Message Series’

Category

What I know

We were sitting in the front yard of one of my students late in the spring, having walked there for one of our last youth group meetings of the year. The topic of conversation, was God’s ability to redeem people and things, despite our sinful tendencies. One of the students asked a question about a Biblical example of redemption, and a volunteer jumped in with one about God’s blessing the result of David and Bathsheba’s “sinful” indiscretion, by giving him…

Good stuff & bad people

Earlier this week I was scrolling through news on ESPN on my phone, when I read the following headline: “She said yes; Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez engaged to be married!” I clicked the link, and was taken to an Instagram post showing her hand on a beach somewhere, with the largest “rock” I think I have ever beheld with mine eyes. And if I’m being honest a thought I’m not all that proud of ran through my head. “How…

The fear of the Lord

It’s something I’ll never forget. The only time I have ever seen my step-dad actually angry. Like raised his voice, and most likely his blood pressure angry. Like stopped me dead in my tracks and made me reconsider all of my life’s goals and dreams angry. Like, I’ve known the man going on 31 years and it’s never going to happen again I am sure, angry. And let’s just say it wasn’t caused by something you’d expect.  My brother and…

God is in control

 I have to admit something. I don’t understand music videos. Not like, I don’t understand why they exist or the place they have in the industry - but like, when I watch them, I don’t understand them. I consider myself artistic, although not an “artist.” I have played in bands, and perhaps even flirted with the idea of making a video or two, and yet, when I watch the music available online today, most of them are lost on me.…

But, it’s not my fault…

Against my better judgment, I am going to do something here that I rarely do - mention politics. I am sure little good will come of it, but I’m feeling lucky today so here goes. I am not a member of a political party. I vote based on who I think my values and ideals most closely align with, regardless of their political affiliations. Some people say I am wasting my vote, others say that it’s about weighing the lesser…

Better together

It was one of the scariest things I have ever done. I gathered a room full of people who I had led for two years, people I felt probably looked up to me, people who trusted me and thought of me as someone to share their struggles with - and now I was about to share my struggle with them. What would it cost me? Their trust? Their friendship? Their respect? My job? After all, this same issue had cost…

I know a ghost

There are few things on the planet that can bring me as much joy as what I got to experience last week. My beautiful wife is one of them. Spending time with her is literally my favorite activity in the history of time. My children are a second. Their laugh and smiles are infectious, and just the medicine that this “daddy” needs when he walks through the door each night. Watching a game at Lambeau Field or Miller Park would…

My people

I’ve been going to church for as long as I can remember. In fact, for the first twenty-some years of my life, I went to the SAME church almost every week. People growing up now might find that strange, but that’s the way it used to be. My parents brought my brother and I, and sure it was true that we basically didn’t have a choice, but I can honestly tell you - I can’t remember a single time I…