Posts with the tag “sunday”

I am just returning from India and awaiting my final flight into Kansas City. I am still adjusting from being overstimulated by people everywhere, testimony of Christian persecution, and the traffic p...  Read More

I hope your week is going well and you are fully prepared for the impending blizzard. Our staff, elders, and deacons just returned from our leadership retreat, which began with a three-hour drive that...  Read More

This week’s sermon is going to be a good one. Pastor Dave will be preaching from Luke 1:26–33 about Jesus, our Invincible King. Jesus is more than able to see us through every step of the journey He l...  Read More

I hope your week is going well. While preparing for Sunday, I was reminded of a story in our church’s history that captures the strange and wonderful way faith and doubt fight for space inside our min...  Read More

This past Sunday, right after church, our family loaded up the van and headed for Minnesota to spend Christmas with my parents. Because it had been so warm, I hadn’t thought much at all about the poss...  Read More

This Christmas break, our household took on a project that, depending on who you ask, was either a memorable family bonding experience or a slow descent into puzzle-induced madness.Dallas won a 1,000-...  Read More

 Our staff Christmas lunch this week was another reminder of how much joy God gives His people. Leigh-Ann delivered her famous sliders and soup, comfort food that could probably calm international con...  Read More

This past week, I had the chance to take our oldest son, Dallas, to a soccer tournament in Phoenix, Arizona. The weather was absolutely perfect, and there were a few days when I even hurt a bit from s...  Read More

Several years ago, on our annual men’s float trip, my boys and I, along with a small army of other men and their sons, found ourselves in a situation that felt straight out of a Discovery Channel spec...  Read More

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of good food, good company, and good-natured repentance for that third piece of pie. We enjoyed an amazing meal, ate far more than any doctor would recommend, and sha...  Read More

This past week has been a full one for our family, the kind where you’re grateful for God’s goodness, good coffee, and the fact that seven people can actually fit in a car for a few hours. With Alexa ...  Read More

Some weeks feel like a sitcom… and other weeks feel like a sitcom that forgot to hire writers ?. Our recent adventure with the Health Department definitely lands in that second category.As many of you...  Read More

 It seems a small army of flies has declared squatter's rights in my office. They’re fast, sneaky, and apparently on some kind of top-secret mission to test my patience. Every time I think I’ve caught...  Read More

Recently, our middle child and oldest son, Dallas, reached a major milestone. He officially got his driver’s license. After riding scooters all over downtown, golf carts, six months of driving on a le...  Read More

This past Saturday, my three boys and I grabbed a close friend and headed out for a round of golf. We decided to play a scramble on a par-nine course, and honestly, it was a blast!Not because we’re gr...  Read More

It’s been a fun (and slightly humbling) week at our house with my mom in town for a visit!She’s been spending time with the boys, playing Mille Bornes and Skip-Bo (and let’s just say, she’s still got ...  Read More

This past week, Leigh-Ann and I were invited to a Sporting KC game with a close friend who was in from out of town.We had a blast!The atmosphere, the energy, the chants, the fact that our seats were i...  Read More

This past week, I officially moved into my new office with boxes of books, a desk, some chairs, and a few stray cables that I’m pretty sure multiplied overnight. As I was unpacking, I came across a tr...  Read More

Yesterday, a few of us pastors…Jeff, Anthony, Jordan, and I, along with the incredible Derek, had a “super fun” outing: moving our desks into the new offices ?. Sounds simple, right?Of course not.Thes...  Read More

This week, Ian (our youngest son) and I took a quick road trip to Omaha, Nebraska, for some good old-fashioned father-son bonding. We had a blast!We went to talk about what it means to grow into a man...  Read More

This past Saturday, my brother Todd, our middle son Isaiah, and I hit the Swope Park mountain bike trails, eager to conquer a new path. Everything was going great until I hit a steep climb and SNAP!My...  Read More

On Monday, our family did something that challenged each of us. No, we didn’t run sprints in 100-degree heat or try to get by a 300-pound lineman. We did something even more daring in this digital age...  Read More

Our youngest is officially a teenager.Unbelievable!This week, Ian turned 13 and celebrated with a a trip to the pool, the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, Jay’s Chicken, enough sides t...  Read More

We just got back from a few refreshing days up north at Lake Amelia in Minnesota with the whole crew, and let me tell you, it was rejuvenating.We fished, skied, tubed, and ate like we were preparing f...  Read More

We just returned from a great week of family vacation at Table Rock Lake near Branson. It was one of those trips where the days felt full, in the best kind of way. We spent our days boating, swimming,...  Read More

A few months ago, we had some surprise guests move into our front door Easter wreath. Somehow, they decided our front porch would be a great place to raise a family. And honestly, I don’t blame them, ...  Read More

After 22 weeks of setting up in borrowed spaces (or as we affectionately call them, Church Airbnb's), we finally had our first Sunday back in our newly remodeled home…and it felt GREAT.Over the past s...  Read More

For the past few weeks, Leigh-Ann and I, the kids, and many others have been on a secret mission to help set the stage for our oldest daughter Alexa’s engagement. The plan was simple but layered with ...  Read More

This past weekend, nearly 40 of us hit the road for our Men’s Campout and Float Trip down at the Big Elk River. The weather couldn’t have been better with sunshine, cool breezes, and very few mosquito...  Read More

Our dog Gratzi is, without a doubt, my favorite family pet so far. She’s well-behaved, loyal, and, best of all, she loves just being with us. Most mornings, the moment she hears the front door open, s...  Read More

  I’ll never forget the day my college roommate walked into our dorm room. Technically, I knew him since he was my cousin, but we’d only met a handful of times growing up. So when he showed up with a ...  Read More

Earlier this week, I was feeling like my margins were pretty thin… another week of juggling building inspections, navigating temporary meeting locations, and doing my best to wear all my God-given hat...  Read More

When I first met Leigh-Ann, I knew she had a heart for children. What I didn’t realize was that she had been dreaming of running an orphanage since she was a little girl. (I thought she meant, like, i...  Read More

There’s something powerful about a meal shared around the table.Now, I’ll be honest…Leigh-Ann always makes incredible food. Whether it’s a normal weekday dinner or a holiday spread, she somehow nails ...  Read More

Easter weekend is here, and our house is officially full…and loud. Leigh-Ann and I are soaking it up. Our oldest daughter flew in from Florida, our second came home from college, and our three boys (h...  Read More

This week, Pastor Jeff and I were back on set filming another episode of Church Improvement, our little behind-the-scenes show giving you updates and laughs from the auditorium remodel. Things have be...  Read More

 If you’ve ever tried to build something…whether a bookshelf, a budget, or a backyard shed that didn’t quite turn out level, you know that building takes time, effort, and a clear plan.The same is tru...  Read More

Can you think of a time you’ve walked into a room and felt like you’ve stepped into a whole new place, even though it's the same old building? It’s like that moment when you walk into a renovation pro...  Read More

March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year! Every year, I fill out my tournament bracket with great anticipation, convinced that this is the year I finally prove my basketball expertise. An...  Read More

This afternoon, I had the privilege of attending a graduation…not for high school, college, or even a seminary. No, this was a graduation for Fatherhood Foundations. A ministry designed to help men un...  Read More