Scripture, Faith, and Everyday Life

We live in a world full of uncertainty. Jobs come and go, health can change overnight, relationships face trials, and the news seems to carry more bad headlines than good. Yet the Bible says we can have joy—real joy—no matter what is happening around us.

This doesn’t mean putting on a fake smile and pretending everything is fine. It means finding a happiness that’s deeper than circumstances, rooted in something (or rather Someone) that never changes.

If your church is having a Trunk or Treat or Fall Festival this comprehensive list of resources and step by step action plan will help you with promoting the event.  It includes all available resources including: email, announcements at church, Facebook posts and how to run a paid ad, Instagram post ideas, and other more traditional ways to promote your event.  

Halloween is the largest outreach event to share the Gospel with children and adults.  Here is why it is the biggest evangelistic day and how you and your church can reach others with the Gospel.

This week, I had the opportunity to help teach our 1st through 5th graders the Lord’s Prayer.  As I spend time preparing and thinking about a lesson it always seems like I learn more than the kids.  Today was no exception.

As I prepared the lesson, I realized that while there are countless resources for helping kids memorize the Lord’s Prayer, there’s very little to help them actually understand what it means.

That got me thinking: Did Jesus want us to just memorize these words—or did He give us this prayer as a blueprint for our relationship with God?

Growing up in the Methodist Church I heard John Wesley's advice for years.  I wish I had followed it closer when I was younger.  If you are reading this and are young, carefully consider this advice.  It will change your life.

“Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”

It’s simple, practical, and deeply spiritual.

ChatGPT is like having an on-demand Bible commentary, one you can access anytime with just a few keystrokes. If I’m reading a verse and something doesn’t quite make sense, I just type it into ChatGPT. Within seconds, it gives me background, historical context, cross-references, and interpretations from various perspectives—much like a Bible commentary would.

I've been changing my mind on rest.  I used to think the more I could get done the better.  After all are we not told to not waste our life?   But I no longer think that is how God sees it. From the very beginning, rest was built into the rhythm of life. It’s not optional. It’s essential.

If you’re young and looking for answers, or even if you think you already have them there’s one book in the Bible you absolutely shouldn’t overlook: Proverbs. It's not flashy. It doesn't follow trends. But it speaks timeless truth. It's God’s wisdom passed down through generations, and it reads like a guidebook for life.

When Covenant Church United Methodist was first approached by the Conference about the Northwood Community Center, there were a lot of questions, and rightfully so.

What would we do with a building from a church that had closed?
Could we afford the cost of upkeep?
Would anyone even come?

It wasn’t an easy “yes.” There were doubts, concerns, and plenty of conversations. But there was also something more, a stirring of the Holy Spirit and a vision for what could be. Some saw potential where others saw a problem. And through prayer, planning, and a whole lot of faith, we stepped forward.

No matter who we are—rich or poor, famous or unknown, successful by the world’s standards or not—we’re all headed to the same final destination. Life ends for everyone. The clock is ticking, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. And when it’s all said and done, the size of your bank account or the number of followers you had won't matter one bit.

David and Goliath isn’t just a thrilling Bible story—it’s a powerful teaching moment for kids. It’s the story of a young shepherd boy who steps ont...

I’ve been reading I Am Brian Wilson, the autobiography of Beach Boys’ founder Brian Wilson. It’s a powerful and often heartbreaking account of a man who seemed to have it all—fame, fortune, and extraordinary musical talent—yet still faced deep personal struggles. His story is filled with pain: battles with mental illness, crushing feelings of inadequacy, manipulation by those who should have helped him, and years spent lost in drugs and alcohol trying to escape the torment inside his own mind.