West Franklin Family, He’s been a regular in my office recently. He’s struggling. In a good way, but it’s tough. After coming to the realization he had been lying to himself, to God, and everyone else – he recently trusted Christ for the first time. He, along with everybody around him, thought he was already a Christian. But he wasn’t. He’s been coming to my office with a passionate vigor to be sure. As I do most folks struggling with… Read more
West Franklin Family, I pray a lot. Without a doubt I need to pray more. Paul said to do it without stopping. There is a lot of growth that needs to happen for sure. But I do pray a lot. I don’t say this to brag. It’s in the occupational air that I breathe as a pastor. Let’s face it: I get paid to pray. I tell people all the time I will pray for them. People text me or… Read more
Second quarter. Down 13-0. Auburn had not won a football game in Baton Rouge since before Y2K. Fourth down and two. They go for it. Bo Nix takes the snap under center. Drops back, nothing. Runs to his right, nothing. Runs to his left, nearly tackled. Backs up to avoid pressure, nearly brought down again. Moves forward a few yards. As he is being sacked for a loss, Nix heaves a pass into the air. The ball lands beautifully into… Read more
West Franklin Family, She walked into her apartment after a relaxing vacation and something didn’t seem right. The floor her feet walked on felt different. Soft. Squishy. She didn’t see any water, but knew something was off. Over the next few minutes she discovered a leak in the bathroom. It wasn’t her fault, but it was bad. The leak had obviously sprung soon after she left town. Water had seeped into everything. She shared this with me the Sunday morning… Read more
Third quarter. The Auburn Tigers are getting embarrassed by the Georgia State Panthers. On Auburn’s homecoming. The chants emerge from the home crowd: “We want TJ!” “We want TJ!” It’s a desperate plea from the brutal Auburn fanbase to head coach Bryan Harsin: Replace starting quarterback Bo Nix with LSU transfer TJ Finley! Harsin surrenders to their cries. Finley takes Nix’s spot under center in the fourth quarter. Finley leads Auburn down the field in the waning minutes of the… Read more
West Franklin Family, I had an encounter with an eight year old boy this week I hope I remember for a long, long time. This young man was like the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus. His young words to me in my office have multiplied in my mind and heart a hundredfold. His parents set up a meeting because their son expressed interest in baptism. I love these conversations. I love hearing children explain the Gospel. I love… Read more
It’s a constant refrain. I see it all the time. It’s everywhere. It’s in me and it’s in you. I first noticed it last week when I took on childcare responsibilities for 9 (mostly) preschool age children. At one point during our time together one of them said to me, “Watch how fast I can run!” I did and followed up with, “Wow! You are super-duper fast! How can you go that fast?” I was immediately (a drastic understatement) surrounded… Read more
West Franklin Family, I am writing this on a Thursday. Last night I had the incredible privilege of watching nine precious and delightful blessings. (Read: Last night I was forced to babysit nine rowdy, nose-runnin’, constant-bathroom-going children because one of the childcare solutions came down with covid.) We sang. We played. We laughed. We yelled. (Read: I made them all go outside and run off as much energy as possible while I tried – and failed – not to sweat… Read more
I am a staunch believer in truth. I believe there is absolute truth. I believe all truth is God’s truth. And, of course, I believe the Bible is truth. While I am at it, I will declare again here that I believe Jesus is the truth. But I believe there might be something more important than truth. Hang with me. . . Many (most?) who read this and hold to truth as I do, arduously hold fast to the rock-solid… Read more
West Franklin Family, Literally seconds before I sat down to type this letter an airplane flew over my head. It is a beautiful morning in Franklin, Tennessee. When the weather is like this, I sit outside my office at our campus. Moments ago, an airplane flew over where I am sitting. I think it was a Southwest aircraft. Twenty years later I still find myself haunted by airplanes crashing into the Twin Towers in New York City. I am not… Read more
