Blog

Last Easter, I never would have imagined that my first Easter as pastor would be preaching to an audience of one. I never would have imagined all the empty chairs. Easter is one of the biggest days of the year and the building is usually packed, not empty. But not this year. This year we…
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“Perhaps you have heard the story of the bird who was finding a place to nest. A place neither too warm, nor frigidly cold, that was dry and protected him best. Not easy to see from the sky or a tree that the wind couldn’t wrestle or vex. So the bird flew about to try…
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When I was young, Easter was definitely lower on my list of holiday favorites. How could it compare to opening presents on Christmas morning, or trick or treating at Halloween? Sure, we got Easter baskets with some candy, but growing up in the church meant that we had to be at church especially early for…
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In case you missed it, we are now living in a post-Christian era. Sure, much of the vestiges of our nation’s past embracement of Christianity’s virtues are still here, for now, but the drum beat of the 60’s sexual revolution is marching on. However, as of late, our culture is feeling the awkwardness felt after…
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When thinking of a word to describe the current cultural and political mood, unity is probably the last word that comes to mind—Factions, tribalism, or dissension would be more fitting. But in the midst of an angry and outraged culture, one entity ought to stand out. The church. Since becoming a pastor a little more…
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I recently read a shocking statistic from a study by the Barna Research Group, that only 9 percent of professing Christians hold to a biblical worldview. It’s no wonder then that today’s Christians show little difference in how they live compared to their non-Christian counter-parts. As a pastor who works with youth, I am all…
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I was recently reading about Jeffrey Dahmer, an American serial killer who committed the rape, murder, and dismemberment of 17 men and boys. The depths of evil that Dahmer went to are too hideous to describe in detail here, but the man took on the very face of evil. However, after confessing to his crimes…
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I never get tired of the Christmas story. The idea that the almighty infinite God, the creator of the universe, became a baby – a crying, smelly, helpless baby – is so unlike anything we could have ever imagined on our own. If you’ve ever read the Old Testament, you’ll realize how truly remarkable this…
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 Sandpaper For The Soul This December I am turning 36 years old—I’m no longer a young adult, nor am I yet seasoned with the stripes of grey hair that I suspect are creeping right around the corner. While I’ve lived a very blessed life so far, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing—though compared to what…
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            It’s quite rare that I remember my friend’s Facebook posts beyond the time it takes to read this sentence, but over the years there have been a few posts that have stuck with me. Several years back, one of them was this: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing…
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