One of the most difficult aspects of pastoring is learning to study Scripture personally outside of preparing sermons. Over the years, I’ve tried to do this consistently to grow in my own life, and it’s been difficult at times but so, so beautifully helpful to my own spiritual pursuits. Over the past few months, I’ve been studying and journaling about the minor prophets of the Old Testament. Yes, they’re called the “Minor Prophets,” but there’s nothing minor about what they have to say.

These twelve small books at the end of the Old Testament are powerful messages from God through Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Micah, and Malachi. They saw fear and division in the land, weak leadership, nations in conflict, and people who had turned away from God. Sound familiar?  Each of these prophets reminded their people that God had not abandoned them. Through them we hear about God’s justice, His mercy, our sin and forgiveness, and our hope in the coming Savior.

Micah says, “Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Joel encourages us that God welcomes sinners who return to Him. Jonah shows us that God’s mercy can extend to even those we’d rather write off. Malachi assures us that someday God will do a new thing. Over and over in these little books, we find one BIG story: God loves His people too much to leave them.

My invitation to you is to spend the next six weeks getting to know these often neglected books of the Bible. Don’t rush through them.  Read a few chapters, think on what you’ve read, pray about it, and see what the Lord might be saying to you. I often read these books in The Message version by Eugene Peterson. It really helps me to understand the writings better, and it’s easy to find for free online. This is the outline I’ve used:

Week 1 – Read Hosea and Joel and look for God’s love and His promise for those who will come home to Him.

Week 2 – Read Amos and Obadiah and see what God has to say about justice and our relationships with others.

Week 3 – Read Jonah and Micah and see what you learn about mercy, obedience, and humility.

Week 4 – Read Nahum and Habakkuk and learn about trusting God when life doesn’t make sense.

Week 5 – Read Zephaniah and Haggai and ask God what areas of your life need to become important again.

Week 6 – Finish with Zechariah and Malachi and see what you can learn about the hope we have in the Savior who is coming.

Keep a journal handy and write down one verse that stands out to you each day. Then ask these three simple questions:

What does this say about God?  

What does this reveal to me about myself?

What can I do differently today?  

Give these books six weeks.  You might be surprised by what these smallest books of the Bible can say to your life. Let me know how it goes.

In Christ,
James

There are few things as exciting as the start of a new school year. New classrooms. New teachers. New friends. New opportunities. Each of these reminds us that our God is a God of new beginnings.

Whether you are a nervous kindergartner on your first day of school, a freshman excited about your first year of high school, a teacher eager to inspire students in your area of expertise, or a school administrator preparing to lead your faculty and students through another year, remember this: wherever you go, you are going as a representative of Christ.

Scripture reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).

Students, let your classmates see Christ in your compassion, your integrity, your respect for others, and your willingness to include everyone. Teachers and administrators, you have an incredible opportunity to influence the lives of young people every day. While public schools have regulations regarding religious activity, there is no policy that can prevent you from compassionately serving students, leading with integrity, encouraging those who are struggling academically or socially, or treating every student with the dignity they deserve as someone created in the image of God.

Oftentimes, simply living our lives in a way that reflects Jesus is the most powerful witness we can offer.

As another school year begins, let’s commit ourselves to being light in the darkness. Sharing our faith doesn’t mean forcing conversations about Jesus. It means living in such a way that, when opportunities arise, we are ready to “give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Pray for your fellow students. Pray for your coworkers. Pray for your teachers, administrators, and school leaders. Look for opportunities to serve others rather than waiting to be served. Encourage the student who feels discouraged. Stand up for those who are being bullied, overlooked, or left out. Use your words to build others up rather than tear them down through gossip or unkindness.

As you do these things, you become a light in the darkness, pointing others to Christ.

As you begin this new school year, may the Lord surround every student, teacher, administrator, staff member, and volunteer with His loving care. May He grant you wisdom as you make decisions, strength when you face challenges, and joy in every accomplishment. May His peace guard your heart during times of anxiety or uncertainty. May His hand of protection rest upon every campus, and may this school year be filled with learning, growth, meaningful friendships, and countless opportunities to glorify our Lord.

God bless you all, and have a wonderful school year!

In Christ,
James

We cannot turn on the news without seeing evidence that these are politically divided times. Friendships and families are being torn apart over political differences. Discussions on matters of justice, morality, and culture often lead to anger rather than understanding. Christianity is increasingly encountering and conflicting with other world religions and worldviews that deny the exclusive claims of Christ.

As believers in Jesus, we will never hide our faith or shy away from sharing the gospel. Christ is the only hope for this world, and we are obligated to boldly declare Him as Lord. But Scripture cautions us that how we declare the Lord Jesus matters. Peter commands us to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15), but to do so “with gentleness and respect.”

We will never be forced to choose between speaking truth and showing love. The gospel empowers us to speak with conviction while also commanding us to extend that same grace to everyone we meet. John Wesley said there could be no holiness apart from social holiness. That means our faith is not lived out in private but is demonstrated by how we love our neighbors, care for our communities, and build bridges with people who think and believe differently than we do.

The Church needs to be countercultural. Our world celebrates outrage and derision, but we are ambassadors of reconciliation. We refuse to tear others down because of disagreement, and we will continue to love those on the other side of the political spectrum because that is what Jesus commands us to do. We will never compromise the truth we have been given, but our goal is to reach people, not win arguments.

The world is watching to see whether Christians will reflect the hostility of our culture or display the love of Jesus. In these uncertain times, I am trying to season my words with grace and keep my convictions grounded in Scripture. As we do, we will be filled with humility, compassion, and holy love, pointing others not merely to our words but to the Savior who transformed us.

In Christ,
James

John Wesley once said, “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.” Wesley did not mean that our faith depends on other people or that individual devotion does not matter. Rather, he understood that following Jesus was never intended to be done alone.

Christian faith is formed in community with other believers who worship together, pray together, study Scripture together, confess their struggles and sins to one another, carry each other’s burdens, and encourage one another to keep growing in grace. Wesley realized that faith is often weakened when separated from other believers, but authentic Christian community sharpens and strengthens our walk with Christ.

From the beginning of Methodism, through societies and class meetings, Christians gathered not merely to hear about Christ but to help one another become more like Him. Social holiness also compels us to reach beyond the walls of the church. Wesley understood that a heart transformed by God’s grace naturally overflows into acts of mercy, compassion, justice, and love for neighbors in need. Caring for the poor, visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, and standing alongside the forgotten members of society were not afterthoughts or optional ministries for Wesley. They were the evidence of lives transformed by Jesus Christ.

Time and again, Jesus drew His followers into relationship with Himself and with one another. He reminded His disciples—and He reminds us—that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40). We cannot fully reflect the image of Christ if we are disconnected from His people or isolated from those around us who need to hear the

Good News of Jesus. Holiness is not solely personal; it is social.

In Christ,
James

My coming to Georgia has caused quite a stir on my phone and Natalie’s phone over the past two years. Believe me, leading a new church was a pipe dream—or so I thought. As much as I begged God throughout my life to allow me to do it, I didn’t think it would ever happen. I’m just as surprised as all those who have filled our email and text boxes!

I now know God was getting me ready. The good days and the bad days all meant something. Walking away from the “system” was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. Natalie and I have experienced every emotion imaginable through this transition: the pain of being misunderstood and gossiped about; having untrue things said about us; being praised for making such a bold move; receiving reams of letters thanking us for the lives we touched; and even seeing long friendships come to an end because we were viewed as “abandoning the ship.”

As I look around at Grace Resurrection, it fills my heart and spirit with joy, gratitude, and great hope. Watching people come to this place for membership, baptizing two teenagers in just the past few months who have given their hearts to Jesus, seeing God bring staff members to our team who are focused, kind, and willing to sacrifice—not to mention the commitment I’ve witnessed in our small groups, men’s ministry, women’s ministry, and outreach ministries—is simply incredible. The four retired pastors I’ve had the privilege of working with in this new endeavor, and then having one of my former associate pastors from Kentucky rejoin me here—just wow. I’m not smart enough to make all of that happen. I believe in a supernatural God more at this moment than I ever have.

Being the church in the twenty-first century is very different from what we’ve encountered in the past. The family of God—the different parts of the body—is not the problem. Churches all over the world are filled with good people who are at the mercy of the darkness only because they don’t know what to look for. We become so focused on legalistic rule-keeping, morality, and traditions that mean nothing to a holy God that we unknowingly fuel the enemy’s plans by staying focused on the wrong things: systems, organizational structures, and personal theology that fits our preferences instead of the ways of Christ.

I had become more committed to surviving as a pastor than thriving as a child of God. A scarcity mindset, a self-righteous religious business plan, and petty disagreements among our brothers and sisters in Christ have held us back long enough. The enemy—the evil powers in the heavenlies, the rulers of darkness—is assaulting many people of God right now. But we are going to turn the tables on Satan, and through the refining fire we are going to become a stronger, purer church—and that means all of the Church.

Jesus says He is coming back for a church “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:25–27). And you know what a wrinkle is, right? A wrinkle is a gathering in the wrong place! 😀🤷🏻‍♂️

God is saying to the Church, “Take your eyes off people and fix your eyes on Me, and I will be exalted as your Lord. I am the Lord who heals you. I will deliver you. I love you. I forgive you, and I will restore you.”

We are not to fight one another. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, submit to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee. That is God’s command to us today.

You are never to strike back at a brother or sister in Christ. You are never to strike back at another believer, even if you think they’re wrong. If a brother or sister is doing wrong, you walk with them, forgive them, love them, and, in the proper time, restore them. Both bishops—such godly men—whom I had the pleasure of serving with modeled and taught me that.

We don’t ignore evil; we repent of it. We repent of all the works of darkness. We are not to choose sides. We are not to bow to a denomination. We are to bow before the Lord Jesus Christ. We are His body. We are the people of God—of all races and all backgrounds. Let it be said emphatically: God is purifying His whole Church. If I’ve seen nothing else over the past ten years, I’ve seen that… clearly.

We are called to worship God in spirit and truth—Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Baptist, Independent, Episcopal, Anglican, whatever we are. We’re not to be a Baptist ministry, a Methodist ministry, or an Independent ministry. We are to be a New Testament, Jesus-centered ministry. Denominational names are merely handles. Remember CB radio handles? They identify where we lean, perhaps even a church’s personality, but they are not who we are. Biblical, Christ-filled bodies are who we are to be. That is what God wants.

He doesn’t want to destroy any denomination. God allows denominations because our human hearts are hard at times. But He wants to lead us all to repentance so that He can restore all churches. Without repentance, restoration, and the heart of Jesus, a church is just another VFW or Rotary Club.

If you’re a pastor reading this, I beg you: step out of denominational bureaucracy. I’m not saying leave it—just use it as much as possible to spread the Gospel, but focus on the meat and spit out the bones.

The future of the Church is here. It’s now. God wants to pour out His Spirit on all flesh. And He will do that through people who will repent of their sins, repent of dead works, walk away from church politics, and receive the fullness of God in the freedom of the Holy Spirit. That will release the life of God to our communities, our congregations, and to the ends of the earth.

The stage is set right now for that to happen. The door is W-I-D-E open.

Take advantage of it.

And live. ✝️

In Christ,

James

Recently, I’ve become bothered by a phrase that Christians often throw around without much thought: “We’re called to be fruit inspectors.” It’s frequently used to justify inspecting and analyzing the lives of other believers.

Certainly, there is some merit to the fact that Jesus taught us to examine fruit (Matthew 7:16). However, I fear we’ve taken that idea and run it into the ground. Somewhere along the way, we’ve confused examining fruit with declaring ourselves gardeners.

When we inspect someone else’s life and see bruises, scars, failures, or struggles, we immediately try to “fix” them. At the very least, we often take our beliefs and convictions and drive them into people like a stake instead of offering them a cup of cold water. We step in with what we believe is the perfect solution, as though we’ve stumbled upon the magical answer that will miraculously cure their problem.

Even when our answer is biblically sound, more often than not, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to do the convicting. When we become laser-focused on truth alone, truth can become weaponized, and we lose the very person we are trying to lead into the Kingdom.

Perhaps the saddest outcome is when we finally realize we can’t fix someone. We quietly distance ourselves, exclude them from our circles, or simply walk away and call it holiness.

I am wholly convinced that this is not the way of Jesus.

Throughout the Gospels, we see Him continually reaching toward broken people rather than pushing them away. He never compromised the truth, but neither did He abandon people because they struggled. Jesus didn’t chase after the rich young ruler when he walked away, nor did He soften the truth to make him stay. He lovingly spoke the truth and then allowed the young man to make his own decision. Even then, Jesus never stopped showing compassion. He looked beyond the brokenness and saw the image of God staring back at Him.

Following Jesus means fighting daily against our own sinful nature. It also means standing beside people who are not yet ready—or may not even want—to fight that same battle. The Church is called to live in the world without conforming to it, not to remove itself from it.

Jesus sat with tax collectors. He touched lepers. He looked a prostitute in the eye. He welcomed sinners to His table. Again and again, He offered grace before calling people to a transformed life.

Our calling is no different.

We stand firmly on God’s truth while extending God’s love. We hold hands rather than point fingers. We listen before we speak. We love before we label. And we remember that redemption belongs to God. Our role is to faithfully love people while trusting the Holy Spirit to change hearts.

Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”(Luke 19:10). He also said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Perhaps we’ve become so focused on saying, “Hate the sin and love the sinner,” that we’ve overlooked something even more important: Hate your own sin, and then love the sinner.

The Church will truly shine when it stops becoming an expert at identifying the damaged. Instead, it will become the place where the world knows it can always find grace and truth together—a place that welcomes the hurting, embraces the broken, and offers every person the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.

In Christ,
James

I was saddened last week to learn that the United Methodist Church removed Asbury Theological Seminary from its list of approved seminaries. For more than 100 years, Asbury has faithfully and effectively educated thousands of ministers of music, missionaries, ordained deacons, and elders for the United Methodist Church.

Of course, there has long been disagreement among many clergy and laity regarding key theological issues, and those disagreements have not always been easy. But, as should be true among Christians, there has generally been cordial discourse between Asbury and supporters of other seminaries. Despite theological differences, these institutions coexisted and accomplished tremendous Kingdom work. Certainly, there were those who never missed an opportunity to criticize seminaries with which they disagreed, but the diversity of thought often produced healthy conversations.

Meanwhile, Asbury grew to become one of the largest seminaries in the world and educated more United Methodist pastors than any other Wesleyan educational institution. Even as the United Methodist Church experienced division and splintering, the seminary campuses remained committed to providing sound theological and academic training.

Sadly, over the years, criticism of Asbury from some other seminaries and their graduates has, in many cases, turned into open hostility. That is both sad and deeply concerning.

In the early 1990s, I was wrestling with God’s call to vocational ministry. At the time, I was blessed to be working in the profession I had always dreamed of. I had just married the love of my life, and we had purchased a home where we thought we would raise our family and spend the rest of our lives.

But when God’s call is genuine, it does not become quieter with time—it becomes louder.

Natalie and I prayerfully, and with great faith, said “yes.” We have never regretted that decision.

The United Methodist ordination process can be intimidating, and I remember being extremely nervous during my first meeting with the District Committee on Ministry. As I was leaving that introductory meeting, one of the pastors on the committee followed me to my car. We made small talk, and before leaving he said, “So, I hear you’re going to Duke. That’s good. All the boys go to Duke.”

Yes, he really said that.

At the time, I had planned to attend Duke. However, my brother-in-law, Charles—one of the most faithful Christians I have ever known—encouraged me to visit Asbury Theological Seminary before making my final decision. I knew very little about Kentucky beyond basketball and Abraham Lincoln, but I respected Charles, so I scheduled a campus visit.

The moment I stepped onto Asbury’s campus, I knew God had led me there. It remains one of the clearest answers to prayer I have ever experienced.

So I had to break the news to the pastor who had spoken with me earlier. Here was a seasoned minister with an opportunity to encourage a young man preparing for a major life transition. Instead, when I told him I had decided to attend Asbury rather than Duke, I will never forget the look on his face.

“Oh no,” he said. “You don’t want to go to that narrow institution. Besides, if you go to Asbury, you’ll never get a good appointment.”

Well, he was wrong.

There was nothing narrow about Asbury. It was well known for its academic excellence, commitment to Wesleyan theology, and unwavering dedication to the authority of Scripture. Throughout my ministry, I received not just good appointments, but five outstanding appointments—including the one I have today.

I learned this week that the United Methodist Church will no longer accept academic work from Asbury Theological Seminary or recognize its graduates for ordination. That is a tremendous loss. In my opinion, the University Senate has made a very narrow decision. I wonder whether it considered the thousands of lives that have come to Christ—and to the Wesleyan way of faith—because of this more than 100-year-old institution. Under the leadership of only a handful of presidents, Asbury has produced some of the finest Christian leaders in Methodism.

As I mentioned earlier, Asbury has educated more United Methodist pastors than any other Wesleyan seminary and has produced some of the denomination’s most faithful, effective, and biblically grounded pastors and leaders.

As of this writing, many Asbury graduates continue to faithfully lead United Methodist congregations through one of the most challenging seasons in the denomination’s history. What message does this decision send to those pastors who have faithfully served the church for decades? What does it communicate to them that the denomination no longer recognizes the institution that helped prepare them for ministry?

Does this decision suggest that the United Methodist Church no longer values pastors educated in historic Wesleyan theology, sound pastoral leadership, and orthodox Christianity? Is there no longer room for civility, even in academia, where thoughtful, honest disagreement should be encouraged rather than silenced?

For more than fifty years, Asbury graduates have sacrificed, prayed, served faithfully, planted churches, revitalized congregations, and encouraged the churches they served to faithfully support the ministry of the United Methodist Church through millions of dollars in apportionments.

The University Senate has made a statement that should cause every current member and clergy person of the United Methodist Church to pause and reflect.

Healthy Christianity has long regarded the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as a faithful guide for living out our faith with integrity. At Asbury, students are taught to think theologically through the lenses of Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. Those four elements have served Methodism well for generations.

Had the University Senate applied that same wisdom, perhaps it would have slowed the path it now appears to be taking—a path that risks becoming another example in church history of what can happen when the church turns away from its first love, embraces moral compromise, treats brothers and sisters in Christ as enemies, and calls lukewarm theology “grace.”

Lord, forgive us.

In Christ,
James

Disagreement is nothing new. From Genesis 4 onward, people have experienced conflict with one another. Cain and Abel. Jacob and Esau. Paul and Barnabas. Jews and Gentiles. Even the early church wrestled with disagreement. Human beings will always have differences of opinion, personalities, backgrounds, levels of understanding, and convictions. God has not made us carbon copies of one another. Each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” in God’s image (Psalm 139:14), which means we each reflect Him in unique ways.

Today we live in a culture divided by political ideologies, social issues, sexuality, socioeconomic differences, and differing interpretations of Scripture. Sadly, an alarming number of Christians have allowed these differences to become more important than the Gospel. Friendships are ruined. Families are torn apart. Brothers and sisters in Christ attack one another.

There are certainly times when we must stand firmly for the truth. The Bible never asks us to compromise our convictions. But neither does it ever permit us to insult others, make cutting remarks, publicly embarrass people, or celebrate winning an argument at someone else’s expense. We are commanded to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), and we are reminded that “human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:20).

If we find ourselves taking pleasure in criticizing, condemning, or tearing others down, we need to examine our hearts. In Jesus, grace and truth were perfectly united (John 1:14), and they must be united in our lives as well. A follower of Christ will never sacrifice biblical truth, but neither will they sacrifice biblical love. The Spirit of the living God is not displayed by how loudly we argue, but by how faithfully we love.

In Christ,
James