Hello GRC! It’s been over five months since the pandemic changed everything about worship, ministries, social gatherings, etc. My Sundays are only different because of a single service. Otherwise, I’m still at GRC and when it’s time, I get up to preach from the same pulpit, using the same Bible. This past Sunday, the last day of our family vacation, …
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” — Matthew 6:33 Growing up as a believer in a Christian home, I can’t tell you how many times I had read or heard this verse through the years. I also can’t tell you what I actually understood about this verse. …
Recently, I was offended and upset by a Facebook post shared by a member of my extended family. At first, I wanted to reply with a remark that would be either challenging, sarcastic or guilt-inflicting. I was alone at home that day, and I knew I could easily write something I might regret later. Thankfully, God reminded me of my …
Not a day passes without at least one TV or internet commercial referring to how we bear up during the COVID-19 pandemic: we are awesome, so we’re told, fearless, self-sacrificing, tough as nails and heroic. Then the sponsor brand appears so we will know who to thank for the encouragement… …or is it flattery? I know. It is hard to …
We’ve been having a great time in Grace Kids these days! For those of you who aren’t aware, we’ve done a virtual Christmas in July VBS and have been meeting with the kids on Wednesdays to learn about Jesus our Savior who was born for us at Christmas. I’ve enjoyed having a little Christmas tree up at my house in July and …
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Prov. 11:25 This “handfuls of purpose” was the King James Version description of gleaning that Ruth utilized in a hopeless and dire economic time (Ruth 2:15–16). The GRC Food Pantry uses the same principles. It’s about being grateful for God’s grace and provision in our lives and then providing for …
“It’s tough to make predictions—especially about the future.” – Yogi Berra Whoever coined the term “tools of ignorance” to describe a baseball catcher’s gear obviously never met the sage of St. Louis, the beloved of the Bronx. Yogi was a lot smarter than he appeared to be. You laugh at some of the things he said—and then you think “hmm . . .”. …
GRC, I have missed seeing you in person, face-to-face. As restrictions have lifted, I’ve seen a few of you in person, and that has been precious. And I’ve seen some of you much more through a screen over the last few months than I previously did before social distancing, and for that I’m thankful. I praise God for the new and different connections …
Given the pandemic, I haven’t seen my barber in months. And yet, he’s on my mind regularly these days. Not so much because I miss his services – although I do – but because of a criticism of Christianity he shared with me; a criticism he considers valid. In more or less words here was his critique: “A spirituality that …
I recently had a candid conversation with friends that covered some heavy topics including religion and current events. My friends are not believers, however, I’m very open about my faith in Christ with them. As we spoke about current events, one friend expressed hopelessness. “It’s never going to get better because people are awful.” Another friend, more optimistic, said, “We …