Echos From The Valley

Have you ever been so focused on what was next that you completely missed what was right in front of you? I think we’ve all been there. We’re thinking about the next meeting, the next errand, the next ballgame, the next project around the house, or simply trying to make it through another busy day. Life has a way of keeping our eyes fixed on our schedules instead of the people walking beside us. That’s exactly what struck me as I studied John 4 last week. The disciples had ju

This week I’ve been reflecting on the idea of freedom. I truly am grateful to live in a country where we have enjoyed freedoms that so many throughout history have never known. Those freedoms have come at a tremendous cost, and we should never take them for granted. But this past week, as I studied Acts 4, I was reminded that there is a freedom even greater than any nation can provide. The apostles Peter and John stood before the very men who had demanded the crucifixion of J

There are some words that carry so much weight that they change the course of a person’s life forever. “I do.” “You’re hired.” “You’re forgiven.” And perhaps for every follower of Jesus, one of the most life-changing words He ever spoke is simply this: “Go.” Too often we think of Christianity as something that ends in a church pew. We faithfully attend worship, study God’s Word, enjoy fellowship with other believers, and those things are all good and necessary. But Jesus neve

This past Sunday we concluded our Follow Me series by looking at some of the final words ever written by the Apostle Paul. As he sat in a prison cell awaiting execution, Paul reflected on his life with these words: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) What strikes me about those words is not what Paul says, but what he doesn’t say. He doesn’t talk about how many churches he planted. He doesn’t mention the miracles he