Moto blog
Stories of truth, adventure, and inspiration.
THE IMPORT BUTTON
I don’t like reading instructions. I’m too lazy. I’m too ADD. I’m too whatever. I purchased some GPS maps to do my trip. I received the maps on an SD card. I figured out pretty quickly how to install the SD card but I wasn’t seeing the maps in the GPS. I searched for buttons and all through the menu of the GPS about a dozen times. I was determined to figure it out. I reinstalled the SD card and continued to search for the maps that were supposed to magically show up on the GPS device.
Finally, I found a button called “import”. I pushed the button, and boom. Like magic I now have all the maps I could ever want. I have a clear pathway to the route and the finish line.
See where this is going?
There was a time I refused to look at the instructions. I was too lazy. Too ADD. Too me. I went it alone. I had no direction. At some point in life I realized that to make it to the finish line I need the map. I hit the import button and began to devour the truth. Scripture study became a normal part of my daily life. It illuminated the path.
Verse of the day. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
Action. Take a moment today and read the scriptures and watch it point the way. You will never regret it. It’s time to import the truth. It’s a map that is guaranteed to show you the way.
DUSTY ROADS
I actually went to school with a guy named Dusty Rhodes. But that’s a story for another day.
Old dusty roads are a blast to ride. But when there are other bikes or vehicles on that road, things can get dangerous very fast. The dust can fill the view like a cloud and you can quickly find yourself straining to find the surface of the road. If there is a curve in the road, you can get in real trouble when there is dust in the air. What do you do? The only thing you can do is stop and let the dust settle. Give it some time and you can regain vision, see the path, and continue on safely.
And that is exactly what happens in our daily life. We have a chosen path but things get busy and we lose vision. We know the road we need to take and we know we should journey forward on the straight and narrow, but we get caught up in all of the daily pressures of our career, family, relationships, and hard times. These things cloud our vision and we don’t see the road. The way to remedy this is to stop and be still. Let the dust settle. A Sabbath day. A time away. A few minutes before the day starts just to be alone. Regain our vision. Continue on with certainty, that we are on the right path.
Verse of the day. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Action. Allow yourself to take part in God’s gift. The Sabbath day. Take a day off each week and let things rest. Avoid the phone and computer. The emails can wait. We deserve time to let the dust settle so we can see where God is leading us.
DIRECTION LEADS TO DESTINATION
My friend Andy Stanley said “direction, not intention, determine destination”.
When I began riding across the country on the TransAmerica Trail I used GPS tracks to help me find the way. If you have never used tracks, here is how it works. It is a pink colored line on the gps map with small little marks on the line. You must follow that line carefully because the gps unit doesn’t tell you where to turn or give you any instructions. Keep this in mind.
It was day 2 on my big journey. The night before was a late night and I had to find a hotel way after dark. The next morning I got on the bike and started the GPS tracks to my next destination. I rode for an hour and then started seeing things that looked familiar. I double checked my maps and knew something didn’t feel right. I was following my GPS tracks backwards. I didn’t notice because I had ridden that portion at dark. But I got to a part where I had ridden during daylight hours and knew something was wrong.
I U-turned and got on course.
I was oblivious to the fact that I was going completely backwards. I had to make a 180 degree turn and go the opposite direction.
Direction, not intention, determines destination. In our daily walk we often times will find ourselves going the wrong direction. What do we do? Well this may seem so obvious but for some reason it’s hard for us humans to actually do it. The answer is REPENT. Turn around. Go the other direction. Seems simple right? Why do we refuse to turn? Repentance is not an ugly word. It’s a beautiful thing. If we ignore it and continue going the wrong direction we will never arrive at our desired location.
We need to stop going our way and turn around and go God’s way. His way is best. It’s best for us!
Verse of the day. “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
Proverbs 27:12 ESV
Action. Stop and look at your life. Are you actually on a path that is the wrong way? If so, then take a moment now and simply repent, turn away. Have a simple conversation with Jesus about it and allow him to help you change directions.
WATER CROSSINGS
Water crossings on a motorcycle are sketchy. If you fall over in the water you can easily drown your bike or yourself. One underwater hole or boulder can throw you down and you are in trouble. I live in Tennessee, therefore I ride thru many creeks and rivers. Sometimes they are a total blast. Sometimes they are a challenge. Sometimes they are scary. Sometimes I have to stop midway through a creek and turn back because it gets too deep. I’ve been on some trails where I literally stare at the creek and study it for 20 minutes before I choose a line to get me across because it was just so sketchy. One time near Tellico Plains, TN I was worried about a series of water crossings because it had been raining a lot. When I approached the creeks I couldn’t see the bottom. I was nervous. I had been warned that I shouldn’t cross if it had rained. I was already so far down this road and didn’t want to turn back. I prayed, asked God to help me across, and then I went for it. It was DEEP!
Thankfully I got through all of those swollen creeks without drowning the engine. With wet boots and pants, I continued on my journey.
Sometimes we are faced with obstacles in life that seem sketchy. Sometimes they look impossible. But when we know that we are on the road God has chosen for us we must continue on His path. Sometimes we will be tempted to turn back because it doesn’t look safe, it doesn’t make sense, others are not going that direction. But when God sets us on a path we can trust Him to get us through and to the very end.
God reminded me of this verse.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Isaiah 43:2 ESV
Action. Is there something God has asked you to do but it seems too scary, or too challenging? Do you feel like you are alone on the journey? He can be trusted. He will be with you.
FUTILE EFFORT
My friend Stone and I decided to ride the Smokey Mountain 500. Yep, it’s spelled wrong but that’s the official name. On day one of the 500 miles of dirt roads we got into a major storm. A little while later we had to stop because a tree had fallen across the road. We were deep in the wilderness in the north Georgia mountains and we didn’t want to turn around, backtrack, and lose valuable daylight. We decided to look for a way to move the tree. That was futile. We looked for a way to break off limbs and try and go under the tree. That was futile. We tried to go around the tree and that was a futile effort to say the least. We were stuck. We came to the conclusion that it was truly impossible. We were defeated. We made the tough choice to turn around and go the opposite direction. We ended up in a little town and asked for help to find an alternate route. After a 30 mile detour we were able to get back to the mountain and on the path to continue the adventure.
Stone and I had the determination to get by that tree. We had the will power. We are fairly intelligent dudes but our brains had no solutions. We had great intentions of getting past that tree but nothing worked for us. And here it is. The reality is that when it comes to finding a way into heaven, all of our efforts are futile. We can have will power, smarts, hard work, good work, etc etc. but we can not get to heaven. We cannot solve our sin problem. Sin is a tree that is impossible to go around. The pathway is completely blocked. But there is a way. We must go through Jesus. It is a U-turn away from sin and towards Jesus. We must give up trying. Our ways are inadequate. Our works are futile.
All religion is based on one thing. Doing good works, or being a good person to get into heaven. Christianity is the opposite. It’s not based on our good work. It’s based on the good work already done. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. He paid the price for our sin. We cant solve the sin problem, we need a savior. Jesus is the savior. We will never be good enough or be able to do enough good to get it done. We need an alternate route. His name is Jesus.
Verse of the day. “All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.””
Romans 3:12 ESV
Action. Have you put trust in your own good work? Have you trusted in yourself being a good person? It’s easy for us to do this. The flesh wants to believe we are good. None is good, no one. Today, admit to yourself that all our good work is futile. Completely trust Jesus for your salvation. Put your faith in the finished work of Jesus. He can be trusted. He paid the price for our sin. He is the good work.
BLACK BEAR PASS
Black Bear Pass is one of the trickiest trails to ride in all of Colorado. It is considered expert only for Jeeps and off road capable motorcycles. Those who have tried to cross this mountain pass in other vehicles have fallen to their death. This one is no joke. I was determined to ride this section from Ouray to Telluride, Colorado by myself on my Yamaha wr250r. I had been riding all of the trails for a couple of weeks and felt very confident in my skills. As I turned off the main highway 550 i immediately noticed the most uneven surface I had ever seen. They had big machines on the path trying to redo the rocky surface to make it smoother and passable for 4x4 jeeps. I ignored this and considered this a challenge. I got through the rough stuff no problem and began to get to the peak of this mountain. It was beautiful. The path continued west and a steep cliff was on the left side of me most of the descent toward telluride. As I approach the famous section near the waterfall, I see that I need to go down a very steep section with “stairs”. On one side was a rock face and on the other was a deadly cliff with no chance of survival. At the bottom of the first set of rock steps, I noticed a blind curve that is almost 180 degrees. I am up for the challenge, but the risk is high and there is no margin for error. I go for it. As I ride down the steep descent, I realize the tires are not sticking to the rocks because of the very uneven surface. In addition there was small pebbles and sand on the rocks that made my tires slide. I was not able to get the bike to grip the ground and safely navigate the trail. As I approached the sharp blind curve I jump off the bike and throw it into the rock wall. There was no way my tires were stopping me from sliding off the cliff. My ego was stung. I picked up the bike and walked it over the huge step down and started it back up. I made it around the curve and looked down the cliff edge to what looked to be a 1000 foot drop off. I was safe and thankful.
I trusted my old worn out tires. But that was a mistake.
Sometimes it’s easy for us to trust our experience and think “I’ve got this”. Sometimes we trust in things that are in the flesh and ignore the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is here to walk us, to guide us, to lead us on level ground. We sometimes don’t realize how treacherous the path can be. We don’t know the dangers around the next curve. Our daily life is full of obstacles, but the Spirit is willing and ready to lead us on level ground.
Verse of the day
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”
Psalm 143:10 ESV
Action. Ask the Spirit today to lead you on level ground. Then watch for Him to answer.
THANKS ADAM
When riding a motorcycle on a street, you sometimes feel more vulnerable than those driving a car with 4 wheels and bumpers. On occasion I see someone carelessly checking their phone as they drive. That’s usually when they scare me by drifting into my lane or pulling out in front of me. My reaction is usually “what the…who the….” And a few other things that go through my mind that I should not write. I usually give that driver the stink eye and then avoid them by riding away.
I have always been the perfect driver. I have never sped, rolled a stop sign or offended another motorist. I am the perfect driver. (I hope you are feeling the sarcasm.)
It’s always easy for us to get angry at another driver on the road when they do something stupid. Sometimes we think about how terrible that person is. Sometimes my mind drifts to even think about how that person could be so careless and be selfish. “How can someone be so selfish!?!”
The root of it is something that we can clearly trace. We are all flawed. We are less than perfect. We can thank Adam (and Eve) for this. Since the fall of man in the garden of Eden we have been plagued with the disease of sin. When Adam disobeyed God by taking that fruit he invited the curse of sin into humans. That has been passed down for generations. All sin and flaws are traced back to that single day in history. That’s where it all began. Thanks Adam. We are less than perfect and we are fully affected by sin. There is redemption through the blood of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection is how we can overcome this problem. But when we see someone’s sin or other shortcoming on the road or in daily life, we can easily think that person is an idiot. But before we get sideways on somebody we must recognize the fact that Jesus died for that sin and he loves everyone. Someday we will be fully redeemed and made perfect. But until then when we see someone wrong us on the road or in daily life don’t blame them just say “thanks Adam”.
Verse of the day. “And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.””
Genesis 3:17-19 ESV
Action. Recognize the fact that we live in a fallen world. The curse of sin is evident all around us. This forces us to look for a savior. Jesus is our savior.
STUNG
As I was riding in the mountains of North Carolina one afternoon, I was enjoying the amazing scenery and even a quick bear sighting. Moments later I felt it. I got stung by a bee. Maybe it was a wasp, I’m not sure. Whatever it was it stung me on the neck. Now the irony is, I was wearing gear from head to toe. Helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, and boots. There was no way anything was gonna get to my skin. Except that bee. It found the small little area between my helmet and my collar and hit me on the neck. It was fire.
The enemy is looking for a gap in our armor. He is nocking an arrow to shoot at any opportunity. He is constantly looking for a weak spot to sling that flaming arrow into us. That’s why God gave us this in Ephesians chapter 6. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. We need the full armor. Not just a nice pair of boots and a helmet. We need every inch covered by His armor. Let me remind you of something. WE ARE AT WAR. This is not a game. There is an enemy that strategically fights dirty, and you are his target. We must arm ourselves. It’s urgent. It’s serious. It’s essential.
I ride my motorcycle with gear that protects me from things that hurt. How much more do I need armored gear that God provides to protect my soul from the schemes of the devil. Let’s gear up.
Verse of the day. Ephesians 6
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
Ephesians 6:11-12, 14-17 ESV
Action. Make a checklist of the armor that you see in these verses. Spend time thinking about the consequences of not having the battle armor. Commit to gear up and be alert. The enemy is coming.
TURNIN’ WRENCHES
I worked on the bike today. Nothing major. Just a little tweak on the left peg that needed attention. I’m not a mechanic. I try to work on things when I can but I quickly run out of talent. Nevertheless I spend time turning wrenches and checking motorcycles when I can. It takes intent. To keep the bike in good working order it requires maintenance. This is so obvious though. Extremely obvious.
Our spiritual lives also require investment and maintenance. Why is this not so obvious? It’s easily ignored. If I neglect the change the oil in my bike its gonna ruin the engine. If I fail to invest in my spiritual life, I can also ruin some things.
I wrote a book called Feed The Dog. The idea is this, “a man had two dogs, the one he fed grew the biggest”. We have spirit and flesh, and we must feed one and starve the other. We feed the spirit to grow more like Jesus. It takes investing, and maintenance. It takes feeding the right dog. There are spiritual disciplines that are crucial in feeding the spirit.
Verse of the day. “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Galatians 6:8 ESV
Action. Read the word, pray, spend time in solitude meditating on the word and listen to His voice. Create a habit of spiritual investment into your spiritual life.
2 FINGERS DOWN
When a motorcycle rider passes another rider on the street, its standard to hold two fingers down and wave. This gesture is a symbolic reminder to the rider to keep 2 wheels down and stay safe. It is also a sort of secret handshake type thing that indicates a brotherhood. The motorcycle culture is a tribe, a community. You will never see a stranded motorcycle rider on the side of the road for very long. Someone is always quick to assist. Recently, I pulled over on the side of the road to make a phone call. I had 3 people pull over the check on me within 5 minutes. Motorcycle riders look out for one another. I love this about our tribe.
When a person follows christ they enter into another community. It is more than a tribe, it’s a family that cannot be separated. It’s based on the covenant we have with our Father. He adopts us into his family and therefore making us brothers and sisters with so many others who are on the faith journey. When you commit to follow Jesus you are not alone. You are in a family, a community of believers.
We should be even more committed to help those who are struggling. Those who are stranded, weak, in trouble, or wounded should expect a believer to run to the rescue. We are a family. Motorcycle riders have a unique bond, but it doesn’t compare to the covenant bond relationship we have with each other under the lordship of Jesus Christ our Heavenly Father.
Verse of the day. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Romans 8:14-17 ESV
Action. Acknowledge today that we are children of God. We are Joint heirs. Family look after one another. Look for an opportunity to serve someone today.
ONE SIMPLE MISTAKE
I’m a pretty good rider. I have over 30 years of experience riding. I’ve ridden all sorts of bikes, from Harley’s on highways to racing on motocross tracks. I’m pretty good. But I ain’t perfect.
January of 2014, I was riding in the desert with a race team. They had just won the Baja 1000, one of the most prestigious races on the planet. I was keeping up pretty good until…
We headed down a steep downhill section and I knifed the front end in the sand and went over the bars. It didn’t stop there. I tumbled and tumbled with bike right behind me until we both came to rest about half way down the big hill. A broken collar bone was obvious. They were kind enough to haul me out of there before the buzzards found me. All it took was one mistake and it changed my day. As a matter of fact, I have a plate and screws in the right clavicle as an eternal reminder of how I am pretty good, but not perfect.
When archers shot arrows in the 4th century bc they had a term for missing the bullseye. The term was a Hebrew word called het. It meant “not perfect”. Pretty good, but less than perfect. The word het is later translated into the English word we are very familiar with. The word is called sin. Sin means “less than perfect, to miss the mark”. God says, we have all sinned. Pretty good isn’t good enough. We are less than perfect therefore we are sinners. Sinners need a savior. Jesus dies on the cross to take away our sin.
We will never be perfect. But we can be forgiven.
Verse of the day. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
Romans 3:23-24 ESV
Action. Recognize that we are all less than perfect. Recognize that we need Jesus each day. Recognize that His blood covers our sin. Live forgiven.