“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,” reads James 1:2 (ESV). This is an all too familiar verse in the past several years. When someone asks me how to count all of their trials as joy, my knee-jerk reaction is to answer, “I don’t know.” Ask me how to […]
I recently picked up the book One Word That Will Change Your Life at Goodwill, my favorite place to buy books. I bought the book about a month and half before the new year while I was thinking about goals I might make for the new year. The book was an easy read. I read it the afternoon […]
Christmas has been over for almost a week. There were complaints that Christmas advertising started too early. Then, Christmas was praised in the weeks and days leading up to it. Now no one is really talking about Christmas. It is almost as if we can not wait to celebrate Christmas, but then can not wait until […]
Having just finished studying Ecclesiastes in Sunday School, I found the following opening paragraph of James Reitman’s “Postscript” on the significance of Ecclesiastes insightful and revealing. His experience reveals the human default to rely on self and struggle to find full satisfaction in God alone. As I look back on life at the age of 63, it is […]
It was a normal Monday. A co-worker asked about my weekend (though it could have been a friendly acquaintance, office neighbor, etc.). Before I could get a word out my co-worker unloaded on me about the “best movie of year” – Star Trek Into Darkness. There is never a shortage of new movies and Star Trek would have been […]
Church can be boring, right? No matter which local church we attend, the same basic activities are done each Sunday. We sing, pray, read Scripture, have announcements, listen to preaching, have fellowship, etc. However a worship service is structured, even with slight variations, it will to be similar week after week. Same ole, same ole. Whether it is […]
The question of having a personal relationship with Jesus is common in conservative Evangelical circles. Many will ask evangelistically, “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?” Others will proclaim, “You need to have a personal relationship with Jesus.” In this post, I want to further think about what it means to have a personal […]
My mentor had me do an interesting exercise. He had me write a one page letter to my wife. The goal was to express to my wife what it is to be a Christian husband. The letter was to be focused from my perspective. I was to write what it should look like for me, […]
I was sitting in class when my professor, who is also a pastor, shared a story about a homosexual couple walking hand-in-hand. He was with another pastor meeting people in the community in order to spread the gospel. My professor noticed the couple holding hands while walking down the street. He got angry. Just as he […]
The video below is me preaching Matthew 22:34-40 in Sunday School. The sermon and video were to complete an assignment for preaching class.
