Rev. Stephen P. "Gutty" Gutridge

Rev. Stephen P. "Gutty" Gutridge
This blog is my comments on current cultural and church happenings along with answers to your questions. I will make an honest effort to answer everything you ever wanted to ask about God, faith, the Bible, Jesus Christ, etc.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Exasperation of Job Hunting

I have always fancied myself as one with an entrepreneurial spirit. I concert with my wife, Paula, we have started two successful businesses; founded together a religious not for profit ministry, Living Christ Ministries, Inc.; and co-hosted a widely heard Christian live phone-in counseling and teaching radio program. I left the business world for seminary when our children were young and Paula went back to college. Neither of us has ever been shy of about hard work and risk taking.

Sadly, over the years I have become comfortable in the institution of the church. I have 15 years experience as a solo pastor and a Senior Pastor (Head of Staff) coupled with another 15 years of experience as an interim pastor. All of this time was in the Presbyterian Church (USA). My previous interim ended successfully January 15, 2012. I have not landed another interim contract just yet though I have made multiple applications.

I am not quite ready for retirement and still need full-time employment. As a result, I have been thrust into the secular job market. Wow, what an eye opener. We hear so much in the media about the high unemployment rate. We do not hear about how difficult it is to navigate the job search waters. Job searching is difficult enough for someone with advanced education, marketable skills, and computer/internet experience. I cannot imagine how daunting it is for those that have very little education, limited skills, and no computer/internet access and/or experience.

The day of going business to business and completing hand-written job applications is nearly gone. Nearly every business I have visited has told me to go on-line and apply. They will call if interested. I am now just an application among thousands without my personality and charm (sic) to highlight my skills and experience. It is easy to become discouraged in this environment. I spend quality time with the Lord every day and study His Word. I could not survive this season without Him.

Are you in this same boat? Are you seeking a job or a better job with limited success? Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and His word. I suggest concentrating on the Psalms. They are filled with shared thoughts and feelings of saints with similar experiences. It is good to be reminded of God’s faithfulness over and over. It is good to know you are not alone. Seek His face, meditate on His word, and He will lift you up!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Why You Must Read God's Word

God loves the world and its people so much that He gave us an owner's manual, the Bible. People normally view the world through the prism of their own lives, own needs, own wants, own desires, and own capabilities. The world revolves around the individual. Seldom do people consider they are players in a much larger story.

It is a story not written by us, but by God. Reading the Bible helps one see that God is not some distant capricious despot that cares little for His creation. Rather, He loves people and takes a very active personal role in their lives. He instructs people through the Bible by telling true-life stories about how He relates with people, how people relate with Him, and how people relate with each other. The uniqueness of His story, He is not trying to convince us of anything. He does not sugar-coat the stories or embellish them with only successes. When one reads through the Bible one discovers that even God's favorite people are deeply flawed. He chooses to love them, forgive them, bless them, and use them regardless of their flaws, misbehavior, and failures.

Reading through the Bible is not like reading a dry instruction manual, but it is more like reading a great epic adventure. The best part is that each reader discovers they have a unique role in this adventure. A good story causes the reader to identify with one of the characters in the story. A simple study of the Bible shows us that we can identify with many of the characters in the story, but more important, it is an ongoing story in which we play a vital role.

The great God-man epic is not complete. One needs to study the Bible and discover their part in God's great story. Every person deep down longs to be part of something bigger than themselves. Most feel trapped in a life they did not chose and one they feel they cannot escape. Why else would television, movies, and novels be so wildly popular. They provide a constant stream of stories that allows one to escape the mundane of life if only for a few minutes. While one is engaged in the show, movie, or book they are involved in something bigger than themselves. Alas, it is all “make-believe” and ultimately one must abandon the story and re-enter real life.

Suppose it were possible to be part of something really big? Imagine an adventure greater than any one person, something bigger than anything one can even imagine. Now, that is something to capture the imagination! If it were possible to be part of something bigger than one ever imagined, most would want to know HOW?! Reading the Bible and studying the Bible quickly catches one up in the living story or epic God is authoring. One first identifies with a character or with several characters. Additional study shows us that we have a role in this epic as well. This is not a make-believe story, but a real-life adventure and each person has his or her role to play. Interestingly, the end has already been written. The greatest of adventure is discovering how each role plays a vital part in leading to the conclusion of God’s epic live adventure.


Do you want to know your role in God’s epic? Read and study the Bible. Now do it again and again. Hang around others that are on the same quest. Talk about God’s Word and this extraordinary living adventure in which you live. God talk is always more exciting and more fulfilling than any other conversation. Are you a protagonist or an antagonist? Are you a hero? You can be of course. Ask Him and He will show you your role and how to play it. Remember, wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God has put you there; He has a purpose in your being there. Jesus Christ who indwells you has something He wants to do through you right there. Believe this and live confidently in His grace, love, power, and ever developing epic adventure.