God is sovereign. The Bible teaches that God is way more in control of our reality than we traditionally accept as Christians. We live in age where we can predict the rain and even create rain in a weather lab, but God's word tells us that he sends the rain and is commanding nature. Just because we understand how something happens in creation doesn't mean that God did not cause it. 

Trials happen. We don't always know why but we know that our faithfulness in abominable circumstances is a way we can glorify God. God can deliver us, will deliver us, and even if he doesn't, our best life is a life lived for Him regardless of the earthly consequences. 

There are some elements of prayer that don't get talked about when we talk about prayer. Does God listen to everyones prayers? Do I need to be eloquent or hyper-relational to have my prayers answered? Does God actually care or even have the capacity to care about the little details of my life? We answer these questions explicitly in the light of God's word. 

Family Life: 4 Rhythms For Spiritual Harmony In The Home. The home is the center of the universe as far as God's concerned. God cares about fathers, mothers, and children and how they best glorify HIm. Our house doesn't serve God because we declare it, it happens because we establish the right rhythms. The rhythms we all need to establish:

Rhythm One: Establish Family Devotions. (Joshua 24:14-15 ESV) Rhythm Two: Make Church Indispensable. (Hebrews 10:25 ESV) Rhythm Three: Edit & Cancel Some Subscriptions (Exodus 20:3 ESV​) Rhythm Four: Secure The Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11 ESV).

Check out the video below for the whole message.

Beginning February 24th an antagonistic and aggressive Russia invaded the lightly armed nation of Ukraine. Vladmir Putin commanded Russian forces consisting of tanks, fighter planes, helicopters, naval vessels, and ground troops to attack the nation without just cause. Bombardment has been going on for a few days as of this writing.

What stood out to me was not heroism of the Ukrainian people, although it would seem the big bear that Russia is may have significantly underestimated them and is suffering those consequences. What stood out to me is that the Ukrainian Christians didn't skip a beat when it came to their worship of Christ. Bombs are flying over head while underground praises echo down the subway lines.

The average 'committed' Christian in the U.S. will miss church for far less. In American Christianity it's socially acceptable for things like hunting, sports, homework, and family visiting to suffice as reasons NOT to go to church. None of which are bad things. I have a sweet new compound bow and can't wait to get my first deer or turkey with it, but I'm not going to miss the sacred worship gathering for it. I'm not going to raise my kid to revere sports more than the sacred gathering of the church and the worship of Christ. But that's exactly what we pass onto our kids when we forsake assembling together. I'm not saying never miss church, I'm saying pay attention to your patterns.

We teach them that these things, the things for which we miss worship, are the things we to truly be worshipped. The unimportance of the Christian gathering is handed down to the next generation one habitual church skip at time. Teach your kids what Biblical worship and Biblical church is. Do Biblical worship, be in a Biblical church, and be the Biblical church. You can tell your kids all day to put God first but if you don't then they won't. It would seem true in this instance that more is caught than taught. Again, I'm not saying never miss, I'm saying pay attention to your patterns. 

These Ukrainian Christians not only prioritize the worship of Christ but when they have every reason to complain about their circumstances, they are caught praising in the subway. This ought to convict us a little bit as Christians free to worship in the United States. We'll come into a worship gathering and look for things to complain about. We'll gather in our church 'small group' to essentially commiserate about what the church is doing wrong. As it goes, misery loves company.

When you go to church this Sunday and you feel that old temptation to point out what’s wrong with the place: The coffee’s lukewarm, the lights are too bright, the temperature is wrong, the music is too loud and, of course, you don’t know the songs.

Remember in that moment, there’s a Ukrainian church gathering in subway tunnels to worship while bombs blast overhead.

​No coffee, no instrumentalists, no leader pushing them to worship, they’re down there in real time and in real life worshiping Jesus the King above kings as their world is crumbling down.

​Pray for Ukraine.

Not a lot of Christians are familiar with the story of Jesus brother James. This message covers life the of Jesus brother James, from his early years on a priestly track, to his hostility toward his brother Jesus, we even go into his conversion to faith in Jesus and more! This kicked of a new series for the Island Church as well in the winter of 2022. 

Thankful people approach the world differently. They tend to be more positive. There's lots of negative Christians and tons of positive people who are far from God. Why is this case? How do we as Christians actually get a hold of a thankful disposition that honors God? Press play to find out. 

Corporate worship, the kind that we do together as a church at church, is a big deal in the Bible. God's presence shows up in a particular kind of way when we worship together as a church family. Check out this message that's a deep dive into worship. 

Loving God means loving and trusting His word. What's it really mean to love what God has to say to people? This message is all about being the kind of people who receive all of God's word, not just the parts we prefer. 

Check out this message from Matt Baker that's all about loving the people God has put on YOUR path, right now, right where you live. 

The post-Trump era in these dis-United States of America has created common ground in the fight for free-speech between Preachers and Comedians. Two vocational callings usually perceived as cultural adversaries are now soldiers in the same camp, fighting against the hoard of cancerous cancel culture crusaders marauding through the nation. For the moment, there is a humorous holy alliance between the preacher and the comedian, unlikely friends in the free-speech fight, as the adage goes: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.


If you’re unfamiliar with ‘cancel culture’, it’s a modern form of ostracism where people are fired from social or professional circles because of views which are perceived as offensive by a segment of people. Usually via social-media, the enraged mob irritably types away calling for blood at whomever for whatever with the goal of damaging the lives of those perpetrating the perceived ‘offense’. Conservatives flirted with it in the past, it’s the doll of liberals in the present.


The problem with cancel culture is that it’s a threat to free-speech. Constitutionally, the legislative branch of our government protects free-speech but we now live in a time where social-media outrage can apply enough pressure to get anyone fired by a company due their expressed personal views— without dereliction of duty or failing to do their jobs, they’re fired or ‘canceled’ for their views— not their performance. For a recent example of this, just google “Gina Carano” and learn how this all goes down. Apparently, the morality of Hollywood is that you can perpetrate physical abuse against another human and keep your job, but if you’re conservative you get fired.


Furthermore, a number of comics have been cancelled for saying things that, where I wouldn’t say what they say or celebrate what they say (i’m on team preacher after all), I don’t believe anything is corrected by firing or pre-firing them from their jobs. It’s not illegal to make jokes that challenge people, particularly in the comedy world, and slapping ‘inappropriate’ on them doesn’t work because we can’t get consensus on defining inappropriate. I say porn is bad for you, scientifically proven to be bad for you, but you want to protect it as ‘free-speech’. You say Dr. Seuss hurts peoples feelings and is racist, and I want to protect it as free-speech because I disagree with you. Much of the fight for free-speech isn’t about legislating morality, it’s about whose morality will be legislated?


"Much of the fight for free-speech isn’t about legislating morality, it’s about WHOSE morality will be legislated?"


Comedians like Dennis Miller, Shane Gillis, Kevin Hart, and many more are on the way to be cancelled over past remarks, satirical statements, or ‘conservative’ sounding sentiments. Side note, look out Bill Burr, the cancel coats are coming! In Gillis’ case, comedian Rob Schneider and SNL alum had this to say on twitter :


“Dear @ShaneMGillis as a former SNL cast member I am sorry that you had the misfortune of being a cast member during this era of culture unforgiveness where comedic misfires are subject to the intolerable inquisition of those who never risked bombing on stage themselves”
—Rob Schneider, via Twitter.


Fascinating. If a Christian were to able to shelf their inner-pharisee for a while and listen to comedians like Dave Chappell, Joe Rogan, Tim Dillon, Tony Hinchcliffe, Rob Schneider, Tim Dillon, and more, you’d hear plenty of foul things but you’d also here them speaking strongly about the need to protect free-speech, as if it were something sacred to be protected. As a preacher, I agree that free-speech is something to get religious about. I’ve also recently heard a tidal wave of preachers waxing about how protecting free speech is critical to religious freedoms. Unafraid clergy swimming in political waters where consequences abound like jelly-fish tentacles everywhere. Specifically, Douglas Wilson. Quick note, if you’re not tuned into what the Moscow, ID crew is putting out at Cannon Press, you need to be. It’s amazing, clergy and comedians preaching the same sermons on free-speech.


"Free-speech is something to get religious about"


It’s not complicated as to why this is the case, both the preacher and the comedian require a free-speech culture to do what they do. We’re sermons or satire to be illegal, they could still engage in jokes and sermons, but like Dietrich in the graphic novel V for Vendetta, they would be bagged and tagged for a laugh at the wrong persons expense. It seems like we’ve never been closer to a time where a sermon challenging the wrong authority might leave a minister with a sentence and a cell. Mentally perplexing as it is, we now live in a time where pornography is protected by free-speech but comedians are cancelled for jokes and preachers are on the precipice of having sermons labeled as hate speech. Which IS the end game for progressives, isn’t it? If you can cancel raunchy comedians and you can cancel a wee-little Dr. Seuss book, is the Bible far off?



Right now, in California (which fell apart mostly because I moved away in 2004), there is the CLEAR ACT that, while under the guise of preventing members of hate-groups from working in law-enforcement, something Christians can get on-board with, it flops when it goes on to define members of hate-groups as people who attend bible-believing churches. In an American state, preachers and Christians who believe in the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage are under consideration to be labeled as hate-groups engaging in hate speech. This won’t stop authentic preachers from preaching the biblical values of life and biblical sexuality but know this, the way cancel culture is advancing, and the way parts of the country are moving, the idea of having underground American churches in liberal regions isn’t far off. Clergy and comedians will be neighbors; underground cathedrals wall to wall with clandestine comedy clubs.



"Clergy and comedians will be neighbors; underground cathedrals wall to wall with clandestine comedy clubs."



The comedian’s goal is to bring joy and laughter to people, the preacher’s goal is to bring Jesus to people. Speaking to groups of people is a large part of what we both do. Speaking to groups of people are for what we’re both known. We’re both speaking not just to inform but provoke a response. The comedian laughter and the preacher Lordship. Maybe this is what makes us both dangerous? As it turns out, free-speech is as sacred to the comedian as it is to the preacher. Without free-speech we can’t preach and they can’t make jokes, at least in a safe-from-harm and above-ground kind of way. So, we find ourselves for the moment as strange allies, like Elves and Dwarfs coming together trying to free Middle-Earth from Sauron. Here we are.

The tension between the "already" and "not yet" is real in the kingdom of God. The Bible says the gates of hell can't stop the church, but sometimes it feels like we're loosing. The Bible tells us we're saved by grace through faith, but we're also becoming MORE saved as time goes on. The Kingdom of God is already here and yet to come in fullness. What does that mean for us? This message gets into that answer. 

We want to serve Jesus, but how do we get started? What does serving Jesus look like TODAY? This message is designed to equip and encourage you to serve others like Jesus served others today, in the modern world. Press play!

The Kingdom of God is this already / not yet thing but if we want to experience the most of what God has for us, then that means living our lives with the attitudes of Jesus Christ. Or, in this case, the beatitudes of Jesus Christ. Check out this message on the last 4 beatitudes preached at Eagle Creek Church in Lee's Summit, MO. 

God made put all kinds of patterns into His creation. Seasons are patterns, day going to night and night going to day is a pattern, and there are patterns evident in plants and animals from their life cycles to their visual design. In this message we're looking at patters to create in our lives to help set us up for success. In this message we'll look at 4 patterns for parents to break and 4 to make.