The Entrance

Jesus’ movement from the synogogue to Peter’s home is far more significant than might seem on the surface. Consider the text, according to the English Standard Version, from Mark 1:29-34: And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a READ MORE

Meals at Home

Transformative time around a meal plays a prominent role throughout the Bible. Surely this was in mind when the Lord God told the people of Israel, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today READ MORE

Thoughts on Caring for Those Suffering and Dying

A reader in the medical profession asked me recently how I personally process the understandable hurts that come when investing with those who suffer and are dying. Here are some of the things I shared with him. If you are a medical professional, I’d love to hear from you about how you process these things: READ MORE

Write This Down: A Tale of Two Fires

“Write This Down…” provides a restatement of selected points or observations from various teaching venues at which Pastor Matthew speaks. The following material is from Pastor Matthew’s messages at the men’s retreat for West Park Baptist Church at Fort Bluff Camp in Dayton, Tennessee, October 7-9, 2010: Too many of us men come to that READ MORE