What a wonderful and powerful weekend EYC was. There’s something special about being surrounded by thousands of believers, singing together, hearing God’s Word preached, and watching hearts respond. Events like that can give us a real spiritual high—our faith feels strong, our focus feels clear, and we come home fired up to live differently. But if we’re honest, that fire can start to fade once we get back into normal life. School starts back. Work piles up. The routine retur

This year I’ll be directing my sermons and classes to help us focus on spiritual growth. Last year we focused on getting back to the Bible. What’s next? We need to move on to spiritual maturity. Think about your role in the body of Christ, the Lord’s church. Ephesians 4:11-16 emphasizes that we are not an organization but a healthy organism that naturally develops. What do we need to grow in Christ? There are three key concepts that can help us grow in Christ: empower, equi

Hello. My name is Ray Reynolds and I suffer from A.C.S. This is commonly known as “After Christmas Syndrome.” The gifts have been unwrapped. My trash cans are full. The leftovers are gone. The tree is down. The lights and ornaments have been put away. Our friends and family have stopped calling, sending cards, and visiting for the holidays. Another Christmas has come and gone. I wonder how many of you are suffering from the post-holiday blues?!? What do we do now th

Hello. My name is Ray Reynolds and I suffer from A.C.S. This is commonly known as “After Christmas Syndrome.” The gifts have been unwrapped. My trash cans are full. The leftovers are gone. The tree is down. The lights and ornaments have been put away. Our friends and family have stopped calling, sending cards, and visiting for the holidays. Another Christmas has come and gone. I wonder how many of you are suffering from the post-holiday blues?!? What do we do now th

The Christmas story, often painted with cozy scenes of manger, shepherds, and a star, would be incomplete without the arrival of the Magi. These enigmatic figures, traditionally known as the Three Wise Men, bring an element of intrigue, prophecy, and profound significance to the nativity narrative. But who were they really? And what can we learn from their journey? The Gospel of Matthew is the sole biblical account of the Magi, yet it offers surprisingly few details. It speak

This time of year, we hear the phrase “peace on earth” everywhere. It’s printed on signs, sung in songs, and spoken in greetings. But if we’re honest, the world doesn’t feel very peaceful. Many families are stressed, schedules are packed, and hearts are heavy. So what does “peace on earth” really mean? The Bible reminds us that true peace isn’t found in perfect circumstances—it’s found in a perfect Savior. When the angels announced Jesus’ coming, they proclaimed peace because

On Sunday, December 7, we discussed the word “peace” and focused on how to bring a revival of peace in our world today. I spoke to the church family at Summerdale about a few areas where Christians are called to live in peace, drawing from specific Bible verses. The overarching theme was the importance of unity, forgiveness, and love in all relationships. However, I feel like I may have rushed through the last point, so I feel sure we could all benefit from a deeper look into

We live in a world that is desperately searching for answers. People are asking big questions about life, identity, purpose, and eternity—but they’re getting a hundred different answers depending on where they look. We hear phrases like “live your truth” or “truth is whatever you make it,” but that’s not truth at all—it’s confusion. The question Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38 still echoes today: “What is truth?” And the answer hasn’t changed. Truth is not a feeling. It’s no

In the age of the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movement there seems to be a greater need for counseling, coaching, mentoring and ministry for women in the church. Rachel Rosser (LPC-S), carefully blends theology and grounded psychology in this article entitled: Counseling Broken Yet Bold Women. Rachel has many years of experience in ministry, along with her husband Doug, at The Parks Church in McKinney, TX. One reason why I have been drawn toward her work is because she seeks to con

The annals of early Christian history are filled with tales of profound faith and courageous witness. One such story is told of Telemachus, an obscure monk dwelling in a 4th-century monastery. Driven by a compelling spiritual calling to engage with the broader world, he left the solitude of his cloister. Gathering his few meager possessions into a sack, he undertook the journey to the heart of the Western world: Rome. Upon his arrival, the city was in a state of feverish exci

This time of year, much of the world turns its attention—at least briefly—to the birth of Jesus. While there’s no biblical evidence that Jesus was born in December, we as Christians should embrace this season as an opportunity to talk about the greatest gift mankind has ever received: Christ Himself. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” God didn’t send Jesus to earth just to be celebrated as a baby in a manger. He sent Him to be our

Five reasons why Lads to Leaders is different… B.I.B.L.E. IN LADS TO LEADERS WE OFFER…. Biblical Consistency - Biblical soundness is upheld in everything we do at L2L. The truth is the same no matter where you are in the world. L2L is also the same no matter where you are in the world. No matter what McDonald's you visit, the fries are the same. No matter which convention site you attend, the spiritual soundness is the same! We believe the Bible. And we emphasize Biblical so

With Thanksgiving this past week, many of us are thinking about the people who bless our lives—family, friends, mentors, and those who’ve walked with us through highs and lows. But one of the greatest blessings we sometimes overlook is our church family. In Philippians 1:3–5, Paul writes, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you… because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Paul loved the church in Philippi, not just because they supported him,

The air is still, and the dishes are clean, Not a slice of pumpkin pie can be seen. The turkey is carved, football games are done, The feasting is over, and it sure was fun! The guests have departed, the house is so quiet, No hushing or bustling, no culinary riot. The counter is empty, the lights are turned low, We savor the memories with hearts all aglow. Dressed in flannel PJs, and doing our best, We settled down for a well-deserved rest. When out in the yard there arose su

Marriage isn't a destination—it's an incredible journey that demands regular, intentional maintenance to thrive! Inspired by our current Sunday AM Bible class series with “The Middles” on strengthening families, we're focusing on the vital skills that keep a relationship vibrant, like sharpening communication, consistently filling those "love tanks," and creatively showing affection. This got us thinking: How can we help couples build a rock-solid foundation from the start?

This blog is used with permission from Ray Reynolds Rap. Marriage isn't a destination—it's an incredible journey that demands regular, intentional maintenance to thrive! Inspired by our current Sunday AM Bible class series with “The Middles” on strengthening families, we're focusing on the vital skills that keep a relationship vibrant, like sharpening communication, consistently filling those "love tanks," and creatively showing affection. This got us thinking: How can we he

When we talk about having a grateful heart, we usually start with the blessings we see around us—our families, our health, our jobs, our church. And those things are worth giving thanks for. But at the center of our gratitude—the foundation of everything we have and everything we are—is the cross. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” He’s talking about Jesus—the Son of God who gave His life for ours. The One who bore our sin, took

God hates prejudice and discrimination. It is a corrosive acid on the very foundation of society, transforming a potentially vibrant, unified whole into a fractured landscape defined by injustice and mistrust. It is an awful practice that systematically denies individuals their inherent dignity, stifling human potential by valuing characteristics like skin color or origin over talent and character. This leads to profound societal damage: economic progress stalls as innovation

As I was checking out at one of my favorite shops, Homegoods, I could sense a breakdown coming on. I just kept holding in my tears as best as I could but my hands were shaking and I felt exhausted and weak. Why had I come? What was I doing anyway? I mean, it had only been the day before that I was with my daddy when he drew his final breath on this earth. So, what was I thinking driving to Homegoods and trying to look just like any of the other shoppers in there? My world was

Since I was a child I remember preachers saying we are called to be "in the world, but not of the world." This phrase, rooted in Jesus' prayer for his followers in John 17:15–18 , is the core of Christian distinctiveness. It's a challenging tightrope walk, requiring us to engage deeply with the culture around us while maintaining a clear, separate identity anchored in Christ. What must we do with this intriguing paradox? What Does the Bible Mean by "The World"? When the Bible