They’re Not the Same, and It’s Hurting Us Let’s cut through the fluff: empathy is not compassion. And pretending they’re the same is making us soft in all the wrong places, blind to what’s broken, and oddly proud of standing still while people suffer. Empathy says, “I feel your pain.”Compassion says, “I see your pain, and I’m going to…
Trauma doesn’t always look like what we expect. It’s not always tears or trembling hands. It isn’t necessarily someone lying in bed, unable to move, or openly speaking about the nightmares that haunt them. More often, it’s hidden in plain sight—in the bright light of day, in the loud, busy moments when the world keeps…
Part 3 of the “Towel-Bearers: Redefining Leadership” Series You said yes to serve.You said yes to love.You said yes to Jesus – (after he said yes to you). But somewhere along the way, that towel you picked up started to feel like a weight chained to your soul. You’re tired. Not just in your body—but…
Let’s stop pretending. Not all leaders are actually leading. Some are just collecting titles, hoarding influence, and stepping on people to build their brand. That’s not leadership. That’s ego dressed in a suit and given a fancy title. True leadership is bleeding for people, not basking in applause. It’s wiping the tears of the hurting, not…
We’ve gotten really good at believing. We’ve got our doctrinal ducks in a row. We know the creeds. We defend the truth. We believe in Jesus, we believe in the Bible, we believe in grace. But if belief is all we’ve got—if it never grows legs, never rolls up its sleeves, never does anything—then our faith is on…
Let’s be honest—sometimes the church is better at talking than listening. We love a good sermon, a strong rebuke, or a theological mic drop. But when it comes to understanding culture, too often we respond like a grumpy old man shaking a fist at the kids on his lawn. And guess what? The kids aren’t…
Ok. Let’s be honest: raising teenagers today feels like trying to read a book that keeps rewriting itself. Just when you think you understand the rules, bam! – there’s a new social media platform, slang that sounds like another language, or a trend that makes you question reality (Tide Pods, really?). Parenting teens has never been easy,…
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I find myself overflowing with gratitude for each of you. This past year, we’ve seen God’s hand moving powerfully in and through our church family. Together, we’ve lived out our mission to help busy families experience the grace of Jesus, and we’ve done so in ways that truly…
Every year, Christmas rolls around with its usual fanfare: twinkling lights, jingle bells, peppermint mochas, and of course, the annual question of what exactly is Aunt Edna allergic to again? While these traditions are great, they can sometimes overshadow the deeper meaning of Christmas. So let’s strip away the tinsel, and get to the heart…
We know what Christmas looks like on earth. Trees and lights and songs and wreaths but what about from heaven’s perspective? Revelation 12 gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Christmas. While Mary gave birth in a humble stable, heaven was celebrating the arrival of the Child who would defeat evil forever. It’s like a cosmic…
