Connecting With Jay

Most people have favorites when it comes to the Bible. For me personally, Hebrew’s has always been near the top. Perhaps it is because the book helped me conceptualize the end of the old Covenant and the start of the New. A key word or idea that stands out through the book is the word “better”. The author is presenting the case that Christianity is better than Judaism.…

The light bulb is an amazing invention, isn’t it? Every time we need to see what is in the darkness, we can flip that switch and that bulb shines brightly. Yet is that bulb actually shining? Nope, actually the bulb is just protecting the filament that has been carefully placed within the bulb that causes it to shine. This is kind of like us as Christians. Our physical…

The book of Acts is perhaps the most widely taught and read book in the churches of Christ. So much of our doctrine and practice comes directly from this 28-chapter history in narrative form. While it does contain history it is also a remarkable story of promises and fulfillment. This wonderful narrative, written by Luke, the physician, and addressed to the most excellent…

Hello family – instead of the normal article on just one topic I thought I would instead share a couple of things that have been on my mind lately that I have been praying on.  I hope that as you read these things, that you too will spend some time thinking about them as well: Striving alongside you for the prize, Jay

Talk about an oxymoron. The epitome of isolation and loneliness connected with what should be the epitome of family, purpose, and belonging. You may disagree with my choice of titles, but chances are, you were taught to be a “lone wolf” just like me. From childhood most of us were taught that all we needed to succeed in life was hard work and determination. We were…

The Bible abounds with verses about God’s love for us. The Psalmist David described God’s love with these poetic words, “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Psalm 36:4). He goes on to write, “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God” (Psalm 36:7). In another Psalm, David wrote, “You, LORD, are forgiving and good abounding in love…

What do I mean by a giver and a taker? A giver is someone who is always serving, always giving their time, always involved in the life and activities of the church. A giver is a person whose life is built around the idea that contributing to the life and welfare of others is more important that taking from it. So the opposite is true of a taker. They are always coming to…

How often do you forget to spend time being or reflecting on being thankful to our Lord?  Is it relegated to a holiday?  A time we set aside in our worship services?  Or is it a daily, moment by moment realization?  The importance of being thankful cannot be overestimated in our lives. If you were to count them up, in one form or another, we are told to be thankful over…

Election season is on us again and the politicians are making promises about what they will do, initiatives they will start, reasons why you can trust them and why you can’t trust the other side. The drama unfolds before us in commercials, debates, Facebook, the dinner table – at times it can seem like it can be all around us. What strikes me as dangerous though, is…

How many times have you heard that sentiment? It’s often used to remind someone that though they may believe that they are certain in their conclusion, they have no way of controlling the situation and it may change.  “Never” carries such huge implications. To use the word “never” you have to be positive about what you know and positive about every circumstance under…