Oct 4, 2024 | Devotion, Family, Inspiration, Pastor's Life
When God gave the command to parents and the community to teach children, the core of that was to teach them to “Love the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Rather than attempting to introduce every story of Scripture, we would do well to prepare children for meat by...
Oct 1, 2024 | Devotion, Editor's Pick, Inspiration, Pastor's Life
The night Reggie died, my family came over to sit vigil, but as the night wore on, they departed one by one to their own homes until only one of my family members and I remained. At first my family member was quiet, but eventually she opened up, pausing after each...
Sep 24, 2024 | Leadership
“Skate to where the puck is going,” Wayne Gretzky’s father taught him. That is, don’t skate to where the puck is, but to where the puck is going to be. Anticipate the direction and speed of the puck and get there first. Jump ahead of the competition by learning to see...
Sep 17, 2024 | Devotion, Inspiration, Missions, Pastor's Life
Why Visit Israel? Does a visit to the Holy Land benefit pastor and congregation? Taking our Western eyes to the East is eye-opening. Comparing Middle Eastern countries, Israel is the most influenced by Western thought and lifestyle. Yet, seeing the nuances of the area...
Sep 13, 2024 | Inspiration
There’s nothing quite as disorienting and terrifying as getting lost in the mountains at night. I speak from personal experience. My buddy Donnie Coxsey, an experienced outdoorsman, introduced me to the wonderful world of elk hunting. He had previously taken me on...
Sep 10, 2024 | Devotion, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
When we think about understanding a passage of Scripture, we can picture an arrow aimed at the bull’s-eye heart of the passage: the purpose and meaning of the text. To hit the bull’s-eye, we must understand the content of the surrounding rings. The outside ring...
Sep 9, 2024 | Devotion, Family, Pastor's Life
As Christian teachers, parents, grandparents, and caregivers, we want our kids to love God’s Word. We long for them to grow closer to God as they spend time in Scripture. But how do we encourage engagement with the Bible? By giving them a compelling reason to pick it...
