Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Matthew 6:21 One thing God has been teaching me recently is the value of slowing down. Resisting the busy, hustle-and-bustle of life. Putting up safeguards against a frenzied, frantic lifestyle that is summarized by the word hurry. When I look at the life of Jesus, I…

Heart of the Staff March 2024 This is a season in which many wedding engagement announcements and/or invitations are sent and received.  As I settled down one evening, I was glancing at our framed wedding pictures and thinking about our various occasions.  It reminded me of my own dating, selections of ring, time of proposal,…

Our culture, nation, and world is a mess. A few years ago, a feeling of depression came over me while listening to the news. I cranked up my sound system and played “The Blessing” by Kari Jobe. I basked in God’s presence and imagined the Lord’s arms around me. I took comfort in His blessing,…

Hello Church Family, A new year brings a new focus and our focus this year is Bridge 24. Our goal during this focus is to bridge the gap between a lost world and Jesus Christ. Our different Bridge events throughout the year are designed to help us do just that. With the Great Commission, Jesus…

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you…

All my life I have been somewhat of an introverted person but God has helped me grow into being more intentional about interacting and showing kindness to others, even to strangers. I read a devotion a while back that has stayed with me. It goes something like this: Think back to a time when someone…

I have recently begun working on my Doctorate of Ministry in Disciple-Making, and one of the first things I have been learning is that the call to ministry is a dangerous calling. It is dangerous because we are not only fighting the spiritual battle against sin around us (in the culture, in the lives of…

Heart of the Staff, Bro Jim September 2023 In the rotations of the Heart of the Staff, my last post was in March 2023.  I continue with The Home – Is it Made, Purchased, or Given, specifically, The Home – Sealed in Marriage. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,…

It was 45 years ago, at the age of 16, when the Lord tugged my heart to surrender my life to full-time ministry as a pastor. I deeply loved the Lord, had committed my life to following Jesus, and read my Bible daily. During my freshman year of college, a guest lecturer in Discipleship class…

In a little less than two months, my family and I are doing something we’ve never had the opportunity to do. We will take a four week sabbatical from September 13 – October 10. During this time I will have the opportunity to participate in ministry in different contexts, worship with my family in different…