Every time I open my Bible to prepare a sermon, a teaching, or a personal study, I start with prayer. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.” We need the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word. Without His help, we may read but never understand. Prayer reminds us that this is spiritual work.  Read More

I recently read an article that made a simple but powerful claim. If you want to know whether a church is healthy, do not start by checking budgets, buildings, or how trendy the services are. Look for two sounds: Crying babies and singing men.At first, it almost seems too simple. Yet the more I sat with it, the more I realized how profoundly biblical it is. These two sounds say something about lif...  Read More

Yet Scripture teaches us to celebrate the grace we can see. To thank God for the growth that is already happening. To acknowledge the faithfulness of His people. Paul did not hesitate to say, “I thank God because I hear of your love.” I believe it is good for us to do the same.  Read More

2 Peter 1:5-12Church family, we need to hear something that Peter understood deeply. A godly life does not drift into existence. It does not appear through good intentions or spiritual talk. It must be pursued. It must be cultivated with commitment, humility, and consistency. In Pursuit of a Godly Life, I wrote that “spiritual maturity is not measured by how long you have been saved, but by how in...  Read More

Victories remind us that God is faithful. Every high place in life is a testimony that He has carried us, strengthened us, and provided for us. Praise on the mountaintop is the overflow of a grateful heart.  Read More

Last night at the concert, a lyric hit me so hard that I have not been able to shake it. Eden by Benjamin William Hastings...Click here to listen Spotify "Oh, Calvary's treeThe nails within Your handsAnd laughter swept the crowds beneathWhere Your grace exceedsThe sum of all our lackFor I'm a thief upon a treeIsn't it just like YouTo turn it all around for goodLike only You could, like only You wo...  Read More

I wanted to share something from my heart with you.This week I sat down with the new Barna State of Pastors, Volume 2 report. It is one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on the experiences of pastors in our country. I expected it to be informative. I did not expect it to be emotional. But page after page, statistic after statistic, I found myself with a burden in my chest for thousa...  Read More

This past Saturday morning, I had the privilege of speaking to the men of Ignite Church at our Man Up Pancake Breakfast. The room was filled with laughter, fellowship, and the scent of coffee and pancakes, but more importantly, it was filled with men hungry for truth. We opened the Word together to talk about one of the most important and often overlooked marks of a godly man: servanthood.I remind...  Read More

I often lie awake in the quiet hours of the night, the rest of the house asleep, and yet my mind is racing. I’m thinking of the faces in the seats of Ignite. I’m thinking of the ones who didn’t come. I’m thinking of the ones who did come, yet seemed distant. I’m thinking of the ones I haven’t met yet, and the ones I may never reach. I’m thinking about attendance, about service, about souls, about ...  Read More

While most people associate October 31st with Halloween, the Church has a much greater reason to celebrate. This is Reformation Day, the day we remember when a young monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, back in 1517. That single act sparked a movement that called the Church back to the truth of God’s Word.Luther wasn’t trying to start a new churc...  Read More

In Revelation 3:15–16 (LSB), Jesus says to the church in Laodicea,“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”These are strong words from our Savior, and they paint a clear picture of what He thinks about half-hearted faith. The term “lukewarm” describes someone who ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 9:26–27 (LSB)“Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”This passage hit me hard today. Over the last year, I have seen discipline in my physical life slip. Last year, I lost thirty pounds through consistent ...  Read More