We have developed a habit here at First Baptist Church. As my good friend Deryk Baurle recently described it, we allow our mouths to write checks that we hope we can cash. To put it in more literal terms, we volunteer to take on large projects that require large amounts of organization, volunteer involvement, and, in almost every instance, some level of financial investment. Before we’ve fully...
Who doesn’t love seeing a beautiful rainbow in the sky? I know that a vast majority of people in the community of Seymour, Indiana are just as fascinated by them as I, because every time one appears in the Seymourian sky it dominates my social media feed for the next 24 hours. This leads me to believe that a vast majority of people do exactly as I do when I learn that a rainbow has appeared...
For the better part of the last year, my son has had car-itis. As a soon-to-be licensed driver, his mind seemed to be fixated on cars all day, every day. His car of choice is a late 1980’s Fox Body Mustang. The text message thread from my son to me is both single-sided and single minded. It is filled with links to listings of beat up, broken down, and barely operable Mustangs on Facebook...
Several years ago, the Christian rock band Newsboys released a song entitled Wherever We Go. I loved the song the first time I heard it. Even today, if it happens to come on the radio, I will turn up the volume and let my head bob to the music. Throughout the first verse, the lyrics are kind of ridiculous. They sing about bluebirds singing, flowers blooming, bees behaving, and squirrels smiling...
We have a regular ritual in the Myers household every Monday morning. Once we have all gotten ourselves dressed and ready for the day we all converge in the kitchen. As I work on preparing a fresh pot of one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, I pose the same question I ask every week: “What should I write about for my blog/column this week?” The responses provided to this very basic, yet...
Today’s date is Monday, October 17, in the year of our Lord 2022. And so, it is with great joy that I wish you a very happy Bosses Day! Though the day will have passed by the time you read this, I’m sure you celebrated with great gusto and enthusiasm. Here at the offices of First Baptist Church, my Office Czar, as we call her, brought me a box of doughnuts in recognition of this most august of...
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen is an old African-American spiritual song, first published in 1867. The original version of the song was written during the time of slavery. While the author remains unknown, the song has been covered and adapted numerous times over the years. The original lyrics of the song are as follows… Nobody knows the trouble I’ve been through Nobody knows my sorrow Nobody...
Certain sights, smells, and sounds seem to hold supernatural powers. They have the ability to transport us back through time to the good old days, to simpler times. And, while the sensations that trigger this experience are different for each of us, I am fairly certain we all have them. Whenever I smell freshly cut grass or hear the rustling of leaves, I am immediately transported to a cross...
How many gifts do you think you received throughout your childhood? The number would undoubtedly vary from person to person. But, it’s probably reasonable to say we all received more than a few in our day. Now for a couple follow-up questions: How many of those gifts do you still have in your possession? And, how many do you still utilize today? As I reflect back over my own childhood, the number...
I am constantly surprised when, in the course of living my adult life, lessons taught during my grammar school years provide profound insights and practical solutions to problems. It’s interesting how the keys to mitigating complex struggles often rest in a return to simplicity. As I was reflecting on a particularly messy struggle I’ve been wading through with some dear friends, the words 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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