a pastor's thoughts on faith, family, life & leadership.
You've heard the adage that 'sharing is caring.' You've been told to share with your siblings probably a million times growing up. Maybe you've seen the Taco Bell commercial that mocks the concept of sharing. Lamenting that you've had to "share all your life" and with some cleverly placed 'flashback' footage of kids having to share [...]
I love the Church. Not just the church I get to serve, but THE Church. The one entrusted to carry the message of the grace of Christ forward to each generation. The one vehicle of God's message that He promised would never fail, but always prevail. The one enlisted to move the movement of Jesus [...]
We all like to be invited. It's that time you got the invite to the birthday party from that person that made you feel special. You were valued, noticed and taken thought of. Included. Church is the party that you're invited to every week! At Elements, we've got some great leaders who are dedicated to [...]
We're celebrating that we got to play a small part in the BIG work God is up to across our city. Praying for MORE... the best is yet to come! Take a minute and watch this update: Celebration of School Impact 2014 from Jack Schull on Vimeo.
Maybe you've been driving down the road and taken your hands off the wheel. You know you shouldn't. But you gave into the internal voice that bet you to see if you could drive straight for more than 20 feet. Only to notice that you car pulls to the left/right with great force. What do [...]
We spend our young toddler lives asking questions of people. We hunger to ask. We grow up and we still ask. Maybe not for answers. But we ask people - we invite them to join us at dinner, the ball game, school events and a host of other things. I remember seeing an interesting statistic [...]
There's nothing like walking into a new place and sensing that those who run the place thought of you before you got there. That they are actually excited to have you in their presence and they went above and beyond to prepare for your arrival. Whether it's walking into a fantastic resort as the doors [...]
Comfort calls to us. The ring is heard in each of our lives. We just got new pillows. It's our 3rd set this year. Which, I guess, could mean that I'm a restless and reckless sleeper. Each set has promised comfort, but after a few weeks, they've failed to keep their promise. The newest attempt [...]
Many see the hashtag #ONElife and use it to describe things they want to do or things they've done in the life they're living. You only have one life to live, so live it...and so the concept goes... Though there is some truth there, I've come to see it as something bigger, something more. Maybe [...]
There are so many thoughts, feelings and things that swirl around Easter. The week before Easter is always a busy time for pastors, but I love it. All week I look forward to celebrating with you. The preparation of the sermon is also one of my favorites because Easter is all about Jesus. We talk about [...]
Within our world - the perfect and pristine seems to be treasured above all... Sure, there are those who seek out the 'scratch and dent' items in order to save a few dollars - all the while figuring out a way to hide or cover over the blemish when the 'treasure' becomes a part of [...]
A narcissists is someone with a limited, concise and narrowing focus - there is only room for one person in their spotlight. Guess who it is? The dictionary defines narcissism as: inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Synonyms are: self-centeredness, smugness, egocentrism. In teaching Galatians recently, I was struck by a reality that the [...]
This last weekend, I had the chance to share in our services a little about John chapter 1. We looked at this pattern that emerges - how these folks that are experiencing Jesus - being found by God's presence in Him. How they begin to turn immediately and find others who they desire and wish [...]
I love Christmas time - and there is never enough. (well, maybe enough of the crowds at the stores and such) But here is a quick recap of our Christmas Eve Services at Casas Church this past weekend. If you were there, this might be fun to see. If you were out traveling, it will [...]
When you're at a sporting event, sitting in the stands, there exists some standard understanding and activities. You cheer on the team. You watch the team. You analyze the teams strategies and execution of their efforts. You may wander away from the seats for a brief interlude, but as you're gathering your refreshments - you're [...]
