As a pastor I have worked to try to find a rhythm of ministry that organizes my areas of responsibility around the days of the week. Study is focused on Mondays and Tuesdays. Drafting my sermons is on Wednesdays. I have meetings with staff and elders as well as counseling appointments sprinkled throughout. There are…
1. You Believe that This World is a Safe Place Many of us were shocked at the terrible events in Texas last week as a disturbed and angry man assaulted a church near San Antonio killing many during a worship service. We should be surprised that this doesn’t happen more often! If we believe that…
This may seem presumptious as a pastor writing about ways to bless your pastor. Self-serving much? But I honestly think that it may be of benefit to the few who read my blog who do not attend ReCAST church to hear from a pastor what is a regular blessing and encouragement to me. 1. Tell…
I just got home from attending a three day conference in Nashville for Pastors and worship leaders. It was an amazing experience for a variety of reasons. Often, attending a conference is like drinking from a fire-hose. This was no different. But here is my attempt to give the highlights of conference. 1. We didn’t…
5 Reasons I am Visiting our Missionaries in Indonesia
September 14, 2017
Last week, my wife and I bought plane tickets for us and our daughter to visit friends from our church who are missionaries in Indonesia. I am looking forward to this trip for many reasons, but the central reason comes from the relationship we have with these specific missionaries. They are friends who we have…
I have a list of scriptures that I have been praying over for my kids for nearly a decade. I was moved when I attended men’s retreat over ten years ago to take up this practice. And so here are 5 of the bajillion reasons I pray for my kids almost every morning. 1. My…
The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood came out with a statement that is being called the Nashville Statement. It was named for the location of the council that produced it, much like ancient creeds were designated by the location of their formation. It has been signed by many evangelical leaders and pastors and you…
5 Reasons to Not Monitor or Limit Internet Access for Your Kids
August 17, 2017
There are unintended consequences to being an earlier adopter to the iPhone. I have had an iPhone since the 3g and have upgraded every couple of years. This meant then passing my old iPhones down to my children as an “iPod” so that they could play games and use the old one as a music…
We have a saying around my house that is often said and little applied, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.” We say that a lot. My family is verbal and loud and I’m not sure where they got it because my wife wasn’t raised that way . . . After…
This week I will be preaching on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. In this text God calls his people to a theological sexual ethic that is meant to be a stable call to holiness for his church in a world with a sexual ethic that is always shifting. The apostle Paul is clear in this text that…
Prayer can be tough. I have not yet met a person who would tell me that they are totally nailing prayer, have it all figured out, and are on top of their prayer game. So I set out to make this year a personal journey into prayer and it has been challenging. Several years ago…
There was a time when I had not lived long enough to know that life is not a straight line. A younger me, assumed that life was defined by setting a dream and then striving for it. I really believed that things pretty much progressed in that direction with some hurdles to overcome and a…
