Giving Thanks Challenge

I recently preached a message entitled “Reasons To Give Thanks (even in the midst of a crazy year).” Below are the “homework assignments” that I laid out in the sermon. They have been a great encouragement to me, and I pray they encourage you as well as you work your way through them.

Get Practical #1: Go to the Psalms.  Read through a few Psalms and take note of the character of God that is communicated in the verses.  Write down what you see and then take a few minutes to give thanks for who God is. 

Get Practical #2:  Think about what your life was like before coming to know Jesus.  Think about the day or season when the Lord saved you.  Give thanks to the Lord for your salvation.  Give thanks to the Lord for the people and the circumstances that He used to draw you to Himself.  Give thanks to the Lord for what He has done! 

Get Practical #3:  Make a list of 5 ways that You have seen God’s grace at work in your life this year.  Give Him thanks for what He has done in you and for you.

Get Practical #4 :  Write 3 people a note this week.  Let them know that you thank God for them.  Be specific with why you are grateful for them.  Name a specific way that their life and walk with Christ encourages you.  

Below is the video of the message if you would like to check it out. The sermon starts at the 12 minute mark.

Fall Ministry Update

Neighborhood & Church volunteers continue to work together to distribute grocery items to the community in our church parking lot on Wednesdays & Fridays.

“White Awake: An honest look at what it means to be white” by Daniel Hill – Notable Quotes

As those in the majority culture here in America we don’t often have to think about matters of race. Our culture seems “normal” and in fact we are so immersed in it that often times we don’t even think we have a culture.  All of the above has been my experience, similar to the author’s.  However, during my post college years I have lived in both a cross-cultural setting where I was the minority (Chicago) and in a multi-ethnic city where it is minority majority (Richmond).  These experiences have caused me to reflect more on my “whiteness” and my culture.  Daniel Hill’s book helps us do just that.  It is a personal, historical, cultural, sociological, and theological reflection on what it means to be white.  It pushes us to acknowledge the realities of white supremacy and systemic racism, to lament both of these, and to better understand the privilege and Biblical responsibility (leverage privilege for the good of others) of being white in America (for a Jesus follower).  Here are some notable quotes from the book:

Listen. Learn. Read.

I recommend the following books to get started with race & justice:

“Generous Justice” by Tim Keller

“Let Justice Roll Down” by John Perkins

“Divided by Faith” by Michael Emerson

“The Color of Compromise” by Jemar Tisby

Needed Conversations Needed Change

On Saturday May 30th I sat down with three other Converge Pastors (Converge is the denominational network our church is a part of) to have an honest and transparent discussion about race, justice, and the Church.  This conversation came as a response to the recent tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.  I’m hopeful that this conversation would spur other conversations within the Church in order that needed learning, listening, repentance, healing, etc. can take place.

Community Collaboration During Crisis

This unexpected and challenging season has provided us with some opportunities to collaborate with others in order to serve our community during this time. Here are a few examples of that:

God at Work in the Midst Of a Pandemic

A few weeks ago during my quiet time I made a list of the ways that God is at work in the midst of this Covid 19 crisis.  This in no way is meant to diminish or minimize the very real loss, pain, and suffering that many of us are experiencing personally.  Rather it is seeking to acknowledge that God has a track record of working in redemptive ways in the midst of really difficult circumstances.  Therefore as His people, I think it’s important to make observations of the way He is at work in order to 1) give thanks in any circumstance and 2) to strengthen our faith in difficult times.  In the video above I list just a few, and in this blog entry I will add a few more.

Unplugging From The Matrix

At the end of last year my wife and I discussed the possibility of dropping off of our social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter) for the entirety of 2020.  Both of us had done short social media fasts – usually about a month in length – and each time felt refreshed, more present, and in some ways more productive.  Therefore, we thought it might be good for both of us to take an extended break together for 2020.

2019 At LHNC

This short video highlights God’s faithfulness to us as a church in 2019!

Best Books of 2019

Here are my top reads of 2019 in no particular order (it would be too hard to rank them).