If you saw the title of this January's sermon series, you may be disappointed. I get it, self-control is not as attractive as some of the other "New Year, New Me" series we've done. But just hang with me, and I think you will be happy you did, because self-control is one of the most important factors for a successful life.  Read More

I was afraid of the dark growing up. I mean, who wasn't? Honestly, I'm still afraid of the dark sometimes.  Read More

Tomorrow we are exploring the beautiful Christmas lullaby, "Away in a Manger." It got me thinking about little baby Jesus in Mary's arms that first Christmas.I remember bringing home my daughter when I was a new parent. I could not believe that a tiny human was put in my care. On her first night home, I stood over her cradle and occasionally placed my hand on her chest just to make sure she was br...  Read More

Let me tell you an ancient Christmas story. Once upon a time in the 4th century A.D., when Christianity first became legal, the first council of Biblical scholars was called. It took place in Nicea (Modern day Turkey). It is where we get the Nicene Creed. A creed we still recite to this day. The important idea that was being settled at Nicea was the nature of Jesus, the Son of God, in his relation...  Read More

This advent I am trying something a little different. I will be taking some of the most theologically significant carols and using them to jump into the Scriptures and talk about Christmas.  Read More

Allie and I have known each other for twenty-one years and have been married for seventeen of them. We met when she was almost sixteen and I was seventeen. We have essentially grown up together. You could say that we know one another pretty well.  Read More

I grew up in a Monopoly family. If I'm going to be specific, I grew up in a Star Wars Monopoly family. It's like regular Monopoly with Star Wars flourishes and a few different rules.We learned all the tricks, moves, and analytics for Monopoly. We knew which properties were most likely to be landed on, how many houses were worth building, and that, counterintuitively, Coruscant (Boardwalk and Park ...  Read More

One of my favorite scenes from a superhero movie happens in the original Avengers from 2012. It's been a while, so here is a quick plot refresher. Loki, brother of Thor and the god of mischief, is trying to take over Earth by using interdimensional beasts as his minions. A team of heroes, known as The Avengers, puts aside their differences and quirky personalities to defend Earth.  Read More

I grew up blocks from the beach, and we went often. Because of this, I became quite a skilled sand mason. One of the games we would play while building our sand castles was "War." But it was not war against each other. It was war against the waves. We would attempt to build castles that could withstand attack from the Atlantic Ocean.  Read More

At some point in our lives, we have all conformed to our peers. Whether it was something as innocent as laughing when everyone was laughing (even though you didn't get the joke) or as gross as bullying someone because everyone else was. At first, there is pain when one conforms to the group, yet for most, it is less painful than standing out. The truth is, even if you think you are a free thinker,...  Read More

The Lord did a miracle and we bought a house in Boston a couple of years ago. When we moved in, there were a few DIY projects we wanted to do, but it definitely was not a fixer-upper. Yet, there was one issue that had not shown up in the inspection or any of the walk-throughs: The house was haunted. Not by ghosts... but by mice.  Read More

Did you ever build a model rocket in science class? In our house, we didn't just build them for school, we built them for fun. Growing up, it was easily a top-five family activity for me.  Read More