Kill the Clown

“There is an evil I have seen under the sun. / As an error proceeding from the ruler, / Folly is set in great dignity,…”
- Ecclesiastes 10:5-6

One summer about 8th grade or so, I went to church camp in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico with my brother. Our youth minister was my new stepfather. It was my first, but not my last, organized rebellion.

Camp was going great. Up in the mountains, doing outdoors stuff, everything I loved…except they had a clown. A literal clown in full clown regalia: face painted, orange wig, outlandish coveralls and large shoes. I’ve never liked clowns.

The clown would randomly show up at different times for some sort of demonstration no one understood. He would leave balloons or a written message, do some kind of trick or give a hug. Never speaking a word. It was annoying!

I tolerated it for the most part, till he started showing up during archery, free time, when we were playing games or any other time we actually enjoyed what we were doing. He would stop everything and do something annoying, which none of us understood.

So, my brother and I did the most natural thing imaginable—rebellion. We started small. Popping the balloons he left behind. Changing the messages he left or destroying them. Getting other campers to mock and disrupt whatever he was trying to do. This led to a reproof from the camp leaders. A guilt trip. No matter how we felt we should respect what they were doing.

Thus, my brother and I decided to write our manifesto. It was simple. We found some shoe polish, snuck out and wrote over all the church buses, “Kill the Clown!”

Apparently, we crossed a line. After a few group meetings trying to guilt the responsible parties into a confession failed, a search was done, the shoe polish was found, and Byron and I were toast. All the havoc being caused by the stepsons of one of the lead youth ministers.

We were informed the clown was supposed to represent Jesus. I knew then, things were not going to go well. After apologizing to my stepfather, youth group, the entire camp and spending the day washing all the buses by hand, I definitely felt we had NOT been entirely forgiven.

Part of me felt they should give us camper of the year awards. The clown was supposed to represent Jesus and we had treated him the same way Christ was treated on Earth. We had made it a real practical lesson. You might be surprised to know I didn’t win any camper awards that year.

Let’s be honest; no one really likes clowns. We have to teach our kids to trust clowns, even while we are trying to teach them not to trust strangers. What’s stranger than a clown?

What is my point? I was wrong. Period.

However, I also believe the camp was wrong. We try to get so creative in our presentation of the Gospel that sometimes we become foolish. We get so abstract in our ideas and celebrate our creativity that we miss the opportunity to teach truth. Creativity is great! However, when creativity (or creation) becomes more important than the Great Creator, “Folly is set in great dignity.” (Ecclesiastes 10:6) And that is error.

Kids don’t need an abstract idea of Christ. They need the concrete truth of love, grace, forgiveness, life, mercy, peace, joy and purpose found in Him. They don’t need to be entertained, they need eternal life.

Adults are no different. We just think we are smarter and have a higher level of comprehension. We like to be entertained too. But in our hearts, we are truly looking for much more. It can only be found in one place—abiding in Christ.

I’m challenged this week not to be a clown. Not to share abstract concepts to try and communicate my faith in a creative way just to be creative. But to allow Christ to work through me in concrete ways to minister to others in my life. People need real answers for the real world. As Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 11:3, what matters is the "simplicity that is in Christ.” I pray Christ would work through me this week to be real.

As a side note: I still hold the belief my brother and I were right in our rebellion and should have received camper of the year awards! Just saying (tongue in cheek).

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Flirting with Temptation

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
- James 4:7

Got temptation in your life? The answer is yes, whether you recognize it or not.

Let me start by saying; I’m going against almost all theological consensus with this one, so don’t take my word for it. Test it.

I’ve always been amazed how in Genesis 37 & 39 the history of Joseph is portrayed theologically. There are endless debates about whether or not he was arrogant and prideful sharing his dreams with his brothers and parents in chapter 37. However, in Genesis 39, he is always seen as the perfect model of resistance to temptation. But he was human in both.

God makes no comment against Joseph for sharing his dreams, and God gave them to him. However, there IS a response from God concerning the temptation.

Briefly, in Genesis 39, Joseph is a servant in Potiphar’s house. He is made master over the house with only Potiphar above him. He is “handsome in form and appearance.” A looker! And Potiphar’s wife notices and “cast longing eyes” on him and repeatedly asks him to sleep with her. He righteously refuses time and again. Until…

One day, Joseph entered the house and no one else was around. Potiphar’s wife catches him by his garment and tries to force him to sleep with her. Joseph flees the house and leaves his garment behind. She then uses the garment to falsely accuse Joseph of trying to take advantage of her, and Potiphar throws him in prison.

For all of church history this has been used a prime example of how to resist temptation. However, there is some commentary in the scripture which raises questions for me. Why was he in the house when no one else was around? That was definitely against the culture. How’d she get him out of his garment? And two verses which are really intriguing: Genesis 39:13 & 21.

Verse 13, “And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,…” Like it was a surprise. A realization. It doesn’t say, she kept the garment she pulled off of him. But he left it.

Verse 21, “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, …” Why mercy (or kindness in other translations)? If Joseph did everything right, he deserved justice not mercy.

I could be completely wrong on this, but I feel we are reading a story where a good looking man was wooed by a woman. He knew what was right, but flirted with the temptation. He allowed himself to be in a compromising position. In the end, he resisted and fled from the temptation, but still suffered consequences for flirting with it. And God showed him mercy. He provided a way out.

I don’t know about you, but far too often I have flirted with temptation. I’ve stood on the fringes and peered in, with eyes of longing. There is a cost. There is always a cost to taking our eyes off of Christ looking for satisfaction anywhere else; “but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

James 4:7 holds the key, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The key is not simply to resist the temptation. The way out is to submit to God. Turn to Him. Allow Him to work through your life to overcome. He provides the way out. He gives us the ability to resist. He guides our steps to keep us out of those circumstances.

It doesn’t matter where you are on the road to temptation (being confronted with it for the first time, or it already holds your garment) the answer is the same turn and run to the Lord. Submit to Him. Even if you have given in, the answer remains the same. Run into the loving arms of Christ. There you will find mercy and grace!

Whether, I’m wrong about Joseph or not, the answer to temptation remains the same. There is a way out! Mercy and grace await. Submit to the Lord and He will provide. He is the way out!

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

I Say Stupid Stuff

“For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”
- James 3:2

“Warren, you are the best at telling stories. You have a gift for speaking and writing.”

A recent comment received. Boy, did that go to my head! But the reality is I have a tendency to say stupid stuff. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. Most of the time simply because I cross the line.

I learned a long time ago people are extremely careful what they say when giving a public speech. Boring. I also learned, if you want people to listen to you multiple times, they have to have a sense of anticipation. They listen because they have no idea what could come out of your mouth at any given time. That places good speakers on the verge of crossing over into saying stupid stuff, and I’ve crossed that line more than once.

I work hard at saying what I say the way I say it to excite, challenge, confront, comfort, inspire, and motivate the audience to think in a new way. I spend hours (and sometimes days) thinking of how to share a single point to simply make people think. Sometimes I get it right. Sometimes I don’t.

This happens in our friends groups as well. We all know each other’s stories. There is some pressure to “up the ante” and say something noteworthy…which often leads to just being stupid.

Words matter! They can inspire, equip, motivate, captivate, move, change and encourage people. They can also destroy, denigrate, diminish, marginalize, hurt, scar and push people away.

We are warned in James 3:2, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” So, we need to make sure we say things right! Right? Well, we are also told in James 3:8, “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Conclusion: we say stupid stuff.

The real key is our heart. What do we truly believe and hold to be true? Jesus said in Matthew 15:18, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”

BUT, “I didn’t mean what I said!”

How is that possible? Your mind had to think it to say it and your mind is driven by what you believe. I understand we might not have meant to hurt people as we did or cause a problem like we did. The reality remains we said it because we thought it. We thought it because to some degree we believed it.

I’m not about to write a devotion about how you need to be perfect in what you speak. The end of that would be…open mouth and insert foot. No person can control their tongue as they should. Yet, can we acknowledge the truth. We were not meant to speak alone. The Lord desires to speak through our lives. We only say stupid stuff when we speak on our own.

I use these verses often, for good reason, but here you go again. In John 14:10 Jesus said, “Do you not believe that I am in my Farther, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” And again He says in John 14:20, “At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

In other words, if Christ depended on God the Father to speak through Him, and we are to imitate Christ; then we need to depend on and have faith that Christ will speak through us!

It is not about controlling what we say. It is a heart issue. What do we wholly hold to be true? What comes from the heart, exits the mouth. James tells us we cannot control the tongue. But we can give our hearts over to Christ. And what we truly hold to be true in our hearts will come forth from our mouth.

My challenge this week is to evaluate the stupid things I say, and NOT figure out how to say them better. But rather, to evaluate the heart issues that led to those statements. Then, go to the Lord with those issues and allow Him to work on them in my life.

Never be afraid to speak. What we should fear is a heart which is not dependent on Christ.

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Break a Leg

“‘I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,’ says the Lord God. ‘I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick;…;’”
- Ezekiel 34:15-16

“Break a leg!”

That is the traditional encouragement to thespians before they take the stage. It most likely comes from Vaudeville performers of the early 20th century. The performers had to “break the leg line” (or side curtains of a stage) to appear on stage before they were paid for a performance. In a time of economic uncertainty, it was a wish of good luck that you got on to the stage and paid for the night.

In the church, it has a much worse tradition. Some of the most widely read authors, teachers and speakers have shared the story of the Good Shepherd breaking the legs of unruly sheep so they won’t run off. It has been published in bestselling books and preached from lofty pulpits.

The idea of the story is of a “loving” shepherd who carries his hook as a walking staff, prod and hook to grab a sheep by the leg. However, as it is told, occasionally you will have a sheep that continues to walk away from the herd. The “loving” shepherd will use his hook to break the leg of the sheep. In that way, it will learn to stay close and depend on the shepherds care for life. The only problem is: it is completely false!

There is no evidence in the Bible, history or methods of husbandry (sheep herding) of any shepherds ever intentionally breaking a sheep’s leg to discipline it. It is counterintuitive to do so. It would destroy the value of a sheep and leave it vulnerable to predators. Anyone who has ever raised sheep, as I have, knows they don’t need an excuse to die. They are born looking for a way to die! That is why they need a shepherd, to help keep them alive.

The true Biblical picture of a shepherd is the complete opposite of this story. Every time the Bible talks about the work of a shepherd it is to describe how “He makes me lie down in the green pastures,” “restores my soul,” gathers His lambs in His arms, carries them close to His heart, and “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Note: No breaking of legs! That’s what mobsters do to gain obedience, not our Lord.

Our Lord does not inflict injury as a form of corporal punishment to straighten us out. Many times, through our own choices, we bring that upon ourselves. And, at times, the world inflicts it on us. This is when the Shepherd is willing and able to step into our lives. As Ezekiel 34:15-16 says, “‘I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,’ says the Lord God. ‘I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick;…;’”

We go through rough times. We are often broken and wounded. We wander off and get lost. However, the Shepherd is always willing to heal us and bring us home. All we have to do is call out to Him and trust Him. No matter how lost you are today, He is searching for you, and He will never stop.

The only leg breaking the Good Shepherd is interested in is that of us breaking a leg to step onto the stage of life as the person He created us to be. To step out from the wings and take center stage. He has an amazing part planned for each of us to act out. It is a fully paid gig, because He paid it in full. All we have to do is trust Him, take a step and walk onto the stage of life in faith. He is faithful to complete the work begun in you (Philippians 1:6).

My challenge this week: BREAK A LEG! Step on the stage of life in faith and trust the Good Shepherd to guide me, heal me, care for me, and make me the person He created me to be.

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

The Hell Hare Fence

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,…”
- Titus 2:11-12

"The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting.” -Thomas Austin

In 1859, Thomas Austin imported 24 rabbits from England and released them in Australia on his property for hunting purposes. Just a touch of home. Having no natural predators and a climate perfect for breeding the rabbits soon took over much of the continent.

By 1887, they were devastating crops. In 1901, a Royal Commission was held and determined to build the largest fence in the world to stop the rabbits. It was 2,023 miles long, and by the time it was completed the rabbits were already on the other side of it. Subsequently, 2 other fences had to be constructed. All slowed progression, but did not halt it.

Much could be said about the rabbit problem, but I would like to chase another hare. The Hell Hare has decimated our spiritual crops from the Garden of Eden to every corner of the world—sin. It has no natural predator, because it is the predator. And this world is the perfect climate for its reproduction. So, what do we do? We build fences.

It all started with 1 fence, don’t eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and evil. Jump goes the hare!

Build another fence. Here are 10 commandments, follow them and live. Jump!

Build another fence. Here are 613 commandments (from expanded Mosaic Law) and that will take care of the Hell Hares, right? Jump!

Then along comes Jesus, who not only expands the fences to control actions, but brings them to the heart. If you even think of doing something wrong, you are as guilty as if you did it in God’s eyes. Gulp! What do we do now?

God was making a point. We can’t meet His standard on our own. Fences will never make you holy or righteous in God’s eyes. We are like dogs in that way. You put up a fence and all the dog wants to do is get outside of it and run! Yet, have you ever seen a country dog with no fences? They lay on the porch right outside the door. All they want is to get in the house.

Jesus died on the cross to forgive all of our sins, once for all. Past, present and future. They were all taken care of on the cross. “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

He did so because fences don’t work. By removing them once for all, He set us free like a country dog who quickly discovers the only place they have safety, food and comfort is at the house of their master.

Laws do not teach us how to be good. They show us how bad we are. “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” (Galatians 3:24-25)

The Hell Hare is everywhere, and no fence will hold it back. However, grace teaches us how to live without being ravaged by it. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,…” (Titus 2:11-12)

The answer to the Hell Hare is not another fence. It is found at the door of our Master. It is found in walking by faith. Falling on His grace and allowing Him to teach us. There is no program that will bring about righteousness. There is only the person of Jesus Christ who can live it out in our life. Fall on His grace, walk by faith and He will teach you to walk in righteousness. This is my challenge this week.

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.