Articles

By Stephen Mizell, Lead Pastor Recently, we shook things up a little in our Sunday morning services. It started out as a nudging from the Holy Spirit about my own personal expectations of how a church service should flow. Many of those things I believe are correct, but I also...

Pastor Sheryl is stepping down as Children's Pastor at the end of July. She'll still be around at church, but Pastor Ryan as Family Pastor will be in charge of the children's ministry, as well as continuing with the student ministry. Here is a note from Pastor Ryan about some...

Life happens. Maybe you say it a different way. Either way, what we expected life to be like and what it’s actually like are often at odds. Things disrupt our routines and relationships. We have unexpected crises and some that we create ourselves. Sickness and disease invade our lives. We...

A few weeks ago Pastor Brian preached a message about the will of God. In the message he stated that sometimes God’s will is, “I don’t care”. I have to admit, when I first heard him say that I got a little defensive. Like many people who depend on God...

Every Sunday, in nearly every church around the world, you will find that most services contain preaching, praying and singing. These may come in differing styles and in various order but most church services contain at least those three elements. With being the Worship Pastor, I have the incredible privilege...

How did you get to church? The first thing that came to your mind is probably “I drove” or “my car”. That is not exactly what I mean. What I want to know is what brought you to church at the beginning. What got you to church for the very...

I have owned a nice pair of quality binoculars for a few years now. I use them often for many of my outdoor activities. When I am not actually afield, they stay in my truck within arm’s reach just in case I need them. With the many years of use...

We recently finished a series about Jonah and why he was so resistant to telling someone else about God and accepting them when they repented. As we talked about, we are really no different. We resist God’s command to invite people to be in relationship with Him and resist being...

We each have specific hopes and dreams for our future created by thoughts of what we want from life and what we imagine purpose to be. It seems that when things don’t turn out like we planned or circumstances feel beyond our control, we question what God is doing not...

When I arrived for my freshman year of college at Evangel University and settled in my dorm room, I was excited. It was an adventure. Twelve hours away from the only town I had ever lived, I knew life would be different. I was thrown into a new church, chapel...

Earlier this year I spoke about Jonah and his need to complete his assignment of speaking to a city after being puked up on the shore by a large fish. There is no indication that he had a change of clothes or took a bath. He describes himself as having...

Earlier this year I spoke about Jonah and his need to complete his assignment of speaking to a city after being puked up on the shore by a large fish. There is no indication that he had a change of clothes or took a bath. He describes himself as having...

Transitions If you’ve ever experienced a change in your life you know it’s hardly ever easy. Life is full of change and part of the change is the transition from what used to be to what is new. Throughout your life you will no doubt experience a lot of transitions....

When I arrived for my freshman year of college at Evangel University and settled in my dorm room, I was excited. It was an adventure. Twelve hours away from the only town I had ever lived, I knew life would be different. I was thrown into a new church, chapel...

We each have specific hopes and dreams for our future created by thoughts of what we want from life and what we imagine purpose to be. It seems that when things don’t turn out like we planned or circumstances feel beyond our control, we question what God is doing not...

We recently finished a series about Jonah and why he was so resistant to telling someone else about God and accepting them when they repented. As we talked about, we are really no different. We resist God’s command to invite people to be in relationship with Him and resist being...

I have owned a nice pair of quality binoculars for a few years now. I use them often for many of my outdoor activities. When I am not actually afield, they stay in my truck within arm’s reach just in case I need them. With the many years of use...

How did you get to church? The first thing that came to your mind is probably “I drove” or “my car”. That is not exactly what I mean. What I want to know is what brought you to church at the beginning. What got you to church for the very...

Ryan Miller | Family Pastor A few weeks ago Pastor Brian preached a message about the will of God. In the message he stated that sometimes God’s will is, “I don’t care”. I have to admit, when I first heard him say that I got a little defensive. Like many...

Every Sunday, in nearly every church around the world, you will find that most services contain preaching, praying and singing. These may come in differing styles and in various order but most church services contain at least those three elements. With being the Worship Pastor, I have the incredible privilege...

I love road trips. There is something so fun about jumping in the car with only a bit of luggage and no real plans, just a destination. It seems that the most interesting things that happen are often those that are unplanned or spur-of-the-moment; while the best laid plans can...

"The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety." - Goethe Thinking about the dangers of life can be overwhelming when we consider the fact that nothing is guaranteed and every step we take could be the wrong one. How do we live life without fear? How do...

Life happens. Maybe you say it a different way. Either way, what we expected life to be like and what it's actually like are often at odds. Things disrupt our routines and relationships. We have unexpected crises and some that we create ourselves. Sickness and disease invade our lives. We...

When my wife and I built our home a few years ago, we made sure it included a screened-in back porch. It has ample room for my grill, a sitting area, and a dining area. It is decorated with whimsical birds, turtles, frogs and even ants! The brightly colored furniture...

God’s will for our lives is something that most people seek. Even if someone does not believe in God, even if they are not pursuing Jesus with their lives, they still want to know what God knows. There is a desire within every person for divine direction or support. But...

Something I’ve found myself contemplating lately is this one word, normal. What does it mean to be normal? When it comes to a human being there is no set standard for normal. I’m not talking about the physical makeup of a human. I’m talking about that somewhat intangible understanding of...

I have been reading the Old Testament lately and no matter how many times I cycle out of the New Testament and back into the Old, I am struck by the life stories contained in it. I often feel frustrated that the people whose lives were chronicled don’t somehow make...

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 ‭‭ Paul doesn't say if you are a Christian, and if you walk in the Spirit, you will no longer have the desires of the flesh. He says that if we...

Church. It has been my life. I love the church and I am thankful for the heritage of faith that I have. My story of faith is not similar to many people’s. I do not recall a time in my life when I did not believe that Jesus Christ was...

My salvation story involves the grace of God working not only in my life but in the life of my entire family. God used my grandparents in a vital yet seemingly simplistic fashion. When I was four years old my parents experienced some struggles in their marriage. They both worked...

 Where Are My Glasses? As I write this article there is one thing that is essential before I begin...my glasses! Without them, this would be a futile attempt. Over the course of many years my ability to focus and see small print has diminished. Initially, a pair of reading glasses...

Untold Stories: Goodbye Spain   At Open Door Church, we want to tell stories of faith, of hope and the journey of faith we are on together. This blog kicks of this renewed focus as we start to tell more stories of those in our church.   Most people have...

A Place For You On The Team   March Madness ended less than a month ago and every year I find myself sucked into filling out a bracket and trying to predict a winner. This year, unfortunately I didn’t win my bracket contest, but it got me thinking about the...

I think it is safe to say that most parents frequently question the environment and culture in which our kids are grow up. We wonder how much television is ok for our kids to watch, if they should play sports, what clothes are appropriate for their age. Then there are...

For I the LORD do not change... (Malachi 3:6)   Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)   Do we really believe that God is the same today as He has always been?  Are we convinced when it comes to the workings of God, that...

One of the things I love most about the Bible is the consistent reminder that people fail. I guess that could appear a little depressing at first to some but for me I find great encouragement in it because it feels like something that I do way too often. Even...

Prayer First   As followers of Christ, prayer is the way to communicate to our Heavenly Father. Throughout the Old Testament, prayer was only possible through a priest appointed by God but because of Jesus’ death on a cross and resurrection from the dead, those who believe on the name...

TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY I recently began the process of meeting with my CPA to calculate exactly what my tax liability would be for this past year. Although spring is a much anticipated time of the year, filing our taxes is not.  For many of us it is...

The Joy of Discipline “Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” - Leo Tolstoy As we recently finished our Hot Topics series at church, we have been thinking a lot about changing society, helping the least of these and what we can do for our community....

Making It Through the Teenage Years For the past nine years I have dedicated my life to working with teenagers and their families. I have seen the awkwardness, strain and tension that begins to develop in families when children officially enter the teen years. Many times the relationship becomes so...

I have been thinking a lot about family lately; your family, my family, everyone’s family. I am fascinated by how each one works differently and how so very much of who we are is wrapped up in how, and by whom, we were raised. In “studying” families I can’t help...

Moses saw the suffering of his Hebrew brothers and sisters and his heart was moved to reject his royal upbringing by leaving a place and position of prestige, comfort, riches and power to lead them out of Egypt through the Red Sea and toward the Promise Land. Nehemiah was broken-hearted...

Importance of Personal Worship   Worship is defined as giving adoration and reverence to someone or something. This act is continual, we never stop worshipping. All of mankind is incessantly worshipping someone or something. Worship can be considered a basic need for man. Just as we need food, water and...

LESSONS FROM THE HUNT I have always loved and appreciated the beauty and splendor of God’s creation. The natural beauty surrounding us is a constant connection to God as I observe His marvelous handiwork. I can never recall a time that I did not love being outdoors. Activities such as...

Interruption. Like realizing that you need to get gas on your way to work or walking your dog and having kids flocking you asking you about him. Interruptions annoy us. We roll our eyes and hope it will be over soon. While we view interruptions as a 21st century thing with...

I’m kind of new to this whole parenting thing. My daughter turns 2 this week and we are expecting our second child in June. However, I have been around and worked with children and teenagers for the past 8 years and have noticed a trend. There are certain conversations that...

Each time a new year rolls around I am flabbergasted at how quickly the previous year has flown by. There are usually quite a few things I wanted to do that I didn’t. But a squeaky clean calendar is exciting because it is a new opportunity to get some things...

Listening to God I know that this is not a normal blog post. It is more about a man trying to put into words what God is trying to teach him. This is what God is showing me at end of 2016 to prepare me for 2017. Over the past...

Worship is most commonly connected with music. I believe this is appropriate, for we must worship through song. Even though worship goes far beyond singing a few songs once a week, it is a commanded form of worshiping the Lord. About that, I want to discuss Christmas songs. They are...

Christmas and Generosity Christmas is, at its very core, a time for generosity. Its story can be summed up in what is perhaps the most familiar verse in the Bible, John 3:16. References to this passage can be seen at sporting events and venues around the world, but how does...

1 Peter 3:15 “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.” As Christians, we are told to be ready to explain the hope we have as believers. When we talk with people who are yet to find their faith in Jesus, knowing...

With Thanksgiving finishing up and Christmas just a few weeks away, the holiday season is in full swing. This is definitely one of my favorite times of year. I love the weather, the decorations and the celebrations. I know the holidays can be hectic and stressful as you try to...

There are many valuable things in this world like family, friends, health, job, possessions, etc.  All of these things are valuable and important but probably the greatest thing is time. The truth is, even our health is sometimes determined by this thing called time. Do we take time to exercise...

The election is over and we have a new president. Some of you reading this are excited and others are relieved. Some are disappointed and others are angry. No matter the emotions you are experiencing today, the reality is that the next four years are pretty much settled for presidential...

In an earlier article I admitted that homeschooling has definitely been one of the most difficult challenges in my life. I could give you an endless list of the reasons why it is so tough but it would mostly come down to relationships and selfishness. The amazing thing about all...

Three Things I Would Tell My Young Self as a Leader   I know it's crazy, and not real, but if there were such a thing as time travel and we could go back, there would be a lot of reasons why we would want to turn back the dial....

Today’s post will look different than most of the posts I have done in the past. Instead of listing out points and solutions on a particular issue, let me share with you a story. It’s a story that is more common than many realize. I’ve shared this story multiple times...

I have heard it said that money and politics are the two hardest topics to discuss in the church and among believers. When it comes to politics, our nation may be as divided as ever. There is a growing divide between party affiliation and what appears to be less willingness...

Expectations, we all have them. When it comes to those responsible for providing specific goods and services to us we often place unrealistic expectations upon them. For example, we visit a local restaurant to enjoy a nice meal. We have expectations that the facility is going to be clean, the...

   Homeschooling is a pretty hot topic these days and maybe even a little trendy. This could be due to the images people conjure up in their minds when they read posts from the “perfect” homeschool moms- perfect, peaceful, compliant kids who will graduate 3 years early and thank their parents...

Sharing Your Faith 101   In Luke 15, Jesus strings together three parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. In each parable something valuable was lost and when it was found people rejoiced. One of the greatest joys on this earth, next to being a Christian, is when we lead someone to Christ.  In these parables we also learn that when someone comes to trust in Jesus there is great rejoicing in Heaven; this is God’s Heart and this should be our heart as well. Think of it! When we share our faith with others, you and I can be God's instruments in the salvation others.  Just take a minute or two to think of what you are offering someone when you share your faith with them:   Salvation from eternal separation from God...

“So when are you all going to start having some kids?”   It seems like almost immediately after a young couple gets married this is the first question that is asked of them. I mean, some couples don’t even get out of the church before someone “jokingly” brings up what...

There is no family that does not require blending. When two people get married for the first time there is a blending of two lives together. If those two people have children, there is a blending of those relationships. Each of these situations bring certain challenges when speaking of blending...

Are You Walking Dead?   "The Walking Dead" is a popular show right now averaging 13 million viewers and beginning it's seventh season this fall.  It is about a group of survivors who struggle to adapt and survive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with walkers (zombies) and opposing groups of survivors. Regardless...

3 Things to Know About Honoring Dishonorable Parents According to Ephesians 6:2, the fifth commandment that God gave to Moses was the first commandment with a promise attached to it. Exodus 10:12; “Honor your father and mother so that you may live long in the land that the Lord your...

Evangelism is one of those words used in church that almost never gets used in general conversation with people outside of the church. In the context of church, the word evangelism or evangelize is defined as: “the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness”. In reality,...

Discipline is always a hot yet touchy subject amongst parents. We were all raised differently with different sets of rules, expectations and punishments. Some of them worked pretty well. Some of them we vowed never to use on our own kids (even though we probably still have). As a parent...

What Is Celebrate Recovery About? In Galatians 5:1 we are taught that Christ has set us free to stay free. Celebrate Recovery is a Christian recovery group that enables us to learn and experience the freedom we have in Christ. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place where a person can...

Last week our pastor wrote an article on the challenges of being a parent-in-law. He and I are obviously in different places in life as I have an 18-month-old and he has three grand children. I can’t speak to the challenges of being a parent-in-law, but I have been a...

Many jokes have been made about in-laws. Mothers-in-law especially catch the brunt of attempts at being humorous - even to the point of some being nicknamed “monster-in-law”. In life, the things that are the most humorous usually have some element of truth. One of the reasons that in-law jokes are...

Half of the year is gone. When you read that, many of you said to yourself “Where did it go?” That is a good question. Where did it go? What took place in your life the first half of 2016? What things can you point to that were significant from...

Volunteering is a topic we would often like to avoid. It is a sticky subject and usually makes us feel guilty or obligated. When we think of volunteering we think of jobs that need to be done, jobs we won’t get paid for or jobs no one else wants to...

5 BUDGET BENEFITS The word budget often conjures up thoughts of oppressive restrictions and unattainable goals. For those who have practiced the art of budgeting they understand budgets are actually liberating and very attainable. Initially you may have to take small steps but you can get there. Budgets are simply...

When most people hear the word addiction, they think of dependence on a substance, such as drugs or alcohol; and for good reason. Drug and alcohol use is on the rise in this country. Over 23.5 million Americans are addicted to alcohol or drugs. That's approximately one in every 10...

We recently finished a series in 4:TWELVE, our student ministry at Open Door, on dating and sex.  I look forward to doing this particular type of series every time because it is the one series that I know for sure is going to speak to an issue that the majority...

Our life history, experiences, relationships and location in this world all have some bearing on the way we view things and what we believe. We are not always aware of why we believe or prefer something. Many times it has been something that was a part of our culture or...

Edward Who? Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. and came away with numerous things that have resonated over and over in my mind. Perhaps the most profound was the fact that Billy Graham came to know Jesus Christ through the preaching of...

     "Hurry up! We're going to be late!" yells Mom.        "I can't find my stuff and I'm hungry!" retorts the child.        "Well just grab a snack and come on! I have to drop your brother off at his practice too!”        Does this sound like...

The month of May offers more consistently warm weather and flowers that begin to bloom. Moods generally improve with the sunshine and people begin to find things to do together outside. Events are planned and though summer doesn't officially begin until June, the Memorial Day celebrations tend to usher in...

As Spring arrives each year, there is much made around church concerning Easter. People are encouraged to invite others. It tends to be one of the largest and usually THE largest attended weekend of the year at church. Sometimes additional services are added to accommodate the numbers of people that...

The Power of Conscience Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.  1 Timothy 1:19 This verse paints a word picture of a ship and the use of ballast. Ballast is...

PREPARING FOR SUNDAYS It is not unusual for my wife and I to do something unexpected or unplanned when we’re on a date. Typically, we will go see a movie. Without hesitation and with no preparation, we will search for a movie start time and then show up. Does the...

Discipline – a regimen that develops or improves a skill, maintained by training and control. Discipline. The mere mention of the word often conjures up thoughts of punishment and correction. However, the application of discipline for the most part has a very positive impact associated with it. For instance, an...

Salvation is the root of Christianity. Salvations or people being saved or coming to know Christ is a constant conversation among churches. It is the beginning point to your walk with Christ. Sometimes people use the word “decision”. It is that point where you come into faith with Jesus Christ...

The New Year can feel like an exciting yet daunting time to even the most motivated of people. It is eye opening to take a look back at the past year and see what accomplishments were achieved, areas where we grew and, unfortunately, goals that were abandoned.  The guilt associated...

Goals & Resolutions   A New Year. A New Beginning. This time of year is always filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, for many it is only a matter of days and sometimes weeks before the excitement and anticipation dwindle and we settle in to making a new...

Recently, a friend of mine shared with me what her kindergarten-aged daughter came home from school saying about Christmas. The kids in her class had been prompted to share what Christmas meant to them…presents, time out of school and of course, Santa. I can imagine the look of this little...

Practicing Peace   Everyone wants peace in their lives. Even people who create constant drama want to live in peace. The struggle is that very few people want to do the work involved to have peace. Peace is work. That sounds like a conflict but it is true. Peace in...