October 29, 2025

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Been Here Before

“Act like you’ve been here before.”

That was the instruction from the coach of one of my youth basketball teams. We were getting a little full of ourselves after a small amount of success, and our coach wanted us to notice how our response looked from the outside. It looked as though we were unfamiliar with winning . . . and we were!

A couple weeks ago, you and I considered the wonderful promise that we do not have to be anxious about being called to speak before kings, and that God will fill our mouths in that moment.

Today we consider one of the ways God fulfills that promise—by affording us the opportunity to learn in private what will one day be proclaimed in public!

Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking, and it is one of the most common fears known to man. It also adds a certain element of dread to the many places in scripture where you are called to proclaim the goodness of God in public places. For example:

“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you” (Ps. 35:18).

Some of you have heartburn and sweaty palms just reading that. You want to praise and give thanks, but just not from a grand stage or to any throng of people!

The good news for you is that much of the Christian walk happens away from the limelight. Much of your calling is lived out in the still small places of solitude, the comfort of family, or behind-the-scenes service to others.

The even better news—though it may for you be wrapped in what appears to be bad news—is that you are quite likely to be called upon to proclaim His name “in the great assembly.”

When that day comes, you should act as though you’ve been there before. And the best way to act as though you’ve been there before is to have actually been there countless times before in the quiet of your prayer closet.

Matthew 6:6 tells us to pray in secret and that God will reward us. In context, this is a reminder to pray not for the attention of men, but for the glory of God. It is a call to humility and reverence.

It is also preparation for the great assembly.

If you make it a regular habit to commune with your God, listen for His voice, and to understand the character of His being, you will be fully prepared to speak to kings or the great assembly, because you will have already been there many times before!

Truthfully, if you ask an accomplished public speaker why he or she is so comfortable speaking in public, you will have a few who tell you they have just always been that way—they were born with it, so to speak. But you will have a great many more point to practice and preparation. They will tell you the moment doesn’t overwhelm them because they’ve been there many times before—not just on the grand stage in the great assembly, but in the quiet of their study or prayer room, sitting with the message they are to share. That preparation has yielded a comfort with and a confidence in the material they then stand to deliver.

As you continue to heed the instruction to reject anxiety about speaking before kings, consider your time in the prayer closet. Consider both the quantity and the quality of your time with the King. If necessary, make the adjustments needed such that, when called into the great assembly, you will be able to say,

“I’ve been here before.”

World

Talks on Ice

The diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Canada has cooled considerably this week after Ontario Premiere Doug Ford ran a television ad that included former U.S. President Ronald Reagan seemingly criticizing tariffs. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation released a statement saying the ad “misrepresents” the former president, and current U.S. President Donald Trump halted trade talks with Canada in retaliation. Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney called for the ads to be taken down and for trade talks to resume, but President Trump instead increased tariffs on Canada by 10 percent.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Trade policy—and particularly tariffs—have been in the news a lot this year. President Trump has used them frequently as a negotiating tool with trade partners, which has been met by a divided response from his own party. It is unusual, however, for a former president’s foundation to be drawn into a current political debate. It is also worth noting how significant an impact an advertisement made on a major foreign affairs matter.

The Equipped community’s views on tariffs are most certainly varied. The debate over the utility of tariffs versus the economic impact on consumers is not likely to end any time soon. Even so, we should endeavor to faithfully apply a couple of familiar biblical principles to our consideration of this story.

First, “avoid foolish and stupid arguments.” That sounds harsh, but it’s the direct instruction from 2 Timothy 2:23. There is a substantive debate here which may warrant your attention, and then there is the personal back and forth between the country’s elected leaders that almost certainly does not.

Next, “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Rom. 12:18). This story is a vivid example of a common current tactic, which aims specifically to divide for the purpose of achieving a certain policy or political end. Decline to take the bait. The substance should be engaged in a thoughtful way, but no matter your policy position, firmly decline the temptation to let this spat rob you of your peace with others.

It is likely this is not the final round of trade disputes with Canada or other nations. Let’s proactively divide substance from hyperbole and fervently choose peace over division.

Sports

Basketball and the Mafia

The National Basketball Association (NBA) finds itself in the midst of a mafia-involved gambling scandal. Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat player Terry Rozier are among those who were arrested and are facing charges related to participating alongside mafia members in rigged poker games and using insider information to gamble on NBA games. Billups and Rozier both deny the allegations, and there are more than 30 co-defendants in the broader case.

Analysis and eternal perspective: “Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds . . . Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me” (Ps. 141:4,9).

This story speaks vividly about the depth of temptation that exists in our world. Many of the accused (who should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise) are comfortably affluent and lead lives of considerable luxury. Even those comforts, however, do not provide protection against the allure of wrongdoing. There was not a need for wrongful gain, and yet the forces of this world were actively setting traps and inviting those of affluence to participate with them in the proceeds of those traps.

This story very likely feels a million miles away from your life, and yet, the enemy uses the same plan with you. While it may not involve the NBA or the mafia as you know it, there are traps laid for you, and they are often baited with the promise of quick and easy gain. You will be tempted to let your guard down—perhaps even “just this once.”

Choose faithfulness instead. 1 Corinthains 10:13 reminds us that God knows the temptations you face, and that He is faithful to carry you through them by providing a means of escape. Take a moment today to consider where there might be traps laid in your life. What steps do you need to take to guard against them?

U.S.

Still Shutdown

The shutdown of the U.S. government is approaching one month in duration, and there are no visible signs of an imminent resolution. Republicans continue to insist on a short-term “clean” extension of funding while Democrats continue to insist on the extension of expiring subsidies for health insurance. The result of this entrenchment is a prolonged shutdown that now threatens military paychecks and the delivery of benefits for programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Analysis and eternal perspective: There will be a resolution that opens the federal government, but it is unclear when that resolution will be achieved. In the meantime, there is a very real and increasing opportunity for you and me as Jesus followers to meet the resulting practical needs around us. Virtually all the coverage of this story will be doom and gloom and focused on which party is responsible for which aspects of the shutdown, but let’s instead dig in and meet real need with real action.

Here are two ideas to get you started:

1) Who on your street or in your church is likely to be currently missing a paycheck? More specifically, who is likely experiencing hardship as a result? How can you help them? Maybe it’s covering a utility bill, providing a meal, or just a bit of cash to help get them through this unpredictable phase. But first think who. Then think how.

2) Provide access to food. There will this week be many looking for new ways to provide their family’s next meal. How can you ease that for at least one person or family in your world? You could deliver a meal, buy groceries, or partner with your church to increase the availability of food to your community in the short run.

The Equipped community has, I am confident, a wide array of views on the proper role of government in social safety services. That is no barrier to our collective answering of the call in this moment. In fact, if we as Jesus followers were to fill this void of need that exists, it might just change the public policy debate on several fronts!

But either way, it is quite simply what we are commanded to do:

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 Jn. 3:17).

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Heb 13:16).

The Beautiful

Purpose Served

Dear friends dropped their son off at boot camp this week. It was a joyous occasion and they are rightfully proud of him. There were also tears, because it is a strange reality for the longterm posture of a relationship to change so dramatically in a moment. But there is a deep and rich beauty in the evidence of a home having served one of its highest purposes. A nest is beautiful, in some ways even more so when it is empty from having fulfilled its mission!

May you see the truth about the now-empty places in your life—they carry the beauty of a purpose served!