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So, I Went On Vacation

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This summer is a memorable one for us. It began in May with Andrew graduating from high school. Right on the heels of this big event, I was given six weeks of paid time off from the church. It was the longest time I’ve had off in my professional life. We began by driving to Florida on Memorial Day weekend, spending some time at the beach with my brother, sister, mother, and their families. From there, we went to my brother’s house. He lives in Orlando, providing more days for us to be in the Florida sun. We made the three-day drive back home to Kansas. Once back, Gabe and Lauren had surgeries, which took some care from us for about ten days. Meg and I got away for a weekend. I got a weekend away with Andrew and prepared for reentry.

There are many people to thank for that time off. On the church front, leadership allowed me to cover a lot for myself while out. The pulpit supply happened thanks to friends. On vacation itself, my family provided meals, my brother provided his home, and God cared for us each step of the way. Meg’s mom cared for the kids while Meg and I got away. Meg held down the fort so Andrew and I could connect. So, I have a full heart.

The time away gave me time. Obviously, I was able to get time with family. But I also had time to process some hurts and dig into some hurts that I just pushed aside and ignored in the name of the busyness of the moment. I was able to process those.

I’m back, refreshed, and grateful for so many people and blessings I’ve experienced.

Weekend Recap – Be Careful

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My 5/5/24 sermon at Crestview, Be Careful (Luke 11:14-54), is online. This sermon went after a full chapter of teaching that related to people who are considering Jesus, but just aren’t sure of Him for one way or another. Jesus let us know what He was after in a very clean way in Luke 11:23 – “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” You could say from this that discipleship is about being with Him and gathering with Him. This sermon had plenty of head-scratching moves as we would think about them, but Jesus knows what He’s doing. I hope the sermon encouraged you.

Weekend Recap – On Prayer

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My 4/28/24 sermon at Crestview, Jesus on Prayer (Luke 11:1-13), is online. I hope this sermon helped move the needle in the prayer life of those who heard. And, I hope it worked that way, not because of anything I said, but considering what Jesus said about prayer in Luke 11. I rooted the sermon in God’s character to help people pray. I also pressed for some practicalities at the end.

I shared Ronald Rolheiser’s 7 Simple Tips for Personal Prayer. If you’d like to dig deeper into this practice of prayer for your own life, check out John Mark Comer’s resources on Practicing the Way’s Prayer Resources.

Weekend Recap – Good Samaritan, Mary/Martha, and Full Sunday

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My 4/21/24 sermon, Easily Distracted (Luke 10:25-42), is online. This sermon dug into Jesus’s testing and the self-justifying measures of a lawyer (the Good Samaritan), as well as the story of Mary and Martha at the end of Luke 10. The three paragraphs followed the 72 returning with joy, Jesus having joy in His Father’s will, and Jesus blessing His followers for what they have understood. So, these paragraphs showed ways we can easily be distracted from Jesus and His mission. I hope it encourages you.

Easter Weekend 2024

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I enjoyed an amazing (and exhausting) Easter weekend.

We began with a Good Friday Service at Crestview. I showed this video:

On Holy Saturday, here are some graphics I put forward with lyrics from O Praise the Name:

His body bound and drenched in tears
They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb
The entrance sealed by heavy stone
Messiah still and all alone

Easter Sunday featured a church-wide brunch followed by service. I continued my series in Luke’s Gospel because the text I landed on was exquisitely all about Jesus and His resurrection. The sermon, Easter’s Appeal (Luke 9:18-27), showed how the good news of Easter appeals to us and invites us into new life. I hope this weekend encouraged you.

Weekend Recap – Hearing Jesus

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My 3/17/24 sermon at Crestview, Hearing Jesus (Luke 8:22-56), is online. This sermon discussed the effects of hearing Jesus and recapped the four stories at the end of Luke 8: calming the storm, freeing the demon-possessed man, healing the woman with the issue of blood, and raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead. In each of these stories, Jesus speaks for effect: to move us in faith or to move us on the mission. I hope the sermon encourages you.

Weekend Recap – Hearing and Jesus

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My 3/10/24 sermon at Crestview Bible is online. It was entitled Hearing and Jesus (Luke 8:1-21). This passage contains the parable of the sower, which also includes part of what Jesus is up to when He teaches using parables. I tried to show connections between our hearing and Jesus Himself in this sermon. To put it simply, how we hear is tied to the relationship we have with Him. I hope the sermon encourages you.

Weekend Recap – Jesus Comes Near

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My 2/25/24 sermon at Crestview Bible Church, Jesus Comes Near (Luke 7:1-35), is online. In the sermon, I unpacked all the different types of people to whom Jesus draws near and apply them to us.

I also discussed how Jesus is way closer than any of us would dare imagine. I hope the sermon encourages you.

Life in Luke’s Gospel

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It’s been a good while since I updated things here. I enjoyed family vacation time in Chicago, took some college students to the Cross Conference, and executed a Youth Retreat for our church’s middle and high school students.

I’ve continued preaching in Luke’s Gospel. Here are some sermons:

12/17/23 – Jesus Brings Saving Certainty (Simeon/Anna)

12/31/23 – Growing Strong (Luke 2:39-52)

1/14/24 – Jesus Passes the Tests (Luke 3:21-4:13)

1/21/24 – The Mission of Jesus (Luke 4:14-30)

1/28/24 – Jesus Is Unique (Luke 4:31-5:16)

2/11/24 – Questions for Jesus (Luke 5:17-6:11)

2/18/24 – Jesus Calls Followers (Luke 6:12-49)

I hope the new year finds you well. I hope you grow closer to Jesus in any sermons you engage with.

Children’s Christmas Program 2023

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2023 Children’s Christmas Program

We enjoyed a fantastic weekend at Crestview. Like many other churches, we had children serving by providing a program. They did a great job showing how all creation sings praise to God. I had the chance to wrap up the program and connect the morning to the Christmas story, so I unpacked Luke 2:22-38 with a short sermon called Jesus Brings Saving Certainty. Simeon’s blessing (known as the Nunc Dimittis) showcased all that God was up to in sending Jesus to earth for us. I hope this sermon encourages you and that you have a wonderful holiday season.

(Oh, and if you follow the link for the sermon, you can watch the entire service, including the Christmas program, online.)