COVID changed everything for my family. I expected our life to look differently for a while as we were physically separated from our family but was not expecting to experience loss because of the viru...  Read More

Dear Church,I have joyfully heard from many of you regarding the impact of these short Psalm devotionals. We began them within days of the shutdown in the spring of 2020. They have changed and adapted...  Read More

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 :: Excellent LoveFor some reason, mutual love among the new Christians in Thessalonica was a problem. If it were not so, Paul would not return to the subject again for the secon...  Read More

I have been blessed by growing up in the church, knowing Jesus early in life, and being grounded in my faith. My wife, Leah, is a constant source of strength and love. Early in our marriage, we dreame...  Read More

Dear Church,Today, as your new week begins, I want to invite you to the end of the book of Psalms. I’d love you to read both Psalm 149 and 150. Both begin with Hallelujah, as do the three psalms befor...  Read More

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 :: Non-theoretical HolinessAfter a very long introduction, indeed the longest in all of Paul’s letters, the Apostle finally gets to the main body and subject matter of instructio...  Read More

After living through 22 months of unemployment, God blessed me with the opportunity to extend my career in September of 2020 where I was thankful to receive an offer from a HR Benefits Administration ...  Read More

It was early February 2021, and I felt that I had either been exposed to or already had Covid. I had been teaching the entire school year.  My teenage son had a very mild case of Covid in December and...  Read More

I was raised in a loving Christian family, going to churches that taught God’s Word.  As a boy, I gave my life to Christ, and remember having frequent conversations with God, thanking Him for one thin...  Read More

Dear Church,Let’s finish the book of Psalms together with endurance and excitement. Then, let’s start over together and keep going.Today, I invite you to read Psalm 148 and consider the action and att...  Read More

Mother’s Day 2021 :: Prayer and Worship ServiceGroup Prayer:Spend group time this week in an extended time of conversation that leads to prayer. Ask these questions of each person and then spend some ...  Read More

I began my journey as a believer at a young age. I knew a great deal ABOUT Jesus, but listening for His voice and trusting Him were a struggle. Even into young adulthood, it was easier for me to just ...  Read More

In our first few years of marriage, Greg and I were starving for friendships. Jobs had us hopping all over Texas, moving six times in the two years after our wedding. We’d both grown up attending chur...  Read More

Dear Church,I’d like you to recall a time when you really needed help. Perhaps it was as simple as an unexpected flat tire on a rainy day in an unfamiliar city, or it was a painful discovery about you...  Read More

My faith walk is embedded into my very earliest memories; I’ve enjoyed a closeness with Jesus as far back as I can remember. As I age, I recognize more and more the uniqueness of that scenario, but I ...  Read More

Future Glory - Present Trial :: Abound in Love1 Thessalonians 3:11-13The extended introduction by Paul in his first letter to the young church at Thessalonica ends with a powerful and simple prayer. I...  Read More

In our hearts, we can name all the ways we want to improve, each of the things we would love to change about ourselves and most of all, every source of pain from previous choices that have left their ...  Read More

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 :: Steadfast ConvictionOur teaching series is into chapter 3 of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonian church but we aren’t quite done with his introduction. So much does he ha...  Read More

I grew up in a mainstream Christian denomination, and at some point as a teenager, I drifted away from church attendance. I began to doubt my faith, calling myself an agnostic. It was then that God st...  Read More

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 :: Interpreting PainReturning to our series today through Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church, we again catch an incredible glimpse of Paul’s pastoral heart in the beginnin...  Read More

I’ve had a lot of things in my life that have scared me. When I was six, I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency. I had a lot of trouble with fear before and after I was diagnosed.  I was scared of ...  Read More

Dear Church,The last psalm of David in the ancient Hebrew collection of psalms may be among his very best. I invite you to read Psalm 145 today and see for yourself. There is much to see and enjoy and...  Read More

My faith is something I took for granted for many years. Although I knew the truth of God’s love from early in my youth I never really received him in my heart. I let God’s truth be something that was...  Read More

Dear Church,I am not unfamiliar with a heavy heart and a crushed spirit. I doubt if you are either. Sadly, you don’t have to collect many birthdays in this fallen world to feel both the sting of injur...  Read More