THE NEXT THING Dear Friend in Christ: It’s hard to believe we’re already more than a full month into 2024. You’ve been in our hearts and prayers. What I’d like to do this month is to follow up on some thoughts we were developing in last month’s Pastoral Letter, “The One. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: I pray that you have a very blessed New Year! As we begin 2023, I want to share some personal testimonies and insights with you, which I trust will encourage you in the season ahead. Battles and blessings do not appear to belong in the same. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Wisdom is a matter of life or death. I’m so thankful for parents, grandparents, pastors, and mentors who not only modeled wisdom, but taught me from an early age to pursue wisdom. Their foundation for wisdom was God’s Word and His Holy Spirit. Look at just. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I seek to unfold what I believe the Lord is saying to me now as it is very consequential to know how we respond to our current culture. Ephesians 4:15 teaches us that we grow up. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: I pray you are doing well. Soon, Christians worldwide will be celebrating the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus Christ to send His Holy Spirit to His followers. Pentecost occurs 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus. The number 50 represents “Jubilee,” a time when captives. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: Give me liberty ... Or? I pray you are well. As I write to you this month, there are some very serious matters I want to prayerfully address in the hopes that together we can find God’s wisdom and courage to face what lies ahead. My. [...]
Dear Friends, Recently, I was in a store that was displaying new Christmas merchandise. I spotted a large decorative sign for sale that boldly proclaimed, “We Believe!” I smiled, and thought, "How wonderful to see such a strong declaration of faith." As I got closer, I realized that the sign. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: We live in amazing times and so much of what we encounter is unexpected. Recently, I boarded a plane that would take me back home. The plane was full except for the seat beside me. Then a young woman came and sat in the seat beside. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: I pray you are having a blessed Autumn. This month, I want to look at a familiar Bible story, and draw some lessons that can encourage us in this season of storms and uncharted waters … uncharted by us, but known well by God. How do. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: My two previous pastoral letters were about the Beatitudes—attitudes that bring favor in hard places. In this letter I want to discuss courage. Courage is not manifest in easy times; it is revealed in hard places. Our Lord was courageous, and courage is contagious! He is. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: My previous letter began a two-part series on the Beatitudes (Beautiful attitudes) from Matthew chapter 5:1-16. In that letter, we examined the poor in spirit, grief over our condition, meekness and hungering for righteousness (see verses 1-6). This letter will give a brief examination of verses. [...]
Dear Friend in Christ: When the Lord leads us to a passage, it is not merely academic; His guidance is always preparatory. Back in February, I tried to cover Matthew 5:1-16 in one letter; I could not. In fact, books could be and have been written, but these are mostly. [...]