I recently heard a story that has continued to resonate in my heart and mind. The story, often told as a joke, is called the Parable of the Drowning Man. The story goes as follows… Torrential rains came upon a small town. As the rains came down the floods came up. Seeing the water rising, a local man began to call out to God for help. He prayed, “Lord, please save me!” Looking down the road, the...
It’s likely that you have seen an artistic rendering of Lady Justice at some point in your life. It’s an important icon in American history and culture. She serves as a personification of the concept of justice and judgement. She is usually blindfolded and holding a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other. A lot of information is being communicated through this image. In our current...
Mark 9:14-29 contains one of my favorite examples of faith in the Bible. This passage tells the story of a desperate father trying to get some help for his son. For years, this man’s son had dealt with “a spirit” that had made the boy mute, caused him to have seizures, and had often put the boy in mortal danger. We don’t know exactly how long this poor man had been forced to watch the suffering...
Mr. Desmond Doss served as a medic in the US Army during World War II. His story would likely be lost to the annals of history were it not for the 2016 blockbuster film Hacksaw Ridge. The movie is a dramatization of the real-life heroics of Mr. Doss during the war. During a particularly bloody battle, Doss ran into a veritable hell to drag wounded men to safety. For his efforts, Mr. Doss was...
If you’ve ever been to see the sea, you’ve likely noticed the way in which the water ebbs and flows. Where the waterline stops when you arrive at the ocean is likely not where it will be when you depart. The water is in a constant cycle of coming in and creeping up the beach, then retreating back out into the deep blue abyss. It is generally a very slow and deliberate process. If one isn’t paying...
In the biblical book of Acts, there is a brief mention of an obscure small town that became famous for the very best of reasons. Acts 17:11 reads, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” It’s a very short reference, but it says a lot...
Amazing Grace is arguably the most well-known hymn ever composed. Truly, a solid case could be made that it is the most well-known song in history across all genres (The Guinness book of world records lists Happy Birthday in the top spot). The song was composed by the Anglican clergyman John Newton in 1772. More than 250 years have passed since then and still this song is sung in churches around...
One of my favorite past times is people watching. It’s like reality television, but without the manufactured story lines that come with finely tuned editing and various levels of scripting. Out in the wild, people are just living life. And that, in and of itself, provides plenty to see for those who are paying attention. Last week, I spent a day on a Florida beach. While I try to focus my...
As [Jesus] approached Bethpage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as...
Today is the most Mondayest Monday of the year. Mondays are notoriously difficult days of the week. There are the noteworthy exceptions to the rule during holiday weeks on which Mondays serve as functional extensions of the weekend. But, on most occasions, Mondays serve as the reentry point to the grind of the working week. To borrow a biblical parlance, it is a day of great “mourning 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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