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.

BOOM! Yes and Amen

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:20

I’ll never forget watching my daughter play basketball her senior year in an away game at Munday, Texas. We were up against the Munday Mongols and it was a tough game. It was close. My daughter came down, caught the ball at the three-point line and shot. On the release, I yelled with all my might, “BOOM!” I had no doubt the ball was going in and it was a turning point in the game.

I had watched my daughter play organized ball since second grade. I had seen her set and shoot thousands of time. I knew her motions, posture, mechanics and finish. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt when the ball left her hand that it was on the mark. So much so, that I yelled it before it was even halfway to the rim. Even her coach commented about me calling it after the game. A game that set up a playoff run.

If you have been around the game long enough, and know a player well enough, you can see from the positioning and mechanics when they are in the zone. Yet, no player is perfect—save one.

2 Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” The only one to play the game of life perfectly was Christ. He didn’t miss a shot!

And all the promises in Him are yes and amen!

Sin: “…our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no long be slaves of sin.” (Romans 6:6)

Forgiveness: “And you…He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” (Colossians 2:13-14)

Righteousness: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Holiness: “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14)

Child of God: “But as many as received Him, to then He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

All of these are YES! They are completed by the work He has done in everyone who believes in Him.

However, they are also AMEN! Amen can be translated as “so let it be.” The promises are not a theological designation for an eternity to come. They are a present reality to be worked out in our daily lives.

His promises give us power over sin. They allow us to forgive others and ourselves. They motivate us to walk in righteousness and holiness. They enable us to live as the children of God. In other words, His promises are a yes, so let them be lived in our daily lives. Amen!

With my daughter, I knew she had made the shot long before it got to the rim because I had so closely observed her playing ball for years. It is no different when it comes to faith. We can only anticipate these promises being worked out in our daily life when we spend enough time watching Christ work. We have to care enough about the game of life to study the posture, mechanics, position and way Christ works to bring these promises to be in our lives.

I drilled into my daughters that games are won or lost in the practice gym. This week I’m challenged to get back in the spiritual gym and consider my posture, mechanics, position and finish and evaluate where I am, and am not allowing Christ to work in my life.

Everywhere I’m willing to allow Him to work, His promises are YES, and AMEN!

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.

Attention Span Scam

“I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. …The Lord lives! Blessed be the Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
- Psalm 18:3,46

Attention spans aren’t what they used to be. Or are they?

According to research reported on by the American Psychological Association, attention spans have decreased from around 2 1/2 minutes in 2004 to just about 47 seconds in recent years. Lots of reasons exist for this according to psychologists commenting on the research: social media, information overload, AI, screen time, entertainment models, etc.

Can I call hogwash on all this? I completely disagree. We have allowed this idea of attention spans to become a scam that dictates our society. We then alter our efforts to accommodate the model and in consequence perpetuate it further.

The recent epitome of declining attention span comes from the 2009 Pixar movie Up! (Pete Doctor), where Dug (the overweight Golden Retriever) is constantly distracted by what he thinks is a squirrel. Saying “Squirrel!” has become a conversational phrase to acknowledge someone has been distracted. But have you ever considered it was the conversation distracting Dug from his primary purpose of retrieving squirrels? Just a thought.

There is absolutely no doubt we live in a culture of information overload and distraction. Everyone in my family will attest I’m majorly ADHD (although I’ve never been tested), and yet I can spend hours focused on a singular task and think consistently through a task for weeks and even months in the background. Why? Because it is my purpose and passion.

I don’t believe we have an attention span problem. I think we have millions of people around the world who are functioning without purpose. People who are reacting to the world rather than deciding who they are going to be in it. I believe it is a scam from the Evil One to distract us from being who God called us to be while we sit idly by blaming it on just being the way the world is now.

A classic example is Psalm 18. Through 50 verses David pours out his heart after his deliverance from the hand of Saul. He goes into minute detail as to how God saved, protected and sustained him. However, for many Christians we have boiled the entire Psalm down into two verses. And we turned them into a song; “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. The Lord liveth, blessed be the Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!” (From Psalm 18:3,46). Most of us don’t even know the other three verses. Me included.

However, it is in the details we find the meat that sustains us. It is the story that gives substance to the two verses we pull out. The rest of the Psalm is the enlightenment we can apply to our current struggles so we can claim those two verses. It shows a man with purpose. A man who’s singular purpose and passion in all that he did was for the Lord.

I don’t think we have an attention span problem. I think we haven’t paid enough attention to our purpose for being in this world—to know God and make Him known. That is our purpose. And we can only find passion in that when we know who He is and who He created us to be. We have to know the story.

I will reiterate; I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone who wouldn’t spend ample time focused on what they were passionate about and saw as their purpose. I think the problem is so few of us find our purpose and passion in being who God called us to be. The solution to that is simple: “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised!"

© 2026 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.