“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good…” – Genesis 1:31a My wife, Sarah, and I celebrated our 15-year anniversary this summer and were able to take a week-long trip to Pittsburgh, PA. We coordinated childcare with grandparents, planned our trip, and headed out of town to enjoy a new city ..read more

“It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor, Would you be mine?  Could you be mine? Won’t you please, won’t you please, Please won’t you be my neighbor? These lyrics are from the song “Won’t You be my Neighbor?” that was sung at the beginning of every episode of the ..read more

I had the opportunity to visit the Holy Land in Israel in 2018. What an experience that was of learning, experiencing, and walking where Jesus walked. I learned much about biblical sites which made the Bible come alive. But I also learned about the current Israeli culture. I will never forget the day our tour guide made this statement, “You Americans often talk about your freedom. We have no idea what that even means. We have never experienced freedom.” This is the only life they have ever known. Those words impacted me in such a way that I realized how blessed we are in America and the freed ..read more

It’s not by accident that Jesus teaches on prayer in Luke 11:1-4 and then shares a parable on prayer about how God delights to answer our prayers in verses 5-13. Here is the reality—we often feel as if our prayers go unanswered or that God might not be concerned with our prayers.  After teaching us to pray, Luke records Jesus’s teaching on persistent prayer and our caring Father in Luke 11:5-13.  His point is we are to keep praying and trusting in our Father’s loving care for us.  Why?  Because our Father is not like an uncaring friend. Jesus’s parable contrasts the Father ..read more

The Best is Yet to Come! I had the privilege over the weekend to preach at the 225th anniversary celebration of the Bracken Association of Baptists.  It was a meaningful experience with a strong attendance and more than half of the churches represented.  There was good music, historical information, ministry displays, recognition of associational achievements, and most certainly, delicious food! When celebrating an anniversary and remembering our history, it’s easy to talk about what God has done in the past.  So many associational leaders relish the great successes of the past ..read more

I depend on my GPS as I travel around the state.  Frankly, I am not sure what I would do without it. Several years ago, while driving to speak at an annual associational meeting, my GPS showed that I was about five minutes from the church.  As I drove, I noticed a church to my left, and as I normally do, I read the church sign.  “Hmm,” I thought to myself, “that church has the same name of the church I am going to.”  Thankfully it did not take me long to realize that was the church I was going to.  My GPS was off, to say the least. But it sure beats a paper map ..read more

Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything[1]. 36 hours. That is how long it took on a recent missions trip to travel from Kentucky to Central Asia (We can’t disclose the precise location for security reasons). No, we didn’t sail there. And no, it does not typically take this long to get there. The missions team experienced multiple flight cancelations in Louisville, was rerouted to Miami, spent a day in London, and lastly endured a 5-hour bus ride to the final destination ..read more

Now that the chocolate has been eaten and the rose petals thrown out, it’s time for a little post-Valentine’s Day reflection. Sure, we all enjoyed the candy, flowers, and intimate dinners, but let’s take a moment to consider something deeper. Valentine’s Day often shines a spotlight on romantic love, which is fantastic, but it’s just one kind of love.  With the memory of heart-shaped candy and cards still fresh, let’s consider how we can extend that love beyond our romantic relationships to those who could use a different kind of love—the kind that transforms lives. How did you show love ..read more

On July 13th, 1984, on the 11th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Ronald Regan proclaimed “National Sanctity of Human Life Day”. He stated that one of those unalienable rights, as the Declaration of Independence affirms so eloquently, is the right to life.” President Regan went on to say that right to life belongs equally to “babies in the womb, babies born handicapped, and the elderly or infirmed.” National Sanctity of Life Day continues to be recognized by many organizations, churches and individuals every year on the third weekend in January. This Sunday, January 21st is Sanctity of Lif ..read more

The following illustration is amusing to me, but also demonstrates that we often see things differently depending on our perspective. There were once two salesmen who went to Africa to open new sales territories. Three days after they arrived, the first salesman faxed a message: “I will be returning home on the next plane. I can’t sell shoes here. Everyone goes barefoot all the time. There was no report from the second salesman for about two weeks. Then came a fat airmail envelope with this message for the home office. “Fifty orders enclosed. Prospects unlimited. Nobody here has shoes.” Th ..read more