And The World Spins Faster

August 1, 2007

Many families and individuals struggle with remaining too busy. I know my own calendar stays full. And if I have free time, I am filling it with something. Our culture likes to remain connected and on the move. As a recent study of 20,000 individuals worldwide reveals, the problem doesn’t exist solely in the United States. Apparently the globe is spinning faster than ever before. People in many countries feel the pressure of rushing from task to task. The problem for many Christians is this lifestyle Read more [...]

Church-Swappers and the Madness of Crowds

July 27, 2007

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 [...]

Religious Rigor Mortis

July 24, 2007

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 [...]

The Much-Needed Church Boom

July 19, 2007

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?

July 14, 2007

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 [...]

Our Ginormous God

July 11, 2007

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 [...]

The Pervasive Disease

July 9, 2007

Our society is imbued with sex. This addiction is certainly an unbiblical one. And it has been around since the fall of man. Most major cultures, from the Greeks to the Romans to us, have struggled with this disease of addiction in some form. But now it is proliferating exponentially. The fiber-optic boom transformed society. It brought upon us an electronic flood of information. Much of the transformation towards an electronic society was good. But the information flood also brought an incredible Read more [...]

Putting Old Mules Out to Pasture

July 5, 2007

This last Sunday evening, we put three old mules out to pasture. William “Bill” Neal, Wayne “Doc” Watts, and Charles “Charlie” Lenson were all honored at our deacon emeritus service. The title of “deacon emeritus” is given to those who have served the church as deacons faithfully over the years. Emeritus honor is placed upon those who are discharged from active professional duty due to physical inabilities but retain the title of one’s position. Bill Neal was ordained as a deacon Read more [...]

The Importance of a Faithful Spouse

July 2, 2007

Two major changes in my life occurred simultaneously. On New Year’s Eve 2006, I tied the knot. A little over two weeks later I went from working in the financial markets to becoming a full-time pastor. And in order to make things interesting in newlywed life, my wife and I decided to sell our house and look to buy another during these transitions. I am obviously still green at both pastoring and being a husband. I assure you, my wife and my church make me a one blessed man. Many adjectives describe Read more [...]

Time to Pray

June 28, 2007

In case you didn’t know, it takes about six hours to push mow a little more than an acre. My wife and I were blessed to buy a house in corn country in our move to Southern Indiana. Our new home is situated on about an acre. The lawn is a big change from the doll-sized townhouse, which had a yard with the same surface area as our kitchen table. Since the previous owners of our new home were not the least bit motivated to trim the grass after we made an offer, it came with shin-high foliage. So Read more [...]