Towards the front of the neighborhood in which I lived for most of my childhood, there was an empty lot with a massive mound of fill dirt. The neighborhood kids all referred to it simply as The Hill. Our favorite pastime on The Hill was King of the Mountain. King of the Mountain was a simple game. At the beginning, all participants gathered at the bottom of the hill. When the signal was given...
Don’t stop me if you’ve heard this before. I need to testify for a minute… My relationship with Jesus began with a bus ride when I was in the first grade. I was out running around the neighborhood that fine Sunday morning. My best friend at the time, Kyle, had just gotten two brand new “jogging suits,” one red and one blue. We thought it was only appropriate that we take them for a test run. As...
A close friend recently told me that he felt “lost” and needed to find himself. I was a little surprised by this revelation. I thought, and still believe, I knew exactly who this person was. This man is relatively successful. He has a good paying job that he claims he enjoys. He has a loving and supportive wife, amazing children, and more than a few good friends. He is very active in his local...
I’m not sure why, but the good Lord opted to awaken me early this morning. I checked my watch and it was around 6am. Since I was already awake, I decided I would get a run in before the busyness of the day set in. But, I figured I would wait a little while to give the sun some time to rise. At approximately 6:30am, I finally got out of bed and got ready, believing the sun would be breaching the...
In my notes for last Sunday’s sermon, I simply had this phrase written for my intro: “We all feel like quitting every now and again…” No further explanation was provided in my notes, in large part because I didn’t need much elaboration to provide my explanation. While each of us may have experienced this feeling in different ways, we’ve all been there in one way or another. The old saying tells...
Rare is the moment when I struggle to find words. It’s not often that I actively avoid engaging in dialogue about just about anything. I’m not one to shy away from difficult discussions or unpopular truths. But, in this cultural moment, I am both struggling to find the words and have a deep desire to avoid addressing the issues. The continued stream of school shootings coupled with the...
Last week, as I was studying for Sunday’s sermon, I stumbled upon something interesting. I learned that our English words jealous and zealous come from the same Greek word. If you think about it, there is a very fine line between the two concepts. When someone is zealous, they are passionate in the pursuit of a cause or objective. When someone is jealous, that passion is replaced with envy over...
An old song played on our local radio station earlier this week that really got me thinking. The song is Unanswered Prayers by country music legend Garth Brooks. In particular, I have been reflecting on the chorus. In it, Brooks sings: Sometimes, I thank God, for unanswered prayers Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs That just because He may not answer, doesn’t mean He don’t care...
There are large stained glass windows at both ends of the sanctuary at First Baptist Church of Seymour. This isn’t at all unusual. Stained glass was and remains a common feature of many church buildings. What is uncommon, however, is the images contained within those windows. Often, stained glass windows depict major biblical stories or symbols. Common symbols include crosses, stars, roses of...
The full heat of the season is upon us. Yes, the summer sun has been at peak performance for several weeks now, but that is not what I am referring to. Shining right along with the sun are the smiling faces in all of the “back to school” photos. Every time I open Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (I refuse to call it X), I’m greeted by images of excited, and often mildly annoyed, young people...
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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