Personal thoughts from Pastor Jeff on a(n almost) daily basis.
Since I received the blessing of getting married to Amy Samples in November of 1997, we have worked hard at cultivating a healthy marriage. There have been seasons when we moved perfectly in synch and found ourselves very fulfilled. Truthfully, there have been other seasons which have been very trying with both of us figuring out on the move how …
Over the years, I have been asked more than once why and how I went from being a solely expositional, theological church leader to one who believes and practices the more experiential components of Christianity. I usually try to clarify that I have never been ONLY about theology. My very conversion in 1994 was one of profound and inexplicable power …
There is something healthy and helpful with the concept of “go a little farther”. It is not something I am always conscious of, but this principle really does guide so much of my life’s philosophy. When people, hard circumstances or a diminishing of your abilities all tempt you to stop trying, stop continuing, stop sacrificing…then we need to remember the …
This life is not big enough. My vocabulary is not wide enough. The understanding I have is not deep enough. Our songs do not reach high enough. The sermons we hear and preach are not passionate or precise enough. Our relationships are not committed enough. My love is not lavish enough. Enough for what, you ask? Enough in the level …
A friend recently asked me about the oft-quoted verse about Heaven…that is not actually about Heaven. Paul’s declaration in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him” has been misapplied by many of us to describe the glories of Heaven which await …
When I converse with those who are not followers of Christ I usually note one thing among others that seems to stand out. Whether or not they are educated or uneducated, moral or unrestrained, American-born or from another country, there seems to be a common thread that is woven in the fabric of their minds. What is it? They all …
It is wise to be occasionally reminded that, in the strictest theological sense, Jesus is not here working on earth any more. In the very same body which emerged from the tomb and walked around Palestine for forty days prior to His ascension, Jesus Christ now sits upon His throne in Paradise. He told His disciples that He would leave …
Below is a short video that acknowledges the success of our raising the money for our friends in Kenya. With the $5,000 raised, we will be able to provide a motorcycle which Pastor Sospeter will use in visiting the members of the church there. Also, children will be able to continue their education as we supply tuition for the schools. …
“Do nothing from rivalry or arrogance, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” – Philippians 2:3 What a strange charge is given to Christians from the heart of the wise Apostle Paul. He instructs us all when he tells the church at Philippi not to interact with one another in rivalry and arrogance. We have to be told …
In 2011, my family experienced an unexpected, unpreventable catastrophe. When my wife, Amy, and her mom were on their way back to our house from picking up my birthday cake, a car coming the other way crossed the center line and hit them head on. The result was horrific. Amy’s precious mother never regained consciousness and passed to Heaven several …
One of the amazing characteristics of the Bible is that its revelation is presented to us in transparency when it comes to the faults of the people on its pages. When the Holy Spirit inspired the writers to inscribe the truths of Scripture, He did not allow those human authors to pretty anything up. Adam blamed his wife when he …
God has opened another door for Transforming Truth to come alongside of Pastor Sospeter Onzere in Kenya. Would you take a few minutes and watch this video and then consider contributing to this project? Your donation of any size will help us make a very real difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Africa. The video contains …
When I read yesterday that a Brazilian museum had tragically burned down, destroying countless ancient and priceless relics, I got to thinking about how we all treasure a connection to the past. Most times, this is a healthy desire. We want to both honor and learn from our histories. I sense loss for those people in Brazil who lost something …
We often assume that the wisdom which comes with age is primarily a type of wisdom which is given in order to “ride the brakes”. This wisdom is evidenced as a regulator, a cautionary force. This side of wisdom slows down the potentially erratic or reckless steps that are typical of a younger person who might be acting independently of …
Many years ago, the Lord ruined me. When I was first saved, He ruined me from enjoying all the unlawful pleasures that had defined my life for the decade prior to my conversion. Shortly thereafter, He ruined me in any attempt to draw my satisfaction from temporal pursuits like wealth, fame or power. In 1997, God ruined me from living …
Many people make the mistake of romanticizing past ages in the history of the Church. They think that Christianity of yesteryear was pristine and seamless, fluid and unchunked with the sediment that causes the church to sometimes gasp for fresh spiritual air today. Because of this poorly constructed thinking, many people have abandoned the concept of belonging to a church, …
Some of you are familiar with my testimony as it pertains to my theological shift in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit. I learned so much incredible theology from those who poured into my life after I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord in 1994. As a matter of fact, I …
If God entrusted to me the ability to remove one thing from our hearts as His people, I think I would choose to revoke our sense of familiarity of Him. For those of us who have been in the Kingdom for many years, there is a very real danger of losing our sense of wonder. For those who have been believers …
Below is an update on what God is doing at Transforming Truth and my personal invitation for more people to get involved. Take a few minutes and watch the video to learn about some new observations about how we need to move in order to keep up with technological, missional and generational changes among Christians throughout the world.
Driving back from Sunday lunch many years ago as a family, Amy, Alicia and I learned something amazing about Landon who was five years old at the time. The little fellow dropped some stunning news about himself upon us and we were unsure of how to respond. Landon declared form his car seat that day that he had the ability to …
“No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3 Jesus wrapped volcanic words like these in a blanket of love, sensing no inner conflict when doing so. God’s Son did not give a preface or disclaimer to what He was going to say. He just stated the truth to those who desperately needed …
Moses met Him at a burning bush when he no longer had confidence that God could use him. Hagar encountered Him when her husband had cast her and her son out, so he could be with another woman. Isaiah had a personal revelation of Him when he went to the temple and saw Him in His stunning glory. Mary Magdalene’s intersected …
In seventh grade I was assigned a project, for which I had little interest, by my science teacher. She gave me two pages of instructions detailing how I was to complete a project on soil erosion. Equipped with a Polaroid instant camera I trekked about a half-mile deep into the woods behind our neighborhood, and walked along the banks of …
Sometimes God changes things up on you when you were not looking for anything to change. Our of nowhere comes an intrusive ripple in your normally manageable pond. He did not announce it was coming beforehand. He did not dialogue with you to see if it was convenient for you. Also, God did not ask your permission. He just initiated …
Today you awoke and immediately, whether consciously or subconsciously, began to look for something in which to place your confidence. We get up each morning trusting in something for our sense of stability, meaningfulness and peace. We pick a particular harbor in which to drop anchor for a while. My guess is that most people awaken each day and subconsciously …
