Hi Brothers,  I have you on my mind as we head into 2012.  This is so because I am a man and I know the challenges that men face in being the spiritual leader in their homes (and the opportunities!).  I have you on my mind because I know that in God's design for husbands, as husbands go (spiritually speaking), in a very real sense, so goes the wife (and the family, and the church).  Genesis 1 and 2 establish that reality.  Sadly, when we get to Genesis 3, we see God's design take a massive missile strike.  Genesis 3 teaches us that God's love created man and woman with the ability to say no to God.  By creating man and woman with that sort of freedom, God's love risked having His best plans for them be rejected - and that's what happened.  You know the story, so I won't recount it except to share the missile strike:  ...

Every year in November I celebrate another birthday.  I must confess, I haven't always treated my birthday as such a big deal.  And, I've not been alone in that way of thinking.  I'm sure you've heard the same retorts I have: ...

A couple of weeks ago, I hosted a monthly meeting of some local Baptist pastors.  (Every time it is my turn, I am reminded of how blessed we are to have the facilities we have.)  The host pastor is also responsible to prepare a devotional.  I chose Hebrews 13.7 (ESV): ...

Greetings to my fellow saints at Harrison Hills,  ...

April has arrived, and Easter is drawing near.   That means we are one-quarter of the way through 2011.  Easter Season also offers a good time to evaluate how we're doing with our individual efforts at fulfilling the church vision for 2011.  ...

How are you doing on the 4 "M's" of discipleship?  Here's a pop quiz to help you think about it: How would you describe your gladness toward God?   Choose just one: ...

As of the 1st of February, I've been blessed to pastor the saints at Harrison Hills for three years.  Recently, I've been thinking about how significant three years was in the lives of two men in the New Testament: the Lord Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.  Jesus earthly ministry lasted approximately three years.  After Paul's Damascus Road experience, he spent three years in Arabia preparing for his life of ministry.  Their impact on the world goes without saying.  (I know, "you're no Jesus or Paul"!  Got it; not going there.)  Still, three years provides a sufficient period of time for us to consider our time together - not for boasting or complaining J; better, for the purpose of thinking about the next three years.   ...

In a recent email I focused on finances to illustrate how God has blessed Harrison Hills in 2010.  Providence truly guided us into broad places.  As this year comes to a close, I want to send you a quick note to help you look forward to 2011.  (Much of this is still in the planning stage, but here's a sneak preview.) ...

On Sunday evening, November 21st, about 30 of us had a marvelous time rejoicing and giving thanks to God over how He had blessed us in the past year.  We concluded the service by partaking of the Lord's Supper.  It was a very encouraging time of sharing blessings in fellowship with one another.  One of the things that was frequently mentioned was the generosity of church members towards each other, and towards the various collections we participate in.  For instance, on November 22, we sent over 100 shoeboxes, collected by the members of Harrison Hills, "to the end of the earth". I have been repeatedly blessed to see the folks at Harrison Hills respond to these giving opportunities so that others may benefit - and the chief blessing for me is that all of our giving efforts are a mechanism for spreading the gospel among the nations.  ...

Much has been said about the need for faithful church attendance.  It is a subject that both convicts hearts and closes ears; some acknowledge it matters greatly, others get tired of hearing about it.  In my recent project to shepherd a number of our members in their personal discipleship, the matter of faithful church attendance was very significant.  ...