Posts by Aaron Hinton

‘Cause I wasn’t made to be tending a grave, I was called by nameBorn and raised back to life again, I was made for moreSo why would I make a bed in my shameWhen a fountain of grace is running my way?I know I am Yours, and I was made for more”Made for More, Josh Baldwin Have you ever felt old? I recognize by many measures I’m still a young man, but I don’t always feel that way. When I…

“Whoever has ears, let them hear…” – Jesus Did you ever plant a seed in a plastic cup in Sunday School or at Vacation Bible School? Each child would get their own cup and seed. They would plant the seed in the cup and take it home to place in a windowsill. If you remembered to water it, you’d have a tiny little plant growing in your window in what felt like no time at all. It was exciting to…

Jesus was a master storyteller. He captivated audiences with the way He weaved spiritual truth in with practical stories. Nearly 2000 years later, the teachings of Jesus still captivate our hearts and minds. It’s the spiritual depth of such simple stories and the questions that He stirs deep within us that make these teachings so riveting and soul-prodding. Many of Jesus’ teachings were in the form of parables—a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. These parables…

“God, we thank you for the inspiration of Jesus. Grant that we will love you with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, even our enemy neighbors. And we ask you, God, in these days of emotional tension, when the problems of the world are gigantic in extent and chaotic in detail, to be with us in our going out and our coming in, in our rising up and in our lying down,…

My dog Waffles makes faces. Anyone else’s pet do that? You look at them, and they tilt their head. You say something to them, and they raise their eyebrows and stare at you. I know I’m making him more human than the K-9 that he is, but he often looks like he’s judging me. The Ancient Greeks were fans of the practice of physiognomy or face reading. It is the practice of assessing a person’s character or personality from their outer appearance—especially…

My family has a tradition—a tradition that some members of the family like more than others. When we are on vacation or a long holiday break from school, we do a puzzle. Many times when we visit, my mother-in-law, Sherwin Washburn, has one in the works on her dining room table. But especially on beach vacations, one table becomes the puzzle table. One of the more complicated puzzles that we’ve tackled was a scene of African animals. It took most…

This Sunday we talked about the Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer that Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. I have a sneaky suspicion. If we as a church prayed this prayer…and meant it…it might just change us. It might just change our hearts. Do you believe for it? “‘Our Father who art in heaven…” You are a good, good Father. You are in heaven, and we are not. You are over us. You are in control. “Hallowed be…

Our community has been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Western North Carolina has been decimated far beyond what happened here in Cleveland County. It is hard to even wrap our minds around whole communities being swept away by flood waters. I-40 and other roads are impassable and will take time to rebuild. Water systems and infrastructure have been destroyed. Our governor and others have said this is the worst storm to ever hit North Carolina…ever… One of the most important historical…

Matthew 5:21-22 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment…  Whether it was a to-do list or items we need from the grocery store, we’ve all made a checklist before. As we complete our tasks or find our items, we “check” or…