Pastor, are you a thermostat or a thermometer? Get the idea? No?Here is the question: do you set the “temperature” or try to read the “temperature?” In Luke 4, Jesus has just returned from the wilderness temptation. He entered a first-century Judaism that had grown stale. Though God broke the silence of the intertestamental period…
Yesterday Jill and I had the chance to visit a unique ministry site in Carrol, Ohio. A ministry led by Pastor Kevin Seymour called, Three Strands, meets at this location. The setting is kind of a biker hangout and fight club all together. Most of the interior is painted black, but a closer look reveals…
On January 7th, I wrote the following: “…Today we celebrate God’s revelation to us. The Gentile kings knew it, God the Father announced it, and Jesus gave his closest friends a glimpse of it. May the glory of Jesus shine on our minds and hearts today.” The next morning I awoke to the reminder that 68 years…
We are quickly approaching the Day of Epiphany on January 6th, a day when the church has historically remembered the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Many cultures have celebrations on the Day of Epiphany, or as it is often called, Three Kings Day. One of the traditions…
Is there anything that makes us more tense than the holiday season? Think of the tensions of this season; financial tension, relationship tension, job tension, family tension, calendar tension… it feels like one more thing and you’re just going to fly apart. In fact, there’s even a tension that exists between the understanding of Christmas…
Sam Barber My perspective of the church has expanded in the past eighteen months as a superintendent. Our district is represented by a diverse demographic of folks from nearly every walk of life. SCO represents, I think, a snapshot of the Kingdom in all its differing beauty. I’m seriously considering a little emphasis called, “D.S….
Back in the old days, you know, when I was the pastor of a church, I wanted to give my congregation a little lesson in Advent theology. I had our props person make me a five foot tall “1” and a matching “2.” I had them placed on the stage before church started and more…
Everywhere we look right now we are invited to consider gratitude. I see pastors preaching good sermons on it, social media posts chiding me to embrace it, and stores urging me to buy something to express it. Gratitude is a good thing even though we sometimes get “marketed” during seasons like Thanksgiving. I try to…
“Are you less busy at the moment? I have a request for you to manage confidentially…” Did you get this message from me last Sunday afternoon? Some of you did. Thanks for reaching out and checking before making the mistake of getting involved. It was a scam! This has happened before, but this particular scammer did…
I was reflecting on the “Journey of Grace” NDI event we held last Saturday. Dr. Scott Rainey, our global NDI President, ministered to us powerfully. The story of how his family came to faith in Christ gives us hope for seeing those who are far from God come to know him. If you couldn’t be…
Sign in to your account to continue
