PJ's Journal

This entry is the text from my message this past Sunday concerning disputable matters from Romans 14:13-23. I believe it to be a very relevant topic for believers today. Here you go: This week I found myself lamenting over a conversation Pastor Andrew and I had.  We were talking about convictions that people in our church have that would fall under the category of disputable matters.  I caught myself verbalizing that the best thing is for people to probably avoid those conversations for the sake of peace.  But my own words did not sit well with me.  Avoidance does not help a relationship to grow.  The reason I even said that was because I feared people being ugly toward one another, not being able to have tough conversations about disputable matters without projecting their conscience about an issue onto the other person.  I began to lament because of all people, we should be able to have healthy conversations with one another regarding these issues witho...

 As I reflect on the events that have transpired over the course of this past year, my concern for the church continues to grow deeper.  I love the church... it is God's design and His conduit to proclaim His glory to every tribe, tongue, and nation.  A local church is not a building but a gathering of believers in Jesus who live and worship with an identified community of other believers, in a context where they are responsible and accountable to one another.  It is a gathering of people who not only worship together, but are on mission together.  It is a gathering of people that was never intended to function only within the four walls of a building (or 8 walls if you worship in the building where I pastor).  It is because the church has a mission to proclaim the glory of God to all people that has me concerned.  When Jesus was teaching His disciples, He taught them to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  Je...

 Hello all.  This morning I announced on Facebook that I would be deleting my account as a result of an internal wrestling of my own soul over the past several years relative to social media itself.  I was convinced a couple of years ago that social media produced unhealthy habits, addictions, and interactions in people's lives.  This conviction has only grown deeper the past year.  One of the reasons I was hesitant to "get off" of social media is that it provided a platform for me to communicate commentary on issues related to the Scriptures, the Christian faith, and life.  I desire to continue to have that platform, but it will not be through social media.  I have decided to kick the dust off of my blog and begin writing more often through this platform.   As I have mentioned earlier, I believe social media is causing a tremendous amount of damage in the lives of people.  Here are my primary concerns. 1.  Unhealthy Interactions: ...