If I Stand

This has been my “life song” since college, since I gave my life to Jesus. It’s the song I have told Keri to have played at my funeral someday. It’s by Rich Mullins, a fellow ragamuffin for Jesus. Still, I’ve never really stopped to ponder the lyrics and why this song speaks to my heart. … More If I Stand

Prepare the Way (Advent 2025)

This year we’re going to honor the real mood and message of Advent, which is a starker season of preparation for the different comings of God — first, in the events of Jesus’ birth and, second, at the Final Judgment. Advent is for waiting and longing and repenting in anticipation for invasion of Light into our darkness. We will be sitting in a classic Advent text from Isaiah 40:3-5. … More Prepare the Way (Advent 2025)

Nazification and the Church (Russell Moore)

The controversy surrounding Tucker Carlson’s platforming of neo-Nazi apologist Nick Fuentes has revealed concerning ideologies among young evangelical leaders. Critics argue that the normalization of such views undermines the church’s moral authority and complicates the interpretation of key Christian principles. This poses a significant threat to the church’s future and its core beliefs. … More Nazification and the Church (Russell Moore)

LIVE MUSIC: Black Friday at Bobbing Bobber

Looking for something to do as a family on Black Friday and trying to avoid the shopping malls? I’m performing live music with my son, Peter, and buddy Jared King at Bobbing Bobber Brewing Company in Hutchinson from 12:30-3:30, for their “Bloody Black Friday.” Come relax with your in-laws as the Thanksgiving turkey settles, or use this to escape them. … More LIVE MUSIC: Black Friday at Bobbing Bobber

Observing All Saints’ Eve

Some years back, Keri and I were traveling through Slovakia on October 31. We found lodging in a cute B&B that shared our name. After a good meal, we went out for an evening walk around the village. We didn’t find kids in costumes roaming the streets. Instead, we found a church cemetery lit up with all kinds of lights and candles, and decorated as for a garden party. … More Observing All Saints’ Eve

President Swanson-Draheim on Welcoming the Stranger

I’m grateful to be part of the Evangelical Covenant Church in these challenging times. President Tammy Swanson-Draheim invites us to reflect on what it means to love as Jesus loves—especially in times of suffering and division. In this message, she shares stories of Covenant churches responding with compassion and courage, urging us to welcome the stranger and stand with one another. … More President Swanson-Draheim on Welcoming the Stranger

Courageous Righteousness

This week, ask yourself: Where is God calling me to pursue righteousness, even if it costs me approval? How can I stand up for the vulnerable, the unseen, the hurting – regardless of what others think? Who in my life needs to be encouraged to pursue this same courage? Following Jesus will never make us universally popular. But He promises the kingdom to those who endure for His sake. … More Courageous Righteousness

What’s in a Name?

Mike Glenn discusses the ongoing debate within the Southern Baptist Convention regarding the role of women as pastors, criticizing the fixation on church titles. He argues that such disputes detract from the church’s real mission: engaging with the community as missionaries. In contemporary society, he emphasizes the importance of being proactive in spreading faith rather than worrying about titles. … More What’s in a Name?

Making Betty Smile

A rabbi learns from Elijah that two jesters who make others smile are assured of the world to come. Jeremy shares how bringing music to senior homes uplifts spirits, especially for those like Betty, who is in hospice. Support is needed to continue this meaningful outreach ministry. … More Making Betty Smile

Righteous Hunger

Politics often awakens a hunger to win: To argue. To feel superior. To prove them wrong. But Jesus invites us into something deeper: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” That kind of hunger doesn’t ignore injustice. Rather, it fights for what is good and true. But it fights with humility, not hostility. It seeks restoration, not revenge. It builds up, rather than tears down. … More Righteous Hunger

Mary Magdalen & Showing Up After Violence

This is a powerful sermon by Nadia Bolz-Weber for this moment, originally shared in the wake of a mass shooting years ago. As a woman preacher, I can’t help but love St Mary Magdalen. When I first discerned my call to be a preacher I got a tattoo of her on my forearm. I felt that when I needed to, I could borrow her strength. … More Mary Magdalen & Showing Up After Violence

Helping Young People In Uncertain Times

“Our society is experiencing change at unprecedented rates. Young people are navigating these changes alongside the challenges that adolescence and young adulthood present. Young people want and need safe spaces and relationships to talk about what they’re experiencing and find guidance on how to move forward” (Springtide).  … More Helping Young People In Uncertain Times

Do we Mourn … or Just Rage?

It’s easy to look at the brokenness in our nation and just feel angry. Angry at “those people,” angry at leaders, angry at the way things are. We live in a culture addicted to outrage. Outrage mobilizes. It raises money. It fills cable news time slots.

But Jesus doesn’t say “Blessed are those who rage.” He says “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” … More Do we Mourn … or Just Rage?

Nine Former Directors of the CDC

Yesterday, nine former directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who served under both Democratic and Republican presidents reaching back to President Jimmy Carter, published an op-ed in the New York Times warning that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “is endangering every American’s health.” … More Nine Former Directors of the CDC