In Mark 3:7-12 Jesus ministers to a large mass of people. This crowd followed Him not because they were seeking the Messiah. Rather, they sought a miracle-worker. With so many trying to touch Christ, a religious frenzy of pushing and shoving resulted. Christ was forced to retreat by boat and then camp on a mountain to avoid the throngs of people. It was against this backdrop that the twelve apostles were chosen - an intimate group of loyal (though sometimes immature) men who would eventually carry Read more [...]

On vacation last week, I saw my wife looking at the kayak rental sign in the gas station. When she walked back my way, I knew exactly what was coming. "Why don’t we rent a kayak while we’re here at the beach?” “Sure, why not.” I had no idea what we were about to get into. For those of you who have never been sea-kayaking, it is more difficult than it looks. We originally planned to travel 7 miles one way, then turn around and come back. Needless to say, we didn’t quite reach our goal. Read more [...]

I just finished watching the sun set over the emerald green waters of Cape San Blas. This area of Florida is known as the forgotten coastline. And it is perhaps one of my favorite places on earth. As I sat in my beach chair, feet converging with the incoming surf, watching the orange sun fall behind the horizon, I realized why so many are drawn to the white sands of the Gulf. It is truly paradise. While the counties that make up the forgotten coast are some of the most underdeveloped coastal communities Read more [...]

Is God taking you places? If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are called to go. The Christian life doesn’t come with a list of options. It is an imperative to win a world for Jesus. So go where you may say? Pray for opportunities and be amazed at what God will do. When I become pastor of my church, I told them about my vision for missions. The church grabbed the vision and made it their own. Thanks to the great administrative abilities of my associate pastor and the power of prayer, in Read more [...]

The vernacular luminaries at Merriam-Webster recently released their new agglomeration of words. One notable green grandiloquism is the word “ginormous.” While I thought this nugatory term was relegated to the halls of local junior high schools, it appears my appraisal was amiss. About one hundred fresh words officially enter our vocabulary this week. Bee-spellers everywhere are shelling out hard-earned allowances to read the latest entries. In case you didn’t catch it, “ginormous” is Read more [...]