I just got back from a youth conference trip to Indiana with some of the teens who attend our youth ministry here at Pike. On this trip, we had the opportunity to hear from different speakers who focused around the theme for this year, “The Reason.” This comes from 1 Peter 3:15 where Peter challenges those he is writing to, “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account (some translations say, “the reason”) for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and […]

Our kids, like most, are really good at telling us what they need. They have no problem letting us know whether it’s a snack, a break, or a shiny new object. Where there is a problem though, is in actually knowing what they need. This where my wife and I, as their parents, have to step in to help them see what really is or is not a need. There even are times that we have to tell them what they need because they can’t see it for themselves. Well, kids aren’t the only ones who need this kind of […]

Let’s say you step on an elevator. You need to get to the top floor, so you hit the button expecting to get to where you want. As you travel up, the elevator makes several stops along the way. Soon you are joined by a nun, a mother carefully looking after two little ones, some sort of criminal accompanied by an officer, and a guy appearing to be completely down on his luck and clearly running away from some issues. You look around, being careful not to make any direct eye-contact, making your own judgments and assumptions of the company […]

Growing up I was always considered “quiet.” I wasn’t quick to assert my presence or interject into the conversations of others. I was one of those frustrating kids that wouldn’t always say, “hello” back to an adult or answer every question that came my way. It’s not that I didn’t like people. I just didn’t always feel the need to share. As a result of this, I found myself in many situations where people would speak for me. Whether people were convinced that they wouldn’t get an answer out of me or that they wouldn’t be able to hear if […]

As part of our simple serve meals, we’ve been discussing simple ways that we can practically serve those around us. Prayer has been a strategy that has come up multiple times. Through the work of Jesus, God has graciously opened the door for us to have direct communication with Him. He has made the way, invites us, and even promises to hear us when we pray. Although this act is simple, it is the most significant way that we can serve someone. In and through prayer, we bring someone directly to the throne of the One who is able and […]

  This month is set apart to celebrate the lives and achievements of African-Americans in our country. As believers, we’re called to recognize the image of God in all people (Gen. 1:27) and acknowledge those who are faithful in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 16:16 and 18). In honor of this month, I’d like to acknowledge and spotlight a pastor God rescued, brought up, and used early on in American History to expose the ridiculous and sinful nature of barriers based on the color of skin and to be an example of what the care and concern of […]

On the verge of a New Year, it can be easy to look back at the previous year and point out everything that went wrong or only think of things that didn’t go as planned. We can even become cynical in looking ahead, wondering, “Could things get any worse?” I know it feels like “it’s always something” but when we take this whiny perspective or ready-to-complain approach to life we make ourselves out to be judges over God. Our complaints attempt to raise us in a position where we look down on Him and wag a finger for how He […]

What would Christmas be without music? Can you imagine going through the holiday with no songs of celebration over Christ’s birth? No carolers. No cantatas. No child renditions of familiar classics. Music is a crucial part of our rejoicing and remembering at this time of year. At one point in history, the French Catholic church did their best to bury, not all music but one particularly beloved Christmas tune, O Holy Night. They denounced the song for its lack of musical taste and deemed it totally “absent of the spirit of religion.” I couldn’t help but scratch my head when […]

Recently, one of my heroes walked away from the faith. This was someone that I looked up to and admired. They shared their faith with boldness in a context that can be hard to. They encouraged me in my understanding of God’s Word and in learning how to communicate that truth in a way that is faithful to what is written. They didn’t seem to waver…that is, until recently. Where there was once a steadfast view of who God is and what He has said, there are now only questions and a complete denial. Such a fall has been very […]

How were people in the Old Testament saved? Was God’s plan different for them? Did they have to work for their salvation? Did Moses, Abraham, David, Noah and those that we look back to have to somehow earn their way to heaven? When we read through all of the laws, rituals, festivals, and sacrifices upon sacrifices it can get confusing as to what exactly those people were to do before Christ died, was buried, and rose again. As hard as it can be to understand sometimes, we can’t let our minds get off-track from the message of the whole Bible […]