Let me share with you a few of my favorite places to eat here in South Florida. (Trust me; I have a point.) When I want a great burger and fries, there’s no place I love more than Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill. Pizza, now that’s a toss-up because, with so many New England transplants in SoFlo, there’s a plethora of great pizza stops. I’ll give my shout out to Big Louie’s and Mizner Pizzeria. Last, but certainly not least, a true staple of the southeastern states, the “Pub Sub” from the Publix Deli. Can you find a better sandwich?

It’s easy to want to share with you my favorite food stops, but there is one thing I cannot do and that’s tell you how great the food is at the Olympia Flame Diner. Why? Because I’ve never stopped in to have a bite. I’ve heard excellent reviews. I’ve seen pictures of the place when I Googled it for this article, but, the fact remains: I have no first-hand experience.

I imagine the above logic makes sense. Few people — if any — review movies they haven’t seen. So allow me to insert what author and speaker Jon Acuff calls a “Jesus Juke” — radically altering the course of conversation toward Jesus.

Are you consuming your Word daily? Do you spend intentional time in the presence of our Lord hearing from Him through meditation on His Word? Are you experiencing Him personally—without ceasing?

Matthew 28:19 commands us to “… go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

I have to ask, how can we fulfill this great commission with any authenticity and authority if we have yet to truly experience the life-changing message of the Gospel first-hand?

Joshua 1:8 says, “Study [the Word] continually. Meditate on it day and night so that you will be sure to obey everything written in it.” When we do so, He promises to “draw near to you,” James 4:8.

Think about that; the Creator of all the galaxies and beyond wants to draw close to you.

To put that in perspective, I’d like to draw from the science presented by Reverend Francis Chan. The speed of light travels at 186,000 miles per second … yes second! A light year then is a measure of the distance that light travels at that 186,000 mile per second for a whole year. That’s far! So how many light years would it take to travel from one end of our galaxy – the Milky Way Galaxy, the one in which our solar system resides – to the other? 100,000 light years. Let that sink in. Still not impressed? Scientist estimate there are 350 billion galaxies like our Milky Way in space. And somewhere, tucked deep within our universe, is Earth, where the Creator of those galaxies and beyond desires to draw close to you in a personal — first-hand — relationship.

It is then, and only then, when we will be able to understand our identity in Him, able to venture into a lost world in desperate need of a Savior. With authority, fervency and joy, we will share what we know about our faith, not from having only read a Yelp review, but from our personal experience: a changed life. In this depth of knowing Him, others will come to know Him, too. He is a relational God who has given us the ultimate text message: His Word. Read and respond; for you have been set apart for His purposes. And because of your obedience, His will will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments, he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

The flight deck door flung open. A crazed man towered in the entryway wielding a knife at the throat of a helpless flight attendant. Training took over as I swung around while unholstering my service weapon, took aim and stopped the threat.

“Good shots,” declared my firearms instructor. “Care to know where you hit?”

I lowered my weapon. It had the same look and feel as a real firearm only, instead of using live rounds, the pistol was equipped with a muzzle-mounted laser which, upon trigger pull, sends an invisible pulse of light from the barrel to the target. A large computer simulation screen, located behind the mock flight deck, detected each of my shots with realistic ballistic accuracy. Everything about the scenario felt real; but, it was only training; it was pretend.

Honestly, I had no recollection of how many shots I fired before pausing to reassess the threat. I was stupefied that, while only a simulation experience, my brain had jettisoned the memory of the number of trigger pulls. I was at the mercy of my training — rote. Much to my satisfaction, having been coached by some of the best federal firearms instructors in the nation, I learned the only casualty was the simulated perp. I had reacted as desired, going through the motions that I’d been taught.

To this day, the power of pretend continues to amaze me. It’s probably why I love movies. The motion picture industry has long leveraged the concept of “suspension of disbelief” allowing the viewer to become immersed in stories absent of reality. They know it’s pretend; but, in the moment, like my simulation experience, it’s real.

Yet, a paradox exists. While pretend is necessary, it has crept into our faith. God, speaking to the people of Judah in Isaiah 29:13, said, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” In short: Going through the motions — pretending.

While we cerebrally understand that true worship permeates from our full dependency on God, we give “lip service” when we pretend to have it all together, that we are healthy apart from Christ. In Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, author John Piper says, “The difference between Uncle Sam and Jesus Christ is that Uncle Sam won’t enlist you in his service unless you are healthy and Jesus won’t enlist you unless you are sick.” Mark 2:17 affirms this when Jesus said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor — sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

My plea: Follow the instruction of Psalm 123:2 in that we “keep looking to the Lord our God for His mercy.” Christ compared the church to a hospital for good reason. If you break your leg, you don’t pretend you are fine. Conversely, while in a hospital with, let’s say, a nail through your hand, you don’t complete the paperwork as if all is well.

Let us stop pretending, no matter how real it feels, and return to the true heart of worship, with arms raised accepting His power and grace, our need of Him. In Mathew 11:28-30, Christ says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” We can remove the burden of pretending — as if we’d ever be able to measure up — with our soul finding rest in the assurance of salvation, believing that our righteousness is freely given because of the real sacrifice of our savior: Jesus.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain, and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments, he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

Before rising to fame on NBC’s hit show The Voice, or opening for country super-star Toby Keith, or even headlining the Folds of Honor concert series, Corey Kent White, 21, sought a reasonable plan B.

I met Corey in 2011, following a presentation I made to his school about leadership and career exploration. After my talk, Corey found his way back to tap me on my shoulder. He had enjoyed my aviator stories and was eager to ask aviation-related questions. The airline pilot in me was happy to oblige.

That evening we connected via Facebook, where he shared his concern as a 16-year-old searching for direction:

“Pretty much, I am all over the place. I have a few connections in the music biz (and that’s my first love), but I also realize that it’s very difficult to make a living through music and a lot of it has to do with luck. So I am searching for a reasonable plan B.”

Instantly, I knew there was something special about this young man; while most teens are pushing the boundaries of adolescence, Corey was searching for a reasonable plan B.

I invited Corey to meet. We talked about God and what it would look like to scratch plan B and wholeheartedly seek God’s call. He was on board. Still hanging on my refrigerator is the list he wrote of his priorities, with God in the No. 1 spot.

Flash forward: Today, Corey has more than just a “few” connections in the “music biz.” He is making a living pursuing his love of music. He didn’t need luck, and attributes all his success to God. The millions who have bought his music are surely glad he didn’t pursue a “reasonable” plan B.

While it would be easy for him to drop God from the No. 1 spot, as he rides the momentum of his success, it’s Romans 12:1-21 that encapsulates his heart. He understands and applies what it means to give of his body to “be a living and holy sacrifice,” which Romans asserts is the true “way to worship [God].” Corey seeks accountability to keep himself from “[copying] the behavior and customs of this world,” by allowing “God [to] transform [him] into a new person by changing the way [he thinks].” It is this that allows him to confidently know God’s will for him, “which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Corey is humble, honest in his evaluation of self so as to give credit to God over taking it for himself, recognizing that “we are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other” for the glory of God. He knows he’s been given a “special function” (as we all have), and by God’s grace “[He] has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”

With this understanding, Corey uses his gifts to share the Gospel. He uses his platform to boldly profess the love of Christ to millions. His fruits reveal the passionate pursuit (ironically) not of music, but his call.

How does one with such a fandom and seemingly crowded schedule enthusiastically serve the Lord? Corey begins each day growing closer to God by trading in plan B for a reading plan—Scripture reading. This has allowed his prayer life to evolve from a formal “Dear God of the universe” prayer intro to “Good morning, Father.” Intimately knowing His Father allows him to pray without ceasing during the day, keeping him on track in pursuit of holiness as he seeks to align his life with the Truth found in the Word of God.

In the business of music, much is at stake; but, for Corey, and for each of us in our own right, growing closer to God and knowing who He has called us to become will ensure that we don’t need a reasonable plan B. We can rest in the assurance that the God of the universe is not some far off cosmic ruler, and, as Chris Tomlin sings, “God is a good, good father” and you can trust Him with your future. Just ask Corey Kent White.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

Ray Romano once said, “As a comedian, you don’t want to upset someone with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). They’ll write you a letter … and another one … and another one … and another one.”

We may laugh, but the reality is that OCD is crippling. People suffering from this condition develop compulsive behaviors in which they become obsessed with performing certain rituals repeatedly to only temporarily find relief from the plaguing anxiety. Simply put: Someone obsessing over their safety may lock and re-lock a door again and again. For many, this is a neurotic condition; they know the repetition is for naught. They understand that they are no safer whether they lock the same lock once or four times over.

If you’ve read this far, you’re either my mom or you’re curious to see what this has to do with Christianity. Allow me to explain.

While not true OCD, I believe many of us have what I like to call OCD Christianity. We’ve latched on to certain obsessions within our faith and have created rituals that help us feel more Christian. And, as with OCD, we recognize these behaviors and still perform them even though we know they do not draw us closer to God. If anything, they weigh us down and distract us from strengthening our personal relationship with Him.

To grasp my abstract thought, track with me through three things we obsess about. One, we obsess about condemnation. We see the world living in sin and think, “Turn or burn.” We use guilt and shame to bring people into the faith. Unfortunately, this approach makes God’s plan small and boring — uninviting and unexciting.

And, naturally, if we begin to obsess over condemnation for others, it’s not long before, two, we obsess about self-preservation — Are we saved? Are we good, God? Check out Luke 3:7, when John the Baptist addressed the Pharisees and Sadducees: “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath?” He pointed out that, just as snakes flee a brush fire to save themselves, these guys were only concerned about self-preservation, believing their rituals would save them. As much as it may pain us to admit, in this case, we probably relate more to the Pharisees and Sadducees than to the recent converts.

Three, we obsess over comfort — doing everything in our power to avoid being uncomfortable. Yet, nowhere in Scripture do we find a call to safe and comfortable living. Quite the opposite, right? This obsession blinds us from the realization that Heavenly comfort is facilitated by earthly discomfort.

So, there they are. I had to put them out there to say this: From these obsessions, we’ve created rituals that ransack our understanding of Matthew 7:22-23: “On judgment day many will say to me ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’” To put it in modern context: “Without leaving our comfort zone, we started a small group in your name and read our Bibles, and attended Sunday school, in your name, and even had a really cool event that grew our attendance … in your name, of course.” Yet comprehend carefully Christ’s response in Matthew 7:23: “But I will reply, ‘I never KNEW you. Get away from me…’” [emphasis added].

Wait, what? So there are people who do Christian-ey things and they won’t enter Heaven?

Yes.

God isn’t asking us to do things because they make us feel like Christians. He’s inviting us into an authentic relationship with Him. But, if we obsess about condemnation, self-preservation and discomfort, we’ll read our Bibles, pray, give of our time and resources, etc., because doing so will make us feel like “we’re good” instead of an effort to actually deepen our relationship with Him. We’ll miss the point completely — be His disciple; go and make disciples. It’ll all be, as with OCD, for naught.

But, be filled with hope! John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ, who would, once and for all, atone for our sins. Find joy in that we are free from having to lock and re-lock the door, metaphorically speaking. We can brake — put a stop to our obsessions — by fully surrendering to His will, by trusting Him at His Word, by accepting that He is our assurance of salvation. And then, out of our overflow, we will freely live the two most important commands: Love God and love your neighbor — without the crippling fruitless rituals which bring us no closer to being known by Him.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments, he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

Seagull strolls Hillsboro Beach shoreline.

By Diane Emeott

The Town of Hillsboro Beach wants the City of Deerfield Beach to either remove all the “revetment groins” placed there some 50 years ago in the 1960s – or  — renourish their beach.

In fact, at the next Hillsboro commission meeting on Jan. 5, 2016, Hillsboro Beach is going to take a vote on authorizing a Chapter 164 action (from Florida Statutes), which Hillsboro Beach Town Manager Robert Kellogg, on Tuesday, called “an attempt to mediate a settlement to resolve issues with Deerfield Beach regarding the groin situation.”

Kellogg declined to comment on what the expected outcome of the meeting would be, other than to say, “I’m not sure what the [Town] commission will decide to do.” 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defines “Groins” as the oldest and most common shore-connected beach stabilization structure. “Revetments” are described as a cover or facing of erosion-resistant material placed directly on an existing slope, embankment or dike to protect the area from waves and strong currents.

Other structural methods of coastal shore protection include: sea walls, bulkheads, dikes and levees, break waters, sills/perched beaches, jetties and piers.

PAST PARTNERSHIPS

Deerfield Beach has already partnered with Hillsboro Beach on several beach renourishment projects in 2015, 2011, 1998 and 1972, according to Deerfield Beach Director of Sustainable Management Chad Grecsek. (For general public access, the only way to get onto Hillsboro’s private beach is through Deerfield’s public beach.)

Deerfield Beach expended money for renourishment of its own beach in a project that was completed in March.  Deerfield contributed $700,000 toward completion of the project. The State of Florida contributed $700,000. And Hillsboro Beach paid another $700,000 for sand and hauling — plus $250,000 in engineering costs, to equal $950,000 of the total $2.1 million beach renourishment.

The City of Boca Raton did not participate in this project.

Hillsboro Beach also did a beach renourishment in Spring 2014, according to Kellogg.

Regarding reports of Hillsboro Beach stopping placement of sand at a certain point in 2015, Grecsek said, “I do believe the Town [of Hillsboro Beach] ceased placing sand on their beaches because they had accreted sand and additional sand would have them exceeding authorized permitted thresholds.”

According to a story that ran in the March 26, 2015 Observer newspaper, reporting on aMarch 20 Hillsboro Beach Special meeting on beach renourishment, Hillsboro Beach Vice Mayor Deb Tarrant said at the time, “We were handed a golden opportunity. Mother Nature did us a huge favor. She sent a large accretion of sand to the north end of town.”

With that large accretion, Tarrant noted, [Hillsboro] commission could save taxpayers money by being able to send less sand to that area of town.

On Dec. 11, when asked about the current sand situation along Hillsboro beach, Grecsek responded, “We are very much aware that the beach has sustained a significant amount of erosion due to sustained strong northeasterly winds over the last several weeks — which is typical for this time of year.”

DEERFIELD HIRES LAW FIRM

In light of Hillsboro Beach preparing to do a Chapter 164 (predicate to a lawsuit), Deerfield Beach City Attorney Andy Maurodis recommended to Deerfield Beach city commission on Dec. 7 that the city  retain the legal services of the firm Conrad Scherer.

Maurodis added that a number of months ago, Deerfield had received notice from Hillsboro Beach “giving us 60 days notice before enforcement of a permanent condition.”

William Scherer was hired by Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign in July 2014 in his bid for re-election; was lead counsel, representing the banks defrauded by Scott Rothstein, and recovered much of the money lost by investors in the million-dollar scheme; and was a leader in the legal effort of George W. Bush to resolve the dispute [with Al Gore] over who won the election in Florida in 2000.

Costs associated with the firm are: $300 to $550 per hour for all the partners assisting and $850 per hour for Mr. Scherer’s fees.

Maurodis offered an alternative; “We [also] have excellent attorneys, who can do it for less.”

“What is more important to us than our beach? Our beach is our most important asset!” said Mayor Jean Robb.

Deerfield Beach City Manager Burgess Hanson explained that the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) “is not even sure our groins are impacting this, or they would see a much larger area of erosion. [Hillsboro Beach] has changed their consultant twice. They want not only our city, but the City of Boca Raton [to be involved] as well!”

“We do want to protect this. We need to take them on full force,” Hanson continued.

Maurodis added that The City of Deerfield Beach has attempted to negotiate with the Town of Hillsboro Beach – and still wants to do so.

“This is a shot to the groin. They have a novice elected official over there,” said Vice Mayor Bill Ganz, saying he hoped this would be as painful as possible for them.

“They overlook the fact that since they have a private beach, they are not entitled to the same dollars that we are,” Ganz added.

Deerfield Beach city commission unanimously approved the hire of Conrad Scherer firm – Maurodis’ add-on agenda item — following a separate discussion that same evening on increasing compensation for the City Manager.

View from Deerfield Beach.

HILLSBORO’S SIDE OF THE STORY

The Hillsboro Beach portion of the nourishment was begun in March of this year and completed in April, according to Hillsboro Beach Vice Mayor Deb Tarrant on Dec. 15.

The permit included approximately an equal number of linear feet in both Hillsboro Beach and Deerfield Beach.

Tarrant said that for whatever reason, the engineering costs associated with both the Hillsboro Beach coastline as well as the Deerfield Beach coastline were added to the Hillsboro Beach tab.

These engineering fees include pre-construction costs as well as post-monitoring fees, as required by DEP.  

Every project has regulations and conditions that must be met as per the permits and guidelines issued by DEP.  

The reason “post-monitoring” studies are required is to be sure that as the “placed” sand migrates (which it always does), it does not damage the “hard bottom” (living reef) in the process.  

There are very stringent rules in place for protecting the hard bottom. Too much loose sand is a dangerous thing for a living reef.  If the reef gets buried by the sand that was added to the system unnaturally through a nourishment, the reef will die.  

The mitigation for correcting this kind of damage is extremely expensive and often ineffective.  

This is one reason a nourishment permit is done for a specific amount of sand within a specific template with limits set on both the north and south ends, she explained.

“In January of this year, the sea water was lapping at the seawalls of condominiums in the north end of Hillsboro Beach, and residents were desperate for a nourishment.  

“In late February, a major accretion event took place.  (When Mother Nature brings sand to a beach, it’s called accretion.  When man brings sand to a beach, it’s a nourishment.)  

The beach that was none-existent in January was partially restored by Mother Nature in February.  

“As a result, the engineering consultants for Hillsboro Beach advised the Town that the original amount of sand scheduled for the nourishment within the permitted area would be too much and would very likely cause damage to the hard bottom as a result of ‘over filling’ the area.  

“Therefore, the Town acted quickly to reduce the amount of sand being brought in,” Tarrant explained the rationale for Hillsboro stopping placement of the sand during renourishment.

Asked how much money the Town of Hillsboro Beach was able to save, Tarrant said

$178,613.

In 2013, Life Church launched Restore, a digital learning experience with the vision of “doing better at doing good” by addressing poverty alleviation. A close friend of mine, Jonathan Meisner, served as one of the lead documentary filmmakers and speakers for the project. He graciously scheduled time to visit my classroom, sharing with my students a new paradigm regarding helping others, lest we do more harm than good.

Jonathan clarified that “poverty has less to do with money and more to do with relationships,” when you more aptly define poverty as being about broken relationships. We’ve been conditioned to recognize poverty solely as lacking material wealth. However, Restore identifies four major areas which also constitute poverty: a broken relationship between “us and God, us and creation, us and others, and us and ourselves.” By this new definition, people might find whilst driving their latest luxury vehicles that they, too, are impoverished.

The Restore experience reveals that while giving of resources is at an all-time high, the gap between wealthier countries and poorer ones has never been greater. This is largely due to our lack of understanding how to alleviate poverty, how to truly help. For far too long, we’ve told others what they need instead of asking them what they need. We’re great at relief, providing a temporary solution like bottles of water or charitable giving, but restoration, long-term investment — restoring broken relationships — here we’ve waned. As Simon Sinek states, we’ve turned helping into a business transaction, exchanging money and resources for the momentary pleasant feeling of goodwill.

If you recall, a rich man once approached Jesus and asked what one must do to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17). He spoke of his strict adherence to the commandments, the things seen outwardly, yet Jesus wasn’t satisfied. In verse 21 Jesus says, “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” Scripture tells us that the man “went away sad, for he had many possessions.” Rich, but in poverty; he had a broken relationship with God, being unwilling to wholly commit to his Creator. We’re quick to judge this man; yet, as we approach this Christmas season, aren’t we tempted to give “relief” only to feel better about ourselves? Are we ready to wholly commit to our coming King, accurately alleviating poverty by looking for relationships in need of mending and investing what is needed to restore them? That’s exactly what’s happening at Stonybrook.

I had a chance to speak with Chelsea Shoff, 25, a dedicated staff member for Urban Youth Impact, located in West Palm Beach. Shoff, along with various non-profit and government agencies, has been diligently restoring relationships in the Stonybrook housing project through after-school programs, adult workshops, Bible studies, and quarterly events in which volunteers and staff gather to show their love and support for the community.

Stonybrook has 220 housing units designated for single-parent homes; 450 kids call Stonybrook home. It’s been a “community plagued with violence, neglect, abuse, drugs [and] hopelessness,” says Shoff.

Yet, something incredible is happening. According to a recent article by Jason Hackett of WPTV, in the past six months, “calls for police service to the complex have dropped … 80 percent.”

Shoff credits much of the visible success to “parents stepping up and doing their part to want better for their families; kids grasping Jesus and wanting to change the way they act and think; [and] the community coming together more.” Relationships are being restored between God, creation, others and themselves thanks to the investment of dedicated volunteers and staff like Chelsea Shoff in the long-term success of the community.

What is your Stonybrook? Where do you need to invest your restoration efforts (not just relief)? Maybe you’ll get involved with Urban Youth Impact (www.urbanyouthimpact.com), serve students as a mentor,or possibly sign-up to tutor at a local school. Where and how will you pick up your cross daily? Pray about it. Ask God to use you this Christmas season to begin a journey of alleviating poverty through the restoration of relationships — between you and God, His creation, others and yourself.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

The whine of the Rolls Royce engine and oscillating whooshing sound from the four-bladed Bell 407 police helicopter hovering above echoed throughout the apartment complex’s hallways. Red and blue strobe lights danced upon the once dark and silent walls before gunfire had shattered the stillness of the evening.

“Over here,” called a first responder. “Look closely,” he said while pointing toward the lower abdomen of an adult male sprawled upon the ground being worked on by paramedics.

“You see these two small punctures?” said the first responder. “That’s where he was shot.” I had to almost squint; I’d never seen a shooting victim, nor had any clue what real gunshot wounds looked like. But there they were: what appeared to be two stab wounds by a No. 2 pencil.

Wasting little time, the victim was prepped for transport. A polite and calm paramedic looked over at me and said, “Wanna ride in the back with us to the hospital?” I needed to remain with the first responder I was shadowing for the evening, but I couldn’t help but notice the medic’s collected demeanor. For him, two bullets robbing a man of his pulse was simply another day on the job. He and the crew couldn’t let the reality of the situation distract them from their mission: saving lives.

I never learned the fate of the shooting victim, but I did become well-educated on the many other tragedies law enforcement personnel encounter during my many nights riding with the police, specifically drunk driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “In 2013, 10,076 people died in drunk driving crashes,” and another “290,000 were injured” because of intoxicated drivers. One DUI Task Force sheriff’s deputy told me that, statistically speaking, 1 in 4 drivers after 10 p.m. in Palm Beach County are driving impaired.

I recall one night, while heading east on Forest Hill Boulevard, the deputy I was riding with noticed a van ahead crossing the lane markings. We kept our distance monitoring the driver’s behavior—all being recorded by the dash cam. With enough probable cause to make a legal stop —suspicion of driving under the influence — the deputy switched on the trademark red and blue strobes. A quick yelp of the siren helped the van’s driver recognize he was our target, which caused him to pull off the road and stop just prior to the I-95 overpass.

Cautiously approaching the driver’s side, the deputy quickly realized his suspicion was accurate. Accompanying the driver was an aging prostitute — her skin wrinkled and leathery-looking, undoubtedly from years of smoking. While the moment was heartbreaking, I remember the wise advice of the seasoned DUI Task Force deputy, “No one gets to make a choice that could rob someone else’s right to live.”

And that’s where my deep sense of gratitude resides —knowing that each day, police officers and deputies make the exact opposite decision that drunk drivers and other criminals make. Police initiate numerous choices that often put themselves in harm’s way so that no one is robbed of their right to live. Christ says in John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend”— the citizens, in their case. Without a doubt, those behind the badge embody the United States Coast Guard rescue swimmer motto: “So others may live.”

So, dear officer or deputy, thank you for putting on the uniform daily. For knowing you’ll be second-guessed, have your food sometimes [spit in], and be bullied by the talking heads on television and trolls on social media. For rushing into the situations everyone else is running from. For often being the face of humanity, sacrificially serving your community, while the poor choices of a few of your brothers and sisters allows for a complete vilification of your chosen profession. Thank you for choosing to go to a “normal day on the job,” which really means guys like me and my fellow citizens are able to rest peacefully knowing, because of you, we may live.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

On May 4, 1998, millions of Americans viewed part one of the final Seinfeld episode, aptly titled “The Finale.” Stuck in a small, unfamiliar Massachusetts town, Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer are witnesses to an armed carjacking. Showing little concern for the victim, Kramer hoists his large camcorder to film the event while the others poke fun at the driver, for both his physical appearance and ill-fated predicament. Their laughter fades when a police officer approaches the four and places them under arrest.

“What? No, no … We didn’t do anything,” said Elaine.

“That’s exactly right,” replied the police officer, charging them for violating the town’s newly passed Good Samaritan Law, requiring bystanders to take reasonable action to assist anyone in danger.

While behind bars, George said, “Why would we want to help somebody? That’s what nuns and Red Cross workers are for.”

We laugh at its absurdity: the idea that anyone would stand idly by while a fellow human was in distress, let alone film the event. Yet a few weeks ago, footage of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant “slurring his words” and “nodding off” during a safety demonstration was posted to LiveLeak. The story went viral, accusing the flight attendant of either falling asleep or being drunk.

While the digital world jumped to negative conclusions, a personal friend of the flight attendant reported that he was actually suffering from a medical condition, and was later hospitalized for a brain aneurysm.

What started out as a punchline to a ‘90s television show has become our 21st Century reality: film first, post later, feel good about our “likes.” Me. Me. Me. Surely this can’t be healthy?

Psychology Today reports that when we become “self-absorbed, it’s difficult for us to experience the world from other people’s perspectives. Other people become truly ‘other’ to us. And this makes it possible for us to inflict suffering on them,” or fail to help them when they are in need. Our cell phones are charged and ready for filming, yet, it’s our empathy, our ability to be human, which is depleted.

This is cause for concern as we consider the research of renowned psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo. In his TED Talk, Zimbardo asserts that the “slippery slope of evil — exercising power to intentionally harm people physically and psychologically” begins with the “dehumanization of others” via a “legal, political, economic or cultural background — a system” that “corrupts the individuals.”

Consider the recent national cases of police either being refused restaurant service or having derogatory remarks scribbled across their coffee cups. Let me be clear about what’s happening: Individuals are uniting against the police. There are those in our society — in every society — who do not understand the text of Romans 13:3, “For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong.” (Naturally, some have more to fear than others.) But, this is different. These individuals are uniting under the same pretense. A movement has been created, a system that is giving some people power and permission to dehumanize police, leading to the infliction of suffering against police officers, both emotional and physical. In short, evil.

Zimbardo later goes on to say that the antidote to evil is heroes: “Heroes are everyday people.” Police are everyday people. They are humans. Let us not lose our empathy, unjustly dehumanizing our peace officers. Let us recognize the true courage of those who put their life on the line during every shift, while so many of us idly stand to the side, camera phone in hand, waiting for our clip to go viral.

To all those who put on the uniform every day, thank you. Your service and sacrifice does not go unnoticed, and I believe substantially more citizens than those portrayed in the media agree that your lives matter. Not because you are a police officer, but because you are human, and to dehumanize a person is nothing short of evil.

C.J. Wetzler is the Next-Gen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments, he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

By Gary Curreri

Even though the Deerfield Beach High School football team came up short in its game on Friday night against visiting Jacksonville Bolles, Bucks quarterback Teddrick Moffett was the big winner earlier in the week when he was presented with a very large check.

Moffett and Blanche Ely High School linebacker David Francis were each awarded $1,000 scholarships from the McDougle Family Foundation. The two players were recognized as MVPs of the rain-shortened McDougle Bowl held in honor of the McDougle Brothers on Sept. 12.

Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) and Jerome McDougle (1997 Blanche Ely grad) were on hand for the second annual McDougle Bowl game. Stockar McDougle went on to play college football at the University of Oklahoma, while Jerome McDougle played at the University of Miami. Both brothers went on to play in the NFL.

The scholarships were handed out during a pep rally at Deerfield Beach. Moffett accounted for four scores, while Francis had an interception and fumble recovery.

The mission of the McDougle Family Foundation and Firstability Program is to encourage teens to stay focused on their education and provide at-risk students with support during those crisis moments.

Jerome McDougle said the game and the Foundation help start the students off with the tools necessary to succeed. Jerome McDougle, who played with the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants from 2003-2008, said the game has its place.

“The McDougle Bowl is super important because it’s about two guys coming back to the community to show the kids there are many ways to make it to the next level,” he said. “You get through the front door and achieve success through academics.”

“This is awesome,” he continued. “It is great for me and my brother to come back to one of the greatest rivalries in Broward County and we were a part of it. Both teams have had players go and play in the National Football League so it is good for us to come back.”

Stockar McDougle, who played with the Detroit Lions from 2000-04 and the Miami Dolphins in 2005 before finishing his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006-07, called it cool for him and his brother to give back to the community. He is the only one from his family that didn’t attend Blanche Ely because of unusual boundaries during his high school tenure.

“This is all about pouring more resources into the community,” Stockar said. “We have a lot of athletes who have come out of these two programs and who have gone on and done great things.”

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said the game has taken off and is glad the McDougle brothers are invested.

“It has gotten bigger and actually better,” said Glenn, who played in the game in 1995-96. “Especially with the McDougles coming on board and doing everything leading up to the game. I am very pleased and proud of the growth that the game has had over the 20 years.”

Class 4A power Jacksonville Bolles (5-0) scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to carve out a 33-15 victory over the Bucks (3-1) in a battle of unbeaten teams. Moffett once again was the star as he scored on runs of 97 and 46 yards to account for both Bucks’ touchdowns.

By Gary Curreri

Both the stadium and the host football team suffered from a power outage, and, in the end, Deerfield Beach prevailed 30-12 over host Blanche Ely in the second annual McDougle Bowl last Saturday night.

Deerfield Beach struck early and often, and, ultimately, a power outage ended the contest with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter with the Bucks winning the contest. The second annual McDougle Bowl game was presented by brothers Jerome McDougle (1997 Ely grad) and Stockar McDougle (1996 Deerfield Beach grad) who both went on to play in the NFL.

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said it is was a big game for the program.

“This is huge,” Glenn said. “It is a big rivalry game between the Pompano and Deerfield Beach communities. I played in this game (1995-96) so I know the electricity in this game and I want to make sure the kids know the importance of it. You can throw the records out of the window. Throw the wins and losses out the window. It is time to battle.”

“It has gotten bigger and actually better,” Glenn said. “Especially with the McDougles coming on board and doing everything leading up to the game. I am very pleased and proud of the growth that the game has had over the [past] 20 years.”

Deerfield Beach (2-0) struck as quickly as the lightning in the area that prompted the game to be delayed for one hour and 40-minutes. The game then endured a 20-minute power outage at 10:45 p.m. before officials called the game.

Bucks senior quarterback Teddrick Moffett, who transferred from Blanche Ely prior to the season, engineered three scores in the game’s first 6:25 as he threw for two scores and ran for another. Moffett finished the game with three TD passes and one running score.

Moffett hit Jerry Jeudy on a screen play on the first play from scrimmage that covered 62 yards and gave Deerfield Beach a 7-0 lead. The pair connected again on the next series on a 9-yard scoring play for a 14-0 lead and Moffett drove his team 60 yards in nine plays and capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run and a 21-0 lead with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter.

Blanche Ely (0-3) was able to trim the lead to 21-6 following a fumble recovery by David Francis on the Bucks’ 25-yard line. Arthur Forrest capped the 5-play drive when he bulled in from three yards out with 8:25 remaining in the second quarter. Francis later added an interception for the host Tigers.

The Bucks closed out the first half scoring with Alton Allen hauling in a 23-yard scoring pass from Moffett on the final play of the first half for a 27-6 advantage.

Jefferson Souza booted a 23-yard field goal to make it 30-6 with 10:54 left in the third quarter and Blanche Ely took the ensuing kickoff and marched 88 yards in 17 plays to trim the lead to 30-12 on a 7-yard scoring pass from Perdue to Jeremy Taylor with 4:54 left in the third quarter.

Less than two minutes later, the lights went out rendering the stadium pitch black and after a 20-minute delay, officials called the contest.

Blanche Ely entered the contest 3-7 lifetime against the visiting Bucks.

Blanche Ely lost the first four meetings and the last three games sandwiched in between three victories from 2009-11. Deerfield won 14-12, 46-6 and 19-0 the past three years. The Tigers won 28-10, 37-0 and 34-16. Deerfield Beach won the first four matchups 36-27 (2004), 28-6 (2006), 20-2 (2007) and 21-14 (2008)

Glenn said the team didn’t go into the game overconfident.

“Nobody is more desperate than us,” Glenn said. “We went 4-6 last year. We are hungry. We will never walk into a game where somebody wants to beat us more than we want to beat them. That’s the mentality of our program.”

Blanche Ely coach Nakia Jenkins had guaranteed a victory before the game. He said the team made some coaching changes during the week, and Jenkins said he took over play calling duties.

“We just had a couple of bad breaks and the kids are ready,” Jenkins said. “We made a couple of coaching changes and I am back to calling plays.”

Jenkins said things hadn’t gone the way he thought they would despite a senior-laden team entering the year.

“Speaking for myself,” Jenkins said. “I think I got away from it. I wasn’t putting both hands in it like I should have. I think my kids started drifting and not focused like they should of. I am the leadership. It starts with me. I think if they see me take it more serious, then they do the same.”

For more information on what the McDougle brothers do in the community, visit their website at http://firstability.org/#first-ability.