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...
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...
In composing these weekly reflections, I make great efforts to not go back to the same wells too often. But, it wouldn’t be difficult to fill an entire book with lessons I learn observing our family’s Golden Doodle, Evie. As I consider the ways she interacts with my family, responds to various strangers and visitors, and approaches the world around her, I see small glimpses of what I think God...
During a recent meeting of our youth ministry, The Attic, we conducted a little experiment that I found both interesting and illuminating. The experiment was inspired by two seemingly simple questions provided in a Grow Students teaching guide. “What is something so easy to do that it doesn’t require instructions?” “If you were to provide step by step instructions for that activity, what would...
“All good things must come to an end.” The truth of this statement will ring loud and long in the hearts and minds of children and adults alike over the next few weeks. It isn’t just the truth that is ringing, though. It is the bells calling students back to their classes and adults back to the working world. It is the ringing of alarm clocks, both literal and metaphorical, waking us up from the...
“It’s all good.” This small phrase has been running through my head for several days now. It grabbed my attention after an encounter in an overcrowded convenience store (Buc-ee’s) somewhere in southern Georgia. As we were all attempting to navigate the cramped space, a hurried lady ran into me pushing me into another gentleman, sending the items we were holding bouncing off other patrons like...
The New Year is almost upon us. As is often the case, we find ourselves standing on the precipice of the potential and promise of another 365 days, wondering where the previous 365 have gone and how they went so quickly, while wishing we’d done more with the time that has passed. In an effort to better utilize the time available, many of us make New Year Resolutions. Perhaps you have been...
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...
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...
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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