Here are some brief thoughts on my current ministry methods. These are my personal convictions and resolutions: Any ministry I do must be founded and overflowing from my own personal devotions and walk with God. I believe my primary ministry is to my family. To be a husband and father is an immediate calling and it must be prioritized. This includes how I care, guide, and provide for them. I am blessed with the opportunity to serve the church locally (at my home church in person) and globally (with my online work). I would like to steward both well. Serving my local church takes precedence, and my local church is not a platform to perform for the global church. I am happy if what I do for the local church can bless and serve the global church.My ministry and service is not my identity. My worth is not in what I do. If it were all to be taken away, and when I am at home with the Lord, Christ is all.

SOLA Network shared my sermon that we turned into a devotional article: The Jews, the Judge, and the Robber: A Series of Passion Week Devotions. I originally preached this three years ago, and I want to share my thoughts about it today.

1. After three years, I can agree that I cringe when reading my old writing. I think that as I continue to work on my writing, the cringe will come more quickly.

2. Overall, I am okay with the cringe! It keeps me humble and helps me remember that there is always room to improve.

3. I am still honored and happy that what I wrote can still be read, that a sermon can still be relevant as I stick to expositing Scripture, and that God can multiply my meager ministry.

On Sunday I had teaching, preaching, and worship leading responsibilities. I try not to do so much on a Sunday, but sometimes that’s just the way the schedule works out. When it comes to getting into a ministry flow on Sunday mornings, Jess is an excellent helper. Jess gets us out of the house with the kids (I need to play my part here too)Jess gets us to church (she usually drives) and she takes care of the kids checking them in so I can go straight to my classroomJess helps me with PowerPoint in children’s worship (our friend Sarah is also there to help along with all adults who help)Jess helps me with the children’s sermon PowerPoint, and helps me record (we also have additional adult helpers if needed)Jess helps me take care of the gear I bring to church (guitar, tripod)Jess helps me make sure we pick up the kids on time and fed for lunch!I’m so grateful to have a wife who helps me serve God! In fact, I very much see it as a joint endeavor. Any service I do, I say we do it together. And for sure it’s better because of her.

I was talking to Jess about our summer schedule for the kids. There are so many things we want them to do. High on our list are swimming lessons and music lessons.As I was thinking about what to prioritize—especially with limited time and money—I laughed at myself because the answer was so clear, at least for me: music lessons won’t save your life, but swimming lessons can!We all have to prioritize things in life. But some things, like the gospel, have life-saving significance. Even with limited time and resources, knowing Jesus is of eternal importance.We do well to keep first things first. When we see life this way, everything else falls into its proper place.

My daughter, Numbers, told me she helped Jess make a salad for dinner. I said it tasted good and asked her what was in it.

She said, “Salad, cheese, these things, cheese, sauce.”

(The “these things” were croutons, by the way haha.)

Her list wasn’t very clear, so I didn’t really know what was in it.

It reminded me that when people get a taste of Christianity through the “salt” of our lives, it helps if we can clearly explain what makes God so glorious—because if we’re unclear, people may miss who He truly is, what He’s done, and how they can know Him.

Let’s be as clear as we can about God and the gospel.

https://diveindigdeep.substack.com/

3. Ask about family and friends. Our families and friends, and how we feel or relate to them, tell us a lot about ourselves. For instance, are you married or single? Dating? Kids or no kids, how many or why not? Who do you hang out with and what types of activities do you like to do?

4. Ask about church and hobbies. For some, talking about work may be mundane. Asking about church or hobbies gives people the opportunity to discuss spiritual matters and personal passions.

In a world of Artificial Intelligence, I have found true human conversation to be a common grace. And as we connect and draw close to each other, we reflect and display the glory of God.

https://diveindigdeep.substack.com/p/how-to-ask-deeper-questions

One of my favorite childhood memories was family dinners at my grandparents house. We would just hang out, eat dinner, and watch TV. This was a time before smartphones, before the Internet was ubiquitous. It was a different time, but I can see God’s kindness in allowing me to experience his goodness in this way.The moment came full circle for me yesterday, when I found myself staying late at my parents house with my kids, hanging out, eating dinner, and watching TV. God has been incredibly kind to me and my family. It’s moments like this when I can clearly see his faithfulness — and it’s a feeling I don’t want to forget.Your faithfulness is for all generations; you established the earth, and it stands firm. — Psalm 119:90https://diveindigdeep.substack.com/p/god-of-generations

These questions have worked well for me as I do Author Interviews, but also just in my regular life and wanting to get to know people better. I don’t necessarily think these questions are deep, but I think they can bring out deeper conversations if people want to pursue them.Ask what people do, but also ask why they do it, or what is the motivation behind it. For instance, ask someone what they do for work, and then ask why they chose that line of work or what got them into it in the first place.Ask how things make people feel. A lot of times you can talk about a topic or event, but to get to know a person, you want to know the feelings and emotions. For example, if a person is facing a new project at work — does it make them excited, scared, optimistic, or anxious?Part 2 coming soon!https://open.substack.com/pub/diveindigdeep/p/how-to-ask-deeper-questions

Today, I want to confess that I actually don’t know that much about Bluey. I’ve heard good things about it, and I’ve watched a couple of episodes, but my kids know way more about it than I do. I didn’t even know Bluey was a girl until late in the game. What I do know, though, is that it’s a great show to keep the kids occupied.

We went to see the show at Disneyland, and my eyes were really opened to another world. People knew all the characters. People knew all the songs. As someone who knows a lot about Disney, I felt like an outsider at Disneyland. But it all looked very fun and exciting!

As a Christian, I was reminded that our faith can seem very different—especially to those who have not had much exposure to it before. Our churches may seem strange, with all the different people to meet and songs to learn.

But I believe the Gospel is good enough to draw people in—to turn outsiders into family and pull them into the story, transforming confusion into joy. And I’m grateful I get to be part of that welcome.

https://open.substack.com/pub/diveindigdeep/p/seeing-bluey-at-disneyland

Our marriage small group is one of the biggest blessings at our church. One reason it has such a strong impact on us is our intentionality. As a leader, here are three simple ways I try to support meaningful discussions:1. Come with one clear topic. Sometimes there are multiple parts to a discussion question, but everything flows from a central theme. For example, our topic today focused on our parents, with the question: What patterns from your parents have been passed down to you, and are they helpful or hurtful in your marriage today?2. Give space, but guide the group. I ask whether people would like more time with the discussion question or if they’re ready to move on to prayer requests. This helps move the group along without feeling pushy.3. Model openness first. I typically answer the discussion question first, as openly and honestly as possible. This provides an example for others and sets the tone for the rest of the sharing.Healthy discussions don’t happen by accident. My hope is that our group continues to grow not just in conversation, but in Christ-centered love for one another.https://open.substack.com/pub/diveindigdeep/p/leading-intentional-small-groups