Few ideals, if any, are more valued in our current cultural climate than individuality. The great pursuit of past eras was to find one’s place within society. Today, we place a premium on discerning and highlighting what sets us apart. We all want to be spectacularly different… just like everybody else. Many have endeavored to discover where this shift in focus and drive took place. Most agree...
Summer is drawing to a close here in Southern Indiana. I realize that summer doesn’t actually end until late September and the advent of the Autumn Equinox. But, for most people, summer comes to a close when the local schools reopen. At a minimum, the start of school signals the end of all of the extra events and experiences that make summer a season to look forward to. For those of us in Jackson...
When I was a little boy, I almost drowned. And I must confess, IT WAS MY FAULT! My family was attending a party at the house of some friends. In their back yard, they had a swimming pool. It was an in-ground pool with a clearly demarcated boundary to separate the shallow end and the deep end of the pool. I don’t remember how old I was at the time, but I clearly remember that I couldn’t swim. I...
With the conclusion of our youth group mission trip to Huntington, WV, our wild and wonderful slate of summer activities has come to a conclusion. As always, it has been a lot of fun, but it has also been a lot of work. And, no matter how much you enjoy things like camps, conferences, and mission projects, a person’s body can only take so much. The words of Jesus ring very true; The spirit is...
The foundation of the entirety of the Bible is the work and person of Jesus Christ. Everything in Scripture flows to, through, or from His life, death, and resurrection. In Ephesians 2:20 it tells us that our faith is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” All of it is given by inspiration of God and is vital for living the...
Summer is a busy season in ministry. Over the course of the 8 to 10 weeks of summer, camps, conferences, and mission organizations provide numerous opportunities for service and encouragement for people of all ages. While it is a very exciting time, it is also a very exhausting season. By the time you insert a vacation or a weekend away, the summer is spent and you often find yourself needing a...
Just over a week ago, my nuclear family traveled to Puerto Rico to join with our family of faith for the Biennial Mission Summit of our denomination, the American Baptist Churches USA. It was an incredibly busy weekend of listening to reports from our missionaries and agencies, celebrating shared successes, recognizing areas that require improvement, and engaging in discussions to discern...
Have you ever taken the time to read Ecclesiastes? It’s in the Old Testament right after Psalms and Proverbs. It isn’t exactly one of those books that we go running to for encouraging reading material. It does contain a few passages with which many of us would be familiar, though. Allow me to provide a few examples… Ecclesiastes 1:2 reads, “Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher...
It was a dark and stormy night. Rain beat against the window, the wind shook the house, and periodic bolts of lightning faintly and briefly illuminated the bedroom. In the bed at the center of the room lay a young boy with only his frightened eyes peeking out from under the covers. With every flash of light his eyes search the room with full certainty that, particularly on a night like this, evil...
In my junior year of high school I was cut from my high school basketball team. I can still remember where I was and how I felt when I learned that I didn’t make the cut. I was standing outside the office of the athletic director/coach of the boys’ team where the list was posted. All around me were other young men, celebrating their shared joy of finding their names on that white sheet of...
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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