Matters of Faith

By Reverend J. Loren Russell

Colossians 3:12-17 NKJV

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Everyone has a personal New Year. It is the day that we recognize and perhaps even celebrate our birth. If you are anything like me, you take time to evaluate your past year and determine what will be your personal new year resolutions. 

The verses of scripture referenced from the book of Colossians offer succinct qualities of someone who has resolved to make wholesale changes in their life. They will put away earthly and fleshly desires of “anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of [their]mouth”. He is referring to those who ”Do not lie to one another,” and have a sincere desire to “put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him”. 

If I can be transparent with you, it is not easy to make these types of dramatic character changes. These are the kinds of resolutions that are transformative, unlike the one’s that are made at the dawn of a new year,  or the drop of a ball in Times Square that only last until the sun comes up. Paul says that these types of resolutions only come about when someone allows the word of Christ [to] dwell in [them] richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in [their]hearts to the Lord. They must embody the characteristics of the new man or woman as described in the text. Individually, not collectively, we must be determined to make a transformation of our minds as well as in our actions (Romans 12:2).

Paul tells his readers that to create “a new you,” they must robe themselves with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing (putting up with) and forgiving each other. It will not be accomplished unless and until we eliminate the tendency to procrastinate, meaning it must be done right here and right now! And, once you begin, you cannot quit no matter how rough it gets. 

The dawn of my new year is upon me, so I challenge myself to once again wrestle with the question; “Who am I going to be in personal new year?” Material things are temporal, so it does not matter how much I own. The characteristics of the new man I am striving to be is everlasting. I desire to be transformed from the inside so that what shows up on the outside is someone who conforms to the image of God. 

Let me suggest that you likewise make a commitment today to be a new man or a new woman. Let me further encourage you to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him”. You don’t have to wait for your personal new year. Use mine and be a new you right now! 

Be Blessed!

“Me, Myself, And I” 

Rev. J. Loren Russell 

Psalm 25:1-11 ( NKJV)

“To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon myiniquity, for it is great.”

Most people, whether they are believers or not, know about King David. Most have heard the story of David and Goliath, and/or be familiar with some of the songs (psalms) he wrote – of course the most famous being the 23^rd psalm. Many may have even heard the story of  David and Bathsheba.

What is not common knowledge are the sins David committed. In this psalm we witness a plea for personal deliverance and a confession of past sins. David does not pass the buck or blame anyone else for his misdeeds. These were David’s sins and his sins alone. 

The first eleven verses are filled with personal and possessive pronouns (I, me, my, mine) as he pleads with the Lord to show, to teach, and to lead him in the His truth. 

Contained in this psalm is more than David’s admission of his guilt, it contains his confession. To confess means that David felt the same way about his sins as God did. God said, “you have done wrong”, and David says, “I agree. I have done wrong”! Proverbs 28:13 says “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. This helps us to understand why God identified David as a man after His own heart and made him the king of Israel. 

We may not be made king, but the good news is that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Confessing sins is personal. It involves me, myself, and I. 

 Be Blessed!

“Sent” 

Rev. J. Loren Russell 

Matthew 10:16-20 ( NKJV)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. 18 You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

When Jesus speaks in Gospel of Matthew 10:16–20, He doesn’t just give instructions—He defines identity. To be sent is to move with purpose that didn’t originate with you. It means your life is not random, your placement is not accidental, and your voice is not self-assigned. There is intention behind where you are and who you’re reaching.

But being sent is not the same as being sheltered. “Sheep in the midst of wolves” is a clear-eyed description of reality. You are placed in environments that require awareness, not avoidance. That’s why Jesus pairs wisdom with harmlessness. If you are sent, you must see clearly—but you must also remain clean in how you respond.

In practical terms, being sent into your workplace means you don’t just show up to complete tasks—you discern culture, dynamics, and pressures with wisdom. You don’t ignore manipulation or confusion, but you also don’t adopt those methods to survive. You remain honest, steady, and grounded. You represent something higher than the room, even while fully engaging in it.

Being sent into relationships means you don’t give yourself blindly, nor do you withhold yourself out of fear. Wisdom helps you recognize where boundaries are needed; harmlessness ensures those boundaries are expressed without bitterness. You stay open without becoming careless and guarded without becoming hardened.

Being sent into conversations—especially difficult or public ones—means you don’t speak just to react. You listen, discern, and respond with clarity. Not every moment requires your voice, but when you do speak, your words carry both truth and restraint. You’re not trying to win, you’re representing.

And then there are those moments Jesus describes so vividly—when you’re put on the spot, misunderstood, or challenged beyond your preparation. Being sent means you trust that what you need will meet you there. Not because you rehearsed perfectly, but because you’re aligned. There is a kind of courage and clarity that shows up in the moment for those who are walking in step with the one who sent them, not just those who feel fully ready.

It’s also important to hold this truth with balance: being sent doesn’t always feel like a perfectly timed release. Some step forward with strong conviction and discover along the way what still needs shaping. That isn’t failure—it’s formation. The issue isn’t simply moving; it’s moving with humility. Those who stay responsive to God can be corrected, refined, and redirected mid-step. Being sent is not about flawless starts; it’s about faithful continuation.

So Sent is not just a title, it’s a posture. It means you walk into every space aware that you are both equipped and accountable. You are sharp, but not harsh. Gentle, but not naïve. Active, but not self-driven.

And here’s the anchor that holds it all together: if you were sent, then you are not alone in what you face, and you are not empty-handed in what you carry. The same voice that commissioned you is the one that will sustain you—guiding your steps, shaping your words, and steadying your spirit. You are not just going. You are Sent.

Be Blessed!

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Rev. J. Loren Russell 

Ephesians 4:25-32 ( NKJV)

 “25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

It is not the actions of people that tell us who they are, it’s their reaction that reveals their true character.  What comes out of someone when they are squeezed reveals what’s on the inside. 

Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church directs his readers to put away lying, which means they had, at some point, been liars. He says they can be angry, but not to sin, which means they had been angry and chose to sin. He tells them not to allow the devil to infiltrate their hearts, which means at some point in their past, they routinely “danced with the devil”. 

Paul says that they should steal no longer, which means they had stolen before. He says they must work that which is good so that they have something in their storehouse to give to those in need. Even the words they speak should be edifying, which means they had previously spoken corrupt words that unsettled the lives of others. These weren’t just behavioral corrections—they were matters of the heart.

Notice that all the things Paul directed them to do were things that had to come out of them when life’s pressures were upon them. That’s why transformation cannot be cosmetic. It must be internal. You can modify behavior for a moment, but only the Holy Spirit can change nature for a lifetime.

Jesus said it plainly: “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11). In other words, the real issue isn’t what happens to you…, it’s what comes out of you, and nothing can come out of you that wasn’t already in you.

So, the question becomes: What is living in your heart? Whatever is in you will come out of you. The evidence of spiritual maturity is not how you act when everything is right, but how you respond when everything is wrong. That’s why real change, true, lasting, God-honoring transformation, is always an inside job.

Be Blessed!

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