Curiosity.It’s a word that is not used in the Bible.Are you curious why I am talking about curiosity?Curiosity means you are not sure you understand something. It means you desire to know more. It means you will expend effort to fulfill that desire. Curiosity is humble, inquisitive, exploratory, teachable.The opposite of curiosity is a closed heart, closed ears, a haughty spirit. Boredom. Lack of ...  Read More

Last month we shared how we are in a transition with our youth ministry and I wanted to share an exciting update to that ministry.The elders have been engaged for months in working toward a solution for a healthy youth ministry that touches the lives of our youth and their parents. Over our time we have made numerous decisions that have been deeply difficult but prayerfully and cautiously led. In ...  Read More

It was one of the coldest days on record when Angela and I landed in Auckland, New Zealand on a cold June Sunday morning in 1994. We were three months married to the day, and I was the new youth pastor at a Baptist church in south Auckland. The church was called Papatoetoe Baptist Church (cool name isn’t it?). It had a rich history in New Zealand. Many youth pastors had gone before me. And I had n...  Read More

[Almost ten years ago I wrote this blog (now updated) and I find it is still very true.]I try and keep a pulse on what is happening around me in the culture for the most part. And when it comes to marriage – I tend to perk up a little bit. Especially when I hear how a couple is practically making their marriage work. I came across an article posted as a link from Facebook from a “friends” page. It...  Read More

An open letter from your pastor to a distancing church member,         My dear friend. You may not know this, but I am thinking of you often. I feel like the Lord has relentlessly been bringing you to mind. I have been feeling so very burdened for you. I have to wonder why the Lord has kept bringing you to mind?         I have so many questions for you, I wish we could actually sit down and talk. ...  Read More

Growing up in Oklahoma I had more gun safety talks than I can remember. A gun is always loaded I had learned, “it has an intention to kill” one of my many instructors had told me, “it wants to kill you”. The complete destructive power of a gun was ingrained into me. I remember looking at someone’s gun collection one day as a group of men were gathered around. Many military and gun conscious men ha...  Read More