Following Jesus When It’s Hard
October 2, 2025In John 6:66 we read: “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” Jesus had spoken words that were hard to accept. Many who had followed Him for miracles, bread, or curiosity suddenly found the cost of discipleship too great. They left. But Peter answered for…
Forgiveness Through Tears
September 25, 2025When I heard Erika Kirk’s statement of forgiveness, spoken in the shadow of her husband’s assassination, I was struck silent except for tears. Her words carried a weight I cannot imagine bearing—the weight of losing the one dearest to her, and yet choosing not to let bitterness be her companion. She drew strength from the…
The Power of Gratitude
September 15, 2025This message is based on the gratitude expressed by a friend. Many people find themselves stuck in a cycle of negativity. They say things like: “The world is against me,” “Nothing ever goes right for me,” or even label themselves with words like “I’m poor” or “I’m broken.” What we often don’t realize is that…
The Truth About Separation of Church and State
September 9, 2025Introduction Few phrases in American political vocabulary are as misunderstood as “the separation of church and state.” The Constitution itself never contains the phrase, and yet modern minds often assume it means that the state must be protected from the influence of the church. Nothing could be further from the original intent. The roots of…
A Different Kind of Adventure
September 7, 2025There was a time when adventure meant motion. With my first wife, it was road trips across the United States and days spent water skiing. With my second wife, it was sailing into Chesapeake Bay, taking to the water in our 25-foot O’Day, and bareboat charters across the Caribbean. Adventure then was about new places,…
Surrounded by Good, Surrounded by Bad
September 4, 2025The Phenology Project has been such a delight for me. I get to spend time in one of my favorite places, the Garden, taking solace in the beauty of God’s creation. To walk among the trees, to watch the rhythms of budding, flowering, and fruiting, is to be reminded that God is still writing beauty…
How God Sees Labor Day
September 1, 2025Today is Labor Day, but instead of laboring, I find myself resting quietly. It makes me wonder how God views this holiday, set aside by society to honor the dignity of work and the contributions of workers. From the beginning, God gave humanity the gift of work. In Genesis, Adam was placed in the garden…
The Bread We Really Need
August 28, 2025In John 6:34 the crowd said to Jesus, “Sir, always give us this bread.” They were thinking of the bread that fills the stomach, but Jesus was pointing to something greater—the Bread of Life that fills the soul. Every day we hunger—not just for food, but for love, for peace, for security, for meaning. We…
When Life Feels Like a No-Win Scenario
August 23, 2025The other evening, I sat at a local spot and struck up a conversation with a woman. At first, it was light — talk of photography and daily life. But as the evening went on, her heart opened. She showed me a photo of her husband and quietly confessed through tears: “He doesn’t like it here.…
You Are Not Your Own
August 12, 2025“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”1 Corinthians 6:19–20 There’s something in us that clings fiercely to the idea of ownership — especially when it comes to ourselves. We like to think, “My life, my body, my choices.” But Paul’s words here gently — and…