Richard Martin 

“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.” Genesis 7:11-12, NIV While our contemporary eyes have seen larger sea vessels, Noah's ark was a spectacular sight for his time. But why would anyone need so much space? To this question was added an onslaught of sarcasm, ridicule,

“Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17, ESV When I was a young boy, I had a habit of letting the water run while brushing my teeth. I cannot count how many times my parents howled, “Richard, turn that water off!” They said I didn’t pay the bills and was therefore wasting their water. If you’ve ever heard anything of the kind, then I have a s

What is your favorite “Momma’s Meal”? That meal only your mother can cook. The one you request whenever the opportunity presents itself. The one no one else can match. The one that makes you want to shout, dance, and clap your hands. Can you smell it? Can you taste it? There are many wonders in this world, but there’s just something about a home-cooked meal from Momma. Do I have a witness? Maybe you consider your mother to be the best cook in the world or maybe you don’t. But

It was an untimely and unlikely baby shower. Untimely, because neither of them should be pregnant. Unlikely, because neither of them could be pregnant. Yet, somehow, this providential rendezvous defies all assumptions. Although each occupies a separate end of the age continuum, their current sitz im leben binds them together with a miraculous cord that would not be broken. Mary was probably between 13 and 16 years old. She was engaged to an older man, which was culturally cus

I believe parents play an integral role in the spiritual development of their children. I believe this in part because of my personal experience. My parents were intentional about teaching my sisters and me about the Lord, His love, His Word, and His will for our lives. During my devotional time (this morning), I was drawn to one of the passages of Scripture my mother rehearsed almost everyday. It was Psalm 27:1, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the

For a long time, I thought the word blogging sounded funny. I had no intentions of starting a blog or becoming a blogger. Then, I read a book by Rodlie Ortiz that changed my mind about the value in blogging (but, I still think the word sounds funny). The book is called "Why Every Leader Must Blog: 7 Reasons to Start Now and 11 Tips to Get Started." After downloading the e-book, I read it completely in one sitting. I wouldn't be surprised if you do the same. I believe you will

John Maxwell’s Developing the Leader within You is a foundational resource for emerging leaders. As a new, young pastor, I found Maxwell’s leadership principles to be both intellectually stimulating and practically accessible, capable of serving as a framework for immediate application in my current, ecclesial context. Drawing from decades of leadership experience, coaching, and training, Maxwell distills 10 essential elements of a leader’s composition. First, Maxwell defines

Pastors serve people. People, by nature, are complex and full of intricacies. As an emerging leader and maturing pastor, I am learning to study people. In only 10 months of senior pastoring, I am delighted to announce that I have discovered the secret to straightening people out. This pearl of wisdom was hidden on pages 111-112 of John Maxwell's Developing the Leaders Around You. I'd like to share it with you. "The growth and development of people is the highest calling of le

When is the last time you dreamed big? I'm reading a book called "How Google Works" by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenburg. The forward is written by Google Cofounder and CEO, Larry Page. Commenting on the idea of Creative Innovation, Page says, "Over time I've learned, surprisingly, that it's tremendously hard to get teams to be super ambitious. It turns out most people haven't been educated in this kind of moonshot thinking. They tend to assume things are impossible, rather