The battles you face will never be won by 'committee.' Sure, seek wise counsel. Of course you want to learn and prepare. But when it comes to doing what is right- when it comes to standing firm for Jesus- the opinion of the crowd simply doesn't matter. The Israelite king and his entire army were quaking with fear. Day after day, they were frozen by indecision. But get this- a refusal to make a dec...  Read More

38° and rain? In January? After breaking records for snowfall in October, this has been a strange winter. Trying to drive home yesterday we were fishtailing and sliding everywhere on our side roads. We didn't even make it to the first hill. One of our neighbors braved it, and then called me to say the steep hills were actually in better shape than the flat roads. We tried again and made it home. W...  Read More

While Jesus commanded, "Therefore go," he also commanded us to 'stop.' The disciples weren't ALWAYS actively sharing their faith. Jesus knew they needed time to LEARN. You see, knowledge takes us from faith to FAITH. In other words, you can be 100%, sold-out, all-in regarding your faith, and yet somehow knowledge ADDS TO and INCREASES our faith. We need time to learn, but we also need time to YEAR...  Read More

Much of my life recently has been spent traveling. An unexpected trip to sit with grieving loved ones, a rescheduled conference, Christmas with my parents, preaching at a cousin's funeral, and a ministry trip with Upward Sports have seemed to come one right after another. While I am thankful that God has given me both blessings and opportunities to bless others, I am also anxious to be 'home' with...  Read More

Yesterday (for the first time in my life) I watched a professional bass fishing tournament on television. I had no idea that there was such a thing as 'Major League Fishing.' These men had the right EQUIPMENT, had a lot of TRAINING and EXPERIENCE, and were entirely FOCUSED on catching fish. I imagine that's what a few of the disciples were like when they first met Jesus. They also were fishermen- ...  Read More

Some people equate age with wisdom. While it's true that more years equals more experience and that experience can make us smarter and improve our skills, does age make us wise? Not according to God. He tells us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." In other words, the 5 year old who loves Jesus, has far greater wisdom than our current President and our list of top billionaires in Am...  Read More

I made some new friends today. I still don't know them well. God has given me an amazing opportunity.  But then, doesn't he give you and me this opportunity almost EVERY day? I'm sure that he does. More than the 12 who were chosen traveled with Jesus. There were additional men (and women as well). In today's church, we might call those people a 'life group.' They were more than traveling companion...  Read More

On this New Year's Day in the year 2025 I once again wonder, "How long, Jesus? How long until you return for those who love you?" Those who are wise WAIT and WATCH for his return. A part of us longs for it, but we do much more than that. We wait and we watch and we WORK. Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into...  Read More

My goal for this week is to 'listen well.' I want to truly get to know and understand people I haven't yet met. I want to make new friends. I want to write their names down so that I don't forget them. In fact, I'd love to make a new friend every day. I don't know about you, but if I'm not INTENTIONAL, my focus tends to be INWARD- entirely on myself. This is contrary to the Holy Spirit's leading. The greatest command is to "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength." That's an UPWARD focus. The second greatest command is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." That's an OUTWARD focus. INWARD= SELF-ish UPWARD & OUTWARD= CHRIST-like Make a new friend today, and you will be blessed -Pastor Brad Written on December 31, 2024  Read More

Sometimes failure surprises us. Sometimes we expect it. But let's be honest- sometimes we INTEND to fail. We commit ourselves to eating healthy food... and then we scarf down a whole bag of chips. We commit ourselves to exercise... and then we curl up in a ball on the couch. We commit ourselves to cleaning the house or finishing a project... and then we watch a movie instead. Sometimes we INTEND t...  Read More

After Jesus ascended into heaven, what did the early church look like? What did people do? After seeing Jesus arrested and killed, much of the excitement about him died down. Most of those early followers simply walked away, including many who had witnessed miracles. But the TRUE church (a group numbering about 120) was very much alive. Acts 1:14 says, "They all joined together constantly in praye...  Read More

Time passes swiftly. I remember laying on the ground... groaning... very conscious of the fact that I might not survive... calling out to Jesus. I was never afraid- not even for a moment. After all, death has no element of fear for those who walk with Christ. I was by myself... 44 miles into the mountains... miles away from the nearest trail... no cell reception... no hope of rescue. In the middle...  Read More