My wife and I like to kid that we’re detectives sometimes. At first I was Watson and she was Holmes, but our roles changed for the sake of...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

To know and to be known - that is the deepest desire of any human being. We seek to know God and to be known by God. We seek to know others and...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING MORE

When I was a kid, you got two pizzas for the price of one at Little Caesar’s—- “Pizza! Pizza!” While this was great for obvious reasons, it could cause some...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

I have a strong, green plant which sits on a table next to our front door. My wife gave me this plant and I’m proud of Leon. I’m happy to...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

I always had good eyesight

My vision was fine

Yet I was healed of...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

The mall maps helped me. I’m a ‘hunter’ shopper; so, back when malls were a thing, I’d walk in, head to...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Hide and Seek. Probably the oldest of children’s games. I recall feelings of anticipation, excitement, fear, joy while playing hide and seek as a child. The anticipation and...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“At first the river is a river and the mountain is a mountain, and then the river is no longer a river and the mountain is no longer a mountain; and then later the river is a river again and the mountain is a mountain again.” 

Very straightforward and yet, at a glance, it appears as though little to nothing meaningful was stated. However, when placed into a relatable context, this metaphor comes...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

My sisters and I used to fight over the TV remote. The almighty “controller.” When the three of us kids were left unsupervised in the...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

My daughter recently asked me about my Christmas memories growing up. My fondest childhood memories of Christmas are while...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Every Friday I watch our facilities manager, Dave, slaving away to make our Worship Center pristine on Sunday mornings. He scrubs bathrooms, vacuums and...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“What would you say to Donald Trump if you met him?” Matty asked me at lunch.

          I stalled, “What would YOU say?”

         "Hi,“ Matty replied.

Spending time around kids is...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

December 25th is over, soon the radio stations will go back to playing their regularly scheduled broadcasts. The decorations around town will be detached from...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Surrender is a dirty word. In a war torn world since the fall of mankind, surrender has meant to give up, to stop fighting, to forfeit one’s freedom. We understand the phrase “never surrender” as being an indication of strength and resilience. To surrender calls to mind images of captivity, bondage, slavery, and abuse...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

     We are coming to an end of our series titled “Family Letter”. Just a few weeks left and boy has it been fun. So many things we never stop and really think about as it pertains to practically living out the principles God teaches us in His Word...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

The term “dirty work” conjures images for each...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“I will praise You, my God and King, and always honor Your name. I will praise You each day and...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Wednesday night was here again, the best part of my week. Brad and Lori invited me into their home with open arms. He and I...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

God is in the details whether I see Him working there or not, sometimes I see Him soon after, sometimes I don't notice until years later. I cringe to...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

‘Tis a season of thanksgiving. People express gratitude for the many blessings in their lives. Demeanors are gentler. Faces are kinder. Smiles are...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

The Transition

Excitement, Questions, Fear and TRUST

Often, we try to know the beginning from the end - how will the story play out? We even find ourselves gripped with fear as we venture into the unknown, fearful of things we can’t possibly know ahead of time.

Our church family is going through some exciting changes that might feel scary. If you’re afraid, that’s totally normal - but don’t stay afraid. Here’s “Part 1” of a two part encouragement as we navigate this new season of the Christian Center adventure together, bringing Jesus to the hurting and the hopeless.

Our dear Pastor Kitchell preached a sermon this past year titled “Trust”. She talked about how Joseph (in the book of Genesis) found himself in situations that were out of his immediate control yet he consistently trusted God, submitted to those in authority and believed God would have his way in his life. We see time and time again, all through the scriptures, how men and women of God find the faith to trust and persevere - even when faced with issues that would seemingly de-rail the mission for their life. 

All of this reminds me of the journey the Hebrew people took out of Egypt in what is called the Exodus. The journey would test every person from the leaders right down to the emerging generation. What is going to happen? Who will lead us? What will be the outcome? These are natural questions we are all likely to ask in the face of the great unknown called our future. 

We Walk By Faith

We are a people who are called to walk by faith, not by sight. As we venture into this time of transition, fear of things we can’t control may begin to creep in. I want to encourage you to stand and believe that God knows the beginning from the end and that He is waiting on the other side of this season with his arms open wide ready to receive us as a church. 

It All Hinges On Honor

When I spoke to the congregation at the beginning of September 2015, I made this statement “Honor is the hinge the door to our destiny swings upon” - we MUST honor the past and yet at the same time, embrace the future. 

We honor Pastor Marjorie Kitchell as she ends her tenure as Sr. Pastor at Christian Center, yet we also honor God as the author and finisher of our faith as well as our church’s story. There are many things that we will learn in this process, if we will allow ourselves to be open. Dr. Henry Could in his book Necessary Endings, puts it like this; 

“Wisdom comes from experience, either the experience of others or of oneself. And to let experience do its work, a person has to be open to receiving the lessons that it has to teach.” 

Trusting the Covering

Our church is a Foursquare church. The Foursquare denomination is one steeped in rich history and faith. The story of Foursquare’s founder Aimee Semple McPherson is one filled with passion and trust in the Lord and His will for the future of a movement that is currently represented by over 8 million members worldwide.  

Foursquare, just like most other denominations, has a leadership structure that aids the local church in its mission to reach the world for Jesus Christ. We, the leadership of Christian Center are submitted to our denominational leaders and are ready to answer the call to represent them and Christ to a hurting world.  

Just like all of those who have found themselves running after God and His will for their lives, only to be faced with challenges beyond their control, I encourage you to rest in His peace that surpasses all understanding.  

Your faithfulness, honor and unity will be the catalyst that catapults Christian Center Church (CCC) into its destiny, where the Spirit of God is waiting.

I love you all very much.

-Pastor Kev

What are you searching for

Or hoping to retrieve  

In the midst of all the leaves

For autumn has...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Why can’t you do just this one thing?

You should know this already!

If you really loved me, you would …

These are a few of the common types of...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

For years I toted the same books with me from house-to-house, even from state-to-state, but I never read them. I kept them in...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

There’s something intriguing about the life of a fisherman. Maybe it’s the danger of the sea and its mystery which...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Who am I?

I am a writer. No, that is what I do—I write. 

I am a pastor. No, that is what I do—I pastor. 

I am a parent. No, that is what...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

What I didn’t like about tipping was the pressure to give. I felt everyone around me was doing it to meet social standards, which they...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

The organized dances started for me when I was in Junior High. Once or twice a year the cafeteria/auditorium would be converted-ish into a suitable environment for...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Years ago I had a dream that I was caught in a concrete pipe. The kind of pipe I’ve seen lying on the side of the road for construction of some kind. In this dream I was tightly secured inside the pipe, my shoulders kinda squished together. I was not getting out...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“O God, I beg two favors from you before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“I noticed your band is on the roster for the dance auditions after school today. Why even bother, McFly? You don’t have a chance. You’re too much like...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

In The Matrix the main character, Mr. Anderson, seemingly a nobody, works a dull day job and is a computer hacker by night. He clearly...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

I believe it’s virtually impossible to have no concern for what others think. Even if we choose to shut out the voices of our...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is anything in me that offends you, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24, a psalm of David

Walls are dangerous. The same barriers I...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Apart from God your soul is empty, without even a flicker of the Holy Spirit in it. And even after you come to believe, you will remain largely subject to this dark condition until the eyes of your inner man are healed and open…for it is the light of faith that shows you the way of perfect freedom in spirit...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

It’s strikingly quiet—not a manmade sound for miles. I’ve taken to solitude on my day off. I need time for my mind to refuel. I don’t need my mind to quiet; I need the world to quiet. Solitude is...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Do you ever feel like your life is spinning out of control? Things you were expecting to happen have not, while things that have never even crossed your mind seem to win the day. If this is true of you, usually thoughts begin to run through your mind like, “Why is this happening?” or “How can this be true?”  For others, we even begin to think or say “God, why are you doing this to me?” We allow ourselves to get caught up in a narrative of our own design and what typically follows is anxiety and fear. The truth is we can never really know from day to day what might happen.  Even the best planners can never account for the “human factor,” the understanding that even the best thought out plans can’t dig deep into the minds of people to understand their personal crisis and processes and thus account for what might happen. This condition I’ve described is the rule and not the exception. Most people are plagued with thoughts of fear of the unknown almost daily. I would be lying if I said I have completely overcome this pattern of thought and so would you. The reality is, we are in this unknown world together and we do not know from day to day what tomorrow brings.

Have you ever told someone you were anxious only to have them say “Don’t be anxious?” Um, thank you for that great piece of advice; I had not thought of that yet. But this is exactly what Jesus tells us to do in Matthew 6:25. Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body, what you will put on. Why does He say it like this? How can it be so simple? What is the formula that we can use to overcome anxiety and fear? There is NO formula, only relationship.

Jesus tells us in John 15:4-5 to Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.

The one who tills the soil and takes care of the vines is responsible for the outcome or fruit. There has never been a tree or vine that has EVER felt anxiety about the fruit it produces or the process in which it is produced. What Jesus is telling us is to make sure we are planted in His garden (fully dependent on Him), trust Him for the outcome, and remember that our circumstances today are not final - there is always more to the story. Rest today, knowing He loves you and has a purpose for you far beyond today’s trouble. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin...

When I was a child, my family went through a tough season that left us a bit fragmented. We all go through times like that in our own lives, times that seem to challenge us on every level. I remember a significant moment...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

My favorite story in the bible is “The Woman at the Well”. Although I can’t remember the first time I read it, I certainly remember when it blew me away. Its message and power, rooted in the Holy Spirit, resonated deeply, personally, within me...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

My soul hurts this week. It doesn’t feel very wonderful at all. This is actually a source of relief for me - that I can feel my soul...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“No, this is not your legacy. This is not your destiny. Yesterday does not define you." 

     I really enjoy the Family Letter intro song played right before Pastor Kevin begins to share his Sunday message with the congregation: Family Tree by Matthew West. The excerpt above is taken from his song. When that chorus rings out I am uplifted...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

My first big "message" in front of Pastor Kevin was a leader-training, inspirational (I hoped), let's stay connected, type thing I was praying would go over well...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.” -The Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:3

     I remember one sunny afternoon, floating with a good friend of mine, just he and I in his parents’ pool. High school was coming to an end and I had loads of time then to kill just hanging out with no concern for time. I believe that ‘losing track’ of time...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Life is made up of tens upon thousands of moments that comprise who we are, how we feel, and what we do. Each and every moment can be filled with a variety of emotions that span from elation to depression. Like pixels...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

I realize that movies, to some degree, are adapted from someone's experiences and very well might be exaggerated to drive a point. However, there is some accuracy to the depicted versions of big family dinners onscreen. So often in these cases...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING                         

I remember when I was about 16 or so my mom saw me squinting at the TV.  Turns out, I was having a hard time in general seeing things far away.  The clinical diagnoses is...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

All summer long, we will be talking about the fruit of the Spirit. What is that, you may find yourself asking, well, let me tell you. Fruit is another word for outcome. The outcome of...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

                                      I can see mountains again.

                                      I can see my heart’s escape.

                                      I can see the presence of the LORD.

                                      He is steadfast, immovable.

                                      He looms in love. 

     I take chances. So, when I read a book or article that moves me...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

It is the gentle hand of God which picks me up without bruising me and caresses my hurting heart. I am delicate by...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Dear Christian Center Family,

First of all, I would like to thank every single one of you for your faithfulness, we (the CCC team) have made it through the 1st quarter, post transition.  There have been 24 new decisions for Christ, we are...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

Grace meets me by the water. Every time I have entered a new season of life, I can picture the body of water that helped usher me into it. There is the lake at...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20)

Following my heart used to make sense back...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

“A disciple of Jesus holds aloft the white flag of surrender.” - Scot McKnight, The Jesus Creed

Not my will, but yours…

When I was a little guy, there was a...CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING