
Those Are Fightin’ Words
A dear friend, speaking of my job at church, remarked to me the other day, “But Stefan, you work with God.” Kinda funny in a way, but the opposite is also true. You work against the devil. (Yeah, there is a devil…and he is not your friend) If you sense no adversity, only comfortable blue water, smooth sailing and unicorns, I suggest you wake up. Ask any disciple and they’ll tell you that contrary to popular thinking, everyday is NOT a Friday. Your adversity may seem great but

Your Anchor is Secure
We were in his 25 foot powerboat getting ready for our spearfishing dive a in pristine water just outside the most beautiful underwater wall of coral. I couldn’t wait to start hunting gamefish in this particular spot, but I did as the captain said and threw on my snorkel. I grabbed my mask, and fins and swam down 30 or so feet only to see the anchor floating along the bottom…attached to nothing.
It wasn’t holding the boat secure at all. The waves were in control of our boat,

Noah and the Rem-Ark
“Mr. Stefan, I got a new Bible.” ~ Noah 6 3/4 years old Undecided an hour before church Sunday morning what verse God wanted me to read (They’re all pretty good) I veered away from my first inclination (Psalm 91) which I had planned all week, and landed first in Psalm 121 and then in Ephesians. Six (and 3/4) year old Noah comes to the side of the stage and says, “Mr. Stefan, I got a new Bible.” Before I had the chance to ask who wrote it, he was sitting on the bench next to m
Sam Russell and the Gathering Team "Just a Closer Walk With Thee"
This fun (but rough) recording of “Just a Closer Walk” by 18 year old Sam Russell and the Gathering team, has been requested…so, here it is. Click here for Song.

God’s Not Done With You
“Today I thank God for second chances.” -Eli, 8 years old At a time when the very bottom fell out of the bottom in my life, I grabbed for the phone book and went in search of a church…any church…with something called a “Stephen’s Ministry.” (A special lay-led ministry designed to help those going through a tough season in life.) Thumbing through the yellow pages (remember those?), I landed on some place called Edenton Street United Methodist Church. I called the office, and