How God Grows What You Can’t Yet See You ever notice how the most astonishing things usually start out invisible? A seed sits in the dirt, and for a long, stubborn while it looks like… nothing. A few grains of hope and a lot of soil. Then one morning—surprise—the little green tip pokes through like someone finally figured out the Wi‑Fi password. Call it faith, call it patience, call it the universe doing plumbing work behind the scenes: the idea is the same. There’s oft

I’m convinced that if church potlucks disappear, a major section of Christian fellowship will have to be rewritten. There is just something sacred about a room full of folding tables, mismatched serving spoons, and enough casseroles to feed a small nation. If you've ever been to a church potluck, you know there are a few universal truths. First, everyone brings something different. There's always the lady who makes the famous potato salad that could probably solve internation

There are moments in my walk with God that don’t sound very spiritual. I know that this may come as a shock to you, me being a pastor and all. But there is just times that there is: No eloquent words. No powerful declarations. No perfectly structured prayers that could be written in a journal or shared from a pulpit. Just silence… and a sigh. You know the kind of moment I’m talking about. The kind where life has drained you. Where disappointment has piled up. Where yo

(And No One Talks About It) For most people, Sunday is the best day of the week. It’s a day of rest. A day to worship. A day to gather with family, sit in church, and be encouraged. You wake up, grab some coffee, maybe even make it to church on time (or at least before the second song—we see you 😄). But for a pastor…Sunday can be the hardest day of the week. And we don’t really talk about that. Sunday doesn’t start on Sunday. It starts earlier in the week when I am s

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but… being constantly exhausted is not a spiritual gift. Somewhere along the line, we started wearing burnout like a badge of honor. “How are you doing?” “Oh man, just busy… tired… haven’t slept in three days… running on fumes… but blessed!” We say it like that last word cancels out everything before it. But let’s be honest—half the time we’re not “blessed and busy”… we’re just overcommitted and under-rested. Meanwhile, Jes

By: Pastor Doug Trudell Jr I think one of the funniest things about us as humans is how much we love control. We don’t just enjoy it—we cling to it like a toddler holding a cookie they definitely weren’t supposed to have. We make plans like we’re the CEO of the universe. “Alright God, here’s what I’m thinking for today…” (as if He’s sitting there with a clipboard like, “Wow, great input. Didn’t see that coming.”) We plan our days, our weeks, our five-year goals.We map

I don’t know who needs to hear this today… but just because your life doesn’t look like everyone else’s highlight reel doesn’t mean you’re behind. It just means you’re not on their timeline. And honestly? That might be a really good thing. There’s something about scrolling through life—whether it’s social media or just conversations—that can make you feel like you missed a meeting nobody told you about. People buying houses. Starting businesses. Announcing big opportuni

This morning I sat down to write a powerful, life – changing sermon. You know the kind – the one where heavens opens, angels harmonize, and someone in the back row finally stops checking their Facebook feed. I had my bible. I had my notebook. I even had a fresh cup of coffee… which, let’s be honest, is about 70% of my spiritual preparation. I opened my notes and wrote the title: “Walking in Faith.” Strong start. Very Pastoral. Then I took a sip of coffee and then everyt

Have you every prayed one of those bold faith filled prayers… and then… five minutes later you are stress – eating snacks, refreshing your bank app, and mentally planning 14 back up plans just in case God needs your help? Yep, Me To! We love the idea of Jesus taking the wheel until He actually starts driving somewhere we hadn’t planned on going. It’s not that we didn’t truly mean it at the time. We are in church, hands lifted, worship playing, feeling the Holy Spirit, and

You know that moment when someone asks, "How are you doing?" and you automatically respond, "I'm fine!" even though your car just broke down, your bank account is crying, and you're pretty sure you left the oven on at home? We've all been there. We've mastered the art of the automatic "fine" response. It's like a reflex—someone asks how we're doing, and before our brain even processes the question, our mouth says, "Fine, thanks!" But here's the thing: there's a massive diffe

What is happening out there? What is happening? The world around us seems to be changing at lightning speed—confusion, shifting morals, and uncertainty are everywhere. If you sometimes feel uneasy as you watch these changes unfold, know that you’re not alone. Take a moment, pause, breathe deeply, and look around. Despite the chaos, none of it has surprised God. He hasn’t been caught off guard or toppled from His throne. He remains sovereign, steady, and in control. In fact, t

I spent months planning this event. Flyers, phone calls, and a budget that many still do not fully know how much it cost me. I showed up early, worked my tale off. Prayed and hoped for a massive turn out. I waited. And waited. And only a handful of people came out. That's a lot of empty chairs — and trust me, when the room is that quiet, you notice every single one of them. Maybe your empty chairs looked different. Maybe it was a business idea nobody believed in, a project

"Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, 'Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, "The Lord has need of them," and immediately he will send them.' All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 'Tell the daug

Let me ask you something simple, but sit with it for just a moment. What would you do if following Jesus cost you everything? Not your comfort. Not your reputation. Everything. Most of us, if we're honest, haven't had to answer that question with our lives on the line. We face pressure, sure. We face moments where following Jesus is inconvenient, unpopular, maybe even painful. But there's a man whose story most of us know without even realizing it. Every time we sing "I Have

Snow Day As you are on your couch, wrapped in a blanket, holding a cup of coffee, your hair looking like you lost a fight with your pillow. I pray that you are safe and warm. Just because the snow canceled our service does not mean God took the morning off. Psalm 29:1-2 David writes: "Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Right out of th

Let me ask you something before we go any further with this blog today. What if the value of something had nothing to do with what it is — and everything to do with whose hands are holding it? Think about this. I can pick up a basketball, and in my hands, it is worth maybe twenty dollars. It's just a ball. But you put that same basketball into the hands of Michael Jordan? Suddenly it's worth millions. It gets framed, auctioned, displayed behind glass. The ball didn't change

How Christ Holds All Things Together Have you ever heard of laminin? Now, before your eyes glaze over thinking I'm about to give you a biology lecture, stay with me. Laminin isn't the latest coffee trend at Starbucks, and it's not a new worship song—though "Laminin, You Hold Me Together" does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Laminin is a protein. A tiny, microscopic molecule that exists in every single cell of your body. As you're sitting there reading this, as your heart

Joseph's Story/My Story You know that moment when your GPS confidently tells you to turn left, and you end up in someone's driveway? Then it says in that calm, slightly judgmental voice: "Recalculating." We've all been there, right? Following directions that seemed to lead us absolutely nowhere useful. Life can feel like that sometimes. We think we're on the right path, doing everything we're supposed to do, and then—BAM—we end up in a pit. Literally, in Joseph's case. And u

From The Garden of Eden to the Cross of Calvary! If you read the Bible like a story, there's something tragic that happens really early on. In Genesis, Adam and Eve are created in God's image. They're made for relationship with God. They're walking with Him in the cool of the day. Everything is perfect. Everything is beautiful. And that goes awesome for about one page. Then sin enters the picture. Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, and immediately—I mean immediately—somet

Recognizing the Times we are in! I asked Alexa the other day, "Alexa, are you going to take over the world?" And you know what she said? "I like humanity. You're fun." Now, I don't know about you, but when my smart speaker starts complimenting humanity like we're a pet she's decided to keep around, it makes me a little nervous! We've all had those moments, haven't we? You're talking to Siri, and she responds with something so eerily intelligent that you wonder, "Wait, is t