All Things New with Jeff Ackenback

A big part of being a disciple is setting the right priorities. Most things in life will fall away, but a life with God at the center will always have at least a strong foundation.

Often, when we see a need for help, we want to go and do things in the way we want, to make others exactly like us...but that's not the example Jesus set for us. When he washed the disciples' feet, Judas, who would betray him, was there, and Jesus treated him in the exact same way. He helped others, teaching us to treat others as we'd want to be treated, and also to be willing to accept help ourselves.

When it comes to being a witness, the best way is to always live your life as an example. The way you treat others, the way you live your life, the way you act daily...are all far more powerful than your words, which will come in time.

Everything in life has a beginning, and for our faith, everything starts with prayer. We pray when things are good, when things are bad...we pray for forgiveness, for help. We pray for those we love, for those we don't even like...and for those who hate us. Because through prayer, we grow closer to Jesus, closer to being his disciple.

Often, we don't feel like we have much to offer. It's easy to feel like you don't have enough talent, enough money, enough fame...enough anything...but through Him we have unlimited potential, and even the smallest of gifts can be multiplied in amazing, miraculous...supernatural ways.

There are times that the best option for you and for those in your life, those you may not even know, is for you to stand up for what you believe in, for what you think is right. In those times, you may be applauded, you may be hated...but the mos important thing is to do it because of what's right, not because you want to tear someone down or judge them. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego had strong beliefs about only praying to God, not the king, but when they stood before him, they were respectful, yet also honest. Often, people use negativity towards others to "prove" their point, which in effect does the opposite. Be courageous, be respectful, be true to your faith.

After being freed from slavery in Egypt, it didn't take long for the Israelites to forget that God was there. It's something we all tend to do when faced with troubles all around. However, God didn't fail them, as he literally parted the Red Sea to provide them a way out. When we run into something difficult, we often want to just charge through with no thought. However, if we just stop and patiently wait, pray, and think about it, it can help a lot not only us but those observing.

Being smart has nothing to do with being wise, and without good judgment, wisdom doesn't matter a great deal either. There are times in our lives where everything is awful, sometimes almost beyond the ability to handle. In those times, it's important to reach out for and accept help, to remember that as long as there is life...there is hope.

Many of you have heard of David (as in David vs. Goliath) and know a little about his life. Something that is sometimes overlooked, though, is that once he was king, David messed up royally. He stole the wife of another man...who was fighting a war in David's army...then conspired to kill that man, in order to cover up his crime and keep the wife for himself. Doesn't match up too well with the David from the "and Goliath" story, right? Well, even though he did awful things and covered them up, once he was confronted, he admitted his wrongdoing and did what he could to make amends.I get it...he should have admitted it before he was confronted, but the point is...eventually he stopped hiding. It's easy to mess up, to hurt someone...to do something bad, and then just push it down and run away. Eventually, though, the truth comes out, so it's best to just be straight up at all times. Learn from your mistakes, as well as the mistakes of others, and do what you can to always be better the today than you were yesterday.

One of the most well known passages in the entire Bible is Psalm 23. Many, even those who have never been to church, can quote parts of it...or at least recognize it when they hear it. It's about more than recognition, though, it's about looking within and learning from what you're going through, especially when it's scary. No matter what you face, there's still a path through it...and no matter how it feels, you are never alone.

Whenever I go somewhere, I have two goals: 1. To get there the quickest and shortest way possible. 2. To beat the projected time on the GPS. One of the worst things on a trip is when I see that dreaded "recalculating" pop up, especially if I'm in unfamiliar territory. Sometimes it's important to change course, though. Whether it's road construction, bad traffic, or a realization that the life you're living can be better, more impactful, there are certain times where "recalculating" our destination is a great thing.

Being stuck where you are is one of the worst feelings, but it's something that all of us have at one point or another. It's easy to allow that feeling, whether it's literal...like not having enough money or time to get away...or figurative, in the sense that we feel like we're in a rut, to break us down into despair. However, even stuck, there are always ways to make a difference, to help...to do good. Sometimes the situation we are in isn't about what we can learn from it, but rather how we can teach others from it.

The temptation to run away from life, especially when something has gone horribly wrong, is something that can be difficult to overcome. Most people know the name Moses and associate it with the Bible, with the ten commandments...even with being a hero. Before all of that, though, Moses murdered someone and, rather than dealing with it, ran away. In his case, he was able to overcome that terrible act and renew his faith and come back home a changed, better man. We don't always have the option to run away physically, even when we want to, but we do sometimes run away from who we are, from who we care about, even from our responsibilities. No matter how far we run, though, we can't get away from ourselves...and while that is an obvious cliche, it's still true.

Everyone loves to take vacations. As I write this, I'm actually on vacation in Chicago, my favorite city. Our reasons vary, but usually it has something to do with trying new things, getting away from old things like stress (or people), and just trying to relax. There are times, though, that on those trips, something happens that brings about a self-defining choice. It's easy to pretend to be someone else when no one around you knows who you are...easier than it is to read that sentence. No matter where we are or who we are with, though, it's important to still be yourself...to still maintain your values, your ideals...your identity.

There are a lot of people in the world who call themselves Christian and then go on to treat people like garbage in hateful, judging, horrible ways. That's always going to be a hurdle for the rest of us to jump over, but it's also something which reminds of of the importance of being genuine, of being loving...of treating others with respect, regardless of who they are or what they believe.

Regardless of what you believe, everyone is aware of the crucifixion of Jesus. In this episode, I'll be talking about why he did it...spoiler alert - check the title...and how he handled something so horrifying with grace and forgiveness. All of us face tough times, people hating or mocking us...and it hurts. It's how we respond to that, who we are at the worst points of our lives, that shows everyone else who we truly are.

Everyone feels like an outcast at some point. Many of us, myself included, feel like one almost all the time. It's easy to go from feeling like that to feeling useless, but everyone has a purpose...especially the outcasts.In this series, we will be looking at the beginnings of faith, of a relationship with Jesus, and of a life lived doing good. For the first 3 series, I'll be uploading each series in its entirety one day each week. In the future, everything will be more of an episode or two per week.

There will be no more introductions after this. This is the final introduction. I promise.

Basically, this is the same sort of deal as the first introduction. Don't worry, I only have one more of these, and then we will get to the actual episodes on Tuesday!

Welcome to All Things New with Jeff Ackenback. This is the first of 3 bonus introductions I'm uploading before episode 1. I could absolutely get by with just one or even zero introductions...but I want to give you a brief glimpse into who I am before we get started. I stood in a room alone recording an introduction, and honestly, I couldn't pick between the three. That doesn't mean they're amazing, just that I couldn't pick. Enjoy!