by admin | Oct 1, 2025 | James
By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross
Think about where there is conflict in your life. Some people certainly have more peace than others but we live in a society in which there is always conflict. It can be between two cowboys on the rodeo grounds fighting about a girl they both dated, a group of ranchers fighting the Bureau of Land Management or against a solar panel project on valuable grazing land. Global conflicts that we otherwise would know little about can impact the price of gas here at home.
There’s often someone on the rodeo grounds who always either seems to be in trouble of some kind or he’s someone who is looking to cause it. I think we even celebrate chaos. The person attracting or causing trouble has no shortage of like-minded friends.
That comes from our sin nature. Regardless of what someone believes in terms of their faith, we are all born into sin; we all have the ability from birth to feel anger or even hate. A saving faith in Jesus changes that. It doesn’t remove our ability to sin but it starts us on a path toward becoming more like Jesus. It doesn’t make us better than those living in conflict and conflict of our own is still going to happen. This world isn’t perfect and while we grow more like Jesus as we grow in our faith, sin around us is still going to bring conflict into our lives.
How we, as Christians, approach it is where it all changes.
James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
If we seek wisdom from God, how we approach conflict changes. Without Jesus, it’s easier to be influenced by bitter jealousy and selfish goals and those attitudes are going to lead us right into conflict. Worse, James says when we seek our own ambitions in a selfish way, our actions progress from being worldly thinking to something that’s even demonic. Just like he shares in James 2 that the words we speak have the power to unleash hell on Earth, how we work to achieve our goals can be the work of hell just as easily. He isn’t kidding around when he tells us to seek godly wisdom as we live out our lives here. Godly wisdom, he tells us, is pure, can lead to peace and giving mercy to others. When our goals line up with what God would want us to do and our actions to achieve them follow God’s instructions for us through scripture, we generate peace around us and demonstrate righteousness.
Producing righteousness means that our pursuit of godly wisdom creates signs of what is good, just and right for others to see. In that way, we can begin to show our saving faith in Jesus is real and transforming us in the hope others would desire this in their lives as well.
It’s up to us as believers to pursue biblical knowledge which is our main source of godly wisdom. If we’re unsure on our own of what God would have us do, we should seek advice from other Christians that we know and trust approach their faith the same way.
Going back to the Old Testament, Proverbs reminds us that as real as the harm that can be done by pursuing our own goals without God, pursuing wisdom leads to results that are more valuable to gems and precious metals.
Proverbs 3:13-15
Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Living a life our own way can produce evil, living a life following God’s direction can lead to peace in the chaos around us.
If you’ve been surrounded by drama, gossip and the stress from a chaotic breakup that follows you to the rodeo grounds, who wouldn’t want to roll into a performance and just know peace; to be able to get your horse ready or set your bronc saddle without knowing there was going to be some kind of conflict before the show was over?
Why wouldn’t we want to have that peace around us all the time?
by admin | Aug 18, 2025 | James
By Scott HIlgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross
Ever seen a rodeo cowboy lose it on a judge for a bad call or a producer he thinks has cheated him?
It can get pretty ugly, lead to fines and bans from an association and can even end in throwing fists, a jail cell and assault charges.
Ugly words escalate a situation quickly and hurt all the people around us including ourselves.
James stresses for us the power of our words, referring to our tongues as the source and, even though the illustration is almost 2,000 years old, uses illustrations we can understand from today—especially horse people.
Using the examples of bits and the rudders of ships, he explains how something so small is capable of steering a horse or an entire boat. We know from Jesus and Paul in other parts of the New Testament of the importance of speaking in kindness and using our voices to share the gospel with others, but James focuses on the dangerous power of our tongues.
James 3:6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
We can ruin our entire lives with the words we speak and a single angry outburst. What we say to our boss in a heated moment can mean the end of a job, missed truck and house payments and family leaving us because we can no longer support them; all because we couldn’t control our tongue.
Worse is the harm we can do to others as James describes the tongue as a fire from hell. He makes it clear our tongues are evil and that while we have been able to tame the animal kingdom around us, no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. James 3:1-12 describe all of these concerns about the words we speak.
In a moment of control, we can give praise to God for something good in our lives but then completely ignore God’s importance in our life by using our words to cut down someone else, forgetting we are all made in God’s image.
Our words, according to James, has the power to do as much harm to the people around us the way a single spark can set an entire forest on fire and corrupts what is good in us. One piece of gossip spread to another on the rodeo grounds or at the horse sale can spread, exaggerate and completely destroy a person’s life.
Yes, when we have a saving faith in Jesus, God still sees us as good and righteous despite all of this, but James is telling us how important our words are and the need to be in total control of the words we speak. They either do good all the time or all the good our words can achieve are meaningless if we also speak harmful words.
We need to hold our tongue, think before we speak, and remain silent if our words could do harm.
And to the beginning of the chapter, those of us who teach or preach are warned to be the most careful about what we say because we are going to be judged more severely by God. I don’t know what the looks like but I personally take pressure for that every time I try to teach God’s word at cowboy church or on social media.
James 3:1-12 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
by admin | Aug 11, 2025 | Behind the Bucking Chutes
By Daryl Skeeter Spaulding / Cowboys for Christ, special to Cowboys of the Cross
To be a cattleman or cattlewoman, you must be an efficient multitasker.
Think about all the skills you have learned from hands on experience or continue to develop to be good at what you love doing. To be successful in this industry you wear many aprons, such as land and water manager, part time veterinarian, equipment operator, carpenter, mechanic, meteorologist and conservationist. Also, being a student of new ways of doing something means reading and studying, which is the goal you are striving for.
Living life with this mindset of continual learning has a Biblical principle to it. It reminds me of a passage
of scripture. The verse is 2 Timothy 2:15. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)
In my study of this text, I so appreciate the insight I get from multiple study Bibles I keep on my
bookshelf. When it comes to our approach to the Bible we should, read it, study it and memorize it.
The Bible – God’s inspired Word- is our only conclusive source of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding
ultimate realities. Correctly handling the word of truth is likened to a furrow being plowed straight for
planting and then harvesting a crop with a combine. The good workman must be accurate and clear in
his or her exposition of God’s Word, keeping to the road themselves and making it easy for others to
follow.
Another example of being a good cattleman is that you’re always learning to become
better than the day or year before and the reason to be in the Word is to have that better and best
relationship with Christ. That way you know in your heart the day-to-day decisions you make are the
right ones, no matter what the world is telling you contrary to the truth revealed in God’s Word.
The text calls us beyond a casual approach to the scriptures. Developing an attitude to learn so we can
grow into a deeper knowledge of God is sure worth having. The foremost thing you will find is that you are loved; yes, you. From that knowledge as the most fundamental truth, growing in Christ will take on new meaning. Ultimately, that’s an eternal goal worth striving for.
We take seriously what’s important to us, not a single cattleman with money invested
into their land or herd takes a casual approach to their operation. We receive a reward for stretching
ourselves when it comes to achieving growth. I believe it’s important to have knowledgeable resources
to draw from for your business in one hand and a Bible for growing in obedience to Christ in the other
hand. God bless you as you continue to do both.
by admin | Jul 28, 2025 | Best Sermons
PART TWO OF TWO
By Scott Hilgendorff / Cowboys of the Cross
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Many cowboys have seen memes or posts on social media that make this kind of statement and liked or shared them because it sounds great.
But it’s only half of the equation and it’s important not to miss the other half.
In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to be a light in the world—that how we live our lives and the good we do will show Jesus to others. That’s very true and essential to our faith. When our saving faith in Jesus is real, we can’t help but want to become less sinful and live out more of what Jesus teaches and commands us to do.
One of his commands is what we call The Great Commission.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
A disciple is a follower of Jesus and in this command, we are all told that we are to go into the world around us and make disciples. That means first telling them about Jesus and then teaching them what we have learned or are learning. It isn’t just for preachers in the pulpit, it’s for rodeo cowboys at the fairground and ranch hands working cattle.
Being a light, doing good things, demonstrating that our life is changed by our saving faith in Jesus will show people our lives are different and being affected by our growing relationship with Christ, but others can’t be saved through our actions alone. We have to actually tell them who Jesus is and that he died on that cross to take the punishment meant for our sins so that through belief, genuine repentance of sin and asking to be forgiven, we can have an eternity in Heaven. The plan for salvation is commonly called The Gospel and we understand The Great Commission to be about sharing The Gospel with others.
Peter explains to us that we have to be ready to explain it to people what we believe.
1 Peter 3:15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
In other verses in this chapter, Peter teaches ways we can demonstrate our faith and that we should demonstrate good, not evil, to others. He also explains that as we live a life different from others, we might even suffer for our faith at the hands of those who reject Christianity as we make different choices than them.
Peter references our hope, which is our understanding that a perfect life waits for us in Heaven so that no matter how hard this life gets or the struggles we face, we have confidence that a better, eternal life is waiting for us. Our hope is in that belief, not in anything the world around us can give or do for us. Whether we face persecution or not, if our life is demonstrating Christ in us, others can see it and ask. He stresses that we have to be prepared to tell others what we believe and why that gives us a different hope than they have.
This is where we can see how both our actions and our words are necessary for others to also come to a saving faith in Jesus.
The best sermon is both lived our and preached, together, so people can see our lives are different through our hope in Jesus but that we can also explain what that saving faith, The Gospel, is, so that they also can have a chance at a perfect eternity in Heaven.
by admin | Jul 17, 2025 | Behind the Bucking Chutes
By Daryl Skeeter Spaulding / Cowboys for Christ
I feed my horse every morning before I head out for work. A few things come to mind that have really
been a blessing in my early morning adventure.
First, it’s been such a delight to be out there before dawn. The stars and the moon are truly amazing
without cloud cover and it’s a wonder to behold. When I look up there is no doubt in my mind that I’m
looking at God’s creation. Genesis 1:16 recalls the creation of sun, moon and stars. We can’t have a
bright moon without the sun and on a clear night the sky comes ALIVE!!! Almighty God really knew what
He was doing. The Big Dipper is one of my favorite constellations to gaze at. It will point you right to the
North Star. If you follow the two stars that make up the end of the dipper you will see it. It’s faint, so you
must train your eyes to look for it.
Secondly, I’ve been reading my Bible while I have my horse in one of the outdoor feeding stalls enjoying
his breakfast. It takes him about 20 minutes to finish his feed. I spend that time with my
Bible opened laying across the fence rail. If it’s still dark, I use a head lamp so I can read. I have found so many amazing
passages of scripture. Some whole chapters are exciting to read. Then I find these nuggets tucked in a
sentence that just catches my eye. One such instance is about having a willing heart and mind to serve
the Lord that’s found in 2 Chronicles 28:21. When I read that, I asked the Lord to give me a true heart of
worship and a willing mind to follow Him. That’s what I want!!!
Thirdly, one dark morning due to heavy cloud cover, I did not find my horse up at the feeding stalls like
usual. The light from the barn wasn’t much help. I thought to myself, “where is he”? as I went through
the gate and then looked for him momentarily. I was getting ready to pound on the gate with the brass
latch that we keep the gate closed with, it’s how I call him up when I need to. Then, I heard him nicker, I
know that nicker of his. He stepped out of the shadow. He was up there the whole time; I just didn’t see
him in the dark.
From time to time, I’ve heard the Holy Spirit whisper or nicker at me at just the right moment. It’s
always when I wasn’t expecting it. Most often it’s a particular verse in the Bible I’ve memorized, a
worship song on the radio or hymn I heard in church. I can’t necessarily explain it but it’s a faith builder
for sure.
This is why it’s so important to be in God’s Word as a regular habit, just because you love being in it. We
find proof of this in Romans 10: 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of Christ. Jesus
also promised us the Holy Spirit in John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Helper, to be with you forever. And a little down in verse 26 we read, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all
that I have said to you. (All scripture is ESV)
Do yourself a favor; spend time in God’s Word and you just might hear the Holy Spirit nicker at you.
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