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...
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...
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...
We all have had “one of those days;” days when it seems nothing goes our way and it seems like the whole world has conspired against us. On those days, we perceive and experience everything through a hazy pall of shadow and dust. Even as I write these words, it strikes me as being comical and overly dramatic. It brings to mind the iconic children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No...
Not too far from the neighborhood where I grew up, there was a creek. Every once in a while, some of the other neighborhood kids and I would jump on our bikes and ride down to the creek to explore and play in the water. One of our favorite activities when we were there was to attempt to stop the flow of the water by building dams. We would scout out a good location, usually somewhere the water...
A scene from the 2003 movie The Last Samurai has stuck with me for all these years. It often comes to mind when my mind is unsettled and struggling to find peace due to a variety of external and internal factors. In the scene, Algren, a decorated American war hero, is participating in a practice sword fight to test his newly developed skills. It is not going well for him and he continues to find...
There are few things that stir the hearts and minds of people like music. The great theologian and hymn writer Martin Luther once said, “…next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. It controls our thoughts, minds, hearts, and spirits… A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper...
Have you ever found yourself taking part in something you felt was way above your proverbial pay-grade and thought, “HOW IN THE WORLD DID I GET HERE?” I can’t even enumerate how many amazing leaders and experts I’ve encountered who have indicated that they ask themselves this question early and often. From corporate executives, to professional musicians, to community leaders, to pastors and...
“I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” I have heard and uttered this phrase countless times over the years. In my experience, the phrase falls into one of two categories. It is either funny or foreboding… Or rather, it is an attempt to be funny in order to mitigate the foreboding. The good news, in these instances, is rarely good. It is really just a slightly less ominous...
Several years ago I attended a gathering of church leaders and pastors. The intent of the gathering was to create an opportunity for us to talk about what was going on in our lives and ministries, to offer up praises for the good things God was doing, and to share our concerns and pray for one another. To be completely honest, as I walked away from the meeting that night, my heart was heavier...
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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