Our first family dog was a black Cocker Spaniel named Bridget. We gave her that name because it struck us as a posh name befitting such a bougie dog breed. She was a sweet little dog who, for the most part, would go with the flow. She was also every bit the spoiled princess. At no point was this more apparent than when we attempted to take her on a walk. While most dogs make a beeline for the...
It’s more than probable that you’ve heard some version of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. For the sake of the cause, allow me to give a brief summary. A young girl with blond hair and an entitlement complex is wandering around alone in the middle of a bear-infested forest. She happens upon a well-stocked and fully-furnished house and decides to make herself at home. Upon entering the...
St. Peter is undeniably an important character in the New Testament. He gives off what the kids today call “main character energy.” Throughout the gospels, Peter boldly and often brashly pushes his way into the spotlight with Jesus. Consider, for instance, his attempted stroll on the water with Jesus, which ultimately ended with Jesus pulling Peter’s scared and soggy behind out of the surf, or...
Hark how the bells, sweet silver bells, All seem to say, “Throw cares away;” Christmas is here, bringing good cheer, To young and old, meek and the bold; Ding-dong, ding-dong, that is their song, One seems to hear, words of good cheer; From ev’rywhere, filling the air, Ding, dong, ding, ding, dong! You’ve likely heard these lyrics before. They form the first verse of the classic Christmas song...
There is an entire academic discipline focused on signs. This field of study is known as SEMIOTICS. It is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. There are three primary areas of semiotics. Cognitive Semiotics involves efforts to understand how individuals derive meaning using signs and symbols. Cultural Semiotics deals with the way signs develop and are used in particular...
The Thanksgiving gathering is a very important event for my wife’s family. It is the one time each year when the extended family comes together. For many years, we referred to this gathering as Thanksmas, as it was a time to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, included with the celebration of these two major events is another date of great significance. In fact, the smaller...
It is a bad time of year to be a turkey. In the days ahead, slow cookers, smokers, fryers, and all manner of food preparation devices will be fired up to prepare the centerpiece of Thanksgiving meals across the country and through the ages, the Thanksgiving turkey. I confess, I don’t really like turkey. I’m convinced we only eat it once or twice a year, not because it’s expensive or difficult to...
A TikTok creator has gone viral with a social experiment she is conducting entitled Testing Your Church. Each video starts with her explaining, “I am about to test your church to see if they would help feed a starving baby.” She provides the name of the church she will be calling and various details about their ministries. She then calls the church in question and poses as a mother in need of...
Every now and again, I discover something during sermon prep that doesn’t fit in the flow of the message. These delicious little nuggets of truth go no further than the pile of post-it notes that litter my desk throughout the study and composition process. A few such morsels have been simmering in my head for the better part of two weeks now. They are found in the story of The Feeding of the 5000...
It will come as little to no surprise to most that I have a robust collection of Bibles populating my bookshelves. The most beloved Bible in my collection is a navy blue, bonded leather, King James Version that was given to me by my Grandma Ruth when I was 11 years old. I wore that Bible out! The binding is held together by several layers of tape. The outer edges of the cover are cracked and...
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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