Weekly Update
Persona non grata in the Friendly Skies
Sitting in a center seat of an airplane for a few hours isn’t a life-altering disappointment. At worst, it’s a “first-world” inconvenience. Yet, as a pastor, I couldn’t help but draw a spiritual comparison to the experience…
Cultural Shifts, Christmastime, and the Importance of Relationships
Christmastime, as I mentioned last week, is one of the seasons in which people are the most open to attending church. Within our local context, there is a fantastic opportunity to extend an invitation…
A Christmas Reminder for All of Us—Including the Pastors!
The Christmas season is here once again. Beyond the beautiful music, festive decorations, and the reminders of the first coming of our Savior, Christmas brings with it still another joy…
Suffering Well
Why does God allow suffering? There’s nothing wrong or sinful about asking this question. I’d dare say that when we witness or experience suffering, it’s the very question that God longs for us to ask.
Book Suggestions for Your Winter Reading List
I’ve had the pleasure of reading several excellent books lately, and I wanted to share the ones that are worth your consideration as you ponder assembling your own winter reading list. I don’t know about you, but when the thermometer dips, it’s a signal to me that the time has come for books and warm beverages. It’s not that I don’t love winter weather—I do. But there’s…
Let the Score Take Care of Itself
Renowned football coach Bill Walsh led the San Francisco 49ers to success 102 times over his 10-year career in the National Football League (1979 to 1988). Complementing this impressive record, he was able to amass three Super Bowl wins as well (1981, 1984, and 1988). Coach Walsh recounted his journey in a book published in 2009, titled “The Score Takes Care of Itself.”…
Are We Asking the Right Questions?
I recently heard a story on a podcast I was listening to. It’s a well-worn business management story—one that I’d heard several times before. However, this was a church leadership podcast, so I was hearing it with “new ears,” so to speak. The story goes that a new CEO stepped to the lectern to address a room of gathered employees at the 100-year-old company he’d been…
A Glimpse of the Divine
By all accounts, Ned Brooks is a fairly average guy. He has awife and three kids, a house in Norwalk, Connecticut, and considers himself semi-retired at age 65. I became acquainted with Ned’s story as he shared it with journalist Stephen Dubner, who hosts the popular podcast, Freakanomics. Several months ago, Ned was listening to an earlier episode of the show where Nobel…
Why Outreach is Part of Our DNA
This coming Sabbath our Spencerville church will be highlighting our outreach ministries during the Spencerville Outreach Ministry Fair. There are several reasons that inspire us to make this a priority as part of the DNA of our church family’s mission: We believe that God is passionate about restoring His physical, mental, and spiritual image in us. a. God created…
The Divine Multiplier
There was once a boy, around sixteen years of age. After a prolonged illness, he was informed by his family doctor that he likely had only six weeks to live. Understandably troubled by the news of his impending death, the boy went for a walk around the town where he lived. As he walked by a coffee shop, he saw a sign announcing a weeklong series of meetings presented by…