Month: September 2025

My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

– Ecclesiastes 12:12

Is too much information a problem? Can too much study actually bring weariness? There is an important distinction to establish here. It is the one between God and His living Word and the world and its destruction. We know the value of Bible study and pondering upon the words and principles of our Lord. But do we understand the dangers of information overload when it’s based in corruptible mankind?  

Information can, should and many times bring knowledge. Unlike ever before on this earth, we are bombarded with an unprecedented amount of information and because of technology, it is readily available at our fingertips. However, a dilemma has also evolved alongside our age of information. Somewhere along the way, the line between factual information and opinion has been blurred almost to the point of obscurity. The problem with so much information at our fingertips is the subjective nature of that information. Anyone with the smallest amount of tech savvy can quite easily disseminate information. Within seconds, through social media and other platforms, it is available throughout the globe. To an even greater degree, A.I. will now efficiently package all this information into a nice little pill that’s definitely too easy to swallow. We would have to be naive to think every piece of information we are exposed to on a daily basis is factual and therefore trustworthy, but I fear that is exactly the case. 

We know that knowledge is different from wisdom. But where does false knowledge fit into the process? If we understand knowledge as being the accumulation of facts, truths and information, then wisdom is the effect that comes through the application of this knowledge. For example, I can be taught that a hot stove is dangerous to touch. That knowledge is factual, true and informative. However, it is when I actually touch the stove that wisdom comes through a painful yet memorable experience. Knowledge is easily debated or forgotten, but because wisdom is tied to a personal experience, the effect is much deeper. The biggest difference is seen in someone who has a knowledge of Christ versus someone who has a relationship, an experience with Christ. 

The danger we live in with all our technologically advanced information options is the lack of moving from knowledge to wisdom. Bad or false knowledge is exposed for what it is when we go through the application process. Because there is so much information out there, much of which can contradict itself, we are able to accept what fits our desires way too easily. We have lost the initiative to test the information overload we are bombarded with. Rather, we simply scroll to the next tidbit. In doing so, we lose the opportunity to gain wisdom, either by confirming or denying that information. This is especially dangerous when it comes to the myriad of Bible experts out there purveying their opinions and disguising it as knowledge. Our cyber-overloaded world inundates us with so much information and when we simply accept it all, we are unable to properly process it.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 instructs us to test everything, to hold fast to what is good. Proverbs 9:10 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. 

It’s time to slow down, to take time to process all the information, to personally seek the Lord and experience His wisdom and yes, touch the stove if necessary.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates.

-Matthew 24:32-33

There’s one thing for sure Montanans understand and that’s seasons. There are a lot of wonderful and challenging aspects when living somewhere that can swing to such extremes. We can hit one-hundred plus degrees in the summer only to swing to negative forty in the winter. The seasons here are unmistakable making them very recognisable. These distinctions also play out in the amount of daylight. In the summer it can still be light way past 10 P.M., while in the dead of winter darkness approaches in the afternoon.  

There is an understanding that no one knows the day or time of our Lord’s return, but when we look around us, we can see things that point to the drawing near of His coming. It is similar to not needing to know the specific date to know that we are in the middle of winter. I recognise the season without being bogged down to a specific date.

But is there an equally important principle we can draw for here?

What about seasons in our personal lives? Is every day, every week, even every year the same in a physical, emotional or spiritual sense? Or are we in a constant state of transition? And if we are, do we recognize those seasons? Which should lead us to self-examination and the question, what can we learn from these divisions?

The Book of Ecclesiastes speaks of seasons. It is wrapped around the three key words, a time to… a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

There is an immeasurable value when we decide to live within the season God has placed us in. The value is realized by allowing the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us through all these times, especially the contrasting ones of good and bad, growth and hardship, the mountaintop and the valley floor. Sometimes we are in a season where it feels like God barely speaks to us. At other times, He is speaking so much we can barely keep up. Sometimes we are celebrating new births, not just children, but also new opportunities the Lord is granting us. Other times, we are in mourning because we have lost a loved one, a relationship, an unrealized dream or a time to move on.

We must understand the efficiency of God. He orchestrates the seasons in our life and never misses an opportunity to draw us closer to Himself in order to make us more like Christ. 

The changing of the seasons is something we tend to look forward to. As much as we like the summer months, we are ready for the cooler temperatures and colorful expression of fall. When winter starts to take its toll, spring is right around the corner. No matter what season you are going through right now, expect a change. A change that will grow your faith and your relationship with Christ, if you allow it and embrace it.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

– Psalm 90:12

It’s nature to settle into a routine. It helps us to make plans, to be organized, to limit surprises while making our day or week more efficient. Our bodies naturally like a routine. From going to bed at the same time, to getting up, to when we have our meals, physically we operate better on a routine. We can also see the value of a routine when it comes to the spiritual aspect of our lives. Our faith becomes strong when we involve a routine of prayer, Bible study, discipleship and church. A routine even benefits us in an emotional aspect. Regularly scheduled quiet times and times when you can get away are important in keeping our mental health healthy.

But what happens when we become a slave to our routines? The Israelites faced a similar issue in how they treated the Sabbath. What was given by God to be a time of rest, a time to focus on God devolved into a mandatory observance. To violate the Sabbath resulted in being cut off from their people or even worse, death. What God meant for their benefit, the Israelites perverted into a system of punishable requirements. As a result, they became slaves to this requirement, fearing retribution if they happened to violate it. 

It would seem there are some relevant similarities between what happened with the Israelis and the Sabbath and what potentially can happen with our routines. If we do not approach our routines with the understanding that, though they can help us have organization and efficiency, they can and should be set aside for numerous reasons. It is quite easy to become enslaved to a routine, prioritizing it above everything else. Another danger occurs when we allow a routine to become a distraction. 

On the other hand, not having any kind of routine or structure in one’s life creates an atmosphere where nothing seems to ever get done or in many cases, started. We must approach routines in our life following the words of Jesus pertaining to the Sabbath. In Mark chapter 2, Jesus lays it out quite simply and to the point. Verses 27 and 28 says, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. 

Have routines in your life, even the positive one become an idol? Are they placed in a position of unyielding importance? Do they keep you from the spontaneous moments or divine opportunities that seem to always sneak up on us? Bottom line, is Jesus the Lord even over your routines?

The enemy never sleeps. He is predictable in his tactics if we pay attention and rely on discernment from the Holy Spirit. He will use anything at any time to distract us and try to separate us from God. His strategy is not limited to the obvious things like temptation, pride, malice, lust and the multitude of overt sins. He is cunning enough to understand we trap ourselves in those things that are there to actually help us. These are the sneaky things we allow in, pursue and even embrace. 

It takes a conscious awareness on our part while the Holy Spirit is imparting wisdom into our lives to guard against becoming enslaved to our routines.

Lord teach us to number our days, to gain an appreciation of the importance and beauty of each new day, so that we don’t miss any opportunities to draw closer to you and as a result gain a heart of wisdom.   

Jason Metz, lead Pastor

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

– James 1:6-8

Like the saying goes, indecision may or may not be my problem.

The world in general has a problem making up their mind. They have an even bigger issue with actually moving from decision to action. That’s why businesses spend so much on marketing. Advertisements are used to make a decision for us. That may be okay when you need a vehicle, can’t decide where to eat or don’t want to dig deep to know which candidate best aligns with your ideals and values. But it doesn’t fly with the Father. 

Biblical Christianity is in a league of its own when it comes to the necessity of making a decision. You cannot simply follow the crowd as they follow Jesus. Grandma, though she may try, cannot will you to a spiritual rebirth. Being a good person and doing good things is not the same as believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.

Indecisiveness is one of the greatest enemies we face. It is to a lukewarm pseudo-Christians as a nice warm bed is to the lazy. 

It is a battle so many Christians face on a daily basis without even realizing it. Church attendance can give them a false sense of commitment. The lax theology of American Christianity, as in the production instead of the power, the social instead of the Spirit allows for a false Christian identity. And identity that can just go with the flow, never really taking a stand. On anything! Indecisiveness is at constant war with conviction and each individual is the only one that can determine the winner.

The prime example of indecision we find in Scripture is Nicodemus. On one hand he was so interested in Jesus and His message that he arranged a secret meeting. On the other hand, Nicodemus could not overcome his religious habits and indoctrination that can so easily keep any of us from the Father’s most glorious gift. The result? Nicodemus walked away in a perpetual state of indecision. 

To follow Christ is based on a necessary choice, one we have to make. That’s also the beauty of the Father’s plan. We have the opportunity to choose grace, to choose redemption, to choose life. But until we actually make that choice, it only remains a possibility, bogged down and drowning in indecision. It can be a hard choice for many because our very nature fights against it. It is also a costly choice. It’s a choice that requires commitment and is sealed with death, our death.

The harshest of realities is that when it comes to the Father and where you will spend eternity, indecision does not exist. Choosing to accept and follow Christ means life. Not choosing Christ a.k.a. indecision is in fact a denial of the Father’s invitation. And that can only result in separation and death, now and for eternity.

Jason Metz, lead Pastor