Like many of you, I watched the vice-presidential debate this past week. Even if you only saw clips on TikTok or Instagram, you likely heard or saw that the tone was different. On several occasions, the opposing candidates talked to each other, agreed with one another, and even offered the other candidate words of kindness. While some people cynically warned not to overstate the seemingly kind ton...  Read More

Welcome“We talkin about practice. Not a game. We talkin about practice.”In 2002, Allen Iverson, a professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers, sat down at a press conference and said the word practice 22 times (if you’ve never seen the clip, you can watch it here). Iverson did not want to talk about practice, but that’s exactly what we are going to do this week. While it may not be g...  Read More

When I am stressed, I usually don’t show up as the best version of myself. I can be irritable, on edge, and not always treat people the way that I intend.  We can all probably identify with this feeling. I was thinking about this because collectively, our country is “stressed.” We have a major presidential election coming in November. No matter where you fall politically, many of us are passionate...  Read More

WelcomeWe’ve been talking about sharing our faith in this sermon series. This week, let’s focus on exactly who we are trying to share our faith with, and how we know when to share. We will examine a few of the ways Jesus shared with others to help inform the ways we share.Opening PrayerDear God, thank you for this time together as a group. We pray you will bless this conversation and help us to un...  Read More

People often ask me, “how did you become a pastor?” It is a hard question to answer without unpacking a lot of my life story! But, one of the earliest influences on my life and faith was the youth group I was a part of in my home church. I was reluctant, but in that youth group people saw in me certain gifts, and invited me to begin practicing leadership at a young age when I didn’t really think t...  Read More

I have a more recent friend who doesn’t go to church. In fact, when I met him and when we started hanging out, he was clear with me that he doesn’t really believe in God and that he wasn’t going to come to church. I laughed and said, “That’s ok. Everyone I hang out with doesn’t have to go to church. But, if you ever change your mind, just know I will have a seat for you.”Over the years, we have go...  Read More