People of God, May you be the water that brings life wherever you go. Ladling water onto tired, parched lips. And everlasting water onto tired, parched souls. And although you stand in the river of life where the water beneath your feet is constantly changing, may you find peace in God and joy every day […]
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In […]
It’s right there, front and center in our name, “Grace.” It’s a catchy word. A buzzword. One of those words that, unfortunately, has become thin because of flippant use, but certainly not because of its substance. This is seen when we consider its Greek form, Charis (khar’-ece), which carries a range of meanings, including grace, […]
My dogs love playing in the backyard — running, barking and wrestling. The spring season is the best time for them to be outside: they have thick coats and the weather is cool. Unfortunately, we only have one small, developed tree in the back yard. Without shade, the dogs don’t like spending time in the […]
The Gospel reading from church on Sunday challenged our church plant: Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot” (Matthew 5:13, NRSV). In the first century, […]
A couple of weeks ago, I received a rather eventful voicemail from a church member: “Hey man, got a crazy story to tell you. It ends with me delivering our baby unexpectedly on the bathroom floor this morning. Everyone’s doing fine now. Talk to you later.” A couple in our church thought they would deliver […]
When there is a storm outside at night, I do not get much sleep. I know what you are thinking, and I am actually not afraid of the thunder, lightning, and rain, but I do have a big ole dog who absolutely freaks out during storms. When thunder comes at night, our dog, Kennedy, starts […]
“If you were not on staff at your own church, would you attend your church?” asked the speaker to a room full of Baptist ministers. Groans, chuckles, and whispers became audible as the conference processed the profound thought. I heard this question at a conference this past February. Reflection on the answer causes ministers to […]
Thanksgiving is drawing near, so it seemed completely fitting to honor the children of Grace that we are so very thankful to know and love. Our first ever child dedication service was set for Sunday, November 24th, and the love and creativity experienced by all was a real blessing. The dedication was not simply a […]
This post was originally published on the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Blog. My waistline in growing, and I think it has something to do with being a church starter. I worked in an established church for years before church starting. Whenever I had to meet someone for planning, counseling, or most church-related activities, the standard question […]
