Jesus doesn’t waste your struggle. The best addiction counselors have fought addiction. The best marriage mentors have been through marital storms. The weakest part of your story? Jesus wants to make it one of your greatest strengths.

🎶somebody tackle Josh Allen 🎶 stuck in my head

Most churches stop at fire insurance and behavior modification: get saved, quit sinning. But if your life is a ship, we put out the fire and plugged the holes. Now the question is where the ship is GOING. Jesus has a purpose for you. Most people never take this step.

I was 6 years old when I told a lady at church that I could eat 10 tacos. (which is crazy talk) That little lie haunted me for YEARS. Some of us feel conviction over silly little things. Some of us carry way heavier chains. Jesus has freedom for BOTH.

We break promises. God never does. Every promise to Abraham, to David, to Isaiah - fulfilled in Jesus. Take the broken efforts of a promise BREAKER and swap them for the perfect work of the one promise KEEPER.

Jesus told the disciples they'd abandon him. In the very next breath he told them where he would be waiting. If you've walked away from Jesus - he's out front, ready to welcome you home.

Peter heard the rooster, remembered his broken promise, and wept bitterly. That rooster might be the greatest gift Jesus ever gave him. You can't be forgiven for what you refuse to see. Being shown your sin is actually a GOOD thing.

New sermon text: Find Freedom. If you’ve ever wrestled with faith, identity, or the pressure to ‘be normal,’ this one’s for you. Read the full post: wix.to/dVEVnGd #ChristianLiving #FaithJourney #Matthew26 #FindFreedom #PastorsKid #SpiritualReflection

hey look Finding God In the Whisper - 1 Kings 19 Join me as I reflect on encountering God in quiet moments and what Elijah's story teaches us. Read the full message: wix.to/E7Fp6Cl #Faith #1Kings19 #QuietTime #SpiritualGrowth #ChurchReflection

Conviction is like a GPS. You miss a turn and it doesn't yell at you or give up on you. It just says "recalculating" The enemy uses that moment to shame you into pulling the car over. Jesus uses it to bring you home.

"I would die for you, Jesus" Peter said it. We say it too. But Jesus never asked us to die for him. He asked us to LIVE for him. Dying is heroic. Living is harder.

what does the church need to hear about evangelism? What do people outside the church want to know?

LOVING the new Yellowcard album. Current sermon writing jam.

I'm not going to post about the Lions, because I'm trying to keep it positive over here. *weeps secret silent tears*

Asbury 2023: 50,000 people came over 16 days of solid worship. Nobody sought out the big-name speakers. The people who were there said it felt like a bad chapel service you never wanted to leave. God tends to speak in the mundane. If God has been whispering - can you hear him?

If you've ever looked at someone else's prayer life and thought "they must love Jesus more than I do," this is for you. God's way of connecting with you isn't limited to how he works in other people's lives. So, try something new this week. Read. Pray. Fast. Just try.

Look I have a substack now! pastorjjthesimpleton.substac…

God showed up for Moses in wind. In earthquakes. In fire. But for Elijah - none of those. For Elijah it was a gentle whisper. God isn't always where we expect him based on what he's done for others. Maybe don't compare your conversation with God to others.

Sometimes we get ahead of God in the conversation. Elijah did. I do it constantly. We assume we know what he's going to say - and when he doesn't - it crushes us. But maybe part of prayer isn't filling in his lines - but rather listening for the still small voice.

Elijah calls down fire from heaven Biggest miracle imaginable He runs to the capital expecting a victory lap Nobody showed up. Not one voice. Seems like didn't change a single heart in Israel. When we have a script in our head and God doesn't follow it - it can be devastating.