Articles
Everything Old Is New Again
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. —John 15:12-13 God has given me wonderful women to link arms with every step of the way. But I’ve also run the gamut of...
The Power of Forgiveness
When we’ve been hurt, when we’ve been battered, sometimes anger and bitterness give us a sense of control. But the truth is, our bitterness and anger often control us. They keep our perpetrators close at hand, keep the wrongs they’ve done to us in the...
Sacred Endurance
The trashcan was full of CDs, and I was convinced it was for the best. It was a small act, really, but one that was significant to this music-loving gal. A year or so after I became a Christian at twenty-three, I had thrown all of my CDs in the trash. I would...
Settling…A Little
Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. —Hebrews 11:6 ESV I dream big, I pray big, and I don’t settle for anything. If I pray for someone to be...
How Do YOU Spell Care?
All churches focus on missions, right? All churches support missionaries, right? All churches care for missionaries, right? Probably not exactly, though no church (or pastor) wants to admit where there might be some gaps in the care being given to the...
Hero to Zero – I’m Just Trying to Help!
“Papa is a hero!” Don’t you just love grandkids? You can almost do no wrong. My wife, Diane and I recently took 4 of our grandkids, ages 6-8 to a local fast-food establishment which had a small indoor play space. After ordering their food, they threw off...
Grit Don’t Quit
I have learned, in my forty-plus years of serving God and living in His kingdom, that there are recurring pressures and voices that try to convince me to wave the white flag. That is to be expected, because the values of God’s kingdom are not the values of...
Christmas Away From Home
There are many reasons and places to experience a first Christmas away from home. If you have, you understand. Have you thought of the first time anyone spent Christmas away from home - the very first time? Have you thought of Mary and Joseph in this...
Jesus, the Grandest Story of All
An old man stoops and grabs a weathered hardback off the shelf. He handles the volume gently, careful not to disturb the fragile binding while returning to his favorite chair, glasses perched on his nose. As he slowly turns the yellowed pages, his eyes...
A Big Gospel in Small Places
My church, Pepperell Christian Fellowship, is a nondenominational church on Main Street in the town of Pepperell, Massachusetts, an hour northwest of Boston and just minutes from the New Hampshire border. You’ve probably never heard of Pepperell. It’s not a...
Cultivating & Guarding Children’s Love for Jesus
Why do children love Jesus so much? In the Gospels, it’s clear that they loved Jesus because He first loved them. Jesus wasn’t posing for future artists when He invited children to gather around him. Actually, He didn’t have to do any coaxing. Children...
How I Became “Pastor Cop”
First off, I have to tell you that never in a million years would I have ever thought that I would become so involved in Law Enforcement, especially while a full-time Sr. Pastor! Not only that, but I also currently serve on our regional SWAT team as the...
Five Elements of a Great Worship Experience
Experiencing church for the first time as a twenty year old young man was quite the experience. I’ve been a part of brush arbor revivals, where you go out into a field and gather some sticks and build a structure to have a church service in. I’ve been in...
Why do I sing?
I enjoy singing. It's fun. It's been a big part of my life and I take satisfaction in using it to express my heart and as a tool to explore my relationship with God. It's good for me. But that's not why I sing. Singing connects people. It's an activity...
She Rises Late and Her Kids Make Her Breakfast
It’s Not Gossip If Your Head Is Bowed Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. —James 1:26 I love catching my mother in sin. One time I heard her on the...
It’s About the Heart
It will be very difficult to embark (and remain) on a journey of transformation if we do not have confidence that we are already loved as we currently are. We don’t change so that we’ll be loved more by God. We are measurelessly loved by God, so we are...
The Pharisee Frog
Many years ago the seminary where I attended had invited a guest speaker to preach at one of the chapel services. While I don’t remember anything about his subject I remember something he said in passing: “I have heard a lot of Pharisee frogs in my...
Seven People You Should Fire Right Now
I’ve been pretty lucky in ministry. Over the years I’ve only had to fire a handful of staff and volunteers. It’s the least enjoyable part of my job but also one of the most important. And if you’re a pastor, it’s one of your most important jobs. Allowing a person to...
Why I Stopped Preaching Doctrine
I was saved as a teenager in the mid-seventies in a small church in a small town in southwest Missouri. Almost immediately I was taught doctrine. Even before I really knew what it was. The English word “doctrine” derives from the old Latin word “doctor”...
The Rule of Seven (Times Seven?) in Missions
Experts have studied how many times humans must be exposed to something in order for it to stick. One author says, “The rule of seven is an old marketing adage. It says that a prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times...
