The Holy Club

Our Methodist heritage starts with John Wesley.  However, our heritage also starts with something else.  It also starts with an acknowledgment that we aren't always going to be very good at something, no matter how hard we try at it.

And God Rested

I'm not normally someone who is a big beach person, but the view from that hammock feels like it would a very resting place, and some place that would be great to vacation on.  What was your last vacation?  I remember a story that someone told me about a vacation to a place very similar to this.

Ask Away

Yesterday I did my first question Sunday in Marceline!  It was a lot of fun, and I enjoy getting questions and finding answers.  I'll admit that I'm probably a little crazy for doing it, but its challenging for me, and over the years I've found that folks have questions that aren't always going to get answered through the normal course of my preaching.

Growing Up

Growing up isn't easy.  If you've ever tried it, and most of us probably have (even if I try to avoid it regularly), then you know that it isn't easy.  There are all sorts of things that get in the way and challenge us as we go try to go forward.

The Cringeworthy Judge

The story of Samson is a crazy, and mostly confused story.  The confusion doesn't come from the story, but its interpretation over the years.  Samson has been treated as some sort of tragic hero that was ultimately persecuted for his beliefs.

That isn't really the story.

5yr Old and a Puddle

I love the story of Noah's Ark.  There is no more quintessential children's story in scripture than Noah.  It's a story that I think is a lot of fun.  When I did this on Sunday morning, I wanted to know what everyone knows about this story.  So I gave them a little quiz.  You can see the questions below, and I'll add a little explanation to them.

Little Big Man

There are many stories that we learned as kids that we can still tell today.  For those of us who grew up in the church, we probably learned them at Vacation Bible School.  There are many stories that I learned there, and still enjoy today.  That being said, as adults we need to come back to those same stories and take a look at them with new eyes. 

Go Therefore

Over the past few Sundays, I've been preaching on things that help folks get to know me as a pastor and a preacher.  The first Sunday we started with Moses' journey as he was figuring out who God wanted him to be, and that God was going to be with him through the journey.  Three Sundays ago we talked about how God calls us to help the L's, the folks that are in need of care and support.  Two weeks ago we talked about one of my favorite Bible verses, John 8:32 and how I think it is about one of the most important gifts that Jesus gives to us.

Free Indeed

This is one of my favorite Bible verses of all time.  It's my favorite, but with a back story.  I wasn't always going to be a preacher.  In fact, it wasn't even in my top three of what I wanted to do with my life.  But, with the help of parents, and my home pastor, and a lot of prayer and listening, I finally said yes.  Saying yes, and knowing what you're getting into, are two very different things. 

The L's

There are many times in scripture, when there are places that grab our attention. It's one of the joys of reading scripture.  It doesn't matter how many times you read it, there is always something new.  We can read the same story, over and over again, and each time we read it, there is something different that we take out of it.

Starting a Website 1 - Where to go

image from https://pixabay.com/photo-3374825/

So you want to start a website...what do you do next?  At this point things can get overwhelming. There are so many different options for where to go, and everyplace you go has the "best" website editor and hosting service. What do you really need to know when you start looking around?

Why Tech Posts?

image from https://pixabay.com/photo-2925962/

Did you notice the "nerd" part of the RevNerd name?  The nerd part will, at some point, probably be about some nerdy things, like: Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, Science Fiction & Fantasy books, etc. But, the other part of the nerd comes from things that I like to do.  This is especially true at the churches I serve, and to help churches in general.

Settling In

Yes, those are my shoes, and no, those flowers aren't really on fire.

This time of year in the Methodist Church is a time of transitions.  There are lots of us that are moving from one place to another.  That's hard for many folks to understand.  That includes folks inside the church, as well as those outside the church.  But, there is a sort of familiarity to the process that helps us make these transitions.