I met Mr. Jim Cox sometime in 2005. As I reflect back, I can still see his face. His eyes were always filled with compassion and joy and he had a wildly contagious, if not a little mischievous, smile that could light up a room. I’m not 100% sure what the first words he spoke to me were, but I’m fairly certain that our first conversation after I joined the pastoral staff at the church he...
This past Sunday, sometime shortly before the ungodly hour of 4:30 AM, I was jolted out of my much needed beauty sleep by a loud and long roll of thunder. A spring storm was rapidly approaching and the thunder was just a precursor to the fun to come. Within moments of regaining consciousness, I began to hear the wind violently swirl outside. I listened as the siding, shutters, and gutters began...
Towards the end of every month I receive a “special” document in my church mailbox requiring my attention. It is a credit card statement for my church expense card. Various items on the document will have been highlighted by the church business manager, thus indicating that action is required on my part. Each highlighted item represents a receipt that I have, to that point, failed to submit to...
My good friend and associate pastor, Nathan Parker, and I have the great privilege of periodically leading communion services for residents at a local nursing home here in Seymour. Pastor Nathan leads a few hymns, which the attending residents sing with gusto, I present a short devotional message from the Bible, and we celebrate communion together. Following the service, we normally hang around...
Certain songs have a way of sticking with us over time. The music may enter through our ears, but it is able to bore down and burrow into the very center of our souls. These songs can lie dormant deep within us, often for years, only to emerge at the opportune moment to provide inspiration, insight, or encouragement. Many are the songs in my own heart. Some are deep and spiritual; a great many...
Easter Sunday is arguably the most well-attended Sunday of the year for churches. Mother’s Day and Christmas Eve (when it falls on a Sunday) both compete for the highest attendance of the year, but neither of those holidays can compete with the energy, engagement, and elevated style of Easter Sunday. I’ve often heard it referred to as “the Super Bowl Sunday” for the church. This year I also heard...
The meanest and scariest creature I have ever encountered was a rooster. If you want an animal to protect your family and property, forget about an attack dog; Get yourself an attack rooster! As a teenager, some friends and I used to head over to the home of a local farmer friend for occasional bonfires. He had the most aggressive and intimidating rooster I have ever seen. Those of us who had...
Would you consider yourself to be more of an optimist or a pessimist? An optimist is one who tends to see things with a positive outlook, while a pessimist tends to see things with a negative outlook. Let’s use an old exercise to help make the determination. If we were to place a glass containing approximately 50% of the liquid it is able to hold on a table before you, would you say the glass is...
Graphic socks are a prominent feature of the Myers family style. Myself, my wife, my daughter, and my son all love to rock exciting socks. We are probably one of the very few families in which getting socks for Christmas or a birthday is a highlight rather than a disappointment. Between the four of us, we have quite the eclectic collection. There is one design that I find especially amusing...
A simple claw hammer, a two foot metal stake, and a yellow jacket nest… On first glance, this could be the start of a really bad joke. And, just like a really bad joke, there’s nothing funny about where this story goes. In late summer of 2018, the third largest Californian wildfire was set ablaze as a result of these simple items. One article about the fire explains, “California’s largest...
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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