I am leading a small group on the topic of your thoughts. The group is looking at questions like “What is influencing your thought life?” One lesson focused on distractions, and the group spent most of our time discussing our phones and their impact on our thinking.

A simple suggestion was to avoid reading the Bible on your phone if you can. Then you will not get a notification to bother your reading.

All of this is in my head as I sit for a few minutes “doom scrolling” the next day. I have 15 free minutes after work, and while I wait, I am watching reels on social media. Most of them on my phone are now about fishing or faith. One that popped up was a non-Christian saying that one of the reasons he was not a believer was that passages do not align from one book to another or from one story to another. Then he gave his primary example. As he spoke, I thought, “That doesn’t sound correct.”

Grabbing a Bible and actually reading each story line by line made it clear that he was repeating what he heard someone else say. Either that or he was blatantly ignoring words and phrases in the Biblical account. Whatever the case, the solution to his problem was simple: stop and read every word of the narrative before reaching conclusions.

It is easy for us to try to live on the memories of stories we heard as children, a passage we once heard in a sermon, or even another person’s explanation, without ever reading a single verse of Scripture. My suggestion is that if you hear someone talking about a Biblical issue, go get a Bible and read it, preferably a paper copy, so your notifications don’t distract you.

I switched auto insurance companies again, still in search of savings. Fifteen years without a claim, yet I keep paying for it year after year. The only real benefit so far has been the quiet peace of knowing it’s there if I ever need it.

Numerous people treat faith the same way. They accept Jesus as Savior, then tuck him away in the back of their mind. Years pass without connecting with him, but he’s still there as a safety net for emergencies, someone to call on when the darkness rolls in.

Too many Christians carry an insurance policy faith, reaching for Jesus only when something goes wrong. But faith was not meant to be a contract, but a relationship. Following Jesus means connecting daily with him through prayer, Scripture, and fellowship with other believers. Then, when life does take an unexpected turn, Jesus shows up not because you’ve paid your dues, but because he genuinely loves you.

It is worth asking yourself: Do I love Jesus like a brother, or treat him like Allstate?

My son is part of a Church community that states one of its core values is to be “relationally intense.” I know it could be taken negatively, especially by introverts, but I am convinced they mean it in the best possible way for everyone.

Christianity was never designed to be a casual, once-a-week association. When God brings people into His family, He calls them into real, meaningful relationships with one another.

The New Testament describes believers as a body, not a crowd. A body functions because its parts are connected and dependent on each other. In the same way, church members are meant to know one another, care for one another, and walk through life together.

This means we often pray for each other. We notice when someone is missing. We celebrate victories and carry burdens. When someone is struggling, we move toward them, not away. That kind of closeness can feel intense compared to the surface-level relationships our culture often promotes, but it is exactly what Christian community is meant to be.

Relational intensity in the Church should never mean control, gossip, or unnecessary drama. Instead, it means genuine love, spiritual concern, and a willingness to invest deeply in each other’s lives. It means we take seriously the command to “love one another” and refuse to keep our brothers and sisters at a comfortable distance.

When a church embraces this kind of healthy relational depth, something powerful happens. People are strengthened in their faith, loneliness begins to fade, and the love of Christ becomes visible in everyday life.

After all, the Church is not just a place we attend; it is a family we belong to. And families, at their best, are relationally intense.

As I was scrolling through reels on social media, I stopped on a man who was not only critical of the Church but specifically of pastors. He accused most pastors of compromising their spiritual leadership to keep their jobs. He said, “If pastors stood up this Sunday and confronted sin as they should, half to three-quarters of them would lose their jobs. They know this, so they purposely preach on a handful of popular passages to keep everyone happy.”

Comments like these primarily reveal that someone has no idea what it is like to be a pastor. I am continually talking to people about changing their lives, confronting their sins, and living for Jesus. The majority of the congregation I lead would have no problem with me preaching about any sin.

Mostly, videos and comments like this one make me sad. As Christians, we call the message of Jesus “the gospel,” which means “good news.” Telling people about Jesus is primarily good news for them. It is a message that forgiveness is possible, that transformation is within reach, that grace and love triumph over evil, and there is hope for eternity in Jesus. The Bible is full of positive information, and it does not compromise the message to preach and teach that to people.

Sure, people need to know about sin and their need for repentance. People need to know they are guilty of living outside God’s will and that they need to change. But all that leads us to the message of Jesus as our Savior. It shines light on grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.

Positive preaching is not a sign of weakness in a pastor; it is evidence that they truly believe the good news of Jesus.

One of the clearest signs of Christian maturity is realizing you are never “finished.”

Many people think maturity means reaching a place where you have everything figured out. But spiritual growth does not work that way. The closer we walk with Christ, the more aware we become of the areas of our lives that still need to change.

A new believer might notice obvious sins like anger, dishonesty, and theft. As they grow, the Holy Spirit often reveals deeper issues: pride hidden behind good works, impatience with others, or a lack of love in everyday interactions. Growth means we become more willing to let God keep shaping us in every area.

This does not mean living in constant discouragement. The goal is not perfection overnight, but steady transformation over time. God is patient with His people, and He faithfully completes the work He begins.

So when you find another area of your life that needs attention, do not be discouraged. That awareness may be evidence that you are on your way to becoming a mature Christian.

My wife and I watched the movie about C.S. Lewis on Amazon Prime called “The Most Reluctant Convert.” We both agree that it is “a lot of talking.” Amidst all the dialogue, a line jumped out at me.

C.S. Lewis describes his childhood, pre-conversion view of God not as a Savior or Judge, but merely as “a sort of Magician who, if asked properly, would grant a request”. He believed this genie-like figure should “go back into his bottle until needed again.”

That is the picture of numerous people who walk through the doors of the Church I lead. Life has thrown them a curveball, and they are trying to figure out their next steps. Many of them are approaching God as a sort of magician who grants our requests and makes things better again. Then they can return to their life and forget about God until the next time they have a wish for him to fulfill.

While prayer is basically presenting our requests to God, it flows from a relationship built on communication and trust. That does not mean he gives us everything we desire; it means he gives us what is best for us and molds our hearts as we place our concerns before him.

One question worth asking about your faith is, “How do you view God?” If you think of him as a magician, you will always be disappointed. If you view him as a loving Father, you will never be let down.  

As a Christian, is there such a thing?

We believe in a God who can set a nation free by his mighty hand through plagues. He can raise the weak, give sight to the blind, heal the sick, feed the poor, and even raise the dead. His strength has no limits, and Jesus declared, “…with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26)

No person is so lost that they can’t come home. No Church is dying in a way that God can’t revive it. No human situation is so bad that God cannot bring health and restoration.

If God is truly working in a situation, there are no lost causes. Lean into your faith even when his ultimate purpose currently remains a mystery. God can make flowers grow where things currently seem lifeless, because nothing is impossible for Him.

The old joke is that a pastor only works for an hour or two on Sunday. The joke works for two reasons. One, people who truly know the pastor recognize that they are like a small business owner and end up working all the time. Two, most people have no idea what the pastor does beyond the sermon, so it might be true that he is only working that one hour.

What I didn’t understand when I entered the full-time ministry was what all I would be doing. Each week, 8-16 hours are spent preparing for a sermon, but where does the rest of the time go?.

I did a little calculating over my past 2-3 weeks to see where my time went. Here is what I discovered, and maybe it will help you. First, every day I read my Bible, pray, and read a devotional book. I am also leading 16 people in reading through the Bible in a year and messaging with them. Second, I am leading a men’s small group, and I need to prepare for that in every way. That includes reading, writing, praying, and presenting.

This is where things get more interesting. I spend a few hours each week on the building. I cleaned the carpet, washed towels, prepared coffee supplies, and even plunged a toilet. More time was devoted to creative thinking about my sermons and future worship. I placed an order on Amazon that included things like shackles, drop cloths, fake blood, and a judge’s gavel. Planning worship also includes selecting worship songs, choosing videos, and adding any creative elements for Easter. In addition, there have been staff, elder, and leadership team meetings. I write blogs and keep this site going. And each week brings various new adventures, from a random person dropping by who needs prayer to helping fix a mold problem around the baptistry to calling my mother. Some weeks, there is a steady stream of people who stop by, and other weeks I spend in almost total silence.

Being a Pastor for me is about never knowing what each day might bring. There have been days when I have visited with numerous people about following Jesus, and others when I have cleaned bathrooms and restocked the kitchen.

I did not enter this career expecting things to be easy or predictable. I went into it with an attitude that says, “God use me in any way you see fit.” And every week, he gives me new challenges and opportunities. At its heart, that is what all of us are called to do and be as Christians. With God, availability is always more important than ability.

When the house is quiet, the television is off, your phone is face down, and everyone else is asleep, where does your mind wander?

Does it replay the day like a courtroom drama, examining every word you said and every mistake you made? Do you dissect conversations, searching for hidden meanings that may not even exist?

Or does your mind rush ahead into tomorrow and rehearse conversations, preparing for worst-case scenarios, or chasing dreams of success and recognition?

Maybe it drifts backward, stirring up old regrets. Moments you wish you could redo. Words you wish you could take back. Opportunities you missed.

What fills your mind is revealing.

Those quiet moments often expose what truly captures our hearts. When distractions fade, the direction of our thoughts often shows the direction of our soul. Downtime is not just empty space, but it is sacred space. It is an opportunity to turn anxious thoughts into prayer, regret into repentance, and restless ambition into surrender.

So tonight, when the world grows quiet, and your mind begins to wander, gently lead it back to Christ. Let your last thoughts before sleep be gratitude. Let your quiet moments become communion.

Because where your mind consistently goes is often where your heart truly rests.

One of the reasons it is critical to recognize the context of a passage is that there are numerous statements made that have nothing to do with you.

In Genesis, there are promises made to Abraham that were meant specifically for him. Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets made numerous promises to the Israelites about their future. Jesus informed the twelve disciples of all kinds of amazing things that would happen to them upon his departure. On top of all that, there are promises in the New Testament for Jesus’ followers, not for humanity in general.

If you do not understand this, you will read the Old Testament, for example, a passage that was meant for Israel and apply it to our world today, totally changing its meaning.

Always ask yourself as you read your Bible, “To whom was this said?”

Quite often, the application is not for you but for someone else. In understanding this Biblically, we can begin to see that we follow a God who speaks and then follows through, even when he is not speaking to us.