In 2006 I led our youth group on our very first mission trip. We went to Thousandsticks UMC, Kentucky. Pastor Steve Springer was giving us our instructions and ‘pep-talk’ for the upcoming week. He said something that has remained with me all these years: “Keep your eyes open...
BEHOLD! We don’t really use this word anymore, so its hard to deliver the impact that the word is supposed to carry. BEHOLD! It’s a word that mixes surprise and wonder with commanding attention. BEHOLD! Is a single word that means...
I was chatting with one of our church members after worship this past Sunday and he was telling me how tired he was from decorating the exterior of the house for Christmas. I can totally relate… the lights, the ladders, the inflatables, the extension cords… ...
The other day I saw a really great t-shirt. It was a military olive-green color and it had the word VETERAN prominently displayed across the front. The man wearing the shirt was ‘older’ (in his ‘50’s’ maybe), looked to be in great shape, and he had a big smile as he...
One of the greatest Thanksgiving traditions that so many in our culture participate in is this: giving to and serving those in need. Statistics show that, during Thanksgiving, food pantries are filled to overflowing, abundant baskets are prepared and delivered, community dinners are cooked and...
During the month of November we will be celebrating our faith in Jesus Christ here at St. Andrew. There are lots of ways to describe our commitments and investments in the journey of faith, hope, and love. Collectively, these commitments and investments are called 'Marks of Discipleship'. In...
This is a test… Who are you? You might give your name, or you might give your defining role (like mom, or firefighter, or mayor), or you might give your future dream (aspiring artist, future CEO). But, those are incomplete answers… maybe even knee-jerk...
9 “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors...
We are in the middle of an election season. As we look around at the political landscape we see that we live in hyper-partisan, very divisive times. There are many unfortunate and complex reasons for this… but one set of factors that always feature prominently are where and...
Our lives are a ‘work in progress’. The choices we make, the habits we develop, the opportunities we seize, all work together in building this unique life that each of us live. We can’t overestimate the impact of the roads we choose to walk… they make us...