What's your favorite part of Sunday morning at church?Is it the musical part of worship, where you lose yourself in a heavenly scene, praising God for Who He is?Is it the sermon, where you learn about a text you may not have ever spent much time in, and you see the timeless truth it holds and how that timeless truth applies to your current life events?Is it praying with your brothers and sisters, ...  Read More

Ministry is never easy, and there have certainly been some hard things in the church and in many of our personal lives over the last few months. But, because God is always breathing life and redemption into graves, I’ve enjoyed some sweet moments lately as a pastor over youth, and for this newsletter I want to share a high point with you.God’s Word is true food indeed. Man does not live by bread a...  Read More

I have just begun my sabbatical (June 20-July 31) but wanted to close out with this newsletter update and give a final picture of my time away. This is a follow up to my last newsletter where I began to answer various questions about this time away for me and Angela. As a reminder, every three years I am given a sabbatical in order to take time away from the daily responsibilities of ministry and ...  Read More

In a few weeks I will be away on a sabbatical (June 20-July 31) where I will get away for concentrated time to pray, read and reflect. Every three years I am gifted a time away for this and this year is that time again. But I know that as I go on sabbatical there may be numerous questions about “why now?”, “what will I do?”, and maybe even, “what is a sabbatical?”. I thought it may be helpful in t...  Read More

I love the devotional by David Powlison, “Take Heart: Devotions to Deepen Your Faith”! I have read it a few years now and find encouragement and wisdom that points me to God’s Word and moves me toward Him and people. Below is one that has encouraged me in prayer, I hope it does for you too:Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teac...  Read More

In walking with people over the years I have seen various signs that have pointed to one who has a growing cold heart toward the things of the Lord. Like erosion over time, a cold heart grows slowly and is almost imperceptible in shifts of one’s heart that bring on the condition of a hard heart to the Lord. No Believer wants this, we don’t ask for it, but it can happen to any one of us.What is the...  Read More