“Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
Proverbs 16:24
I write because I believe these words to my core. Following a forty day fast, Jesus responds to Satan’s temptation to turn loaves into bread, by quoting Moses’s admonition to the Israelites who had seen that very type of miracle every day for forty days, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4/Dt. 8:3).
Israel had depended on God’s miraculous hand to bring manna for forty years—what could be more important than this daily bread? Moses tells them that God’s Word is of equal importance. Jesus, famished after forty days of fasting is met by the Tempter, and he tells him that he will not forfeit the substance that comes from holding true to God’s Word for a loaf of bread.
Our is an Esau world. We exchange our birthright for a pot of stew, God’s Word for an endorphin hit, the eternal for the ephemeral.
My hope is that by stewarding my ministry of Words, I can help push back against that tide just a little bit. I blog first to pastor my dear congregation New Life Bible Fellowship through the ministry of the written word. My hope is that the three additional touchpoints during the week allow those God has entrusted to me as an under-shepherd to grow in their love for God, their wisdom, and to foster unity. I’m grateful for the many who read who aren’t part of New Life. I pray that my writing encourages and strengthens you in your walk and in your heart for your local church.
I felt called to blog for many years before I finally responded to that call. God was merciful in having me wait. I went through a personal and marital crisis in 2013 (you can read about that here) that took me out of pastoral ministry for two years, and I am grateful that God allowed me to navigate my own path of spiritual growth and healing before I began to write more publicly.
Thank you especially to my faithful subscribers. Sometimes readers will ask how they can support me. That is a kind question, especially because blogging can be a rather lonely ministry. When I get up to preach, I have the blessing of looking into the eyes of the congregation, of seeing people nod, of watching emotions well up. A blog is sent into the ether often without much response. Here are four meaningful ways to encourage me as a pastor-writer:
1. Subscribe. Subscribing to my emails lets me know you’re in. Social media suppresses blogs (they don’t want to direct scrollers to anything outside of their app). Subscribing helps me connect directly with you. You can subscribe at the top of the home page (don’t miss that you’ll need to hit confirm on the auto-email that is sent to you).
2. Share. It’s so encouraging when you share content with your friends that is meaningful to you.
3. Comment. Your words of how any given posts impacted you bless me tremendously.
4. Support. The elders of New Life Bible Fellowship are generous enough to allow me to write as part of my role as pastor. It is for that reason I do not ask for personal financial support and have not moved to Substack like many bloggers. If you have felt blessed by this ministry of New Life, I would encourage you to consider supporting our church. You may do so here.
Below are my five most read posts of 2024. It is always interesting to me which of my posts resonate with readers. If any of these posts blessed you, would you share it with a friend?
Please know how grateful I am for you. Thank you for your support and for investing your time and energy in reading The Bee Hive.
5. Why Satan wants you to think you’re alone
“I’m sure no one has ever told you this.”
“It’s so bad. You are going to think terrible things about me.”
“Everyone would hate me if they knew what I was thinking.”
“There is no one who loves me for me.”
“I’ve heard each of these helpless words from those who sat on the couch in my office. They are raw, vulnerable, and heartbreaking confessions. The words leak their hearts’ crippling loneliness and fears that they are destined to remain alone.”
4. Westminster Abbey and the danger of inhospitality
“This past fall, my family and I visited our daughter Camille while she was studying abroad in England. It was our first time in the UK. We crammed in as much of the country as we could in two weeks, including cathedrals across the isle. You might expect our experience at the various cathedrals to be rather uniform, but they were each unique in their own right. And while there were certain cathedrals that we really appreciated because of their beauty, our favorites were those that were hospitable.”
3. How to criticize your pastor
“When I was 20, my childhood church changed leadership. Soon after, the leadership changed the vision statement. I was a junior in college, across the country studying Bible and theology, with head knowledge that far outpaced my experience. Out of the infinite resources of my leadership experience (sarcasm alert!), I generously offered my wisdom free of charge and wrote a letter to the new lead pastor. I'm still embarrassed by that letter.”
2. An upside-down guide to high school
This one was written by my son, Soren: “I vividly remember freshman year, walking into the big leagues with 6-foot-tall basketball players roaming the same halls as myself. Looking to these 18-year-old giants, nay, men who had seemingly figured all things out as they were so very close to tasting the real world.”
1. Your marriage doesn’t need better communication
“’The biggest problem in our marriage is our communication.’ It’s perhaps the most frequent issue that is brought to the table when Angel (my wife and counselor) and I meet with couples. At the core of many marriage seminars and conferences is the issue of how to improve the communication in your marriage.
I don’t buy it. Your marriage doesn’t need better communication.”
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