Time Flies When You're Having Fun

I showed up for my first day at work on this date in 1996. I became the fourth pastor on our church staff.

Today, I'll show up for my 4,749th day of work. For those of you needing that deciphered, including leap years, that means today is my 13th anniversary of serving the local body of believers in Christ who show up in our building.

Not too shabby for somebody who had a grader on a paper at seminary say that I'd never be in one church very long if I was insistent on teaching teenagers exegetically from Scripture, from a grace-based perspective, and had the sincere belief that teenagers are not part of the church of the future but rather gifted believers in Christ who should strive to help the local body of believers mature using those gifts and talents NOW. He also said that I'd never be able to get the ministry to a place where high schoolers led the middle school small groups. Yep. That's what he said. Think words aren't powerful? I remember them vividly and that was almost 15 years ago.

Anyway, a very heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to the really nice people at Crossroads Bible Church for making the choice to love me, warts and all--and we all know there are many--

...for these last 13 years.