Tony LaPuma Sermon
May 2026
When we were having our initial meeting with Pastor Taylor, he turned to me and said, “Tony, no F-bombs and no using any four-letter words that begin with the letters ‘sh’.” I was taken a little bit aback by that. Then I started thinking about some people I know who I’m going to talk about. I have an employee named Mark. He is the king of F-bombs. That being said, he bought me this mug, and it made me reflect on what Taylor said. It says, “I love Jesus.” In small letters, it says, “But I cuss a little.” And that is pretty much spot on.
I have a question for you. You’re going to do a project at home. It involves mechanics, carpentry, whatever, and it comes with directions. Are you the type of person who reads all the directions and goes by the directions? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants, get it done, and say, “Hey, it’s done, it works, pay no attention to the nuts, bolts, and washers left over”? You’re going to be one or the other. I myself am a directions guy, probably because of my involvement in construction. I want clarity. I want to know where I’m going. I don’t need confusion caused by overthinking when we have a clear set of instructions.
Some time ago, we were doing some condos over in Quincy, a small development. One day my plumber called me all bent out of shape. He was going on about how there was something wrong. He said, “There’s something wrong, I can’t figure out the layout of your bathrooms,” and so on. So I asked him a simple question: “Did you read the plans I gave you?” The answer was no. I said, “Well, you know what? That might be the problem.” Nice kid, really nice kid. Shortly thereafter, he actually abandoned the job. My guess is that he did not want to take the time to discipline himself to study the plans. The irony is, if you study the plans and follow the plans, you are 100% protected from making a personal error because you followed the plans given to you by the contractor.
The same thing is true in our lives. We have the blueprint for life. It’s called the Bible. We’re going to talk about my favorite verse in a little while, Proverbs 3:5–6. It’s the first Bible verse I ever committed to memory, and I still love the verse. That was some 30 years ago. I’ve learned a few more since then. I have a little saying we’ll look at when we get to the verse: smart people know just how stupid they are. Believe me, I can be the king of stupid. So we’re going to be smart and take a look at this verse, which is part of the blueprint for life.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” My question is, why would you want to be like the plumber? We all want to push back. We all have a tendency to want to do things our way, and we don’t like being told what to do. True. But here is the fact: God built this world and everything in it, including us. He gave us the blueprint. It’s called the B-I-B-L-E, which can be an acronym for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” We have emotions, wants, and desires. We like to rely on our own understanding as opposed to God’s expert leadership in all situations. In Proverbs 3:5b it is written, “Do not depend on your own understanding.”
I don’t care what the issue is. It can be relational. It can be financial. It can be a battle with sin. When we rely only on our own understanding, we lose objectivity. When you lose objectivity, you start to limit your perspective, and you can’t see any way out but your way. And nine times out of ten, our way is not the best way. You don’t want to look at the entire set of plans, like what I was talking about before with the architect.
The apostle Peter has given us a simple command in 1 Peter 5:7: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” We can go directly to the architect and have clarity instead of confusion. We can build a better action plan for our lives, but we need to act in accordance with our faith in God. I love James, Jesus’s brother. He comes straight at you. I love that book. James 2:17 reads, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” That does not mean our own brilliant idea, but the tried-and-true action of the one true God.
Let me give you an example. Right now, we’re doing a good-sized job in East Milton, right out by East Milton Square on Cheever Street. Has anybody ever tried to travel through East Milton, even when it’s not rush hour? That place is unbelievable. Every time I go there, I put on my GPS because I’m figuring the GPS might know a little bit more about which is the best way to go that day. There are plenty of ways to go. On a given day, there is a minimum of four routes. One day it will tell me, “Go down Bergen Parkway, up Center Street, over Cross Street, left on Adams Street, down toward the square, right on Union, take two lefts and you’re facing your job.” The next day on the highway it will say, “Not today. Today you’re going up to Willett Street, down the ramp, over to Furnace Brook Parkway, over to Adams Street, then up, down, and around.” The next day it might say, “Get off at the Willett Street exit and the parkway, but don’t go down Furnace Brook Parkway. Go up Willett Street all the way to Robertson Street, all the way down again to Adams Street, take a left, take a right, and you’re in.” Another day, when traffic is lighter, you go the way you would think you should have gone all week: up the expressway, off at the Adams Street exit, down Adams Street, right, left at Union, two more lefts, you’re there. There are even more ways to leave.
So, me being the smart guy that I am, on a Friday afternoon I look at the traffic up ahead and think, “Oh no, I’ll go another way. I’ll go by Bassett Street and cut out that way.” The traffic was so bad that I went down and around and ended up coming right back past the job. I said, “Ah, stupid is as stupid does.” I even thought maybe they should change the name of Bassett Street to “Asset Street,” with me being the guy doing the driving. The GPS has a clear way to go, just as God’s word gives us clarity instead of confusion. Would you rather make a major decision in your life based on guesswork or on perfect guidance?
There’s another translation of Proverbs 3:6a which reads, “In all your ways, submit to him.” For some reason, that word “submit” has been beaten up and turned into a horrible thing. Maybe because we’re Americans and we think we don’t have to submit to anybody. Americans as a whole have a great talent for butchering the English language. My kid actually did a paper one time on how the media changes the definition of words over time. We change the definition of words, and we butcher words. For instance, we supposedly speak English. The English say “aluminium”; we say aluminum. We say “jag-wire”; they say jaguar. Another one is “contribute.” We often say “CON-tribute,” but the standard pronunciation is “con-TRIB-ute.” We mangle these things. That’s us.
Now we come back to everybody’s favorite word: submit. “Submit” is actually the translation of a Hebrew word, “yada.” Not to be confused with Jason Alexander’s advertisement for Visible, “yada, yada, yada,” although knowing Jason Alexander’s background, he probably did know the actual definition of “yada” from Bible school in his younger years. The real definition of both “yada” and “submit,” because they are synonyms from different languages, is the following: to know intimately, to be aware of someone’s presence, and to acknowledge their place in our lives.
How is this applied to our passage? In this case, submit means that in all areas of our lives—finances, relationships, battling sin, how we speak, whatever the case might be—we should go to God first. This is a daily discipline. Before we act on something, before we run our mouths, before we use those four-letter words, we go to God first. This is a 24-hour discipline in our lives. It’s a marathon, not a hundred-yard dash. You pace yourself and stay with the Lord. Go after the Lord in all that you do.
This is a true situation. A friend of mine had a cousin who had a small health problem—an aggravation, whatever it was. She let it go on and on and on. She did not go to the doctor. Finally, she went, they ran some tests, and the doctor came out and said, “You’ve had this condition for quite some time, for years, right?” She said, “Yeah.” The doctor said, “I could have handled this simply in the beginning, but now it’s terminal because you let it go that far.” My point is this: you might have a communication problem in a relationship. If you do not deal with it and let it go on long enough, that relationship is going to become terminal, no doubt about it.
James 4:6–7 also echoes Proverbs 3. When I said we have to rely on him daily: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James goes on to write, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I don’t know about anybody else in this room, but I’d rather hang with the Holy Spirit than with a being that wants to destroy me.
Has anybody ever heard of Brother Lawrence? Brother Lawrence was a monk in 1600s France. He worked in the kitchen. That’s all he did all day. He would get up in the morning, cook, clean pots, clean pans, clean utensils—over and over. He became famous because when people later saw his diary and notes, they realized what this man did all day long: while in the kitchen, he practiced the presence of God. He knew that God was with him wherever he went. He submitted all day long. His notes became famous in Christian circles because we too can practice the presence of God. The psalmist wrote about how pleasing and joyful the presence of the Lord is. We also have a guarantee from Jesus in Matthew 28:20: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Let’s recap, then move on. We know we are called to trust in the Lord, and we will receive clarity instead of confusion. If we acknowledge his place in our lives—if we submit to him and give him the place he deserves, which is number one—we receive guidance instead of guesswork. The verse says, “If we trust in him and acknowledge his rightful place in our lives, he will show us which path to take.” I tell people this all the time: there is great freedom in following the instructions. Where does the responsibility lie—on you or on God? If you follow his instructions, there is great freedom. I can guarantee you his instructions are never wrong. This holds true with God as well. We can be free of doubt, free of second-guessing, free of dead-end streets.
Over 30 years ago, my marriage was in serious trouble. This would have made me a two-time loser. I said to myself, “There is no way I’m going to become a two-time loser.” I picked up my King James Bible, blew the dust off, started in Genesis, and read it all the way through. God’s word saved my marriage. We went from not talking to, “Hey baby, I’d die for you,” and “Hey baby, who’s your hero?” “You are.” Sometimes she’d say Jesus. I can’t argue with that. God put me on the right path—the straight path. This is what I know: if you trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, he will make your path straight.
The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Biblical hope is not wishful thinking—another word Americans have beaten up. It is the firm expectation that God will do exactly what he promised. In this case, he will direct your path and my path to the best possible outcome according to his will for our lives. We have a choice. We can hang on to all the egotistical nonsense—the “I want this,” “I deserve that,” “I don’t like how that guy treated me”—or we can surrender to God. In the words of the British philosopher Mick Jagger, “You can’t always get what you want.” But God will always give you what you need. I make no claim that life will be easy because you submit to God and follow the path he has laid out for us. You will, however, be right where you’re supposed to be: on his straight path.
I’m going to tell you a little bit about my son Michael. From the time he was in the crib, he had a mind of his own. He had to be the strongest-willed, toughest kid I’ve ever met. This kid didn’t talk to me for three months because he was upset that I made him change his shirt. That was him. He told me later the punishments I gave him got to him, but he was never going to let me know they were working. He was a piece of work and a tough kid. He ended up working with us, and when he worked with me, I hardly had to do anything. You folks in education know what I’m talking about: this kid had unbelievable fine motor coordination. Show him how to do something once and he could do it.
At the time, we were doing some condominiums in Canton behind the Luce School. While Michael was there, I was down in Whitman doing a job for Open Air Campaigns, one of the missionaries down there. It was a favor job. The reason I could do it was because Michael was at the other job. One Friday in October, we were just sitting in our small office on the corner, talking. It was one of those father–son talks you hope and wish for but hardly ever get, and God gave me this one. We spent a couple of hours just talking about life, discipline, direction, and where he wanted to go. Monday was going to be a free day, so I went over the schedule with Mike, telling him where I’d be Tuesday. I had an eye appointment early in the morning, then I’d go to the office after and he would be on the job.
I was in the office after my appointment when the phone rang. It was Michael. I said, “Hey, what’s up, man?” He said, “Dad, I think I’m in trouble.” Normally my spiritual gift of sarcasm would kick in and I’d say, “You’re always in trouble,” but something told me to shut my mouth and listen. I said, “What’s the matter?” He said, “I’ve got a headache, I feel like I’m going to puke, and I’m getting dizzy.” I asked, “Do you need an ambulance?” He said yes. I called an ambulance and headed over there. The first responders were calling me, asking if he was a drug addict. “No, he’s not a drug addict.” By the time I got there, they had him in the ambulance. I pulled up and started praying. I called all my friends from whatever church they were at; some of you here were involved in that. We prayed for him.
They brought him to Norwood Hospital. I learned a few things about the euphemisms the medical profession uses. The ER doctor came out and said, “Your son is very ill.” What that really means is they don’t think he’s going to live. His lungs had collapsed. The doctor said, “We got him breathing again. We’re going to medflight him into Boston.” Me, being dense, didn’t even think about the real reason you would take a helicopter. I watched the helicopter go up and fly away. His mother said to me, “We’re going to lose him.” I said, “No, we’re not.”
Driving down 128, crying like a baby, I thought about what God did for us. I said to God, “How could you ever let your Son go to that cross and do that?” But that had to be done to pay the price. The courage to say, “This is how we’re going to solve the problem,” and for Jesus to go do it—that’s unbelievable. It’s not human. It’s godly. That’s the only way it could happen.
Back to Michael’s story. He went into Boston. He had a brain aneurysm. They went in and put in a drain. I was talking to the operating nurse. He said, “We’re getting all the reactions from his eyes that we want. Everything’s looking pretty good.” We spent the day there and went home. They told me he had aspirated some vomit and wasn’t strong enough yet to deal with that, but they’d let us know. Around 9 p.m., my phone rang. “We’re going to do the aspiration. We feel he’s strong enough now.” Another thing: if you have a loved one in a Boston hospital and get a call from a 617 number at 4 a.m., it’s never good. I got a phone call: “You have to come back in.” Blood clots. His drain had clotted. They suspected he was brain-dead.
To confirm brain death, they have to get nuclear isotopes and run a specific test. At the time, I went to church with a neurologist. My pastor had his number and said, “Tony, he never answers his phone.” I called. He answered. “Yeah, Tony, what’s up?” I told him about Michael. He talked to the attending doctor and then explained to me, “Tony, let me tell you what happened to Michael. He had what they call rudimentary brain damage. His brain was not telling him to breathe. That’s why his lungs collapsed.” He also said, “The redeeming thing in all of this is: who did he call when he was in trouble? He called you.”
Once they declare someone brain-dead, all the insurance kicks off. If you want to keep him alive, it’s on your dime. A friend of mine, Mark Lynch—some of you know him—was a prayer warrior and crazy as a hoot. He had died twice and come back, and then he was stalking me in the best possible way. He said, “Tony, I don’t care what they tell you about brain death. I don’t care what they tell you about anything. I’m telling you, that kid can hear you. Anything you say to him, he will hear.” Every chance I had, I went in there with the Bible. He knew the truth, but I wanted to pound it home.
My pastor, Pastor Killifer, said to me, “Tony, they’re going to be all over you for organs. He’s 28 years old; you know how healthy he is.” Long story short, at first I said, “Nobody’s cutting up my kid anymore. Enough is enough.” Then I talked with his mom, and we prayed through it. My pastor told me he had been praying the night before and complaining to God, “With all Tony does for you and for the church, why would you take Michael like this?” He sensed God answering, “Who are you to think you can argue with me and question me? I’m God, you’re not. And how do you know I’m not going to take Michael’s heart and give it to someone who will be a lion for me for the rest of his life?”
We decided to donate the organs. My cousin at Mass General looked at the transplant sheet that day and witnessed Michael’s lung and liver being donated to someone. Out of all the organs, we got one thank-you letter. It was from the man who got Michael’s heart—a 56-year-old man in Connecticut who couldn’t work anymore and had three girls. He wrote to thank us for Michael’s heart and to say he was living for God. It’s a beautiful letter. Some of you have seen it; it’s hanging on my wall in the great room.
I’ve always had a certain response when people say, “Why did this happen to me?” My answer is, “Why not? What makes you so special?” Nothing makes me so special. But because of Michael passing, doors opened. I’ve been invited to private funerals when someone lost a child. I’ve held the hand of a young woman who lost her 20-year-old son to drugs. Others have asked me, “How do you do this?” I say, “It’s simple. It’s Jesus. No Jesus, it doesn’t happen.”
We’re going to end on a joyful note, not a downer. Remember all the snow in 2015? What are we having for lunch? Snow. What’s happening next Tuesday? Snow. What’s Saturday? Snow. My friend Mark was loving it—he was skiing all the time. I got a call from a woman named Sherry in Sharon. I went to her house. She was striking, mid-40s, just a beautiful woman. I was looking over the job, getting ready to leave, and she said, “Can I ask you a question?” I said, “Sure, what is it?” She said, “That’s not your picture on your website, is it?” I said, “No, it’s my son.” She said, “Do you realize I was at the gym this morning, rushed home, took a shower, and got all cleaned up because I thought I was going to see him?” That’s my boy, from the grave, still knocking them dead.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” It’s true. If you follow the path, I don’t know where you are or what’s going on, but if you stay with it, you will end with joy. It will not end any other way.
Just to recap: when we trust in the Lord and lean into his understanding, we receive clarity instead of confusion. When we submit to the Lord, we receive guidance instead of guessing. When we follow the path God laid out, it is a straight path that leads to peace instead of a cul-de-sac where you go around and around.
Everybody has a next step to take. Mine might be not being so quick to judge. Maybe yours is ending a relationship you know you shouldn’t be in. Maybe you’re treating somebody in a way they shouldn’t be treated. Maybe it’s a financial next step. Maybe it’s simply asking Jesus to show himself to you. Maybe your pocketbook is just a little too closed. I don’t know what it is, but I want you to do this.
We’re going to take a couple of seconds. Close your eyes. I want to pray for us. I want to pray for you right now.
Heavenly Father, we come before you. You know what the next step is for everybody in this room. You know what mine is. You know what Taylor’s is. You know what everybody’s is. I pray that they would have the willingness to trust in you and move on to that next step. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.