January 4, 2025 – Epiphany Sunday Matthew 2: 1-12:   Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.  About that time some wise men   from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”   King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.   He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Wh

December 31, 2025 - 4th Week of Advent Luke 2: 8-20 ( NIV ): And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.    An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.    But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.    Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

December 24, 2025 Christmas Eve “All Because a Child Was Born…” I want you to think for a moment this Christmas Eve how the world was forever changed by the child whose birth we celebrate this night. D. James Kennedy, in his book , What if Jesus Had Never Been Born , writes: “He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

December 17, 2025 – 3rd Week of Advent Matthew 2: 1-12 ( NKJV ) -   Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people togethe

December 10, 2025 - 2 nd Week of Advent Matthew 1: 18-25 ( NIV )  – This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.    Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to hi

December 3, 2025 1 st  Week of Advent This past Sunday, we entered the season of Advent. Advent  means “coming” or “arrival.” During these weeks leading up to Christmas, we prepare—preparing for His coming, His arrival. We light the first candle on the Advent wreath and begin counting down the weeks until Christmas Eve, the night we celebrate God becoming man, the night Jesus was born. As John writes, “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.”  — John

November 26, 2025 One morning years ago, Deb and I pulled our truck out of the garage. The temperature gauge on our Durango read much higher than the actual outside temperature. Only after we began driving—pulling out of the driveway and heading into town—did the temperature rapidly begin to drop until it finally became accurate. That morning, we were taking Matthew to school. As he watched the temperature fall quickly while we drove into Seaford, he said, “ The more you go i

November 19, 2025 From the very beginning of Scripture, Genesis introduces us to stories of brothers in conflict. Cain murders his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1–15). Isaac and Ishmael stand at odds, culminating in Isaac’s mother sending Ishmael and his mother, Hagar, into the desert (Genesis 21:1–21). Jacob and Esau begin their rivalry even in the womb, and it ultimately leads Jacob to deceive their father, Isaac, to take Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25:29–34). Joseph’s brothers, c

November 12, 2025 I love the movie The War , starring Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood—especially one scene that captures the very heart of grace. At a country fair, some bullies harass Stu, a young boy, who finally begins to fight back. His father, played by Kevin Costner, steps in and breaks up the fight. But instead of scolding the bullies or demanding they be punished, he walks over and hands them the cotton candy he’d just bought for Stu’s mother and sister. Stu is furious.

November 5, 2025 Most of us are familiar with Dorothy Gale—a young girl living on a Kansas farm with her Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and her dog, Toto. Life there is bleak and routine; farm life on the prairie is hard, dusty, and drained of color. Dorothy feels lonely, overlooked, and misunderstood. Her aunt and uncle are too busy to listen to her fears about Miss Gulch wanting Toto destroyed. The farmhands—Hunk, Hickory, and Zeke—care about her, but they don’t take her concerns se

October 29, 2025 My wife, Debbie, and I have a cat that has suddenly showed up outside our camper over the last few weeks. It is an adorable Calico and turns out it is one of the sweetest cats I have ever come across. Of course, Deb and I immediately fell in love with this cat and decided it was our responsibility to care for it. It appeared the cat, who we named Chloe , had a respiratory cold and her eyes were crusted over. We were also sure she had fleas and ear mites havin

October 21, 2025 John Ortberg, in his book Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus , asks, “How would you like Jesus to impact your life?” How would you  like Jesus to impact your life? Here are three examples of the countless times Jesus has impacted mine… I remember taking a trip to Chicago with my brother several years ago. My brother and I decided to spend a week together in what was, for me, a strange city. I remember a beggar coming up to us

October 15, 2025 Last week, I shared a portion of my ongoing journey toward surrendering anything and everything that distracts me from this moment God has given me — anything that distracts me from the story God is writing with my life. As an outward sign of my continued desire to surrender to Christ, I reaffirmed my baptism and was immersed recently at a Men’s Spiritual Retreat. Once more, I declared my faith and commitment to following Jesus. The moment we come to Christ i

October 8, 2025 Almost three years ago, I retired from pastoral ministry in the United Methodist Church to work for Aspire Leadership as...

October 1, 2025 There Are Many Reasons for Doubt There are people that we know well who have failed us, and it causes us to doubt. There...

September 24, 2025 When unlikely characters overcome amazing odds, it gives us hope. The underdog gives us hope. At some point, we all encounter moments in life that feel far too big for us to handle alone. The weight of the world can press in, and no matter how strong we try to be, it becomes clear: we’re not meant to carry everything ourselves. Life is full of daunting challenges and uphill struggles, isn’t it? Parenting children can feel endlessly overwhelming — no manual,

September 17, 2025 I remember a story about a man attending a little league baseball game. The little children were all on the field or...

September 10, 2025 There is a story of a woman in the scriptures who knew exactly what it felt like to be broken and in need of...

September 3, 2025 This week, I thought I would share with you a passage from my first book, Three Years: Making A Difference in the Time...

August 27, 2025 In 2013, my wife, Debbie, went for her normal scheduled mammogram. She was told that there was a small area that they...