Last summer our family made the trek north to Acadia National Park. This was new territory for us. The journey between central Pennsylvania and New York City has been well traveled, but beyond that we had no idea what the region would hold for us. I believe in my abilities to navigate most situations while…

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CAPTAIN OBVIOUS Pastoring has changed in many ways from the way I entered it 33 years ago. The expectations are now so different. Not just the expectations of others, but the expectations we have for ourselves. As podcasts have become available, the obvious challenge is: Can I keep up with the quality/level of preaching of…

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The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are…

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SAM, A PASTOR Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine.  Let’s call him “Sam.” Sam, a pastor with 30 years of service said to me one day, “John, I’m so tired.” I understood him completely in that moment, and I knew he needed deep rest. My response to Sam? “Listen to…

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I have three daughters, ages 14 years, 10 years, and 22 months. Before you ask: I don’t know what we were thinking and yes, that is a big gap. But lately I’ve been amazed at just how quickly my youngest daughter has gone from pointing and yelling “dat!” while we try to figure out what…

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How many times have you preached or taught or written about the epidemic?  Not COVID, the other epidemic. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve preached “against” the epidemic of individualism in our culture. Not a red-faced rant kind of preaching, but a measured presentation of the costs we pay for becoming increasingly isolated…

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