Merry Christmas! My kids are in IL with their grandparents. Maggie and I will drive out to be with them this week. We’ll be coming back on Saturday to celebrate the first Sunday in 2026 with you. I’ve been praying something everyday this Christmas season: That I might share about Jesus one time each…

If you read an article or watch a news show about the Middle East, Palestine, or Israel, what they are experiencing these days, though really hard, is not new. We could grab those stories, change some names and dates, and read what was happening over almost 3000 years ago. The only solution to the heartache…

If we did normal advent Sundays, this Sunday would be peace. Last Sunday would have been hope. We don’t do those normal advent Sundays though, because I am not normal. And we as a church are not normal. But, our passage today is the basis, the proof, of all 4 Sundays of Advent: Hope, Peace, Joy, and…

Last week, we left Jesus in the house of Caiaphas the High priest, where they had accused him of blasphemy and sentenced him to death. Unfortunately, this action is against the Jewish law. No one could be sentenced to death in the middle of the night. So we pick up historical account in Matthew 27:1…

Last week, we finished the teaching portion of the Gospel of Matthew. We turn to the events leading up to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. This is a sober passage, which is normally read around Easter. Not necessarily around Thanksgiving, but it is the basis for everything that we are thankful…

I don’t know if you have had the privilege of coloring with a small kid. Coloring with a 5-10 year old is one thing. Coloring with a 1-3 year old is something different. They grab a color and they color the entire page with that color. Yes, it was supposed to be a multi-colored dinosaur. But now it is…

Have you ever wanted to give someone a piece of your mind? Straight up tell them that they are being a jerk. Well, I wouldn’t recommend it. Because, when we do that, we are probably being a jerk also. It’s the whole, when you point three fingers are pointing back at you. Which is why, when I was a teen…

We’ve got another long passage today. In the middle of this passage, Jesus makes a strong statement against the religious leaders: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in…

There are a few conversations that I love having. I love talking with someone about Jesus and their need for him. I love having someone approach me and ask how they can become a follower of Jesus. I love having followers of Jesus come up to me and ask how they can grow in their faith. And I love having…

Long time ago, before we had GPS systems that talked annoyingly to us. We had maps. Very useful things. Other times, we had friends and family who knew the better way. So, we dropped the map and we caravanned where we needed to go. Sometimes that was through the big city, and we knew the only way we…

Have you ever driven bumper cars? They are so much fun. Everything that you are not supposed to do in a regular car, you get to do in bumper cars. You are constantly bumping off of each other. What is ironic about bumper cars is that you don’t have to actually pay someone to bump off of people. We spend…

When I was in high school, I went to a political activism camp just outside of Washington, D.C. I loved it. I learned about how to influence politicians. I learned about the legislative process. I also learned how to bring down the house in a talent show. I cannot believe that I am sharing this story.…

It is said that the nine most important words in a marriage are: “I was wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me.” These are also some of the hardest words to say. They take humility. And no one really truly desires humility. Merriam-Webster defines humility as the freedom from pride or arrogance. It comes…

One of the interesting portions of sitting at the booth at the County Fair is watching people. Seeing how people approach booths. How people walk around booths. I would sit behind our booth and call out to whoever came by: Everything at this table is free! Some people would come and look. Others would…

When I was a kid, I really enjoyed watching animal judging, especially showmanship. I was fascinated by the intentional movements and actions of the kids, the way they were supposed to dress, the movements they made, the way they intentionally handled the animals and held the lead ropes. I never showed…

So, I went to Pensacola Christian College for my bachelor’s degree. Many of you have heard of this school, but many haven’t. I went there because it was a cheap Christian college. When I started, they charged $5000/yr for room, board, and tuition. When I left, they had increased it to about $6500, I…