Author Archives: Matthew Winters

We’ve all heard it. There is a generic language we here in most places – home, Walmart, work, and on the ball field. Then there’s “Christianese”. It’s a special language only known to those in church culture. It varies from church to church, but much of it is the same across the board. I askedContinue reading “Churchy Talk: “I’ve Got a Burden””

I wish colleges and seminaries offered a class called “Pastoring Through a Pandemic”. Unfortunately, there is no such class. There is also not a class for what to do when a female senior citizen shows up to the door dressed inappropriately when you go visit the home, but let’s stay on subject. Because we learnContinue reading “Pastoring Through Pandemic”

For the last 4 1/2 months, I have been getting out of bed between 6:30-7:00 am to get ready to leave to lead worship for our 9:30 traditional service. Today was much different. Because of my interim/part-time role at the church, I do not have the time invested into it that our regular staff pastorsContinue reading “The Strangest Sunday Ever”

I came across this sermon outline I preached over 10 years ago. God’s word is still as powerful today, so I trust it will leave you longing for an encounter with the Lord. In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw the Lord. This moment changed him. Anyone who has had an encounter withContinue reading “An Encounter with the Lord”

This pandemic has caused me to think a lot about the state of the church. I believe much about the church has already been exposed, and much will be revealed when we are on the other side of this. Some of what I will share will be more of a hopeful forecast, but I willContinue reading “State of the Church: Pre-, Mid-, and Post-COVID-19”

It’s amazing how difficulty directs our perspective. Our priorities are so distorted that it takes a very serious virus to make us do what we should have been doing all along. I should probably clarify what I don’t mean by that. We should not have been buying hundreds of dollars in toilet paper all thisContinue reading “What We Should Have Been Doing the Whole Time”

I must be honest. This virus is probably the biggest health concern I have seen in my lifetime. Many looked at this when it hit foreign countries and thought, “This will never hit the U. S.” It has. We have some who show no concern while others are stricken with fear. Where is the balanceContinue reading “Responding to the Coronavirus”

I worked for a pastor several years ago who loved to assign me to visit people he didn’t necessarily want to visit. I always knew I was in for a treat when either he or the secretary contacted me to visit a particular person. I went to the local hospital to visit this lady, soContinue reading “Do I Really Love God?”

Something got me thinking today. As I have been getting involved in a new ministry opportunity, I have had some good things happen. They have been slow, but they are good. But ONE negative thing caught my attention today, and I allowed it to bother me for a few hours. I really had to stopContinue reading “The Power of One”

This morning, we had a memorial service for a lady who had once attended our church until the last few years when she moved out of state. Her daughter and son-in-law faithfully attend our church. Because I participated in one of the musical selections, her daughter had a handwritten note of appreciation for my participationContinue reading “A Handwritten Note”