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 from 2019! How much glory was obscured in that manger? Who was this baby, that came to us in such strange circumstances? This week I will be preaching from Matthew 17:1-13 to identify just how much Jesus was hiding. I believe that many of us drift off theologically this time of the year. We…
Throwback Blog…Thanks For the Things I Complain About
November 23, 2022
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…
Invisible Six Days a Week and Incomprehensible on the Seventh
August 18, 2022
I am a reluctant follower. My past experience and upbringing without a father, quite distant mother, and way too much freedom has made it hard for me to overcome a radical independence. And I have a nearly lethal measure of confidence. (Remember that pride is a sin and sin leads to death…) Eugene Peterson has…
I think I have noticed a trend. Maybe it’s just in my local context, which I can speak to quite well. But I imagine that what I am experiencing is likely happening in the broader context of other churches as well. First of all, I think many people cannot define what a pastor exists to…
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 am preaching the very difficult passage of 2 Samuel 11 this week. David and Bathsheba is a super shocking passage in context. Everything is going great in David’s life and then *WHAM* he’s raping one of his soldier’s wives and murdering her husband as a cover up! And the text is starkly unemotional about…
I have never been a huge fan of a major distinction between clergy and laity, pastor and parishioner, shepherd and sheep. There are certainly responsibilities I have by virtue of my occupation. And I certainly believe that I will give a certain type of higher accounting for my calling before God as a teacher and…
I have baptism on my mind, because we will be having a baptism service on Sunday immediately following our 10:30 service. I love baptisms! I love what they mean for the body of believers. We get the privilege of hearing about the way that God brought a person to faith and trust in Jesus Christ.…
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,…
