Being unemployed is never a good feeling. There’s an emptiness inside, a desire to be productive, and an uncertainty about what’s next. So, what do we do? Pastor Tom, in his Introduction to the Church...a Master-Planned Community sermon, said, “Healthy churches look like Jesus...
The harvest is plentiful…I was recently struck by Jesus’ words in the parable of the weeds in Mathew 13:24–30.It reminded me of how difficult it is to explain something to someone who has no concept of what I am trying to tell them and so the best I can do is communicate using...
I went to a family camp this past Labor Day weekend. The speaker, Pastor Matt Holmes, spoke from the book of Ephesians, and his topic was “Back to our First Love”. I found him to be very thought-provoking, and I thought I would share a few of the things he taught us. Imagine you are...
Imagine that we are sitting at a coffee shop, and I asked you the following question, “Is there a statement, Bible verse, or just words that have influenced how you live your everyday life? Did a parent, grandparent, teacher, friend, or a coworker say something to you that to this day...
I just returned from the Philippines at the beginning of the month where I had the opportunity to preach several times. The first time was planned, and the second time was the same day that was not planned at all. In case you’re not aware, this is very typical mission trip behavior. Preach...
We have much to report about our trip to the Philippines, but it will be difficult to convey in a blog how much love we bring back to you all from our Global Partner Zoilo; his wife, Betty; their daughter, Dotty; and all our other brothers and sisters in the Philippines. Everywhere we went...
"I wish the church had a foyer that was full of crutches, wheelchairs, and bandages so that when we come into the sanctuary, we would look like we need more healing,” says Lisa Harper, biblical scholar and teacher. “Too often, the church becomes a place where we worship, but we never...
In recent years, at least since 2020, I have on a weekly basis encountered someone or had a conversation in which a remark is made about how dark the world is becoming and how fast it is becoming darker. Recently it seems those encounters are almost daily. Often it is a conversation prompted by...
I found myself flipping through the pages of my Bible the other day. Notes and pictures revealed themselves across the 66 books. Not too many though; four to be exact. One in Zechariah, one at the start of 1 Peter; the third peeking out of the notes and index section in the back and the best...
There are many mysteries about God that I wonder about. Lately I have been wondering about time and aging. Why did God make us to get old? Our bodies get frail, we fall and hurt ourselves, or we get sick and die. Why?The fact is that God created time in the beginning, and it was good. But He...