My office at my previous church had a large window. It provided a spectacular view of the beige colored brick wall of the Family Life Center and the alley that ran between the FLC and the main church building. It was a rather narrow passageway, only stretching 12 to 15 feet wide. It could be argued that the alley was wide enough for two cars to safely pass another. But, the leadership of the...
On several different occasions, though not recently, I’ve been chastised for including personal stories in my sermons. There are those who believe a sermon should only be an exposition of Scripture and nothing more. From their perspective, the addition of experiential testimonies dilutes the integrity of the message and runs the risk of distracting people from the truth, the whole truth, and...
Every Thursday through the spring and summer months, a local company comes and mows the grass at the church. Normally, this is a rather inconsequential occurrence. One Thursday a year, however, it becomes a must see happening: the Thursday after Easter. While the vast majority of the eggs were claimed by joyful children, there are always a precious few left undiscovered. What the children missed...
In preparation for my most recent overseas mission trip, I made a visit to a medical clinic in Indianapolis to update my vaccinations and learn what other treatments were recommended for those traveling to that part of the world. Upon review, I learned that I needed two shots and it was suggested that I should take a treatment to protect against cholera. The nurse left the exam room and returned...
Much of southern Indiana was recently under water. Media sources of all types have been flooded with information regarding… well, the flooding. Locals have posted pictures of the rising water on and around their homes and places of business. One post on Facebook provided a map of Jackson County indicating road closures due to water levels; there were more roads that were closed than were open...
By God’s grace, I have had the privilege of visiting the great nation of India on several occasions. My first trip took place in December of 2011 to the city of Warangal. The purpose of our trip was to visit with friends from across the nation who were attending a national gathering of Baptist youth in the region. While we were in the neighborhood, so to speak, we made the rounds to visit some...
I love going on vacation. I don’t really need to go anywhere or do anything significant for vacation to be worthwhile. Then again, isn’t that what makes a vacation a vacation? The whole idea of a vacation is that we are vacating the spaces and paces that push and pull us in daily living. The word vacation actually comes from the Latin word vacatio, which literally means to be unoccupied. We leave...
On the corner of 2nd Street and Vehslage Road here in Seymour, Indiana, there is a small field that I pass several times a day. I enjoy watching the seasonal progressions in that field throughout the course of the year. At the moment, the field is a barren wasteland. All that remains is the dead stubs of corn stalks from the previous year’s produce. But, soon and very soon, the farmer will begin...
There are few statements from Jesus that we struggle with more than His challenges concerning how we deal with enemies. Jesus makes some incredibly uncomfortable and wildly unpopular asks. Even today, when I reference these verses of Scripture, I invariably will be hit with a chorus of “Yeah, but…” in the moments and days that follow. What Jesus is asking isn’t hard to understand; it’s difficult...
Acts 1:8 provides us with Jesus’s last instructions to His disciples before He ascended to heaven. It reads, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This verse is foundational to the mission of the church and a role that each believer is called to play in it. We are ALL...
Jeremy Myers is the Lead Pastor of First Baptist Church of Seymour, Indiana, where he has served since 2017. He has over 25 years of experience in local church ministry and not-for-profit leadership. He has a passion for helping emerging and existing generations learn to make space for each other and caring for the under-served and marginalized. In 2016, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Palmer Theological Seminary, with his thesis focusing on developing connections between senior adults and youth in the church. He is a passionate and gifted communicator and is regularly invited to speak at retreats, camps, conferences, and other events. He lives in Seymour, Indiana with his wife Robyn, their two children, Mikayla and JJ, and their Golden Doodle, Evie.
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