Safe People & Safe Community

“And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they remained no little time with the disciples.” —Acts 14:27–28 (ESV) There’s a quiet holiness in that final line. After the journeys. After the risks, the opposition, the miracles, the open doors. After the stories had been told and God had been glorified… They stayed. Luke…

“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” — Titus 3:14 ESV Paul’s closing words to Titus aren’t just administrative, they’re deeply relational. He reminds the early church that a life of faith must overflow into a life of service. It’s not enough to believe the gospel; we’re called to embody it together. Notice Paul says, “let our people learn.;…

Do you remember what it felt like to be completely free? To live without shame, fear, or striving—when imagination ran wild and every day was full of wonder? We do. I (Steve) can still see myself at eight years old, ruling the backyard as a cardboard-armored knight, conquering invisible foes and rescuing fair maidens (usually the girl next door shaking out her mop). Life was simple then. Not perfect—but free. No performance, no pressure. Just joy. Colleen…

God has blessed Julia and me with a wonderful ocean front summer home in Sea Isle City, New Jersey. We love sunrise walks along the beach, the cool ocean breezes, and sharing this place with guests. However, being “down the shore” keeps us away from our church home. Determined not to “forsake the assembly of the saints,” we got up June 30 planning to attend services. I had located one of the seasonal seaside chapels that dot the coastline. It seemed…

One of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed was during the time I was working at a rescue mission. An event was planned at our city's convention center, which brought in some top-tier international speakers from the Christian community. As I was sitting in our customary Monday morning leadership team meeting, one of the speakers dropped by our mission and made a donation. This person ran a ministry in the poorest country in the world where they fed 50,000…

There it was, 5 yards of black triple-shred mulch towering in front of my garage, leaving no access to cover for our vehicle parked behind that pile, for over 5 weeks. Why, you say? Two reasons. Number one, I’m not in my 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s anymore and had no desire to wheelbarrow endlessly in 90-degree weather to spread the load. The second, and more disturbing reason, the guy who promised months ago to do so, ghosted me; only 2 days after…

There it was, 5 yards of black triple-shred mulch towering in front of my garage, leaving no access to cover for our vehicle parked behind that pile, for over 5 weeks. Why, you say? Two reasons. Number one, I’m not in my 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s anymore and had no desire to wheelbarrow endlessly in 90-degree weather to spread the load. The second, and more disturbing reason, the guy who promised months ago to do so, ghosted me; only 2 days after…

Ephesians 4:32 is a heartwarming invitation from God: “Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” These words serve as a loving blueprint for our relationships and urge us to mirror the Father’s love in our interactions. God’s instruction is clear: Be kind. Compassion must be the foundation of our actions. It helps us to be tenderhearted and empathetic. Understanding the joys and sorrows…

Myra Hindley was one of the most notorious murderers of the twentieth century. Her crimes were almost unbelievably horrific. Yet, one person took it upon himself to visit her regularly while she was in prison. Lord Longford (1905–2001) was a controversial figure who spent much of his life visiting prisoners, including Myra Hindley. Yet, no one can doubt his compassion and his faithfulness, both to God and to those he visited. When he died, former prisoners joined…