Two Year Anniversary in Florida

Yesterday was our second anniversary at the Northwest Church of Christ in Saint Petersburg. We have been very excited about this congregation and about how God has worked over the last two years. There has been a lot of growth and a lot of seeds planted that will continue to grow for decades to come. [...]

If You Ever Thought You Had it Rough…

I met a really sweet lady today. She called the church and was needing some assistance. After talking with her I cannot imagine complaining about anything. Imagine having no friends, no family, and no transportation. Add on top of that having cancer and taking chemo treatments she cannot afford. Her credit is shattered due to [...]

Gulfcoast Getaway 2008

We are leaving for Gulfcoast Getaway 2008 this evening. If you haven’t heard of it, it is a wonderful experience where college students from all over the southeast come to Panama City, FL for a huge rally. I won’t really be blogging over the weekend but I hope you will keep this event in your [...]

Northwest Church of Christ (1957-2007)

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Northwest Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL. This is also the 25th anniversary of our pulpit minister, Jim Shannon. I am so appreciative to God for all those who have gone before us locally, nationally, and internationally to pave the way for effective ministry. Most importantly we [...]

Letter from a Prisoner

In light of the previous post, Living Out Jesus’ Mission, I wanted to share this letter with you as it was written to me by a brother in Christ who is behind bars. Although he is in prison I can assure you that Jesus has set him free. Keep him in your prayers. Also keep [...]

Vegetable Soup for the Soul

In the midst of all the grief and emotions of last week we were sitting with Missy’s parents in our living room. We decided it was time to eat, even though none of us really felt all that hungry. After discussing some possibilities we decided we wanted some vegetable soup. As Missy’s mom got ready [...]

Repaying $7,904,964,000 in a single income home is not an easy thing to do (Matthew 18:21-35)

Many of Jesus’ parables were totally outlandish because that was exactly the point he was trying to make. Who has a log in their eye, sows their precious seeds all over a path, and who leaves 99 sheep alone to go on a search for the missing one? The Jews already knew that God could [...]

Looking Back on September 11, 2001

For those of us who are less than 70 years old New York City on September 11, 2001 is our Pearl Harbor, Hawaii December 7, 1941. It is a moment in time that shaped our thinking, rent our hearts, and reminded us all of what was really important.
I was a graduate student at the University [...]

Confessing Our Sins and Perceived Weakness

In most churches the majority of the prayer requests are about physical health. One reason for this is because physical problems are more obvious and painful. Why is it that most church goers don’t make very many confessional or spiritually focused prayer requests? One reason is probably because sin is not visibly obvious and doesn’t [...]

New Lord’s Supper Presiding Record & a Bunch of Thank You’s

Has anyone ever presided over the Lord’s Table more than 4 times (3 times at one service) in one Sunday? If not I may have set a record!
The Lord’s Supper is another one of those things that we have stressed the importance of taking it so much that people think all that matters is that [...]