I grew up in between the GARBC and the IFCA.  Christians, like the military, love their acronyms and insider speak.  Those both stand for General Association of Regular Baptist Churches and the Independent Fundamental Churches of America.  Both are loose associations.  Both pride themselves in their independence from a larger ecclesiastical accountability.  And both would…

I have spent some time the past couple of weeks praying for the revival or awakening or really long chapel service at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky.  I have prayed for revival off and on over the years, but I have never really given much thought to what it actually IS that  I was praying for.…

I like to wrap up the year by sharing some highlights from my reading in the past year.  I will not comment on every book, but will skip across the titles worthy of mention.  I read or listened to 35 books this year. 1. Providence (by John Piper) John Piper has a way of writing…

I have learned two things in nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry. 1.  I need a personal time in the Bible on a routine basis. I remember when I was younger, I would think that spending time each day in the Bible would make my DAY go better.  I will have a better morning, a…

Throwback Blog from 2016! This blog is not written to make you feel guilty. It is more of a confession that I will let you all in on with the hopes that it moves us all along further down the road to gratitude. So let me state at the outset, that I can be a…

At some point between the idea of planting ReCAST and the actual first church service in that basement over 13 years ago, I attended a conference called Sticky Church.  Another church planter had an extra ticket and I was available that day, so I went along.  The gist of the conference was well intentioned, if…

Can we assume that Eve was the first woman?  She was certainly the first female.  But is the word “woman” merely reserved for a gendered cultural expression that can only be defined based on social constructs?  I assume that cultural expressions were quite limited being that just her and Adam existed AND that the fashion…

I was told by someone that the most important thing about me is what I think about when I think about God. Since I am a man with the convictions that there is indeed an Almighty Creator, this rings true to me.  Anyone who claims to a be a person of faith in God is…

As I went to bed last night I was picking up on the nightly news that invasion was underway in Ukraine.  When I woke up I watched a segment on CNN that troubled my heart.  The newscaster stood at the side of a large screen map of Ukraine.  It was a high tech affair. He…

This week, I am preaching in the lament of David over the fallen King Saul and his son, Jonathan.  David and Jonathan were best friends!  They were brought together at a tough time in the history of their nation.  David was a young shepherd taking care of his father’s flocks, while Jonathan was the crown…

I like to give a recap of my reading for the year.  I keep a document that I update with books I finish, and it is fun to go back through the list at the end of every year and be reminded of where I have been.  This exercise may be only for my benefit,…

Over the years, I have been asked by people to give my five year and ten year plan for the church. This has never really sat well with me. The question honestly is a bit confusing to me for two particular reasons. First, I am unsure if they are asking out of concern for the…