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  James 1:2-4 Listen to today's devotional The book of James says something that sounds almost irresponsible at first: “Whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy” Wow! He didn't say after the trial. Not once it all makes sense. But when you’re in the thick of it. I don't imagine most people struggle with faith when things are easy. It's when faith gets tested that things begin to get shaky. It's when there remain unanswered prayers, slow healing, or seasons when things just don't seem to work out at all. James doesn’t deny the pain of those moments. But there is necessary reframing to better understand how we walk through them. What if we think of trials not as interruptions to God’s work? After all, the Lord is not overwhelmed by pressing matters. So, how does seeing our trials as part of the means of God's work change our perspective? James reminds us that testing produces perseverance, and perseverance is shaping something deeper than our comf...

I started posting memes I find and create on a Facebook page I made several years ago. Initially, I would post them on my personal page, but then I thought that would be too much. Plus, I liked being able to schedule posts. In the time I've had that page, I've never used it to scroll. I'm not a good Facebook user, I suppose. As you can tell, I'm not a good publicist or advertiser. Some time ago, I took advice from someone who said to engage other parts of Facebook world through the page. At the time, the page followed sports-related accounts, 80s and 90s themed pages, plus a few creators whose work I've appreciated over the years. To revamp the page, I started following more Bible and faith-related accounts. Some were specific groups I know. Most were generic Christian pages. Fast forward to last week.  I decided to scroll a bit through the page again. I noticed there was a lot of stuff that came up that wasn't really my jam. The kind of politics, faith takes, a...

  Ephesians 4:14-16 Listen to today's devotional Somehow, we got to a point where we started acting like truth and love were enemies. As if you had to pick one. To be "loving" means to stay quiet and to be "truthful" means to leave a line of wounded egos. There is something more deeper scripture calls us to. In Ephesians 4, the call is to do something more difficult, more Christlike. Speak the truth in love. Truth without love can become a weapon. While you may be technically right, you can be spiritually careless. Is it worth winning arguments by humiliating and harming someone in the process? Truth used to crush people isn't not truth shaped by Christ. At the same time, love without truth is a shallow comfort. Real love is courageous. It does not seek to avoid hard conversations or leave people stuck just to avoid a bit of discomfort. Truth in love is a matter of growth and maturity. Speaking the truth in love is how the body of Christ grows up. The vision...

You all know my son, Nathan.  Some of you may not know our other Nathan. He's not a Fletcher by birth, but he's about as close as you can get. Plus, he's the only convert I've ever had--Eagles convert, that is. Oh, he's all in on the Eagles. Ask him about his jerseys, rings, and sheets. Tonight, he sat with me at the Methodist Men's annual Valentine's Dinner. My man Nate can put down some fried chicken and fish! Everyone that knows Nate knows how joyful he is. Just don't mention the Cowboys to him--any more.  He won a door prize and I did, too. I think he may have convinced his mom to let him have her prize.  Nathan always asks about our family. He wants to make sure everyone is well. That's his heart. That's part of what makes him a blessing. I hope you know someone like Nate. Stay blessed...john

If you haven’t heard of Family Promise , a national organization that supports families with children who are experiencing homelessness, I think you’d be inspired by their work. This morning I read a story from Family Promise of Irving about a family who had just “graduated” from the program. That means moving from housing insecurity into stable living. It immediately took me back to 2010, when the congregation we served there was part of a core group of thirteen churches partnering with Family Promise. The organization does many things to support families, but one of the most powerful pieces is how they work with churches in a creative, practical way. So many congregations have space that sits unused most of the week (sound familiar?). Host churches open their buildings to vetted families for a week at a time, offering a safe place to sleep. Other churches serve as “buddy churches,” providing meals, supplies, and volunteers to support those weeks of hosting. I remember that in our c...

  Psalm 74:12-17 Listen to today's devotional Many of us grow up hearing the creation story as a simple fact. God made the world. End of discussion. As a result, Genesis 1 becomes something we accept rather than something we wrestle with. Reading the Bible, then, becomes like reading the fine print of a rulebook. But Scripture invites us into something deeper than memorization. It invites us into wonder, struggle, and hope. Biblical scholar Jon Levenson reminds us that creation is not only about God speaking the world into existence, but about God continually bringing order out of chaos. In Genesis, God doesn’t create in a peaceful vacuum. God speaks into darkness, confusion, and formlessness. When God does, life begins to take shape. In that sense, creation is not just a moment in the past; it is God’s ongoing work in a broken world. When you memorize Bible verses, do so as a way to give your soul language to recognize the chaos we still face. In our world, there is suffering...