Author: Derrick Hurst (Page 7 of 152)

I am husband to Carrie, dad to Matthew, Lucas, and Natalie. I have a desire to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus. My personal mission is to move people forward in their faith life.

The Quiet Field

December 5, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Finding Stillness on Acres in Advent

There’s a kind of silence that you only get on thirteen acres in early December.

It isn’t peaceful in one of those “spa with music and scented candles” kind of way. Not that I’d find that peaceful anyway!

It’s peaceful in the “everything is frozen and refusing to move” kind of way.

The grass is brittle. The garden is dead. The mud is solid. The trees creak like old bones every time the wind pushes through. Even the chickens give me that look that says “really… you came out here for this?”

And honestly? I feel the same way.

December doesn’t ask permission before it steamrolls you. It shows up with a clipboard full of expectations:
Christmas programs.
Three worship services every week.
Sermons.
Meetings.
Family plans.
Shopping.
School programs.
Year-end everything.

The month demands so much noise from me… while the land around me goes completely quiet.

And that’s the first gut-punch lesson Advent always hands me: The world gets loud, but God often whispers.

You’d think the “holy season” would feel holy. But Advent rarely starts that way for me. It usually starts with me trying to figure out how to beat the sun to the chicken coop, how to not slip on the icy slope behind the barn, and how in the world I’m going to get everything done before the 24th.

But out there on that cold, stubborn ground I’m reminded that God does His best work in the quiet places.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

Be still?
In December?
Sure, God. Let me just pencil that in between “fix frozen coop door” and “write sermon number three for the week.”

But that’s exactly the point. Stillness isn’t what happens when everything calms down. Stillness is what happens when I stop pretending I can carry everything myself.

The fields don’t fight the season. The garden doesn’t resist the freeze. The trees don’t argue their way out of winter. They simply… stop. Rest. Wait.

Advent is the Church’s way of reminding us: You can’t force fruit in winter. But you can prepare your heart for the Light that’s about to break in.

So this week, here’s my Advent invitation not just to you, but to myself:

Step into the quiet field, even if it’s only for five minutes.

Bundled up. Breath in the cold air. Let the noise fall off you. Let your soul settle for a moment so you can hear the whisper again.

Because while the world is screaming for more, God is quietly preparing to give us what we could never give ourselves:

A Savior.
A Light in the long night.
Hope wrapped in flesh.

Out here on the acreage, Advent begins with a frozen field and a quiet whisper. And honestly? That’s enough.

It’s Not About Getting Over It, It’s About Moving Forward With Hope

December 4, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Grief is a beast that doesn’t play fair. It doesn’t show up on a schedule or follow a timeline even though you’d wish it would. Some people carry it quietly for years while others face a storm so fierce it shakes every part of their soul in days. And that’s okay. Everyone travels grief at their own pace, with their own pain.

There’s no “normal” when it comes to loss. No checklist or rulebook. You can’t rush it, hide from it, or power through it like a mountain to be conquered. Grief isn’t a problem to fix; it’s a journey to walk sometimes stumbling, sometimes crawling, sometimes walking with surprising strength.

The point isn’t to just “get over it.” The point isn’t to pretend the loss never happened or shove it deep down where no one can see. The point is to keep walking, even when every step feels heavy, every breath feels sharp, and every memory cuts like a knife.

Hope is what carries us through. It’s not a vague, feel-good sentiment, but a deep, unshakable hope rooted in the promise that loss isn’t the end. That one day, healing will come in ways we can’t imagine right now. That light breaks through even the darkest of nights.

The Bible reminds us in Psalm 34:18 (ESV): “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” You may feel crushed, shattered, or lost but you are not alone. God is near, holding you close through every tear and every step.

You don’t have to have it all together. You don’t have to be strong all the time. It’s okay to cry, to rage, to feel lost. It’s even okay to be pissed off at God. But don’t stop moving forward.

Lean into hope. Let it hold you when the weight is too much. Reach out to someone a friend, a counselor, a community because grief was never meant to be carried alone.

If you’re walking through grief today, this is your call: Keep going. Take one more step. Hold on to hope. You’re not alone, and healing is possible even when it feels impossible.

The Barrel Matters

December 3, 2025 / / 1 Comment

You can tell a lot about a bourbon long before you ever pop the cork. Not by its label. Not by the hype. Not even by its age.

If you really want to know what a bourbon is becoming, you’ve got to look at the barrel.

Ask any distiller and they’ll tell you the same truth every time. Up to 70% of a bourbon’s flavor comes from the barrel it rests in.

The wood. The char. The warehouse. The seasons. The environment shapes the spirit.

And sitting with a glass the other night, it hit me: It’s the same with you and me.

You Become Whatever You Soak In

Bourbon doesn’t get to choose its barrel, but you and I often do.

We decide what environments we rest our souls in. We choose what voices we let season our thinking. We choose the habits that fill our time. The people we run with. The rhythms we tolerate. And the noise we allow to flood our heads.

And then we’re shocked when the final product of our life tastes a little… off.

Look. If you spend your days soaking in anxiety, outrage, endless scrolling, and the opinions of people who don’t actually know you, then your spirit will reflect that. If you surround yourself with cynics, don’t be surprised when your joy feels watered down. If your faith is marinating in hurry, distraction, and an inch-deep spirituality, don’t wonder why you feel spiritually thin.

Your barrel shapes your spirit. Every single time.

Here’s the wild thing about bourbon barrels. They don’t just hold the bourbon. They actually transform it.

Over time the liquid pulls flavors out of the wood. The bourbon slowly takes on its color, its warmth, its depth. It becomes like whatever it rests in.

Your soul works the same way.

Spend enough time around people who love Jesus, who call out the best in you, who pray for you, who challenge you, who remind you who you are and you’ll notice your own character start to deepen.

Your thinking gets clearer. Your reactions get slower. Your compassion grows. Your faith gets steadier.

Spend enough time in Scripture, prayer, worship, and simple, quiet obedience and you’ll start tasting like the fruit of the Spirit.

You don’t become like Jesus by trying harder. You become like Jesus by staying close.

Just like bourbon in the right barrel, transformation happens through proximity, not pressure.

Check Your Barrels

Maybe the most spiritual thing some of us could do this week isn’t reading another book or listening to another podcast or heck even skimming the latest blog from our pastor. Maybe it’s doing a little inventory of the barrels we’re sitting in.

So sip on these things.

  • Who’s shaping you?
  • What are you soaking in?
  • What environment is slowly, silently forming your character?

If the answer is “I’m not really sure,” then you might already have your answer.

Friends, faith doesn’t grow in a vacuum. It grows in an environment.

And here’s the good news. You get to choose yours.

Choose the barrel that brings out the best in you.
Choose the people who speak life, not drama.
Choose the rhythms that draw you closer to Christ, not further into chaos.
Choose the habits that deepen your soul rather than drain it.

Because at the end of the day, everybody matures into something. The question is simply: What are you becoming like?

So here’s your bourbon-fueled reminder for the week: Bourbon becomes what it rests in, and so do you.

Choose your barrel wisely.

When the Toughest Choices Are the Only Right Ones

December 2, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Hard truth – Life isn’t about the easy road. Sometimes, the thing you don’t want to do – the move, the job change, the painful goodbye is exactly the thing you have to do. There’s just no sugarcoating it.

Maybe it’s walking away from a dream you built with vast amounts of your own sweat and tears. Closing the business you poured your heart into. Selling the church property that once felt like home to make way for a new ministry that’s more alive.

It sucks. It hurts. It feels like betrayal. But guess what? Sometimes the hardest things are the right things.

If you’re waiting for clarity, it might come wrapped in heartbreak. If you’re hoping for peace, it might arrive after the storm hits hardest. The hard choices? They strip you down, shake you up, and break you open to something new which is often something better.

Jesus didn’t promise comfort. He promised transformation. The path to growth is littered with tough calls and goodbye tears. The right thing rarely feels easy or convenient. It often feels like the end of everything you know.

But that’s exactly why it’s right.

So stop waiting. Stop running. Do the hard thing. Because on the other side of pain is power. On the other side of loss is life.

And if you don’t do it? You’re stuck. Stuck in yesterday’s story. Stuck in a life that’s smaller than what God has for you.

Do the hard thing. Do it bold. Do it now.

Saying Yes Changes Everything

December 1, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Yesterday we kicked off Advent with a deep dive into Luke 1:26-38. You know the story. Mary, a teenage girl from a nowhere town called Nazareth, gets the shock of her life when an angel tells her she’s been chosen to carry the Savior of the world. Yeah, that Mary.

Here’s the kicker: Mary had zero qualifications. No royal bloodline. No political connections. No resume that screamed, “I’m ready to be a world-changer.” Just a quiet life, a lot of questions, and a giant, terrifying call.

But God didn’t pick someone likely. He picked someone available.

Why Mary’s story is a punch in the face to our excuses

How often do we sit on the sidelines because we think we’re not enough? Not skilled enough, not bold enough, not experienced enough? Mary is the ultimate “Hold my beer” moment in the Bible. She’s God’s way of saying, “Stop waiting for permission. Stop waiting for perfect. Just show up.”

When the angel shows up, Mary doesn’t get a detailed step-by-step plan. She doesn’t get all the answers or guarantees. She just says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Now that’s faith.

Here’s your Monday challenge

Look at your week ahead. What’s the call you’ve been pretending not to hear? What’s the opportunity that feels too big or too scary? Whatever it is, remember God’s calling doesn’t come to the “most qualified.” It comes to the available. The willing. The ready to say “yes” even when the path is uncertain.

So what’s stopping you? Fear? Doubt? That little voice telling you you’re not enough? It’s a lie. All of it! Mary was essentially just a kid. If God can work through her, He can absolutely work through you.

This week, don’t just hope for change. Step into it. Say yes to the impossible. Step out of your comfort zone. Be the unexpected hero God is calling you to be. The world doesn’t need perfect. It needs you showing up and doing what only you can do.

Get uncomfortable. Get brave. Get moving. Your ‘yes’ could be the spark that changes everything.

Ready to stop waiting and start living your calling? Share your “yes” this week in the comments. Let’s fuel each other’s courage to be the unlikely heroes God is raising up right now.

What Bourbon Teaches About Life

November 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

There’s something almost sacred about the way a good bourbon is made. Not rushed. Not hurried. Not microwaved or sped up or forced through shortcuts. Just time, patience, the right environment, and a process that refuses to be cheated.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the best things in life take time and how often we try to rush the very moments meant to shape us.

The Unhurried Art of Bourbon

Take bourbon, for example. You can’t fake the aging process. You can’t speed-mature character into the liquid. Bourbon becomes bourbon because it rests, because it spends years in oak barrels absorbing flavor, depth, and identity from seasons of heat, cold, pressure, and change.

Life isn’t all that different.

We go through seasons of heat and seasons of chill. Moments of pressure and times of release. Chapters where everything expands and chapters where everything contracts. Every one of those seasons is meant to shape us, deepen us, and mature us into who God designed us to be.

But here’s the catch: you can’t rush maturity.

You can rush tasks. You can rush schedules. You can rush decisions. But you cannot rush character.

When we speed through the hard stuff, when we numb the pain, when we dodge the lesson, we rob ourselves of the slow aging that produces wisdom, courage, compassion, and resilience.

A Bourbon Worth Sipping: Four Roses Single Barrel

One of the bottles that reminds me of this truth is Four Roses Single Barrel. It’s a bourbon that refuses to hide its story.

Pour a glass and you’ll notice:

  • The nose: warm vanilla, hints of caramel, a gentle floral sweetness, and a little spice that almost waves hello before settling in.
  • The palate: layers of ripe fruit, honey, oak, a smidge of cinnamon, and a long, smooth finish that doesn’t hurry to leave.

It’s a bourbon with character not because someone engineered it quickly, but because it was allowed to become something worth savoring.

On a scale of 1–5, I’d give Four Roses Single Barrel a solid 4. It’s reliable, flavorful, and balanced… the kind of pour that reminds you that patience produces depth.

Slow Down and Let Life Season You

If bourbon teaches us anything, it’s this: Your life is aging into something rich and meaningful but only if you let it.

The seasons you’d rather skip? They’re the very ones adding depth.

The experiences you wish would hurry up and end? They might be shaping compassion you’ll need later.

The frustrations, the waiting, the unanswered prayers, the stretches where God feels quiet…Those are all part of your barrel time.

You are becoming. Just not at the speed you wish.

Take It Slow On Purpose

Maybe today’s invitation is simple:

  • Sit in the moment instead of sprinting past it.
  • Let the lesson settle instead of resisting it.
  • Allow God to work at the unhurried pace of transformation.

Good bourbon takes years. Good character takes a lifetime.

And both are worth the wait.

So tonight, if you pour a glass of something rich and warm, maybe pause long enough to ask:

“What is God aging in me right now?”

Because you might just find that the slowest seasons are the ones producing the deepest flavor in your life.

Cheers to patience, to growth, and to becoming who you were crafted to be.

Why Losing Focus Is Killing Your Mission

November 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

When a person, a church, or any organization loses focus, it’s not just a minor slip-up, it’s a wrecking ball that smashes everything around them. If your goal is to help people grow and thrive in life and leadership, but all you do is shape them to fit your personal preferences, congratulations you’re not cultivating leaders, you’re making clones. Boring, lifeless copies with zero originality.

The church exists to make disciples real, passionate, life-changing disciples – not to obsess over boards, budgets, or butts in seats. When your priorities are stuck on numbers and committees instead of people’s souls, you’re not doing the work of God. You’re acting like the very religious folks Jesus called out in the New Testament who were more focused on appearances and power than on love and truth.

If you say you care about people but live like dollars rule your world, you’re sending a message louder than any sermon ever could. You don’t actually care.

So here’s the hard truth: Losing focus isn’t a small mistake. It’s spiritual malpractice. It’s a betrayal of the mission. And it’s why so many people check out not because they don’t need the church, but because the church stopped needing them.

Refocus or fold. Because discipleship is messy. It’s uncomfortable. It demands sacrifice. But anything less? It’s just cloning, and cloning is dead.

Grateful for the Little Stuff

November 24, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Let’s be honest how often do we catch ourselves griping about the little things? The slow Wi-Fi, the slightly burnt toast, the coffee that’s “just not quite right”? Yeah, those things. We act like the world is ending because our favorite show buffers for two seconds or because the line at Starbucks is one person too long.

But here’s the kicker: those “small” annoyances? They’re actually the stuff of life we really value.

I mean think about it. The Wi-Fi only matters because you’re connected to people you love or work you care about. That “not quite right” coffee is still warm in your hands and sometimes, that’s a miracle. And the line at Starbucks? It means you’re breathing, moving, living in a world full of people who also need their caffeine fix to survive Monday.

We take these things for granted. We complain like life is about to unravel when what’s really happening is this: we have what we need. The roof over our heads, food on the table, a phone in our pocket, and yes even imperfect coffee.

So today, let’s be bold enough to say thank you for the small stuff. For the mess, the glitches, the delays, and the little inconveniences. Because those things remind us we’re alive, we’re human, and we’re blessed in ways we often don’t even notice.

And hey if your toast burns, maybe that’s just the universe’s way of telling you to slow down and enjoy a second cup of coffee. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time to embrace the chaos with a grateful heart and a little laugh.

Gratitude isn’t about waiting for the big wins. It’s about finding joy in the crumbs.

Thankful for People Who Drive Me Crazy

November 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Gratitude comes easy when life feels calm. When the people around us make us laugh, listen when we speak, or quietly show up when we need them – it’s not hard to be thankful.

But gratitude gets complicated when people hurt us. When they misunderstand us. When they drain us.

There are people in all our lives who test our patience. Who push our buttons. And who make relationships feel more like work than blessing. And yet, if I’m honest, those people have been some of my greatest teachers.

Because the truth is, God uses difficult people to expose the rough edges in me. They shine a light on things like pride, impatience, parts of my heart that still need His grace. They show me how much I still need forgiveness. They remind me that love isn’t just a feeling. Love is a choice.

Paul wrote, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, ESV) That “all circumstances” includes the messy relationships. The uncomfortable conversations. The disappointments that sting deeper than we’d like to admit.

Being thankful for difficult people doesn’t mean pretending everything is fine.
It means learning to see God’s hand at work even in the friction. It’s believing He’s forming something in me through it all.

Sometimes the people who frustrate us most are the very ones God uses to grow compassion, humility, and endurance. They remind us that grace isn’t just a word we preach. It’s a daily practice we live.

So today, I’m trying to thank God not just for the people who make life easy, but also for the ones who make me pray a little more, think a little deeper, and love a little harder.

Because they’re part of how He makes me more like Jesus.

The Power of Coaching in Personal Growth

November 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments
Diagram illustrating the difference between mentoring, counseling, and coaching for personal and spiritual growth.

Understanding where coaching fits in life and ministry — and why it uniquely unlocks potential.

When people hear the word coaching, they often confuse it with mentoring or counseling. And that’s understandable because all three involve guidance, support, and personal growth. But they’re not the same, and understanding the difference matters if you want to use each effectively in life or leadership development.

Mentoring is usually about experience. A mentor shares wisdom, often from their own journey, to help you navigate similar paths. Think of it as “Here’s what worked for me, and here’s what I’ve learned.”

Counseling is about healing. A counselor helps you work through emotional, psychological, or relational challenges. They function as guides to help you process trauma, resolve conflict, or regain mental and emotional balance.

Coaching is different. Coaching is about unlocking potential. It’s not about giving answers or telling you what to do. It’s about asking the right questions, helping you see blind spots, and empowering you to take action that aligns with your goals, values, and calling. Ultimately coaching is about what’s already in your life.

I’ve experienced this difference firsthand. Mentors have modeled wisdom for me. Counselors have helped me process life’s difficult moments. But coaching has been the space where I step back, reflect, and discover my own next steps even when they weren’t obvious.

I’ve also seen it work in ministry: helping pastors, leaders, and followers of Jesus clarify priorities, see opportunities for growth, and take responsibility for change without being “told what to do.”

Coaching works because it’s relational and intentional. It honors your agency while guiding you toward clarity and progress. It’s about asking, “What do you see? What matters most? What’s your next step?” rather than “Here’s the answer.”

That subtle shift makes all the difference because real growth happens when people own it themselves.

Understanding these distinctions also matters for ministry. Leaders who can mentor, counsel, and coach in their respective contexts provide holistic support without blurring roles. Coaching becomes a tool to help others step into their God-given potential without dependency, a discipline that fosters both accountability and transformation.

At the heart of it, coaching is an invitation: to pause, reflect, and act intentionally. It’s about creating space for insight, growth, and action not giving all the answers, but helping people discover the ones that are already inside them.

Call-to-Action (CTA)

Reflect this week: Where in your life could mentoring, counseling, or coaching help you grow? Which approach fits your current need most?

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