Hey friends, If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably felt that nagging tension between what feels “spiritual” and what feels “just life.” You know the drill: Sunday mornings are for worship, prayer is for connecting with God, and Bible study is where the real spiritual stuff happens. But Monday through Friday? That’s just work. Clock in, clock out, pay the bills. Maybe you’ve wondered, Does my work even matter to God? I used to think that way too, but I’m learning that this split between “sacred” and “secular” is a lie we’ve bought into—one that’s not just unbiblical but robs us of the joy and purpose God intends for our daily grind.

Grief is disorienting and painful. Whether you're a person of faith questioning everything you believed, someone exploring spiritual questions for the first time, or simply trying to make sense of an absence that feels impossible—help begins where you are. There's no prerequisite, no right way to feel. Ask yourself directly: "What do I need today?" If you're reaching out to others, be specific: "I'm grieving.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" My wife loves those home renovation shows where they take a house that looks like it should be condemned and turn it into something from Better Homes & Gardens. I always wonder about the stuff they don't show us—the hidden electrical problems, the structural issues that weren't obvious until they started tearing into walls. Real renovation is messier than television suggests. Paul says if anyone is in Christ, they're a new creation—the old has passed away, the new has come.

The Bible never promises that suffering means something tidy. It promises that suffering can become something. That distinction matters more than you think. The Alchemic progression in Romans 5 Paul writes something that sounds completely backward: "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope" (Romans 5:3-4). Notice the progression. Suffering doesn't just reveal who you already are. It produces something new. It creates endurance you didn't have before. That endurance forges character you couldn't develop any other way. And that character generates hope - not the flimsy optimism that collapses under pressure, but hope that "does not put us to shame" (Romans 5:5).

Every day, you're standing between two mountains. It might sound dramatic, but it's true. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses positioned the entire nation of Israel between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal—one for blessings, one for curses. The Levites would shout out God's standards, and after each one, all the people had to respond with "Amen!" That word didn't just mean "I agree." It meant "let it be so" or "I'm bound to this."

Hey friends, let’s talk about something heavy but real: death, dying, grief, and lament. I deal with these topics daily in my hospice work, weekly through online grief support groups and through writing in my books, devotionals and soon to be open podcast. These topics hit us all at some point, right? Recent news coverage of Charlie Kirks death and memorial service has brought the Gospel message to TV screens literally across the world.

In a world filled with uncertainties, many find themselves yearning for something real and lasting. Bobby Bressman, a pastor who has navigated his own doubts, invites us to explore faith anew through his book, Faith Awakening. This journey isn't about preaching but about sitting down as friends, giving Jesus a fair chance. Exploring Faith:Bobby shares, It's growing louder. That's exactly why I wrote Faith Awakening last year. Not to preach at anybody, but to sit with someone like a friend and say, hey, let's give Jesus a fair chance. His words resonate with those who have felt a quiet pull back to faith, whether after years away or for the first time.

In our fast-paced, achievement-driven world, it’s easy to let faith become just another task on our to-do list. We read a Bible verse to check it off, pray to feel we’ve done our duty, or attend church to maintain appearances. But when faith becomes a performance, we risk missing the heart of what it means to follow Jesus—a vibrant, living relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus saw this tendency in the Pharisees, who were masters of religious performance. They followed every rule, upheld every tradition, and projected an image of holiness, yet their hearts were far from God.

Evidence-Based Grief Support Made Accessible Transform your community's approach to grief care with this comprehensive 6-week curriculum that combines Psalm 23's universal wisdom with cutting-edge research on trauma recovery and post-traumatic growth. Designed for churches, hospices, and community organizations, this multi-faith inclusive program provides complete facilitator guides, participant handouts, and practical healing tools. Based on validated studies from leading grief researchers, each 60-minute session offers structured support for bereaved individuals while building resilient community connections. Perfect for pastoral care teams, professional counselors, and volunteer facilitators seeking to provide meaningful, research-grounded grief support that honors both loss and the human capacity for healing.

Essential trauma-informed care training for hospice professionals. Learn evidence-based strategies to recognize and address spiritual trauma, moral injury, and complex grief in end-of-life settings. Includes practical assessment tools, case studies, and interdisciplinary collaboration methods for chaplains and social workers serving terminally ill patients with trauma histories.

Press On with Faith: The Power of "Yet" Life can feel like a steep climb, with dreams just out of reach and trials blocking the way. But one word changes everything: yet. In our walk with Christ, "yet" is a spark of hope, a bold reminder that God’s promises stand firm, even when we can’t see them. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” When answers haven’t come yet, God is still at work. Habakkuk 2:3 declares, “The vision is…

After over thirty years in pastoral ministry, and now leading a non-profit while serving as a supply pastor, my wife and I found ourselves in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in our married life, we weren't on church staff—we were church shopping, looking for a spiritual home. We've been at this for two years now, and it's been eye-opening in ways I never expected.

Why Churches Should Embrace Hospice Volunteering as a Ministry Hospice care aligns deeply with the mission of the Church to love and serve others, especially those in need. Volunteering in hospice offers a profound way for congregations to live out Jesus’ command to care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). By becoming hospice volunteers, church members can provide practical help—sitting with patients, running errands, or offering respite for caregivers—while also sharing Christ’s love through presence and compassion.

Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith—it’s the spark that ignites a deeper journey. Today’s Scripture: John 20:24-29 (NLT)“One of the twelve disciples, Thomas… said, ‘I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands…’” Why Faith Awakening Is for You:Thomas, often called “Doubting Thomas,” wasn’t rejected for his questions. His skepticism led to a powerful confession: “My Lord and my God!” Faith Awakening shows how your doubts—about suffering, science, justice, or God’s existence—can lead to a stronger, more authentic faith. This book tackles the tough questions you’re wrestling with:

This is from my latest devotional on th Youversion Bible app. What if God actually prefers your unfiltered truth? Jesus just called out the original influencers—people who had their religious image perfectly curated but were rotting on the inside. Sound familiar? Recognize the pattern? We live in the age of curated perfection. Your Instagram feed shows everyone's highlight reel while you're dealing with your behind-the-scenes reality. You know the feeling: posting a smiling selfie while your anxiety is through the roof, or acting like everything's fine when your family situation is chaos.

Hey folks, as a pastor who’s walked with many through the fog of grief—and stumbled through it myself—I’ve been sharing how we as Christians face loss: with raw honesty, but never without hope. We’ve explored grief as the heart’s cry when expectations crash into reality, the painful gap between God’s perfect will and the brokenness of a sin-scarred world. From Baptist to Catholic, Lutheran to Latino, each perspective—rooted in Scripture—shows us that grief is real, but Jesus’ resurrection bridges that gap, turning sorrow into a pathway to healing. Let’s wrap this up with a biblical bow, reminding us why we grieve differently.

Look, grief’s no picnic. I see it as the ache when what we hope for doesn’t match reality—the split between God’s perfect plan and sin’s chaos in our world. It hurts because we’re built for better. But Jesus bridges that gap, turning sorrow into a shot at holiness. Methodist theology, thanks to John Wesley, sees grief as part of growing closer to God. Wesley’s all about community, saying mourning together can spark grace and action. Share your hurt with your church crew—it’s like glue for the soul, mending that gap through love.

Alright, let’s get real: Grief is a beast. I see it as the pain of what we hoped for crashing into what’s staring us in the face—the divide between God’s perfect will and sin’s wreckage in our world. It’s why loss stings so bad. But Jesus’ cross patches that gap, turning our tears into hope. Martin Luther, the Lutheran big shot, nailed it: Death’s a penalty from sin, and it’s naturally a downer. He said, “The fear of death is natural, for death is a penalty; therefore, it is something sad.” But he tells us to zero in on Christ’s forgiveness, not fear.

Grief’s a tough one, folks. As a pastor who’s been in the trenches, I see it as the pain of expectations meeting reality’s hard edge—the gap between God’s vision for connection and sin’s isolating wounds. But here’s the deal: Christ’s love bridges that divide, turning tears into transformation. Drew Hyun, an Asian American theologian, gets real about this. In “Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful,” he says grief comes from broken dreams, like family rifts. But God loves us as we are and reshapes us. Try naming one way your loss could grow your heart—it’s a step toward closing that gap.

Folks, grief hits like a ton of bricks, doesn’t it? As a pastor who’s walked this road with plenty of you—and stumbled through it myself—I’ve come to see grief as the heart’s cry when what we expect slams into what’s real. It’s that gut-wrenching gap between God’s perfect plan for a world full of life and the mess sin’s made of things. Think Eden’s beauty versus the fall’s fallout. But here’s the good news: Jesus bridges that gap with His resurrection, giving us hope to hold onto (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Are you feeling shattered by loss, a major life change, or overwhelming stress? Whether it's a job loss, breakup, health crisis, or the death of a loved one, "The Resilience Reset: A 30-Day Guide to Rebuilding Your Life" by Bobby Bressman offers a lifeline to help you not just survive—but thrive. This practical self-help book transforms your pain into power with research-backed strategies, real-life stories, and daily exercises designed for busy lives.