Letters from the Pastor

Every so often, a phrase lodges itself deep in your spirit. For me this week, it’s this one: “Live as if each day were the first day of the rest of your eternal life.”  I’ve often heard the advice to “live each day as if it were your last.” Tim McGraw captured...

Recently, I watched an episode of Deep Questions, a podcast by Dr. Cal Newport, titled “The Real Reason You Can’t Put Down Your Phone (And What To Do About It)” (Episode 374). Dr. Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University and a columnist for The...

In Sunday’s message from Colossians 3:12–17, we reflected on Paul’s instruction to “put on love” as we would put on a garment. Paul writes, “And above all these, put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (v. 14). The word he uses for binds is...

In Sunday’s message, we reflected on the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonian church to “encourage one another and build each other up, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, and do what is good for one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11-24)....

One of the Apostle Paul’s great reminders is found in Romans 10:14–15:  “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And...

This past Sunday, Melanie, Isabella, and I worshiped at Alethia Church in Harrisonburg while visiting Isabella for Family Weekend at JMU. Alethia (the Greek word for truth) is where she and her housemates attend on Sundays. Their pastor preached from Joshua chapter 5,...

One of the quieter secrets of sustained, faithful leadership is not more answers — it is better questions. In a recent podcast interview, Pastor Rick Warren reminded Carey Nieuwhof (and all of us listening) that the quality of our life and leadership will be...

This past Sunday we explored the story of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22–23, a young leader who rediscovered God’s Word, allowed it to pierce his heart, and led his people into repentance and renewal. Josiah reminds us that the most dangerous loss in life isn’t misplacing...

While in seminary, I was introduced to Brother Lawrence by my professor of Christian Spirituality, Dr. E. Glenn Hinson, who passed away earlier this year. Dr. Hinson had a way of pointing us toward voices in the Christian tradition who spoke with clarity and depth...

This August, we walked through a three-part series titled Gifted and Called: SHAPED to Serve, exploring how every believer is saved for something – called, equipped, and sent for God’s purposes. Together, we saw that God’s calling isn’t reserved for pastors,...