcycle ministry, and neither one is shy about being bold in their faith. God keeps putting people in front of me to connect with at Panera, but not just there.

I was at my county work physical last week, and the time came to talk to the doctor. When I told him that I had been at a music festival, he began his line of questioning about my marijuana use. He was shocked that I wouldn’t cave until I told him it was a Christian music festival (uprisefest.com). He said to lead off with that. It turns out he runs a ministry for the homeless called Under the Bridge, cooking out with homeless populations to ensure they’re fed–not just food, but the Gospel as well. He was so excited to have this conversation with me that we ran well over our time, so he asked my to stop by his truck for his card before I left. I look forward to seeing what kind of collaborations God passes our way.

Then can we just take a second to appreciate the Panera staff for a minute? There isn’t a manager at either of the Paneras that I frequent who don’t know me on first name basis. The staff who have been present for any period of time have gotten to me by my coffee order. My home location has two staff with Down’s Syndrome. I heard that the staff of the store go with them to walk in the Buddy Walk each year. This year, my family is joining them. In addition to the hard work and dedication they bring to the restaurant, they inadvertently pour into me as well. Whether it’s a smile and a wave or an out and out compliment, they have this natural ability to just lift my spirits regardless what else is going on that day.

One of the staff has sat through their lunch break with me and has been asking spiritual questions. I’m happy to be a guide in whatever capacity I can be.

The Panera by my work has gotten to know me as I am very frequently in there filling my cup. While I cast my vote for the one’s toddler to with the “cutest toddler” competition, I also share my faith and try to always show up smiling and encouraging them for the rest of their shift. I was once asked how I work as a paramedic but always come into the store in such a great, bubbly mood. I pointed to the cross that I wear on my vest and said, “Him.”

Jesus spoke a parable once in Matthew 13:1-9. The seed being sowed by the sower falls on different kinds of surfaces. Some is choked out by thorns, some doesn’t set roots and gets scorched or eaten, some lands on fertile soil and produces a large crop. Sharing faith with people is not a dangerous activity. Failing to share your faith and bring people to Christ is more dangerous. We have the ability to pull people out of the clutches of Hell, regardless what demons have their grasp. It’s not our job to cast out the demons, God will take care of that. It is our job to show the way to salvation, through the Gospel, Jesus himself.

God puts people in our lives and removes them with His purpose. Keep your eyes open. You never know whose life you might change, or who will change your life.

Stay blessed, my friends.

“How will I know if I can talk Jesus with somebody?”

Recently, in a small group, this question was asked. To put it in context, a person who had not been a regular church-goer is beginning to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in her life and wants to learn more and talk to other believers and get plugged in.

My response to this question was much the same as the answer I give when somebody asks me how I know I will be permitted by a patient to pray with them. There are clues everywhere; we simply need to look for them.

The Bible states: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35, NIV).

I have tried to really pinpoint how my ability to speak Jesus with people has come into being. I believe it started with small conversations one on one with my pastor. Then our small group showed up one night a week, and we were of course comfortable to talk about Jesus. In both of these contexts, I knew that the purpose of the conversation was to go deeper into relationship with Jesus and others; but what about out in the world?

My studies throughout the Bachelor’s in ministry has landed me in Panera Bread. From previous posts, you may have already picked up on it. I thought I was going there for bottomless coffee and less tasks to pull me away from my studies. Instead, I have met people face to face who were there for their own small Bible studies who identified me as a student of The Word. Through short introductions we were brought together. Invitations to the studies followed. When I gave my live sermon in May to culminate my degree program, one of those patrons of Panera showed up for me.

I recently had the availability to show up to his Bible study. When I arrived, I was the only one. I remembered which church he attends and reached out with my contact information. Five minutes later, he and I were on the phone together, many states in between us as he was in New England camping. We spent an hour pouring into each other with encouragement and the Word of God.

I was at our state fair recently and met a woman who was representing one of the other exhibitors. What began as small talk led to meeting her husband who asked me if I was sure that I know where I’m going after I die. I assured him that I am going to heaven and explained why. This couple runs a ministry out of their home, and I received an invitation to join them. Their organization and my own aspirations to reach people for Jesus open a very wide door to future collaboration spiritually and professionally. It’s a connection that otherwise might have been missed.

God puts people in our path that He wants us to impact in some way. He puts our feet exactly where He wants them, our own mission field to bring glory to His name. Love God. Love people (yes, introverts too; there’s a way). Serve the community. We can’t change the world overnight; but we never know when our conversations will have the power to change the course of somebody’s life, even if it’s our own.

How do we know it is safe to speak Jesus with people? I don’t. But I know that when I grab that ear, or they reach out to me, that God is sovereign over the conversation, and whatever happens after that is His divine arrangement. Let faith win over fear. You never know if the ear you reach for is about to change your life unless you try.

Faith Over Fear

I recently had a patient who found herself in a very dangerous position. Throughout the whole transport from her house to the hospital, she was praying in both English and foreign language, at one point even singing.

Worship is not just Sunday morning, it’s a weapon every hour of every day. When fear and ominous conditions take over, worship drowns out the negativity and praises God for getting you through it.

As her clinician, it was comforting to me. She already knew that whatever the outcome was going to be that it was going to be part of God’s plan, and she thanked each part of the Godhead throughout the encounter.

Ephesians 6:10-20

“The Armor of God

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Worship is your weapon. Face adversity with faith, not fear.

Certificate of Authenticity

It seems a little off to me that when collectable items are advertised for sale on TV they are sold with a certificate of authenticity. A commemorative coin, a statue or figurine, or a train set is shown to have more value because of its certificate declaring it authentic. Yet, when we interact with people, we ourselves lack the consistency with being authentic.

There are people who use the clichés of the day, the latest expressions, to impress people. There are others who will tell somebody how great they are in one breath and seek ways to destroy them in the next breath. There are people who try so hard to keep up with the latest trends for acceptance, whether in fashion or the latest thing on TikTok. They surround themselves with likeminded individuals who support the mask they wear to portray the person they want to be today. “Fake it ’til you make it” is a lie.

One of the hardest things for me in the past 4 years was to get away from putting on the front that everything is okay. It was a gut check to get into counseling. I would tell people around me that everything was fine when it wasn’t. I refused help that was offered. At the same time I wrote this book with the intention of reaching an audience of people who were struggling with similar situations that I was in an effort to offer help. I was so excited, humbled, and encouraged to read all of the feedback from readers, both reviews and emails. The life we have in front of us has a way of throwing us curveballs. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring; but they carry themselves as if they are bulletproof.

When Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees at the dinner party why he would spend time with disenfranchised sinners, his response was perfect (of course). “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (New International Version, 2011, Luke 5:31). These people had nothing to offer him. They didn’t need to put on a mask because they were seen plain. And yet the Savior of the world invested in them. “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord” (New International Version, 2011, James 5:14). I know that not everybody is interested in going to church, but I do pray that they eventually find their way to one that speaks to them.

The thing is, if we have something weighing on us and we ask for help from the right places, the outcome is far better than if we just vent to any listening ear. An old saying goes “a listening ear is a running mouth.” It’s not helpful to air out your dirty laundry to just anybody. But when we sit down with another Gospel-loving believer and discuss the things that are holding us back or weighing us down, life is easier. The advice we receive is sound biblical wisdom. The resources we can connect with are abundant. And the support we receive is real, authentic.

I have been working on my authenticity among other things. I have found that it is much less of a burden to be open and honest about things. It is definitely important to be amicable and to protect people’s feelings, but there is a way to accomplish both. In my job, at any given time, I can find a handful of reasons to chastise somebody for something that they are or are not doing. Jesus has shown me so much grace and mercy in my life that I don’t have the heart to be that person. I find moments like these opportunities to teach, to build up the other person, and to shed some encouragement.

Where I struggle in this area is at home. I find that I am much more critical of my family than anybody else. And I’ve often wondered why it is that we bite the people we love the hardest. For me, I think that my family is a reflection of my leadership. If I am leading them in the right direction, the problems I face wouldn’t exist. To reflect deeper, I am an absent father. In a given week, I go 3 days without seeing my kids, a point they made recently when I told them that I recertified my medical license. When I work my overnight shifts, I might see them Wednesday morning to put them on the school bus; but I leave before they get home and arrive back home after they are already in school. Then I leave again before they get off the bus and arrive home again when they are at school. I won’t see them until later in the day on Friday when they get off the school bus. All they want from me is my time; and yet I spend so much of that time trying to teach them to grow up well. They are so young, so it can be frustrating to teach them about something that they aren’t listening to because they are focused on something more interesting.

I began a camping trip through my church which has evolved quickly over the past year and a half. Men from our church meet up on a Thursday morning and go of into the woods until Saturday to hike trails or take canoe trips. In the evenings we sit around the campfire and openly discuss things that are on our hearts to share (sidenote: Reese’s peanut butter cup s’mores are life-changing). It’s a lot of give and take. I can come to them from a place of frustration, feeling like a failure, and in turn I receive solid advice from somebody who has gone through a similar experience. This same sharing occurs for each of us on the trip. Whatever weighs somebody down is fair game for discussion. Nobody is showing up wearing a mask, except maybe a couple raccoons.

The point is, life is hard enough on its own without trying so hard to be something you aren’t. God created you to be you. He has a purpose for the you that you are. Show yourself, show your scars, tell your real story. Let people see you for you and share in your growth. The greatest thing Jesus ever gave was his time to somebody who needed it. Own your story. The path you’ve walked doesn’t have to be the path you maintain. The decisions you make today do not necessarily reflect the person you want to be tomorrow. But when you show yourself to the right people, and you declare your own authenticity, I promise tomorrow will be brighter than you could ever imagine.

In the words of Christian singer Matthew West, “There’s no failure, no fall, there’s no sin [God doesn’t] already know; so let the truth be told” (Matthew West, 2020, “Truth Be Told”). Show off your own certificate of authenticity. It is so much harder to be consistently fake, especially when what you really need is help. I am not about to look down on somebody except to extend my hand and lift them up. Let’s get real.

References:

New International Version. 2011. Zondervan

West, M. (2020). Truth Be Told [Song]. On Brand New Deluxe Edition. Story
House Music; Provident Label Group LLC.