A couple of weekends ago, I was asked to speak at a men’s group at Arcade Church in Sacramento.

My flight out of San Diego was delayed, so by the time I landed, instead of going to the hotel, I went straight to dinner. When I finished, I decided I wanted some ice cream, so I stopped at Cold Stone.

As I walked in, I noticed a man sitting outside with his wife and two young sons.

His name was Travis.

I woke up this morning, looked at the clock, and was surprised by how dark it still was outside.

For whatever reason, a simple thought came to mind:

“I hate when it’s this dark in the morning.”

And almost immediately, I started thinking about that word.

I’ve been there before.

Four little words.

But sometimes four little words are all someone needs to hear.

Yesterday, I was listening to a message from Charles Stanley about trials. He used a phrase that caught my attention—the idea that we can actually profit from our trials.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23

I didn’t really know Tim when I first met him, but I could tell pretty quickly that there was something different about him.

He was curious. A deep thinker. A writer. Someone with tremendous compassion. We were in a Bible study together, and I eventually learned that his twins were in school with my son.

Death Does Not Have the Final Word

“Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
— Luke 12:40

There are moments in life when God allows us to look backward and see something we could never have understood while we were walking through it.

A week ago Sunday morning, I was reading Mark 5.

It’s a story many of us know. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, comes to Jesus because his little daughter is dying. He pleads with Jesus to come to his home and heal her.

Jesus goes with him.

Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.

Colossians 3:2

I remember the first time I was shown the example of a rope with a small piece of blue tape wrapped around the very beginning of it.

Francis Chan was using the rope to help us understand what it means to live with eternity in mind.

“If a tree falls in the middle of a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

It’s a question that has been debated for generations.

But perhaps there’s a better question.

Who knew the tree was going to fall?

God did.

A few years ago, Laurie and I returned home from visiting our daughter Emma in Michigan. We pulled into our driveway around 12:20 in the morning. We quietly unloaded our luggage, trying not to wake Jacob, and finally made our way to bed. It was late, and church would come quickly.

Many years ago, I had the privilege of serving with an incredible ministry called JH Ranch, nestled on a thousand beautiful acres along the Oregon–California border. During each week with families, they shared a simple acronym that has stayed with me ever since:

G.O.D.

Gratitude. Obedience. Dependency.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being invited to play in the Teen Challenge golf tournament with three other friends from Venture Church. I was excited for several reasons. These guys are simply fun to be around, the golf course is one of my favorites in San Diego, and I have always deeply respected the ministry and work of Teen Challenge.

As I’ve continued my journey of faith and my walk with the Lord, I’ve found myself noticing things that I never paid much attention to before.

One of those things is the color green.

Romans 8:28

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

As Laurie and I sat in church one Sunday morning, our pastor shared that buses were loading with high school students headed to Hume Lake for a week of camp. Before we left, he invited everyone to stop by a table, pick up a wristband with a student’s name on it, wear it throughout the week, and pray for that student by name.

One of the moments in Scripture that has always stayed with me is when Jesus girded Himself with a towel, poured water into a basin, and washed the feet of His disciples.

The King of kings became a servant.

Steve

Some people walk into your life for a season.

Others leave footprints on your soul forever.

Steve Crosby was one of those people.

I haven’t seen Steve in years, but I think about him often.

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
— Joshua 24:15

As I walked by these two businesses sitting side by side, I couldn’t help but smile. On one side was F45, a place dedicated to discipline, strength, and fitness. Right next door was a doughnut shop with the smell of warm, fresh doughnuts drifting out the front door

As I looked at the beautiful sign that Christina left behind after she and her family checked out of Hattie’s House last week, I couldn’t help but smile. It was such a thoughtful gift—simple, unexpected, and filled with gratitude. It reminded me once again that God is always at work, often in ways we don’t recognize until we pause long enough to notice.

John 7:18

“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

This morning I was thinking about something Pastor Dennis Keating, the former senior pastor at Emmanuel Faith Community Church, once shared. He talked about stepping into leadership at a church that had already existed for more than 55 years. It was a deeply established church with strong leadership, strong traditions, and a rich history. And Dennis was only the fourth senior pastor in all those years.

“Jesus wept.” — John 11:35

It is the shortest verse in all of Scripture, yet perhaps one of the most profound.

Growing up, I vividly remember standing on Bancroft Avenue in Berkeley, California during my fifth, sixth, and seventh grade years. My brother was playing football for Cal Berkeley, and before the game ever began, there was always a scene unfolding outside the stadium.

“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” — John 5:40

A few months ago, I met a man named Keith.

Keith leads a gathering called But God, where men—young and old—come together on a beautiful hill overlooking San Diego. It’s a morning of breakfast, worship, and stories. Real stories. Stories of struggle, redemption, and the quiet, powerful ways God meets us right where we are.