Pastor Jeff’s Blog

Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we’re paying for the wrongs they did. – Lamentations 5:7 It is human nature to resist pain. We repress negative emotions. We avoid conflict. We [...]

“I can’t wait until things get back to normal.” I’ve uttered those words dozens of times in the past 10 months. I want to be able to go out to dinner with Nancy. I want to be able to grab coffee [...]

Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures…. Then you will [...]

Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with [...]

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business [...]

God gives sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. – Matthew 5:45 Assigning moral blame for natural disasters is a hallmark of bad theology. Pat [...]

One thing I’m grateful for | Kindness, as in setting yourself aside to selflessly care for the needs of others. I tweaked my back a couple of weeks ago and the lower back pain I felt has gotten [...]

One thing I’m grateful for | This year’s annual bike ride across Iowa (RAGBRAI.org) has been canceled due to the pandemic. It’s been my favorite week of the year for 12 years, so I’m really [...]

One thing I’m grateful for | Leadership in uncertain times can feel like walking a tightrope. Make a wrong move and it’s a long way down! But wise walkers have a safety net to catch them. They [...]

The unexamined life is not worth living. – Socrates Welcome to “One Thing”, our summer blog and mini-Engage series. Here’s how it works. Each Monday one of our pastoral staff will post a [...]