Life is about relationships. Relationship is the state of being connected—to God, people and the world. One God-given relationship that’s important is between parents and children. As parents, we have the opportunity to lovingly connect with our children and ultimately point them to Christ. One thing I remember doing as a parent was figuring out ways to “tie strings” to my children’s hearts—to mak...  Read More

As noted in the sermon on Ephesians 2:11-22, one of the primary ways that the transformation of the gospel is displayed in our lives is by our love for those who are different than us. Sadly, this does not often seem to be a priority when it comes to things we’re looking for in a church. One scholar notes that three motivations typically drive our church selection/participation: the desire for com...  Read More

It is hard to describe what an incredible joy it is when multiple ministry areas merge to create an impactful event. At our recent Daddy Daughter Date night, our Men’s Ministry and Deacons Ministry, along with many servant leaders, contributed to a most memorable evening. Having a daddy/daughter event where just dads and their daughters enjoyed a special dinner easily translates to a “home run.”Ho...  Read More

Bivocational; a term the IRS might call “two-jobs” but one the church uses to refer to a person who works in a paid ministry role as well as any other job simultaneously. For those of you who do not know, I am a full-time Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant while also being on staff here at Grace part-time as the Middle School Youth Director. This makes me bivocational.Serving in these two roles...  Read More

In Ephesians 1:14 we’re told that the Holy Spirit is “the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” In this rendering, we are told that those whose faith is in Christ will receive their full spiritual inheritance in God’s presence in eternity. Another equally valid rendering of this phrase is that the Holy Spirit is “the guarantee of our inheritance until God redeems his pos...  Read More

We recently had to take our car to a mechanic. The repair was supposed to be pretty simple and quick, taking only a couple of hours one morning. Of course it turned into two full days of work over the course of a week. While it was terribly inconvenient, there was a silver lining: Johnny the marvelous mechanic. Not only was he overly apologetic about the process taking so long, he also stuck with ...  Read More