Jeremy Mark Lane's Blog

I didn’t learn how to date until I was 35 years old.

When my wife and I became intentional about investing in our marriage and in one another we knew that dating – the act of setting aside a certain amount of time for just the two of us to get away, talk, look each other in the eye, and learn something about one another – was going to be a big piece of the puzzle. I realized quickly that 1) I sucked at dating, and 2) that I needed help.

I was lucky enough to begin stealing some wisdom from Megan Lacefield as she talked about getting creative in dating your spouse. She helped me realize that not every date has to last for 5 hours and not everything has to cost $200. In fact, the best dates don’t. It is the process of making this a consistent priority that matters, and God will honor your investment whether it’s a weekend away or an hour lunch.

There are a ton of really cool resources out there, and here’s one: 52 Uncommon Dates by Randy Southern. This is gold. It has lots of really unique date ideas and consistently reminds me that choosing a new genre of movie to watch or making dinner reservations for an hour later than we normally eat is not getting creative. I had to start thinking about dating in a totally different way, and I needed help.

Grab the book, pick a date you think you can handle, and go for it. Start somewhere. You’ll be blown away by the return on your investment.

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The post Learning How to Date appeared first on Jeremy Mark Lane.

You rarely wake up in the night but when you do it typically has something to do with a child standing silently over you in the dark. He didn’t wake you up, per say, but something changes in the atmosphere when your child approaches and it does what a passing car or the power of thunder and the sound of rain cannot. You roll in his direction and see the silhouette in shadow against the low light of the moon passing in from the window and you ask him what’s wrong.

He had a bad dream. He wants to sleep with you guys for a little bit.

He crawls over you and into his place in the middle of the bed and pulls the covers up to his nose. Sleep should come back quickly but it doesn’t; he tosses a little and everyone’s still awake and there’s something still hanging in the room. Something unfinished.

“Will you pray this bad dream away so I can go back to sleep?”

There it is. At once, you remember all the times you wondered if they were even paying attention during your prayer or if they thought you were crazy or if it had all just become routine. You put a hand on his head and do the work he’s asked you to do and he falls asleep within seconds.

My prayer is to stay diligent. To never grow weary of battling spiritually for my family. To run this race set before me, and run it well.

I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Men, before we can encourage and lead our families in pursuing the promises of God found within His Word, we have to understand how to do this for ourselves.

How do I use The Word?

Week 3 – Pursue Freedom

The over-arching theme of the Bible is to introduce Jesus Christ as the Savior of the World and Redeemer of our sins. He is the main idea, the lead character, and the entire theme of God’s Word. Accepting Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sin is the required step in restoring our broken relationship with God.

Once that decision has been made, the next step is to make Jesus Christ the Lord of our life. This is very much a separate step, and the key here is to understand the freedom and abundance that have already been purchased for us through Christ’s death. The book of Galatians tells us that, “For freedom Christ has set us free, stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galations 5:1). Setting us free from sin was a one-time event – completed by Christ’s death on the cross – while freedom is an ongoing event, and requires a growing understanding of God’s Word for us to grasp the entirety of our freedom through Christ.

 

Action

Is there a past hurt that still weighs you down? Do you have an addiction or recurring behavior you wish God would free you from? How would your life be different if you gained this freedom?

Spend the next week being honest with yourself about these questions and record your thoughts in a journal.

The post Week 3 – The Word appeared first on Jeremy Mark Lane.

Men, before we can encourage and lead our families in pursuing the promises of God found within His Word, we have to understand how to do this for ourselves.

How do I use The Word?

Week 2 – Replace Lies with Truth

In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul describes what is commonly known as the Armor of God. These are the elements God provides for use in spiritual warfare against our enemy, the devil. While the full Armor of God consists of six specific pieces, the Word of God – referred to by Paul as the “Sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17) – is the only offensive weapon mentioned. The book of Hebrews further refers to the Word of God as “living and active”, and “sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is clear about itself in this regard – the Scriptures are to be used offensively and in response to any spiritual attack.

Jesus Christ, as He does so many times in the Bible, provides the perfect example of how to wield the Sword of the Spirit. At the outset of His ministry Jesus is led into the wilderness where He experiences repeated tests and temptations from Satan.

After a forty day fast:

Satan: “If you are in the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

From the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem:

Satan: “If you are on the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus: “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

At the top of a very high mountain:

Satan: “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

In response to every temptation, lie, or promise from the enemy, Jesus responds with “It is written.” God desires the same for us; that every time the enemy whispers lies to us about who we are, what we’ve done, and what our future will be that we would call upon the Word of God to replace those lies with truth.

For it is written that we are “Sons of God” (Romans 8:14). It is written that “The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:21-22). And it is written that God “knows the plans He has for you; plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

A dedication to studying the Word of God will allow us to use it as a major weapon against the lies of the enemy.

Action

Think of your most common worry. What makes you anxious or fearful?

It is very likely that this constant worry is built on a lie from the enemy. Determine what the lie may be, then ask a man you trust to help guide you to a scripture verse that replaces that lie with truth.

Go to your journal and write the lie followed by the verse that replaces it with truth. Every time you feel this lie coming back into your thoughts, replace it with your verse of truth.

The post Week 2 – The Word appeared first on Jeremy Mark Lane.

We’ve all seen it – the massive, ancient-looking Bible that sits on the coffee table in our grandparent’s living room. It is so old that, as kids, we thought it may actually be the original Bible. Like, the first one. The cover looks brittle and a quarter of an inch of dust is layered on the top. It looks cool, but what would someone actually use that thing for? It is a decoration, not a book. Just don’t mess it up.

Or, think of the unbelievably worn-out Bibles the ladies carry around at church. Every page looks like one of those coloring pages they give to kids at restaurants with somebody’s grocery list written on the margins. What is all of that scribbling? And is that even allowed?

One of the first things we hear after accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives is that we need to “get into The Word.” OK, sounds awesome. Let’s do that. Should I just pick a random page and start reading? How do I do this?

Before we can encourage and lead our families in pursuing the promises of God found within His Word, we have to understand how to do this for ourselves. Let’s spend the next few weeks understanding what the Bible is and how God wants us to utilize it in our spiritual walk.

What is The Word?

When we refer to “The Word”, “God’s Word”, or “Scripture”, we are talking about The Bible – the recorded history of God’s interaction and relationship with human beings. The words of the Bible are inspired by God and meant to teach, encourage, guide, and call us to His love and promises for us.

What am I supposed to do?

Our primary call is to spend time in God’s Word as often and as consistently as possible. The third chapter of 2 Timothy tells us that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16), meaning that the precepts found in God’s Word are the lamp we use to light our path in this life. The key to a growing relationship with God is to understand how He feels about us and what He wants for us, and His Word is the primary source of that information.

 

How do I use The Word?

Week 1 – Hide The Word in Our Heart

In Psalm 119, King David writes that he has “hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11). What the Psalmist is saying here is that he has studied, consumed, and meditated on God’s word to the extent that he knows it in his heart. Elsewhere in Scripture we are instructed to, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23). It becomes clear that hiding God’s Word in our hearts – which is done through consistently spending time learning it and allowing the Holy Spirit to help us understand it – will lead to us living more and more from the truth and hope of God’s Word and less from the things and beliefs of the world.

Action

Spend the next week hiding Proverbs 4:23 in your heart. Think about it, memorize it, meditate on it. Read the verse in a few different Bible translations. Read some commentaries on the verse.

At the end of the week journal what this verse means to you.

The post Week 1 – The Word appeared first on Jeremy Mark Lane.

I officiated a wedding a few weeks back and I still think about it pretty often. The bride was bringing a daughter from a previous relationship into the marriage – a joyous young lady with a beautiful smile – and it was clear that the groom would be officially stepping not only into the role of husband but father as well. He contacted me about a week before the ceremony and stated that he wanted to do something special, something extra, for his new daughter at the wedding. We crafted an extra set of vows that he would recite to his new daughter following his vows to his new wife. The only people not crying were the people who weren’t there.

It got me to thinking about the act of adoption. Isn’t that what God does for us? Where relationship was once broken and we suffered as orphans, God has extended His vows to us – his commitment in love – through the act of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and as it states in Galatians, we become Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galations 3:29).

Adoption.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

The post Adoption appeared first on Jeremy Mark Lane.

I didn’t learn how to date until I was 35 years old.

When my wife and I became intentional about investing in our marriage and in one another we knew that dating – the act of setting aside a certain amount of time for just the two of us to get away, talk, look each other in the eye, and learn something about one another – was going to be a big piece of the puzzle. I realized quickly that 1) I sucked at dating, and 2) that I needed help.

I was lucky enough to begin stealing some wisdom from Megan Lacefield as she talked about getting creative in dating your spouse. She helped me realize that not every date has to last for 5 hours and not everything has to cost $200. In fact, the best dates don’t. It is the process of making this a consistent priority that matters, and God will honor your investment whether it’s a weekend away or an hour lunch.

There are a ton of really cool resources out there, and here’s one: 52 Uncommon Dates by Randy Southern. This is gold. It has lots of really unique date ideas and consistently reminds me that choosing a new genre of movie to watch or making dinner reservations for an hour later than we normally eat is not getting creative. I had to start thinking about dating in a totally different way, and I needed help.

Grab the book, pick a date you think you can handle, and go for it. Start somewhere. You’ll be blown away by the return on your investment.

 

The post Learning How to Date appeared first on Jeremy Mark Lane.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

If only Jesus had promised us an effortless existence free of trouble, but He didn’t. In fact, quite the opposite – He guarantees that we will have trouble. He promises trials, storms, and times of brokenness. We shouldn’t be surprised, really, as the Bible is stacked with repeated warnings like that of 1 John 2:17, which tells us that the world is passing away along with its desires. Trouble comes with the territory.

Christ doesn’t displace hard times. He offers the way above them, and the promise of a future beyond them.

 

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The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. – Jeremiah 18:1-4

Becoming a “lump of clay” is a painful experience. It’s otherwise know as “rock bottom.” If we aren’t pursuing the good things God has for us, He will often allow things to filter through to us that get our attention, that rattle us, that bring us low. He loves us too much to let us avoid the consequences of poor choices. However, the never-ending hope is found in the final three words: “and started over.”

God will always allow us to start over. It’s not punishment…it’s a brand new start.

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When the father saw his prodigal son coming up the road he bolted out of the house and went to him in a dead sprint. When he got to his son he threw both arms around him and embraced him with pure, unrestrained joy. The kid was weary, beaten down, and defeated. Covered in shame and guilt.

Son: Dad, I’ve screwed up big-time. Messed up everything. I’m not worthy to be called your son. Just make me …a servant – that’s all I deserve.

The father completely ignores what his son just said. Doesn’t even acknowledge it. Why? Because it doesn’t matter.

Bring the best robe for my son and put it on him. (I am the covering for my son.)

Put a ring on his finger. (He is my son, my family, and the world will know it.)

Put sandals on his feet. (From now on I will help guide his steps – help him discover his path.)

Kill the fattened calf. (My son has come home, and we’re going to celebrate.)

Restoration matters. Coming home matters. Stepping into our place as son and heir matters.

What we’ve done doesn’t matter.

 

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