Posts with the tag “pastor-brian-erickson”

When I say “You are salt and light” I am quoting from Jesus' sermon in Matthew 5:13–16. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no l...  Read More

Rest is defined as “Cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh yourself, or recover strength.” When you think of Jesus offering you rest, what comes to mind? Maybe a nap after lunch. Maybe bing...  Read More

Most of us have expressed frustrations with time demands. “I’m so swamped at work, I can’t seem to stay ahead of it all.” “I feel like all I’m doing is putting out fires.” “I work late every night, I ...  Read More

I was a Youth Pastor in Chicago for ten years. I had a huge group of public school kids and they regularly asked me, “How can I live as a Christian among my non-Christian friends at school?” I said, “...  Read More

As a person who grew up in the Midwest, where winter lasted from November through April; temperatures often dropped below zero, trees were leafless, grass was dead, and the skies were definitely cloud...  Read More

As a Pastor, I have to admit, I slip into a mild depression after Easter. Easter is our Super Bowl. We pour our lives into preaching, meeting new people, showing them love, surviving the week on less ...  Read More

How can I know where God is working? And once I know that, how can I join Him in His work? I think it starts with prayer. God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything that is living ...  Read More

At every Campus Bible Church worship gathering we include a Stand-n-Greet. This is a time for you to go up and introduce yourself to someone in the gathering who you’ve never met. While this is not a ...  Read More

I have the privilege of doing quite a bit of marriage counseling. When a struggling couple comes to see me, one of the first questions I like to ask them is, “Tell me about the premarital counseling y...  Read More

Peace is something people pursue. And this verse talks about perfect peace, which is the peace of God. It only comes when our minds are steadfast and focused on Him. We experience it when we fully tru...  Read More

What does it look like to live out the gospel in your neighborhood? God has placed you at your job, your school, and your neighborhood and has surrounded you with non-Christians.Are you a Christian? I...  Read More

Valentine’s Day is usually a celebration for couples to show their love for one another. But how often do you think of Valentine’s Day as a day to remind us of God’s amazing love for us? A lot of sing...  Read More

Every year during the New Year’s holiday we fly back to Chicago to visit both Jenn’s side and my side of the family. There’s something special about ringing in a new year surrounded by those you love ...  Read More

Loving your neighbor as yourself has to include encouraging and building up your neighbor. Encouraging others is important because most of the people you meet are hurting in some way, even if they don...  Read More

Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘fool’ as “a person lacking in judgment or prudence.”Did you know the Bible has a lot to say about a fool? No one wants to be called a fool, yet many of our behaviors are ...  Read More

What makes you angry? For me it’s being disrespected and seeing weak people bullied. I never got in a fight in school (I was big), but I came closest when I was sticking up for a little guy getting pi...  Read More

Do you pray before you eat, thanking God for the food and asking Him to nourish your body? When I was growing up, my parents taught us a prayer they wanted us all to say together before our evening me...  Read More

When it came time for Jenn and I to start having babies, I have to admit, I didn’t know a lot about them…and frankly, I didn’t like them very much. All they do is eat and poop…then they start crying a...  Read More

When my youngest son, Alan, was a toddler, he loved to ask 'Why' questions. We’re riding in the car, “Dad, why does the wind blow? Dad, why do I have to be the youngest? Dad, why does Javier Baez ...  Read More

Did you know we have a ministry in our church called Re:generation? Most people don’t. And those who have heard about it don’t really know what it is. Some say “Isn't that ministry for recovering alco...  Read More

As a kid, I remember summer break as being a great time to play with friends, go on family vacations and attend VBS at church. But then when August hit, the back-to-school sales started at the local W...  Read More

I was sitting in my office at church one morning when the phone rang. I picked it up and heard the voice of a very distraught woman. Through tears she said to me, “Pastor, I lost my job a few weeks ag...  Read More

When I was growing up, I remember a famous runner and author named Jim Fixx. Every day he effortlessly ran many miles, had very low body fat and had no indication of any health problems whatsoever. He...  Read More

Most people think of the Fourth of July as a day off work, and a chance to get together for a cookout with family and friends. Then after dark, light things on fire and watch fireworks.One of my most ...  Read More

My wife, Jenn, is a 2nd grade teacher at Red Bank Elementary School in Clovis Unified. During her summer break she has been taking a few continuing ed classes. She took a class the other day called “T...  Read More

“If you’re not barefoot, then you’re overdressed”—Unknown Since moving from Chicago to California in 2020 I’ve realized that summer seems to have a different meaning to Californians than it does to me...  Read More

As the new College Pastor at Campus Bible Church, one of my responsibilities is to reach the next generation (18–30-year-olds). Churches love talking about reaching the next generation. But what does ...  Read More

A question pastors often get asked is “When did you receive your call to ministry?” Even though all Christians are called to ministry, I knew what the person was asking.I sensed God calling me to voca...  Read More

My son was in the Buchanan High School Band. Every summer, the week leading up to the Fourth of July, the Buchanan Band parents would sell fireworks out of a booth at the Walmart parking lot on Herndo...  Read More

My friend Katie was excited about her new job working with a Christian Home Care for Seniors ministry in the Chicago area. As she started to settle into her new position, she found out that her co-wor...  Read More

Growing up in church, I have had many experiences in and around Holy Week. When I was in grade school, on Palm Sunday our church would have all the kids’ Sunday School classes march into the worship s...  Read More

David Will of the Imperials sings one of my favorite songs called “You’re the Only Jesus”.Here are the lyrics to the chorus:“You’re the only Jesus some will ever see.You’re the only words of hope some...  Read More

February 2024 will not have the normal 28 days, it will have 29. Most of us know that Leap Year happens every four years. But what you may not know is, that approximately every 100 years, a leap year ...  Read More

A few days before Groundhog Day my son, Alan, said “I don’t remember a Groundhog Day where the groundhog didn’t see his shadow.” He said, “There’s always six more weeks of winter.”Then on February 2, ...  Read More

Even as I typed the title for this devotional, “How Should Christians Act During an Election Year?” I thought, “The answer is obvious…Christians should act like they do every other year.”I do understa...  Read More

When I was growing up, my parents got together every-other weekend with two couples to play a game called Aggravation. I think they liked it because they played guys against the girls, and someone alw...  Read More

I grew up in a legalistic church. When I was in the high school youth group they said we couldn’t dance, because dancing is sin. When I asked why, they said, “Because dancing leads to sex before marri...  Read More

When I was a junior at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL, a mentor was assigned to me. His name was Ed and he was a seminary student attending Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, whic...  Read More

Without trust it is impossible to be in a healthy relationship. So when trust is broken, how do you rebuild it?When a Christian couple named John and Mary came to see me, John had just found out that ...  Read More

I am going through Men In Action for the first time. It’s a curriculum written by Dr. Jim Cecy and Michael Wilhelm designed to equip men to lead in the home, the church, and the community. Pastor Jim ...  Read More