Every Word Costs

My wife and I started dating in April 1996 and were married two Independence Days later. As a young man, I was plagued by passivity which led to a couple of breakups while dating. I remember the two of us sitting in a Village Inn restaurant one night with a couple of friends and we …

Sad but True

The good thing is I know you. The bad thing is I knew you.Former Boss These were some sobering words I’d heard from a former boss who interviewed me for a position for a job I’d been previously let go from 5 years prior. Yes, youthful mistakes were made, right relationships not established, trust had …

Theology Thursday: One of the Best Gifts We we can ever give or receive

One of the best gifts we can ever give or receive is the truth in love. The American Gospel docuseries called Todd White out as a false teacher and his response was saying the film was "demonically inspired". Lately, he has received the the rebuke with humility after much soul searching and "pruning" in his …

Help me see me.

In 2010, my family and I were in north central Ohio where I was pastoring a small church. We didn't have a copy machine so I was going to Office Depot weekly to have the bulletins printed for our Sunday services. I was in the van with my daughter, who at that time was around …

Math Eternal

Levi is my youngest. He's five and just finished kindergarten. He asks me some really funny questions. Here's one from today while on a car ride to a friends house we were helping move. Levi: “Dad, ask me what 20 + 20 is." Me: "Levi, what's 20 + 20?" Levi: “40!” Me: “Levi, what’s 20 …

How to Apologize like a Boss

While driving my son back from an orthodontist appointment he pointed out a grammatical error on a sign over a feeding center owned and operated by a local church.  The sign says "Fishes 'N' Loaves".  I wonder how many people see that sign and completely discount that church as irrelevant based on nothing else.  For all we …

The Dude Abides: Day 3 ~ Right and Righteous

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 I'm reading a book by C.S. Lewis called Reflections on the Psalms and chapter one is entitled "On Judgment".  He compares the two types of court in the Bible. …

Guest Post by Gabriel Perez: “My Lord and My God”

One man's journey from unbelief, to doubt, to small faith. I guess at first that title doesn't seem very remarkable.  Unshakeable faith, and mountain moving faith seem to be a much better conclusion.  Bear with me please, as it's quite a journey.  It all started with my cousin Gilbert who had made a profession of …

Lewis and Spurgeon

I love the writings of C.S. Lewis and C.H. Spurgeon. They have labored in the mines of my devotion towards Christ. They were preachers, similar thinkers, and both loyal to the Queen, but with different kinds of pulpits. The difference is that Lewis makes me want make someone a cappuccino, have a good cry together …

How deep is your love?

"It's not about setting goals, but about how your love has grown", said the author of the book called Irresistible Influence. This book has challenged my thinking as how to build bridges into the community that connect people to the real living and breathing Jesus.  The foundations of the bridges we build are proven by …