The Blog

Check your phone. Go ahead. How many times have you unlocked it in the last hour? Most of us don't reach for our phones because something urgent is waiting. We reach for them because we're afraid of missing something, of losing our grip on a day that already feels like it's slipping away. We call it staying on top of things. It might be something else entirely: a quiet, exhausting attempt to control a life that was never ours to control in the first place. Believe it or not,

There are encouraging signs in the current conversation about men and Christianity. After years of headlines announcing the decline of male participation in church, some researchers are beginning to see indications that men—particularly younger men—are showing renewed interest in Christianity. We should be grateful for every sign of spiritual hunger. But we should also ask a more important question: Are men merely becoming more interested in Christianity, or are they becoming

There is a danger that can exist in the church without looking like sin. You can know the Bible and not obey it. You can explain the gospel and fail to live by faith. You can listen to sermons every week, read Christian books, memorize Scripture, discuss theology, and accumulate years of Christian vocabulary and yet remain remarkably unchanged. It is possible to become spiritually informed without becoming spiritually mature. That is a sobering thought, and it is precisely th

Daniel 1 introduces us to four young men carried into exile and immersed in a culture determined to reshape their identity, convictions, and worship. Yet Daniel and his friends demonstrate that faithfulness to God is possible even when surrounded by pressure to compromise. In the message above, we walk through Daniel 1 and explore what it means to remain faithful when the world around us pulls us in another direction. Daniel’s courage was not rooted in his circumstances, his

Loneliness is one of the strangest experiences of modern Christian life. We can sit in a crowded sanctuary and still feel alone. We can have hundreds of social-media connections and no one we would call when life falls apart. We can attend church every Sunday, participate in a small group, serve on a ministry team, and still quietly wonder, “Does anyone really know me?” For Christians, loneliness can feel especially confusing. We belong to Christ. We have been adopted into th

One of the questions I get asked fairly often is, "What are you reading?" Here are a few books I've been working through over the past month, along with some brief thoughts on each. Fiction* Benediction by Kent Haruf // Haruf came off a recommendation from another fiction author I appreciate. It was a super quick read about an old man diagnosed with terminal cancer and the process of him coming to terms with his death. If I read it slower, I might have cried. I pondered for s

Psalm 46 speaks directly to the heart of anyone living in a world marked by uncertainty, fear, and upheaval. The psalmist declares that God is our refuge and strength, “a very present help in trouble.” Even when the earth gives way, the mountains shake, and the nations rage, God remains unshaken. This message walks through Psalm 46 and explores what it means to find confidence and peace not in the stability of our circumstances, but in the steadfast presence and sovereignty o

Social media has given us an extraordinary ability to communicate. We can encourage friends, celebrate God's faithfulness, share truth, tell stories, invite people into community, and even proclaim the gospel to people we might never otherwise reach. But there is another use that comes far too easily: turning a public platform into a public complaint box. Someone frustrates us, and we post. Someone disappoints us, and we hint. A relationship becomes difficult, and suddenly ev

You can know a great deal about someone without actually knowing them. You might know where they were born, what they do for a living, what they believe, and even be able to tell stories about their life. But if you have never spoken with them, trusted them, loved them, or shared any meaningful relationship with them, you would never say, “I know that person.” The same distinction is profoundly important when it comes to Jesus. A person can know the facts of the gospel withou

Matthew 28:16–20 brings Matthew’s Gospel to its powerful conclusion with the risen Jesus commissioning His disciples to take the Gospel to the nations. Standing on the mountain, Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him, then gives His Church the mission to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything He has commanded. This message explores the Great Commission and what it means for every follower of Jesus. The mission of the C

There's a moment every Sunday that nobody in the congregation sees. It comes after the benediction, after the handshakes and the hallway updates on someone's surgery, after laughing at a kid's joke and praying with a couple who needed it. It comes after the sanctuary empties, after the foyer empties, after the last car pulls out of the parking lot. I walk back into that sanctuary I love, and it has gone completely quiet. That's usually when it hits: relief and ache arriving a

For years, we have heard that Gen Z is the generation walking away from Christianity. And, in many respects, the statistics have justified that concern. Yet something unexpected is happening. Young people are asking questions about Jesus again. Barna reports that 77% of U.S. teens say they are at least somewhat motivated to keep learning about Jesus throughout their lives, including 52% who say they are very motivated. Barna also found that weekly Bible reading among Gen Z ro

Matthew 27:62–66 takes us into the quiet darkness of Holy Saturday. Jesus has been crucified and buried, and the religious leaders remember His claim that He would rise again. Fearing that His disciples might steal the body and claim a resurrection, they ask Pilate to secure the tomb with a guard and seal the stone. This message explores the irony of the scene: Jesus’ enemies do everything they can to prevent the resurrection, yet their efforts ultimately become another testi

A new question is quietly making its way into Christian homes, small groups, seminaries, and churches: Should Christians use ChatGPT to study the Bible? It is a reasonable question. ChatGPT can summarize a biblical book in seconds, explain historical background, compare translations, generate questions for discussion, identify themes, and help organize what might otherwise require hours of research. For a pastor, student, or ordinary Christian trying to understand Scripture,

There is something unnatural about the human heart: we instinctively want to be noticed, appreciated, affirmed, and preferred. We want our contribution recognized, our opinion heard, our needs considered, and our preferences accommodated. We want to win the argument, receive the credit, get our way, and, if we're honest, sometimes make sure everyone knows that we were right. Into that self-centeredness comes the remarkably simple command of Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing from s

Matthew 26:57–68 brings us into the courtroom where Jesus stands before the Jewish religious leaders. False witnesses are summoned, justice is ignored, and the Son of God is condemned. It's not because He is guilty, but because He faithfully proclaims the truth. This message walks through a pivotal passage, revealing both the depth of humanity's sin and the unwavering faithfulness of Christ. Though falsely accused, mocked, and abused, Jesus remains steadfast, fulfilling the F

One of the questions I get asked fairly often is, "What are you reading?" Here are a few books I've been working through over the past month, along with some brief thoughts on each. Fiction* Back of Beyond by C.J Box // I stumbled across this at Half Price books while there w/ my family. Some interesting Law Enforcement themes that had me thinking. It was on the shelf all last month and decided to pick it up. I found it interesting that the book has a discussion guide. I was

“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3 At first glance, those words seem almost surprising. Moses confronted Pharaoh with the authority of God, led Israel through the Red Sea, received the Law on Mount Sinai, and shepherded a stubborn nation through forty years in the wilderness. He displayed extraordinary courage, conviction, and leadership. Yet the Holy Spirit chose to characterize him primarily by his humil

There is a familiar tension many Believers in Christ experience that often goes unspoken. We genuinely want to obey God. We believe His Word is true. We trust that His plans are good. Yet when He calls us into something difficult (a painful season, an uncertain future, a hard conversation, a costly act of obedience, or a path we never would have chosen) we suddenly find our hearts filled with uneasiness. Questions begin to surface: What if this doesn't work out? What if I fai

In the final week of our series on the Nicene Creed, we turn to Ephesians 4:1–6 and the Creed’s confession that we believe in “one holy Church.” Paul shows us what it means to live as the people of God, walking worthy of our calling with humility, gentleness, patience, and love. This message explores the unity God has already created among His people: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. Christian unity is not someth