I live in NC, and I have seen so many posts on social media about being tired of being snowed in. We had an ice storm last weekend that kept my kids out of school all week and slowed my work as well. Then we just got 7 more inches of snow on top of this, which will likely keep things shut down going into next week.

I get it. We are built for routine. We do better with regular rhythms, but snow days are not all that bad. Sure, we have had a bit of Covid deja vu in our house, but I see these moments as positive. I want to give you four ways to make the most of snow days.

1. Family Time - I was anticipating days at home because of more time with my family. We are so busy that our family of four often doesn't get the family time I enjoy. We have played outside together, eaten a lot of meals together, played cards, and I even introduced my son to one of my childhood favorite movies - Hoosiers. Don't just lock your kids in their rooms because you are tired of them. Leverage the time that you get to spend with them.

2. Read - With so many activities canceled, you have the chance to sit down and read. Reading is good for the soul. Leaders are readers, and I highly encourage you to spend some time with a good book. My book for the week was "A Praying Church" by Paul Miller. It is a great read that I highly recommend to any church leader.

3. Rest - I am a workaholic and feel guilty about resting, but I have taken advantage of the opportunity. Take a nap, sleep in, and just enjoy some chill time on the couch. It rests your mind, and it is good for the soul.

4. Enjoy nature - Icy days and snow days can frustrate or amaze you with the beauty of God. What an incredible God that we serve. Our Creator is amazing, and there is none like Him. These moments are an opportunity for you to get outside and admire the beauty of God's creation.

5. Work ahead - I have enjoyed some personal time working on an upcoming writing project that I have been putting off for some time. It has been nice to have some time to devote to it. Snow days can make you lazy or productive. Let me encourage you: identify that project that you have been wanting to tackle and tackle it.

Listen, I hate interruptions just like anyone else, but let me challenge you to make the most out of the snow days. Turn an interruption into an opportunity. 

Today, ICE protestors interrupted a worship service happening in St. Paul, Minnesota (right outside of Minneapolis). The protestors scared the congregation, threatened them if they forced them to leave, yelled in their face, cursed at them, and refuse to let the church family do what they were assembled to do this morning which was to worship Jesus.

I don't care what political side of the fence you are on or how you feel about ICE - "peaceful protests" don' break up worship services. Despite what Don Lemon said in his interview with the Pastor of Cities Church, there was nothing Christian about what these protestors did today to the congregation of Cities Church.

Pray for peace.
Pray for our leaders.
Pray for our Nation.

Even so come, Lord Jesus. 

Everyone has the desire to grow! I believe that. The difference in who actually grows and who doesn't is the discipline and intentionality that individuals put into their desire to grow.

Growth doesn't happen by accident. It happens when a person positions themselves in the best environment to grow. Growth takes discipline. Growth takes intentionality.

I believe that the best way to grow is in the context of community. At our church, I often say, "We grow better together." You grow best in the context of relationships. Now, I know you are thinking, "Of course you would say that, because you are a pastor." That is fair, but I want you to know that I have seen this play out time and time again. It is just true. With spiritual growth, sure, but it is also true with physical or emotional growth.

When it comes to spiritual growth, you cannot reach your full potential in Christ without the church. So, I want to share with you a few ways you can grow in 2026:

1. Sit under the Word - This is why church is important. Every believer needs to be under the teaching of God's Word regularly. Make the weekend service a priority in 2026. It should not be optional if you are serious about spiritual growth.

2. Worship with the Church - There is something so special about worshipping with the saints. Go all in with this in 2026. Sing out. Lift a hand of praise. Focus on the lyrics.

3. Use your gifts in the church - This is where you put action to your growth. Identify your spiritual gift and use it in your local church. At our church, we give people a spiritual gifts assessment, and we have identified 3 teams they can serve on that fit each spiritual gift.

4. Live in community - Join a Bible study. Attend a Sunday school class or community group. Step out of a row and into a circle (a smaller group).

5. Seek an accountability partner or a disciple-maker - We all need someone to speak into us. Someone to care for us. Someone to challenge us. Someone to hold us accountable in the areas where we struggle. Seek this out in 2026.

If you do these things, I believe you will position yourself to grow in 2026.

This past weekend, we opened the doors of our building to both our church and school families. It was incredible. It was an amazing experience. It was like a dream. I have regularly pinched myself leading up to this moment just to make sure that it was really happening. This has been a long journey.

So much patience.
So much work.
So much money.  
So many years.
So many ideas.
So much waiting. 
So many closed doors.

It was a long journey, but by the grace of God, we are in. The building is open.

I have said from the beginning of this project that this is not about a building. It is about the Gospel ministry that will take place within the building. The building is just an avenue for us to do more Gospel ministry.

Our mission is to reach people and disciple people. I am praying that for years to come, this building will be used to accomplish that mission.

Keep praying. 
Keep giving.
Keep believing.
Keep dreaming.

The best is yet to come.

This Sunday is the first Sunday of 2025! A new year always comes with new goals, new priorities, and new resolutions. It is a fresh start. For many of us, we get a new start on goals that we have failed to achieve in the past. Well, the slate is clean, and we can start over.

I would like to challenge you to make church a priority in the new year. I get it, life is busy. We have tons of things to do, and skipping Sunday services seems like a good move for your time and busyness. It will give you a day to yourself and a day off. I see that perspective, but you miss out on so much when you skip church because of your busy schedule. I would like for you to focus on what you are missing out on more than what you gain, because it far outweighs it.

In this post, I would like to share a few reasons why you need to make church a priority this year:

1. God commands it - In Hebrews 10, the writer speaks directly to the assembly (church) and how we should not forsake it. In fact, as we see the return of Jesus getting nearer, we must go more. We must make it more of a priority now than ever before. Attending church shouldn't be an option for your family, because God Himself has commanded it. 
2. You need relationships - Church is about relationships. Church is about doing life together. The word "together" is mentioned every time church is mentioned. Whether you want to admit this or not, you were not created to do life alone. You were created to do life with people. TOGETHER. You cannot do that in the comfort of your home on Sunday mornings. Go to church and build relationships. 
3. It's the Lord's day - Throughout Scripture, we see that God's people observed a Sabbath Day. Now, we can get into the theology of that another time, but Sunday is the Lord's day, and He deserves our best. 
4. To sing praises to God - Think of church like a rehearsal for what Heaven is going to be like. It is a tune up. It is a sound check. Right now as I write this, saints and angels are gathered lifting up their voices in praise to God. Until that day comes, church is how we do that. You may not like to sing or you may feel like you cannot sing. That is okay, you aren't singing for yourself or for any other person. You are singing to your Redeemer, your Savior, your Creator, and your Friend! He is worthy of your song. 
5. To learn about God - Church is an opportunity for you to learn about God. God has revealed Himself through His Word so you must find a church that preaches the Word. That is the first step. Once you found a church that preaches the Word, attend ready to learn. Every Sunday is an opportunity for you to learn something new about God. Don't come and go. Instead, come and behold! Behold our God. How great He is, and we have not even scratched the service regarding how great He is! 

Life is busy. I understand that, but don't forsake the priority of church this year. If you do, you will miss out on so many things that God has in store for you. 

I believe that the level of my personal involvement in the study of God’s Word is directly linked to the depth of my personal growth in God and I believe the same is true for you.
God has given us His Word as an incredible resource and tool with the purpose of discovering His character and His plan for our life.

Here are a few tactics and resources that have helped me which I hope will also encourage you as you follow through on your desire to know God better.

1. Prepare for your time with God
Pray and ask God to meet with you. He wants you to know Him better so this is a prayer you can be sure He will answer. Set aside a daily time and place to meet with God and prioritize that each day. Get all your resources together so you are not wasting time hunting for anything you misplaced the day before. This can include your Bible, a notebook, a pen and any additional resources that will help you dig deeper into God’s Word. I have listed some of my favorites at the end of this blog.

2. Read a passage or a chapter in the Bible
Do not feel the pressure to start with huge passages or numerous chapters each day. Ease into larger chunks by starting small and by being consistent. You can start by reading a chapter a day in the book of Proverbs or in the book of John. The important part is being in His Word consistently and allowing His Truth to inform your view of God, His people and His world.

3. Listen to what God is specifically saying about His character
What God reveals about His character is the most important part of His Word. It is meant to shape how we see everything around us including our relationships, our work and our resources. God’s Word is meant to be read as one story of redemption with Him as the key figure.

4. Record what God is saying to you and pray about it
Write in a journal or in a note on your phone what God is saying to you. Listening is the key to this habit, because so much can get lost in the distractions that are a part of all our days, so give extra effort to listen well then write it down. C.S. Lewis said, "I think we can be quite certain that writing helps to untangle our thoughts." It is well worth spending some extra time to be clear on what we are hearing from God before we move to applying what we are learning.
 
5. Tell someone what you are learning
Ask God to make you more aware of the opportunities that He will give you each day to be more like Him through interactions with others as you attempt to be salt and light to a watching world. Be ready for these opportunities and be confident that God has given you everything you need to do what He is calling you to do for Him (2 Peter 1:3).
God wants to work in our heart so that we will rely on Him more fully. Listening to Him speak through His Word is key to that process. I am praying for you in this journey, and I am here to help you any way that I can.

I am fully convinced that God has me doing exactly what he wants me to do. If I was not forced to be in His Word to lead my family and to lead some of the ministries in our church, I would be a lazy Christian who only opened God’s Word sporadically. Will you accept the challenge by setting a time and place to consistently meet with God in order to know Him better so you can serve those in your sphere of influence? You and those around you will greatly benefit from this decision and you will not regret it.

Resources:
https://www.blueletterbible.org
A great website with many study tools and helps for walking through Scripture.

https://www.thebiblerecap.com
A great place to start reading the Bible each day because it provides extra resources and studies to deepen your love for and your understanding of our God.

With the election on everyone’s mind, I wanted to share a few things with you that are on my heart today. Listen, few things divide as much as politics. For that reason many of us stay silent, avoid the conversation, or are just unsure how to handle political conversations with hope, grace, and joy. The question that all of us must ask is how can we as followers of Christ engage in the political conversation while continuing our mission of reaching as many people as possible with the good news of the Gospel? Can you do both? The answer is yes, and here are some helpful tips and reminders as this election season comes to a close tonight:

First, VOTE! It’s a freedom and privilege that we have to live in this great country. If we don’t vote, we forfeit our right to complain about the outcome. How should we vote? Although, we do vote for a person, let me remind you that no candidate is perfect (including write ins). Because they are all flawed, my advice is to vote for the platform that best aligns with Scripture. Biblical morality, character, traditional marriage, protecting the life of the unborn, protecting the God ordained right for parents to parent their kids (not the government or a school system), support of Israel, and protecting religious freedom are things that followers of Christ should look for in a platform when they vote. I’ll never tell you who to vote for, that’s between you and God, but I will unapologetically encourage you to vote for a platform that best aligns with Scripture.
 
Second, BE KIND! You won’t agree with everyone, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to be kind to everyone. Burk Parsons said, “Christians are those who pray for those they vote against.” Be kind and love your neighbor.

Third, STAY JOYFUL! If the political conversation and outcome steals your joy, maybe you are hoping in Washington more than you are hoping in Jesus. Christian, our hope is not in a political candidate, our hope is in Jesus Christ. Our allegiance is not to a political party, our allegiance is to Jesus Christ. Our joy is not found in winning an election, our joy is found in knowing that Jesus has already won.

Fourth, PRAY! We are called to pray for the leaders that God appoints over us. He didn’t say pray for only those that we voted for, He commands us to pray for our leaders no matter if we voted for them or not. Commit to pray for our leaders and pray that God would continue to bless America for years to come.

So, get out and vote, but be encouraged no matter the outcome, because we know that Jesus has secured the final and most important outcome!
 
You are loved, 
Pastor Josh Evans

Yesterday, we broke ground on our future property. The property was purchased back around 2005, and the Lord had not led us to develop the property until now. Many people have been faithful in their giving through the years to get us to this point.

We are phasing in the project with an approach that will look like this:
PHASE #1 - Site work + Educational Building. As we were led to phase in the project, we had to prioritize what was most important. After careful prayer and evaluation, the main thing was to grow the student enrollment to allow us to reach more students with the good news of the Gospel. Phase #1 starts tomorrow and should be fully completed by August, 2025.

PHASE #2 - Gymnatorium. We hope that phase #2 will begin shortly after phase #1 is complete. This will give us a gym more than capable of hosting games without the fear of going over capacity. This will also be where we meet as a church as well. It will give our church a large lobby area, educational classrooms, capacity to fit into one service, and it will all be under one roof.

PHASE #3 - Athletic Fields.

I cannot believe that we are at this point. I have to pinch myself to really believe it. The journey has been long, but I am reminded that it is not about a building. It is about the Gospel work that will take place within the building. Our mission as a church is to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel and to disciple them into becoming devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord wants to use this project to further His kingdom.

Great days are ahead,

Pastor Josh