I’m not sure why, but the good Lord opted to awaken me early this morning. I checked my watch and it was around 6am. Since I was already awake, I decided I would get a run in before the busyness of the day set in. But, I figured I would wait a little while to give the sun some time to rise. At approximately 6:30am, I finally got out of bed and got ready, believing the sun would be breaching the...
In my notes for last Sunday’s sermon, I simply had this phrase written for my intro: “We all feel like quitting every now and again…” No further explanation was provided in my notes, in large part because I didn’t need much elaboration to provide my explanation. While each of us may have experienced this feeling in different ways, we’ve all been there in one way or another. The old saying tells...
Rare is the moment when I struggle to find words. It’s not often that I actively avoid engaging in dialogue about just about anything. I’m not one to shy away from difficult discussions or unpopular truths. But, in this cultural moment, I am both struggling to find the words and have a deep desire to avoid addressing the issues. The continued stream of school shootings coupled with the...
Last week, as I was studying for Sunday’s sermon, I stumbled upon something interesting. I learned that our English words jealous and zealous come from the same Greek word. If you think about it, there is a very fine line between the two concepts. When someone is zealous, they are passionate in the pursuit of a cause or objective. When someone is jealous, that passion is replaced with envy over...
An old song played on our local radio station earlier this week that really got me thinking. The song is Unanswered Prayers by country music legend Garth Brooks. In particular, I have been reflecting on the chorus. In it, Brooks sings: Sometimes, I thank God, for unanswered prayers Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs That just because He may not answer, doesn’t mean He don’t care...
There are large stained glass windows at both ends of the sanctuary at First Baptist Church of Seymour. This isn’t at all unusual. Stained glass was and remains a common feature of many church buildings. What is uncommon, however, is the images contained within those windows. Often, stained glass windows depict major biblical stories or symbols. Common symbols include crosses, stars, roses of...
The full heat of the season is upon us. Yes, the summer sun has been at peak performance for several weeks now, but that is not what I am referring to. Shining right along with the sun are the smiling faces in all of the “back to school” photos. Every time I open Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (I refuse to call it X), I’m greeted by images of excited, and often mildly annoyed, young people...
You may ask yourself, what exactly does a pastor do on an extended break from serving at his or her local church? I’m not sure what other pastors do, but this pastor went to church, or rather churches. It would be difficult to estimate exactly how many churches we visited during our travels. In Rome and the cities we visited across Greece, there seemed to be churches on every corner and more than...
Over the last several years, we have done a lot of work on our church building. We have replaced heating and air conditioning units, repainted walls in classrooms and throughout the main corridors of the church, and we have installed new flooring throughout much of the church. In fact, the last piece of business we conducted as a church before I headed out on sabbatical for a month was vote on...
One of my favorite weeks of the year is when I get the opportunity to join our student ministry, The Attic, on their summer mission trip. We work with an amazing organization called Mission Serve that specializes in facilitating mission projects designed to engage and equip students, grades six through twelve, for the work of ministry both in word and deed. We provide some basic training on how...
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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