By Ryan Kelly –

This week I found myself revisiting an old song that I had not listened to in quite some time, God Is in Control by Twila Paris. The moment the lyrics started, I was reminded how powerful the message is. Sometimes songs we have known for years suddenly speak to us in a new way depending on the season we are in. This week, that song felt less like music and more like a reminder God intended for me to hear.

Life has a way of filling our days with uncertainty, responsibility, and decisions that feel bigger than we are. In seasons where the path forward seems unclear, it is easy to fall into the habit of believing that everything depends on our own ability to manage it all. But listening to those lyrics again reminded me of a truth that is both simple and profound: God never relinquishes His authority over our circumstances. Even when we feel overwhelmed or unsure, He has not stepped away from the story He is writing.

Right now, I believe I am in a season where God is gently reminding me to let go of the illusion of control. Not in a way that removes responsibility, but in a way that restores perspective. The burdens we carry were never meant to rest entirely on our shoulders. Faith means trusting that even when the road ahead feels uncertain, the One who sees the end from the beginning is still guiding every step.

The message of that song echoes something scripture reminds us again and again: God’s sovereignty does not waver based on our circumstances. When things feel chaotic, He is still steady. When we feel unsure, He is still certain. When we feel like we are holding everything together, He quietly reminds us that He has been doing that all along.

This week, that reminder has brought a sense of peace that only comes from surrendering control back to the One who truly holds it. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is simply trust that God is already working in ways we cannot yet see.

And if this season is teaching me anything, it is this:

God is still in control. Always has been. Always will be.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

This painting is done as a large mural on a wall just to the side of the main walking path on the riverwalk in downtown Oklahoma City.  As we walked a few streets over for supper one night, we paused to watch it for a moment.  One would not normally “watch” a painting.  However, this painting was done to accentuate the existing water draining along the canal.  The water is meant to look as if it is flowing directly from the jars in the hands of those women.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the living water.  We read the story of how He met the woman at the well and offered her the Living Water.  We understand that water means life.  Without water, we would surely die.  Doesn’t it make sense that without Jesus, we surely die?  We must come to Him for the Living Water.

One interesting thing about that water is that it is offered to us freely.  It continuously flows.  It is being poured out for us.  It is always available.  Free for the consumption.  — If only we stop and drink.

You may feel as if your week, or even life in general, has drained you dry.  Even as a Christian we have those days.  But the good news (The Good News) is that He is ready to quench our thirst if only we pause to receive a drink.

Water.  Life-giving water.  Flowing freely for all who come to it.

Why are you wasting your time walking around dry?  And just as importantly, why aren’t you offering a drink of that Water to anyone else?

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

As we step into a new year, we are reminded that each day is a gift and an invitation from God to begin again with hope, purpose, and trust. The turning of the calendar does not merely mark the passage of time; it offers us a sacred opportunity to realign our lives with what matters most. Rather than focusing solely on resolutions that fade, we are called to fix our eyes on Christ, trusting that God is already at work in this new season and preparing growth we cannot yet see.

A positive outlook for the year ahead is rooted not in our own strength, but in the faithfulness of the Lord. Scripture assures us that God’s mercies are new every morning, and with each sunrise comes fresh grace to walk more closely with Him. When we choose to seek God daily through prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience, we invite His peace to shape our perspective and His wisdom to guide our decisions. Even in uncertainty, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that God orders the steps of those who trust in Him.

As we dedicate ourselves to growing closer to the Lord, our hearts begin to change. The more time we spend in His presence, the more our desires are aligned with His will. This alignment does not happen overnight. It is the result of daily surrender and faithful commitment. When our primary goal becomes knowing God more deeply, He gently reshapes our priorities, strengthens our faith, and refines our character to reflect His love.

Let this new year be marked by a simple yet powerful commitment to draw nearer to God each day. As we do, we will find that He draws nearer to us, guiding our hearts, renewing our minds, and leading us into a life shaped by His purposes. With hope in Christ and trust in His plan, we can step confidently into the year ahead, assured that walking closely with the Lord is the surest path to lasting joy and peace.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
James 4:8

By Brad Campbell – Just a thought to help start your week.

The old year of 2025 is fading into the past while the new year of 2026 is just becoming clear on the horizon.  I’ve always thought it was very interesting that as much as we think of one year disappearing and another one being a brand new start, there is not a lot of difference between the two.  We arrive on January 1 each year to find it to be very much like the day before, December 31 of the past year.  A different year, yes, but only seconds apart.

I do like the thought that a new year can bring opportunities for us to do something different and perhaps more importantly to be something different.  That thought itself seems to bring some hope in that I don’t have to give up.  I really can be different – in a good way – in the coming year.

For many people, our family included, the new year begins without several family members who began last year with us.  There are holes that cannot be filled, places that cannot be taken, people that cannot be replaced.  We hesitate to go forward because we are spending an awful lot of time looking in the rearview mirror.  I took a picture of this little sign this past summer in a place I no longer remember.  The quote, attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, says, “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”

Simply put, I know the past to have been difficult, lonely, sorrowful, and full of mourning.  However, I also know the past to have been glorious, bright, inviting, full of adventures, and very much a learning experience.  All of those things can prepare me for the future of this next year.  There will be difficult days, and there will be wonderful days.  There will be hard times, and there will be great times.  There will be losses, but thank God, there is always the glorious possibility of new gains and gifts from Above.

Take time to reflect upon the past – upon 2025 specifically.  For what things and in what ways are you better prepared for 2026 now?  God is always good.  Every day is a good day.  As God leads you from one year into the next, and even from one month, week, and day, and moment into the next, reflect on His goodness and grace and thank Him in advance for all that He has in store for you in the coming year!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Disclaimer first – Some of you are reading this on Thanksgiving week.  Some will be reading it later.  Regardless, we are to be thankful all year.

The road you see pictured here is just an old country road.  Because we know what lies beyond those hills and curves, we know that a road was in existence here at least as far back as the very early 1800’s – more than 200 years ago.  This particular road winds its way through the deep woods of the county in which we live.  It climbs hills, overlooks extremely deep ravines, crosses creek beds, and provides a means of access to some prime hunting lands.

This road also happens to be the very road upon which my wife’s family have lived for at least four generations now.  I know by looking at this picture exactly where this spot is located on that road, because I’m familiar with the road.

As God’s people, we are called to travel life’s winding road from the moment we first follow the Lord until that last moment when He finally takes us Home.  And along that road, we will encounter many precious memories, people, and places.  Because we live it, we will remember specific spots along that road that will forever remain special in our hearts.

Thanksgiving and Christmas bring with them a renewed opportunity to be verbally thankful for anything and everything along life’s journey.  God has been so very good to us along the way.  And, He will continue to be just as good for the rest of our travels.  We will always have many things for which to be thankful.

In this week’s sermon, I, as many other pastors did, I’m sure, reminded us not just to be thankful, but to tell the Lord just how thankful we are.  Give Him the praise, honor, and glory that He so richly deserves, not just at this time of year, but all year through — all along our road.

And, as I reminded us, in the story of the 10 lepers that Jesus healed one day, only one of those men came back to say, “Thank you.”  In your holiday celebrations, in your excitement and chaos, in your family gatherings or just quiet little times along the road, if there is to be only 1 in your crowd to voice thanks to the Lord this year, then be that one!

I’m thankful for you.

Just a thought.

By Dan Naylor – The modern American Republic appears intent upon erasing its history. Some ideological movements actively vilify George Washington and Abraham Lincoln while pushing an aggressive “America Last” agenda. Historians hope for greater historical literacy, but what they see instead is the steady destruction of our shared past. Scholars have a strategic window to encourage historical literacy, or, failing that, to enable a measure of historical accuracy. How? By conducting concise examinations of Early American history using the opportunities afforded by modern social media. Christianity imparted meaning, discipline and comfort to Early Americans.  What meaning did Christianity contribute to Americans in the period up to 1865? More to the point, what if Christianity had not contributed? What if Early America had rejected faith entirely, opting instead for atheism, the bleak outlook of paganism or an amoral nihilism? Was a French-style revolution ever the preferred path for Americans—with its savage purging of elites, destruction of religious institutions, and the deliberate enthronement of a tyrant? As one of the American Revolution’s foremost thinkers, Thomas Paine consistently references God and the Bible in “Common Sense” and his many other works , presenting Christian ideas through a lens of reason and common logic. George Washington, in contrast to the wild leaders of most rebellions, oversaw a revolutionary victory and relatively peaceful presidency. He followed this with an astonishing peaceful transition in 1797. The same year he passed away, 1799, Napoleon’s coup plunged Europe into the maelstrom of war. Jefferson’s timeless ideals of equality, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness will always guide and inspire us. However, these latter concepts are secondary. The Early American nation ultimately rooted its identity in a Christian vision—establishing itself as a republic under God.  Meaning came alive, however, only through disciplined effort. In the critical early decades of colonial Massachusetts, Increase Mather and the Governor and Council attributed the catastrophic King Philip’s War (1675–1678) to the failings of Christians in Mather’s colony. This strategy may be interpreted as a deliberate attempt to impose discipline upon Mather’s flock. Though such measures may strike modern sensibilities as cruel and severe, they must be weighed alongside Mather’s acts of generosity, including his fundraising initiatives and his care for the impoverished members of his congregation. The colonists won the war, as they had so fervently prayed. As Puritan influence waned, the Great Awakenings of 1730–1755 and 1790–1840 came to be seen as times of intense spiritual fervor that seemed anything but disciplined. Yet the Great Awakenings were also times of profound discipline and church growth. The dramatic conversion of so many was followed by the yeoman work of faithful friends, relatives, spiritual fathers, and mentors who, empowered by love and by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, guided converts into true discipleship. An objective examination of Christianity in the early American Republic would be stripped of its meaning and discipline without the sustaining and deeply emotional solace of faith in Jesus Christ. One may focus upon the politics of Early America, its military history and its westward development. And yet, how can one turn a blind eye to the everyday suffering borne by so many, or to the crushing weight of slavery that persisted for generations? Cotton Mather himself penned the The Nightingale: An Essay on Songs Among Thorns, or, The Supports and Comforts of the Afflicted Believer. This may mean little to a reader unaware of the sorrow which bore heavily on Mather, who lost thirteen of his fifteen children during his lifetime, and his wives Abigail (1702) and Elizabeth (1713). If there could be worse tragedies, among the most devastating was the loss of husbands and sons in brutal conflict. Well known is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s heartrending “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, written after he had rushed to be with his severely wounded son. Sadly, this was an all-too-common occurrence in America’s Civil War. Connecting with Early Americans is no easy task, yet by witnessing their living faith in an eternal, loving God, one may catch a fleeting glimpse of the hope that sustained them. The moment invites historians to cultivate within our communities and beyond a renewed awareness of the Christian meaning of the American Republic. May we also recognize the need for a holy life that reflects the discipline of our fathers. Might we enjoy the comfort of the Holy Spirit, always with us in trouble.  “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3–4

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I’ll start out this week by asking you some questions.  Have you been having a tough time lately?  Are you struggling to make ends meet?  Does it seem like you are bearing the weight of the world upon your shoulders?  Has it been easier to cry than to smile?  Are you just feeling a little run down, or down and out?

I’m no psychologist or psychiatrist.  What I am is a pastor who also happens to be a human being.  And I can tell you that I understand.

I snapped this picture in New Haven, Connecticut a year or so ago as Youngest Daughter and I walked around.  This sculpture sits in the front yard of their public library.  One young person is reading while another is relaxing with her head on the lap of the first.  Not a care in the world.  Just reading and resting.  Enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful weather.  We look at poses similar to these and think about how nice it would be to just lay it all down, ignore the distresses and problems, take a few minutes to just read, listen to the quiet, and take a very long deep breath of air.

It’s easier than you think.  Look of it this way.  What’s easier – carrying around a heavy load of anything, or laying it down?  What’s easier – worrying about anything and everything, or focusing on praying to the One Who can take care of it?  What’s easier – struggling day in and day out to try and accomplish it all on our own, or looking to the Lord for His strength which will carry us through any storm?  Do you get my point?

We say, “I can’t give it up.  I can’t turn it loose.  I have too much responsibility.  I need to be everything for everybody.”  Respectfully, no you do not.  And the sooner you realize that, the lighter your load will be!  Any of us can spare a moment.  Trust me.  So take that one moment this week.  Sit down.  Stay there.  Read something, or don’t.  But leave the burdens, disappointments, and responsibilities alone for a bit.  Take in a long deep breath of God-given Holy Spirit breathed air from above.  Turn it all over to Him – again!  And listen to the silence of your own breath.  If you plan to do all you have to do, you must have strength to get it done.  And you can only get the strength you need from God the Father.  Give Him your cares.  He is no psychologist or psychiatrist either.  He’s a God Who knows and understands your needs and your heart.  

Lay your head in the Father’s lap and let Him take care of you.

Just a thought.