Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows how routine I can be. Nearly everything I do, no matter how small, has a purpose behind it. My morning routine, the things I carry in my pockets, the food I order at mealtimes, and the way I hang my clothes in my closet are all carefully thought out to get me from point A to point B in the smoothest way possible. I've taken great pains to think through the things I do each day. I do them a certain way for a reason. I have my routine and it works for me.

The curious thing about routine is just that - it becomes routine. After awhile, we tend to no longer think about the reasons behind the things we do. We go through the motions because we've just always done them that way.

It's this concept of routine that causes me to think the religious leaders of Jesus' day might have been judged unfairly at times. They were a victim of their own making; slaves to their own rules. They had heard the promises of the Messiah their whole lives. They knew the Scriptures by heart. In fact, over the years, they meditated on the Scripture so intently, that they began to form a set of logical rules for living. If God said it was wrong, it was wrong. If God wanted them to keep the Sabbath holy, they would keep it as holy as humanly possible! Somewhere along the way, they lost the "why" and were left with only the "how". They were looking to rules and regulations to save them and overlooking the One God had promised would deliver them! A man who had been invalid for almost 40 years was walking and their only response to this miracle was to accuse him of breaking the rules!

I pray we don't fall into the same trap as believers. I pray that we are not anesthetized by the religious rules and regulations we have built up around us. I pray that God opens our eyes to the possibilities He has placed in front of us to bring about His Kingdom. "The time is coming - right now - when dead men and women will hear the voice of the Son of God and, hearing, will come alive."

About the Author:

Nathan Kizer
Associate Pastor of Worship & Arts

Nathan is a native of Lubbock. He and his wife, Kenna, have a six-year old daughter named Anna. Nathan attended Texas Tech University, serving as President of the BSM, and hanging around long enough to find a wife before transferring to Wayland Baptist University where he completed a degree in Religion and a minor in Mathematics.

Getting married in 1999, Kenna began teaching sixth-grade mathematics while Nathan continued to work at United Supermarkets. After seven years with United, Nathan accepted a position as Minister of Students at First Baptist Church in Tahoka where he served from 2001-2004. Moving back to Lubbock after the birth of Anna, Kenna continued to teach at J.T. Hutchison Middle School while Nathan entered secular employment, staying home during much of the day with his newborn daughter and working a later shift. During this time, Nathan continued to develop his musical gifts, leading worship in contemporary and blended settings for groups of all ages. Currently, Nathan is bi-vocational,—also employed as the Technical Specialist for the 9-1-1 Administration of Lubbock County. When he can find the time, Nathan enjoys playing and recording his guitar, watching movies, and reading. As a family, the Kizers enjoy camping, jumping on hotel room beds, and perusing the toy aisle at Target.