Tag: John 15:7

Treating Folks Right: What Leviticus Taught Me About Leadership

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Treating Folks Right: What Leviticus Taught Me About Leadership
Jimmie Aaron Kepler

You’d be surprised what a couple of verses tucked away in Leviticus can teach you about leading people.

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.
The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.
Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
I am the Lord your God.”
— Leviticus 19:33–34 (NIV)

I didn’t expect a leadership lesson when I opened Leviticus. But those words hit me square in the heart.

The New Kid (Again and Again)

I grew up in a military family. That meant moving, often. Too often.  By the time I graduated high school, I’d been the new kid in town and school seven different times. Seven.

Walking into classrooms where everyone already knew the unspoken rules? That wasn’t easy. You sit in the back. There’s a social order in place and outsiders generally aren’t welcome. Eat lunch alone. Hope someone smiles. Hope someone invites you in.

And when they do? You never forget.

A Principle, Not Just a Policy

In today’s world, we hear a lot about inclusion and diversity. But Leviticus reminds us that God’s call goes deeper than policy. It’s personal.

Whether you’re leading a team or welcoming someone into your Sunday school class, this ancient command is still relevant: Love them as yourself.

Inclusion isn’t about checking a box. It’s about seeing people, really seeing them, and making room in your world for them.

Love in a Work Shirt

Love doesn’t always look like poetry. Sometimes it looks like listening, showing up, inviting someone to sit with you at lunch, or just taking time to learn someone’s story.

That’s the kind of love Leviticus 19:34 is calling for.

So today, look around. Someone nearby may be feeling like the outsider, the new kid, the one who’s unsure. You might just be the person God’s asking to make them feel welcome.

Grace and peace,
Jimmie

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Pitch Your Tent in God’s Backyard

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Pitch Your Tent in God’s Backyard
By Jimmie Aaron Kepler

This morning, I was fixing my usual tall blonde roast cup of coffee, nothing fancy, just hot and strong, and thinking about how much smoother the road of life rolls when I’m tuned in to the Lord.

The house was still quiet. The sun hadn’t quite burned through the mist hanging over the yard. I eased into the porch swing with my mug and watched a couple of squirrels doing their morning stretches up the old pecan tree.

That’s when a verse from deep in my soul whispered back up to the surface:

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you,”  John 15:7 (KJV)

Now, I’ve heard that verse since I was a boy in Sunday School, starched shirt and all. Even memorized it back as a kid when I was doing the old Bible sword drill program. But this morning it felt like the Lord underlined it just for me.

 What does it mean to “abide”?

I reckon it means more than just showing up to church on Sundays or offering up a quick prayer when you need a parking space or a clean bill of health.

“Abide” means staying put. Settling in.

Pitching your tent in God’s backyard.

It’s sitting long enough for the Word to sink in. Like rain soaking into parched Texas soil. Like morning light creeping across a wooden porch. You don’t rush it. You just stay. Like slowing down to watch the squirrels play in the trees.

And here’s the beautiful thing: when you start abiding like that, your prayers change. They quit sounding like a wish list for Santa Claus. Instead, they start sounding like quiet, honest conversations with your best friend.

And friend, He listens. Oh, how He listens.

Not always with fireworks or flashing signs, but in the peace that settles over you like a front-porch breeze. In the confidence that your heart is right where it belongs, resting in Him.

 Stay close, y’all.

Keep that coffee hot, your Bible open, and your heart tuned in. It makes all the difference.

Until next time,
Jimmie ☕️✝️

Did you enjoy this article? You can find more of Jimmie Aaron Kepler’s books at Jimmie’s books available in paperback, ebook, audio, and large print