Church Blog

Sunday, my friend Rev. Dr. Josh Parrott filled the pulpit for me while I am away with my in-laws on vacation. I’m still in California as we wrap up our National Park tour that included Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. We’ve seen massive trees, breathtaking landscapes, and checked off a bucket list item for my father-in-law Harry who has been dreaming of this trip for years (big thanks to Tara Hayes for helping plan it). One of the examples Josh gave Sunday…

Micah 6:8He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God Micah 6 is an imaginary conversation between the Lord and Israel. God gives the case against the disobedient people of Israel, and Israel’s response is a series of questions. The response in verse 8 to those questions is clear—that they should act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Another…

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is There is freedomI am free Amen…”Free Amen – We The Kingdom Many of us owned goldfish when we were kids. They are fun to own, cheap to maintain, and an easy way for parents to satisfy their kid’s desire to have a pet. The common goldfish was domesticated from wild carp in China more than a thousand years ago. They are hardy and adaptable. In a fishbowl or tank in your home, goldfish grow to…

Ephesians 5:19-20“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here’s the understatement of the day: Katherine and Nicole are better musicians than I am. I’m not a musician by trade or training, but even with my limited knowledge, I know a crescendo when I hear one. A crescendo is generally defined as gradually increasing in force, volume, or loudness—it’s that moment in the…

John 15:4-5Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. My family is enjoying some vacation time at the beach this week. As always, it is good to get away and recharge. I…

Yesterday, we kicked off our summer season here at PSBC with an amazing time of worship. We baptized four young ladies and had a beautiful Sunday together. The summer season is incredibly important in the life of our church. We take our camps and trips seriously, because we believe it is a great time to help our children and youth experience God. We have witnessed how this season, in particular, leads them to take their next step toward Jesus and…

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Have you ever had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery, in Washington, D.C.? Part of the hallowed grounds there is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier—a solemn memorial and a symbolic grave for all those who died in war and were not found or identified. It currently holds the remains of three unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II, and the Korean…

Psalm 16:8 “I keep my eyes always on the Lord.     With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” During my junior year of college, I was leading a group from our Baptist Student Union at UNC-Chapel on a mission trip to Richmond, VA. We had just finished an evening devotion time and before we left the sanctuary, my phone rang. I got some news that made me sit back down on the pew. My high school friend…

Philippians 1:3-5“I thank my God every time I remember you.In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…” For nearly 12 years, I was a part of the Advancement Department at Gardner-Webb University. From the Christian Service Organization to the Mission Endowment Fund, to the Bulldog Club and grant writing to GWU’s foundation partners, I was an integral part of a fundraising team and…