Who comes to mind when you read Mark 12:31 and Jesus tells us to love our neighbors? I’ve asked myself this question many times and I have found the answer is…anyone who is in my vicinity. My neighbors include my coworkers, parents sitting next to me at a football game, even the...
I really think I’m slowly, slowly being formed by reading the Bible. That may sound obvious or expected because when we decide to follow Jesus we are told that the Bible is God’s word and we should read it, so of course it’s going to form you. I don’t know about you but...
Psalm 133:1 says, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell togetherin unity!" In Spanish: “¡Cuán bueno y cuán agradable es que los hermanos convivan en armonía!” I believe God takes delight when we come together and serve others in...
Is summer over? Heck no!! Sure, Labor Day weekend is here and some of you will have your kids back in school, and some of you will be back in school yourself, but that doesn’t mean your summer has to end. Remember, the sun is still out and there are weekends. Yes, this is the time of...
Hello Greater Portland family! Early this summer I had the privilege of taking two theology classes for work and I learned so much from them! So when I was asked if I could encourage our church family, I decided to share a bit from a paper I wrote about the role of the Holy Spirit specifically...
As the summer season begins to wind down and fall approaches, many of us start thinking and planning for fall, a new school year, and the holidays. September seems to be a launching of new things. The same is true for our church community at GPBC. VBS, the All Church Campout, the Spain mission...
Hey GPBC, thanks for letting me drop into your inbox and jump on the newsletter & blog. As some of you may know, Kelsey and I welcomed our daughter (and first kiddo) Hadley back in February. Most of our life now seems to be wrapped up in caring for and raising this little girl – so you...
Adulthood is boring. Yet for so long, I craved it. I craved the freedom, the responsibility, the independence, the control over my own life. In my short time as an adult, I’ve learned that all the things I craved can easily become distractions from – even barriers to &ndash...
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ...” Ephesians 4:11-2 I love church! There is a reason I love church. It is because I feel that is where I am my...
In 2013, I found out I was becoming a father. I sought much advice, received more than I asked for, and eventually took most of it with a grain of salt. However, the wisdom that stuck with me the deepest was a short conversation I had with my aunt Lynda. Lynda had been helping me out a lot...