Author Archives: Matthew Winters

Yesterday, I was pondering the date. It was November 25. Then it dawned on me that I passed right by the 24th without giving it a thought. I began to consider even more how I passed another date last month and gave it little to no thought. For the last six years, that has notContinue reading “When Anniversaries Can Be Horrible Reminders”

While many of us are spending time with family and find it easy to rejoice today, others are struggling with financial hardship, loss of a loved one, grief, divorce, separation from family due to COVID-19 restrictions, etc. This has been a tough year. Reach out to someone you know today who is struggling. Days likeContinue reading “A Thanksgiving Message to the Hurting”

My kids found an old DVD of the last sermon I preached when I was on staff at Hepsibah Baptist Church in Seneca, SC. The sermon was from the book of Jonah, and the title was “Running from God”. While it contains the story of Jonah, it also contains my story of running from God’sContinue reading “Running from God: A Sermon and a Testimony”

If there were ever a year when we took mental health into consideration above any other year, it would have to be 2020. The year began with the impeachment proceedings, a very tense State of the Union address, a pandemic, and racial injustices. Before we knew it, terms like “social distancing”, “quarantine”, and “lockdown” becameContinue reading “Recalibrating”

What’s your love language? You might find that to be a strange question. If you are new to church culture or haven’t spent time in certain parts of church culture, the concept of a love language may be foreign to you. Dr. Gary Chapman, Christian psychologist, wrote the book The Five Love Languages. It isContinue reading “Words of Affirmation – My Love Language Journey”

Several years ago, I heard a pastor at a conference preach about how Jesus must be the hero of every sermon. As I moved into my first pastorate, the desire deep within my heart was that Jesus Christ would be the hero of our church. It’s amazing how easily self can work its way inContinue reading “Who Is the Hero In Your Story?”

Two weekends ago, I experienced a series of inconveniences. I know you have them too – those pesky, unplanned things that ruin your plans. That particular weekend seemed to have more than its fair share. I’ll try to give you a quick synopsis without boring you with the details. Friday, 3:00 pm – Saw aContinue reading “Inconveniences”

I have never had surgery, but those who have tell me they often continue to have pain at the site of the incision. The source is frequently scar tissue that forms. The pain can become unbearable, especially for those who have had multiple surgeries. The same goes for emotional pain and trauma. The pain andContinue reading “It Still Hurts”

I’m sitting in my living room on a Friday morning. I had great hopes to sleep in today, but I just couldn’t. I thought that maybe I could go upstairs and begin to work on one of my many dreams, but I found myself stuck. As some of you know, I turned 40 on OctoberContinue reading “I’m Stuck: Thoughts on Aspirations”

I wish I could say I am bilingual or more. Unfortunately, I only speak English, and I fight daily the temptation of allowing Southern slang to intertwine with the English language. I did take French in high school, graduated with the highest GPA in the class, and still remember very little. In life, everyone speaksContinue reading “What Language Do You Speak?”