The Pastor's Perspective

           Have you ever wondered if your life actually makes a dent in the spiritual landscape of your community? We often look at global ministries or famous preachers and think, “That is how the world changes,”  while viewing our own small conversations as insignificant. We look at the big tent revivals of Billy Graham and think man God used him to do a great work. Yet we look at what we do for the lord as not as important of valuable. We tend to maximize the spiritual impact of others, while minimizing the spiritual impact that we have and how God is using us.      Anyone who has ever shared the gospel knows that sharing our faith is intimidating. We worry we don't know enough of the Bible, or we fear that our "small" efforts won't yield big results. We think to ourselves "If another person would share the gospel with that person instead of me that person would have a better shot at getting saved."       Howe...

     Have you ever sat down to a cup of coffee that you expected to be piping hot, only to find it was lukewarm? Or perhaps you reached for a refreshing glass of ice water on a hot and humid day, but it was room temperature? As someone who grew up from down south; I firmly believe the only tea that is suitable to drink is sweet ICED tea. There is something uniquely unappealing about "lukewarm." It’s neither soothing nor refreshing; it’s just bland.       This is exactly how Jesus describes the church in Laodicea. They weren't a "bad" church by worldly standards—they weren't teaching heresy or falling into deep scandalous sin. They were simply comfortable. They were self-reliant, wealthy, and at ease. Yet, out of all seven churches in Revelation, Jesus saves His harshest words for this one. You have to wonder Why? The answer is because a heart that thinks it "has it all" feels no need for the One who actually provides everything. The Modern "Ap...

    Have you ever experienced a season where everything in your spiritual life just seemed to "click"? Perhaps you felt an unshakeable passion for the Word, a deep sense of peace in prayer, or an undeniable excitement to share your faith with others. Perhaps these moments came about by a personal alone time with the Lord, or through a powerful spirit filled church service. These "on fire" moments are beautiful, but they often come with a lingering question: What do I do now to keep this flame from burning out?.      The church in Philadelphia was in exactly that kind of season. Out of all the churches addressed in Revelation, Philadelphia shines the brightest. They weren't perfect, but they were faithful. They were a people who didn't just read the Word; they lived it out in their daily lives. They didn't rely on their own strength, but on God’s. Because of their "evangelistic fervor," Jesus didn't give them a list of failures to fix; inst...