Someone recently told me they didn’t like the way I preached. They said it wasn’t “encouraging enough.” I get it. We live in a culture where church is often treated like a show. People want to be entertained, amused, or patted on the back with positive words that make them feel good for the week. But here’s the truth: my job as a pastor is not to entertain you on Sunday, it’s to prepare you for et...  Read More

ASK THE PASTOR(A blog topic request from Lindsey Reed and Cory Graham)I’ll be honest, I’ve never practiced yoga, and until recently, I had not considered the act of yoga itself as sinful. For me, the stretching always seemed like just another form of exercise. But through this study, I’ve come to realize I might be wrong (still wrestling with it). I always knew the yogis, their mantras, and the sp...  Read More

I want to speak directly to something that has become common in Christian circles, the “unspoken prayer request.” It sounds humble and safe, but when we measure it against Scripture, we find that it’s unbiblical and harmful to the life of the church.Not Knowing What to Pray vs. Withholding a Prayer RequestWe need to understand the difference between not knowing what to pray and choosing not to say...  Read More

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, LSB)When Paul says the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit, he is not removing personal responsibility. The inability he speaks of is a moral and spiritual inability, not a lack of capacit...  Read More

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined.” (1 Corinthians 2:14, LSB)There is a spiritual wall that every person is born with, a barrier between the human heart and the truth of God. Paul calls this person the natural man—the one who lives according to human nature, apart...  Read More

Church, I want to share something with you that I believe could change lives, literally. It is not complicated. It is not a theological debate. It is not a church program. It is simply this: inviting someone to church.You might be surprised at how powerful that invitation can be. Statistics show that three out of five churchgoers (60 percent) have invited at least one person to church in the last ...  Read More

We’ve seen grace in the Garden. We’ve seen it in the Law. We’ve seen it in Jesus, in justification, in transformation, in trials, and in the way we extend it to others. We’ve seen grace at work in our daily growth.But the story isn’t over. Grace doesn’t just have a past and a present—it has a future.And that future is glorious.Grace Is Not Finished YetRight now, grace sustains us in a broken world...  Read More

Grace is not just the starting point of your faith—it’s the entire path.Too many Christians treat grace like the front door to salvation: you walk through it when you get saved, and then you spend the rest of your life trying to “do better” on your own strength. But grace isn’t just the way in, it’s the way forward.Second Peter 3:18 (LSB) says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and ...  Read More

I just got back from some time away on vacation. It was more than rest for my body, it was a reset for my heart. I slowed down, reflected on life and ministry, and asked God to search me and remind me why I do what I do.Right before that, Nan and I attended the Alpha Conference for leaders and pastors, and it stirred something deep in us. Sitting in sessions, worshiping with other believers, and l...  Read More

Grace is never meant to stop with you.If you’ve truly experienced the grace of God, grace that forgives your sin, lifts you out of shame, and walks with you through life, then you carry a responsibility: to give it away.We love receiving grace. But giving it? That is where the challenge comes in.Freely You Have Received—Freely GiveJesus said in Matthew 10:8 (LSB), “…freely you received, freely giv...  Read More

Grace that hurts is still grace. It’s the evidence that God is doing something deep, even in the places you never would have chosen to go.Next Up: Part 8 – “Grace for Others.”If you’ve truly received grace—even the painful kind—you’re called to extend it. In the next blog, we’ll explore how grace moves beyond you to the people around you.In Love,Pastor Jody...  Read More

If justification is the gavel of grace declaring you “not guilty,” transformation is the hand of grace lifting you to your feet and leading you into a new life.Too many people think grace is a free pass to stay the same. But real grace doesn’t just forgive, it changes you. Grace meets you in your mess, but it refuses to leave you there.Titus 2:11–12 (LSB) says, “For the grace of God has appeared, ...  Read More