From the Pastor “That [Your] Hearts May Be Encouraged”(Colossians 2:2) Ever known someone who was a great encourager? I’ve had the privilege of knowing a few over the years. One thing I’ve noted: the best encouragers don’t have a hidden agenda or need to...
From the Pastor That Time of the (Church) Year(Acts 2:29-33) It’s that time of year in North Carolina that summer has not quite arrived, but we know it’s on its way. NBA conference finals are almost over. Fireflies in the backyard have not yet given way to cicadas...
From the Pastor “Come and Have Breakfast”(John 21:1-14) One of the best signs I ever saw was at a breakfast place in Fuquay-Varina called “Eggs Up Grill.” It was a long and thin horizontal sign, with white or beige-colored lettering on a dark-background. It read...
From the Pastor “If It Dies…”(John 12:23-24) Have you seen the Yoshino cherry (sakura) tree in front of the main office of our church this year? It burst into bloom several days before I wrote this article. And though today the tree is dropping petals with every...
From the Pastor As the calendar turns to spring, I appreciate that Lent comes with this new season. The church calendar and my 2025 calendar sing a different tune this time of year. Take that literally! When the calendar turns from February to March, you begin to hear the chorus of...
From the Pastor Thriving in a World of Change(Jeremiah 17:5-8) How well do you deal with change? Over the years I’ve learned that in times of change, routine can be helpful. I’ve noticed that an unusually cold weather day usually feels better if it begins with my “happy...
From the Pastor The Beauty of God’s “New Year’s Resolution” to Us(Luke 2:21) On this New Year’s Eve morning, as I was driving over to church, I overheard a podcast about New Year’s resolutions. It was predictably full of all the conventional wisdom we...
From the Pastor Bethlehem and the Promise of God’s “Yes” in Christ Jesus(Luke 2:16 and 2 Corinthians 1:20) God’s “YES!” is always more earthshattering than the world’s “maybe.” Heaven’s “YES” is always victorious over...
From the Pastor The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) Are you ready for the sprint? That’s what November feels like for a lot of...
From the Pastor Fearfully and Wonderfully Made… For God’s Glory(Psalm 139:14; 3 John 1:2) The 3rd Letter of St. John is the shortest book in the Bible. At only 15 verses, there isn’t any room for extraneous detail! But inside this short and to-the-point epistle there is...
