Some mornings remind you that life is messy before you ever open your Bible. This past Sunday felt like one of those mornings. Technology wasn’t cooperating. Things broke that normally don’t break. Plans unraveled before they even got started. And yet—right in the middle of the chaos—we took communion. We slowed down. We remembered not just that a baby was born, but that a King rose from the dead. That contrast feels important, especially during Christmas. Because Christmas has a way of cleaning up the story. We put the wise men neatly next to the shepherds. We imagine everything happening in one peaceful night. But the real story is messier, longer, and far more challenging than our nativity scenes suggest. And that’s good news—especially for those of us learning how to follow Jesus in a complicated, divided world. This season at our church we’ve been talking about   The Greatest Gift . Last week, we reflected on Joseph—an ordinary man who chose obedience in the middle of confusio...

From the very beginning of the Jesus story, God makes something unmistakably clear: people who are considered outsiders matter to Him. In Matthew 2, we find an interesting group of outsiders publicly recognizing and announcing the arrival of the Jewish Messiah. They are the Wise Men—Babylonian scholars, foreigners, and spiritual outsiders. They are not religious insiders; they come from the margins of Israel’s story, yet they are the ones who notice the star, trust the promise, and take the risk to show up and worship. This is not accidental. God intentionally chooses outsiders to proclaim that the King has come. The Wise Men were shaped by a legacy that began during Israel’s exile, when figures like Daniel spoke God’s truth in foreign courts. Over generations, those promises were preserved among people who did not appear to fully belong in the Jeswish story. When the sign appeared, they responded. They crossed borders, endured uncertainty, and entered a culture not their own to honor ...

If you are a Christ follower Jesus calls you to stand with anyone who is marginalized, oppressed, victimized, or bullied. His words as seen in the gospels are peppered with cries for justice, inclusion, and equality. As a Pastor I have come to realize Jesus is calling us to become allies to those who are most ostracized or vulnerable in our midst.  What is an Ally? According to Mirriam Webster’s Dictionary the word ally is defined as  “one that is associated with another as a helper; a person or group that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity or struggle”. To be clear being an aspiring ally is all one can be, it is the right and privilege of the excluded and mistreated community to decide who they designate as an ally. This can only happen over time as a person backs up their words with action. I want to share some hard fought lessons I have learned on my own personal journey to as an aspiring ally. As a reminder if you are a christian you serve ...

  As we approach the end of 2025, I want to draw our attention to a principle found in a bible passage best known as the beatitudes.     In the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus is describing who will inherit the Kingdom of God He states:   “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NLT) .   This calling to be a “peacemaker” is not a meaningless suggestion or a poetic flourish; it is a defining characteristic of those who belong to King Jesus. Every Beatitude offers a job description for God’s people, and peacemaking stands at the center of that identity. The call to become a peacemaker is needed in our deeply divded world. Let me begin with a question: Have you ever been called a peacemaker? Are you someone who brings peace into your relationships, the rooms you enter, or the conversations you are engaged in? Or have you slipped into the traps our culture sets for us—believing that winning at all costs is the goal, or that rel...

Few words in our culture carry as much tension as   woke.  For many, this word might be considered a topic to be avoided for the sake of unity or to prevent division. Ironically, it is this avoidance and misrepresentation of its true meaning that is causing the division we are witnessing. I am proud to identify as woke because I truly believe that  being woke reflects a deep biblical call to awaken to God’s heart for the marginalized, overlooked, wounded, and oppressed . The original idea behind “wokeness” is not foreign to the Gospel; it is central to it. Prophets, like Isaiah, called Israel to “seek justice, correct oppression” (Isaiah 1:17). Jesus launched His earthly ministry by announcing good news to the poor and liberty to the oppressed (Luke 4:18). The early church had a reputation of caring for widows, orphans, foreigners, and the vulnerable. To be spiritually awake means noticing what God notices.  Being awake allows us to see the beauty & dignity of ev...

  Why I strive to say Happy Holidays to people, while still sometimes saying Merry Christmas too.   Saying   “Happy Holidays”   isn’t about watering anything down nor is it an attack on the meaning found in our Christian tradition known as Christmas. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary (  https://www.etymonline.com/word/holiday ) the word holiday comes from the old english (haligdaeg) or Holy Day. The word refers to consecrated religious observance, a religious anniversary, or Sabbath.  When I say Happy Holidays, I am ensuring acknowledgement of a sacred season. As a bonus I show that I honor the traditions of my neighbors that may be different than me in a way that aligns us with the heart of Jesus.. Jesus consistently moved toward people with compassion, dignity, & welcome. When I use language that includes those who don’t share my faith, I am reflecting His heart: a Savior who came for the whole world, not just one group. As a Christian, I...

  On a recent Sunday I preached a message from Revelation 21. This is a brief summary created from the transcript of that sermon. The focus of this blog is to show how m this passage challenges us to love and stand with our LGBTQ siblings. You can watch the Message here (starts at 23 Minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr3kyacqDRo&t=3802s Revelation 21 offers one of the most breathtaking visions in all of Scripture. John sees a new heaven and a new earth—creation restored, humanity redeemed, and God making His home among us. The tears, grief, and pain that have marked our world are wiped away. Everything bent is made straight. Everything broken is made whole. This picture is more than a promise for someday; it is a calling for how we live today. Revelation was written to real believers walking through real challenges, encouraging them not with fear, but with hope. Hope that God is moving the story toward restoration. Hope that Christ reigns. Hope that love, not fear,...