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I published Part Two of this series ten days ago. Part of the delay in finishing this blog was because I had an editing-intensive project I needed to wrap up. In the back of my mind, knowing I needed to finish this, I kept feeling as if I wasn’t seeking God first. That I was prioritizing other needs over getting this message out.

Is this a fair assessment? Spoiler alert: no. How so? Well, let’s revisit what we’ve unpacked within Matthew 6:33. So far, Jesus has taught us to “want God’s rule”...

Have you ever thought about the impact three words can have on a person? A handful of three-word phrases that come to mind are:

• I love you
• I needed that
• I am hungry
• I’m too busy
• Let’s go now

The latter is especially relevant when you’re running late for church on Sunday morning — not that I know anything about that! In the middle of Matthew 6:33 is a three-letter clause: and live righteously. At least, that’s how the NLT explains it.

This version of the Bible aims for less of a literal...

My plan when this week started was to write all three blogs for Matthew 6:33. However, this morning I felt as if I needed to write this one first before continuing. So, if you’ll pardon the interruption, I want to take a look at 2 Chronicles 7:14.

My exposure to this verse

Growing up, my parents had a habit of keeping the same cassette on a perpetual loop. Whenever we drove to church, I heard the same songs over and over. Truth be told, I didn’t think much of it back then.

Almost thirty years...

In an era of A.I. and automation, not to mention promoted content, marketing appears to be changing. There is a greater reliance on paying for search engine placement instead of organic blogging content. I understand that, for a small business, budget dollars are more limited. My concern is that companies will overlook the importance of blogging when making budgetary decisions.

Instead, I want to emphasize three reasons why you should maintain an active blog on your website. But first, I want...

One of the verses running through my head these past few weeks has been Matthew 6:33. Around age thirteen, I began teaching a “Junior Church” class on Sunday mornings. Though I don’t remember many of those lessons, I remember one specifically: Matthew 6:33. This may be because of the accompanying tune I taught them for this verse.

Six or seven years ago, I preached a sermon from this passage. My “big idea” (or, Perfect Blend as I call it) was that we sometimes get too caught up in the minutia...

Some have described the Bible as a love letter from our Heavenly Father to humanity — His children. The verse that came to mind several times for my next blog was Genesis 3:15, which aligns nicely with this idea.

Even when I read this verse as a preteen, I saw this passage as the earliest preview of Biblical redemption. Later, as an adult, I studied the various covenants that preceded Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross which reinforced the assumption from my younger years.

Contained in this verse...

There are a handful of verses almost everyone knows. Of those, the most “disputed” might be the very first: Genesis 1:1. Clocking in at just ten words, how much can we learn from this passage?

Quite a lot, actually. I’m sure there are plenty more beyond these, but today I’m going to focus on the four main takeaways from Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning

The first three words of the Bible are simple. At a surface-level read, they tell us the “when” of the story. It also raises questions.

For example,...

As a small business owner, I occasionally get emails that are marked as spam. I stay on top of it, though I’ve sometimes wondered how often a “genuine” cold-calling email comes from a legitimate business. So, I decided to put it to the test.

The investigation of this supposed spam

I first visited the so-called company’s website. The thing that immediately jumped out at me was that they lacked any kind of analytics trackers. This means that, as a “marketing” company, they had little to no data...

I work as a digital marketing freelancer with clients all across the globe. One of my long-term clients, who I regularly blog for, asked me if I could put together an article on the meaning behind the 12 Days of Christmas. Unaware of the song’s significance, I gladly accepted. I asked them how much of a faith-based slant I should include. They left it up to me, so I added it to my queue and got started.

At the end of the day, I was blown away by how the song is full of Christian symbolism.

With...

Not all of my newsletter readers are on social media.So for those who aren’t, or may not see my post due to engagement algorithms, here’s what I published on Instagram and Facebook a few moments ago.

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Thank you Jesus for keeping me safe.

Today, I biked to the church and back (17 miles). The literal moment I pulled in front of the garage? My pedal fell out.

I biked over the overpasses for SR 30 and I-75. The route home was into some crazy high winds. Lots of hills. Pedal stayed in the...

Recently, Steph and I sat down to watch some TV. We ended up on YouTube and watched a video about Panera Bread. We walked away with this general idea: the (lack of) genuine fresh food at Panera is a great analogy for your church and Millennials.

Why are you picking on Panera Bread?

Because I’m one of those pesky Millennials! Actually, I technically fall in this weird sub generation between X and Y known as the “Oregon Trail Generation” or Xennials. But I digress, I’m not necessarily singling...

I often tell others that “churches need marketing.” Today, I want to talk a bit about that.

First, let’s define marketing.

I am not advocating that all churches need to adopt the “inbound” method of lead generation. Maybe one day, but not today. Rather, a former employer of mine pushed this concept:

Relationships are more powerful than marketing

Let’s apply some scripture to that statement. Any pastor worth their salt knows the Great Commission from Matthew 28:19.

Therefore, go and make disciples...

First, as a random sidebar, isn’t it funny how a word’s meaning can significantly change based on whether it’s used as an adjective or a noun? I sat down to write an off-the-cuff blog today and wanted to talk about contentment. As you can see, I titled this blog Am I content?.

First, I stopped. Then, I stared. Next, I asked myself if I spelled content correctly. I realized that content — as in a content creator — is spelled the same way as someone who is content — at peace with their...

This morning, I went for a run. I believe God wants to speak to YOU through the stuff I experienced on my route. I know He spoke to me.

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What a beautiful morning we had today! When I woke up, I thought about slipping out for a run right away, but decided to enjoy the cool morning breeze on our porch instead. Later, my daughter joined me. As I held her in my arms, she said those things that just melt a daddy’s heart.

“If you weren’t my daddy, my life would be horrifying.”

“Daddy,...

Pretty much since Palm Sunday, I’ve planned to sit down to write a blog about Easter. I struggled for various reasons, including self doubt. After all, what could I say about Easter that hasn’t already been said (currently, or over the past 2000 years)?

While exercising this morning, Steph asked me about my plans for the day. I blurted out that I planned to write a blog. So with that, I verbally committed to doing this.

Self Worth

When I said self doubt, I wasn’t referring to self confidence....

My family loves Chicago. In 2018, we made three trips to the Windy City. Our first trip was actually our family vacation for the year and initially we planned to buy a City Pass. This would have included the SkyDeck at the Willis Tower. I remember discussing with the kids if their fear would stop them from stepping out onto the glass.

Stepping out

Has God ever asked you to step out in faith? Or, has God ever asked you to give upsomething and trust Him? It can be scary, and Paul addresses this...

Since 2014, I’ve led Union Chapel Missionary Church’s Wednesday night adult Bible study. To kick-off 2019, I tried something different. Stephanie helped me lead a five-week couple’s communication class. This was a first for her as she doesn’t seek out leadership. Truthfully, I’m not 100% certain she was on board with the idea even up to the first class.

We used Love Talk by Les and Leslie Parrot as our curriculum. My goal today isn’t to provide a review of the book or accompanying videos....

How often do you attempt to assert control over your life? I know I do all the time. I believe it’s common for Christians to say, “God is in control” while attempting to affect our own influence on the outcome. Even worse, we sometimes attempt to control God Himself! We become frustrated with a situation and say things like “God should just tell me the answer” or “God should just take care of them.”

There are a lot of things we think God should do. I want you to take a test. Don’t worry, it’s...

In the winter, I love heat. We have an old house, and to keep parts of it as warm as we like, we have a couple of space heaters going. Our front porch doubles as our gym, so we want it warm when we work out. Our kitchen has just one partial vent, so it also is colder than what we prefer.

I’m a runner, and I think my favorite time to run outside is during the spring. The outside air temperature is almost perfect in April and May. Although, it’s funny to me how sometimes I’ll drive to work with...