A reading home is about more than having books on a shelf. It is a home where Scripture is loved, words are valued, attention is trained, and children grow up seeing that reading is not a punishment, but part of a thoughtful and spiritually healthy life. In this episode, we begin with the biblical case for why Christians should care about reading and why a home shaped by the Word of God ought to be a home where words, truth, and careful thought matter.We also consider why reading is still so needed in our modern, tech-heavy world. In a day of scrolling, noise, distraction, and shortened attention spans, reading helps slow the mind, deepen thought, strengthen imagination, and prepare the heart to receive truth.

In this episode:At the bottom of the world, on a cold and forgotten island south of New Zealand, two shipwrecked crews found themselves facing the same terrible question: what do men become when no one is coming to save them? One group began building a home from the wreckage, forging tools from scraps, and clinging to order in a place that seemed determined to break them. The other group, stranded only miles away, began to unravel. This is the remarkable true story of Auckland Island—a story of isolation, desperation, leadership, and the small choices that can mean the difference between survival and ruin.About this series:Stirring Stories is an occasional series from Sandy Creek Stirrings that uncovers some of history's most remarkable—and often forgotten—true stories. From ancient battlefields and lost expeditions to shipwrecks, disasters, daring escapes, and extraordinary acts of courage, each episode brings the past vividly to life through immersive storytelling and careful historical research. More than a history lesson, these are stories that remind us of the enduring truths of human nature and the timeless wisdom of God's Word.Opening music credit: Air Prelude" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Church Member 101 is an extremely practical and applicable series meant to help ordinary Christians think biblically about their place in the local church. The purpose is not to scold church members or make faithful people feel unappreciated, but to encourage all of us to examine how we can better love, serve, strengthen, and support the work of God in our church.In this episode, we discuss loyalty to Christ and His church. Loyalty is a word that can be easily misunderstood—and sometimes misused. We consider what biblical loyalty really looks like: not blind loyalty to a man, not excusing wrong, and not pretending a church is perfect, but a loyalty that begins with Christ and then shapes how we treat the church He purchased with His own blood. This episode challenges us to think carefully about our spirit, our words, our faithfulness, and whether we are merely staying in church—or truly strengthening it.

In this episode:On a cold December morning in 1917, a burning ship drifted silently toward a crowded harbor while thousands of people watched from their windows, unaware that they were looking at one of history's greatest non-nuclear explosions. As seconds ticked away, one ordinary railway dispatcher faced a decision that would echo through history. This is the unforgettable true story of the Halifax Explosion—a story of catastrophe, courage, sacrifice, and the quiet faithfulness of ordinary people when everything changed in an instant.About this series:Stirring Stories is an occasional series from Sandy Creek Stirrings that uncovers some of history's most remarkable—and often forgotten—true stories. From ancient battlefields and lost expeditions to shipwrecks, disasters, daring escapes, and extraordinary acts of courage, each episode brings the past vividly to life through immersive storytelling and careful historical research. More than a history lesson, these are stories that remind us of the enduring truths of human nature and the timeless wisdom of God's Word.

Church Member 101 is an extremely practical and applicable series meant to help ordinary Christians think biblically about their place in the local church. The purpose is not to scold church members or make faithful people feel unappreciated, but to encourage all of us to examine how we can better love, serve, strengthen, and support the work of God in our church.In this episode, we talk about the church member's tongue. A church can be damaged without a vote, without a split, without a public scandal, and without anyone ever standing up in a business meeting. Sometimes it happens in the hallway. Sometimes it happens in a text thread. Sometimes it happens over lunch after church. Sometimes it happens in a sentence that begins, “I’m not trying to gossip, but…” Words have weight. And in the local church, the tongue of one member can either strengthen the body—or quietly poison the spirit.

Most of us do not really rest anymore—we collapse, scroll, watch, and call it unwinding. But what if part of our weariness comes from the fact that we have forgotten how to enjoy anything slowly, quietly, and wholesomely?This episode makes the case for recovering the lost art of having a hobby. Not a side hustle. Not another distraction. Not an idol. Just something good to learn, enjoy, and cultivate—something that helps you step away for a moment and come back better.

Church Member 101 is an extremely practical and applicable series meant to help ordinary Christians think biblically about their place in the local church. The purpose is not to scold church members or make faithful people feel unappreciated, but to encourage all of us to examine how we can better love, serve, strengthen, and support the work of God in our church. Correction is never easy to receive, but it is one of God’s necessary tools for Christian growth. In this episode of Church Member 101, we consider why a church member who cannot be corrected cannot truly be discipled. Whether correction comes through Scripture, preaching, pastoral counsel, a faithful friend, or the quiet conviction of the Holy Ghost, the question is not simply, “Did it hurt?” but, “Is God using this to help me grow?” This episode walks with the listener through 10 practical steps to receive truth with humility instead of turning every reproof into a wound.

Church Member 101 is an extremely practical and applicable series meant to help ordinary Christians think biblically about their place in the local church. The purpose is not to scold church members or make faithful people feel unappreciated, but to encourage all of us to examine how we can better love, serve, strengthen, and support the work of God in our church. Hebrews 13:17 teaches us that every pastor will one day stand before God and give account for the members that he shepherds. For some, he will be able to give account with joy... And others will be with grief. The question is: which will mark the account he gives of you? In this episode, we ask a simple but searching question: Am I easy to shepherd? Along the way, we will learn how to become the kind of steady, mature church member who strengthens the spirit of a church!

Church Member 101 is an extremely practical and applicable series meant to help ordinary Christians think biblically about their place in the local church. The purpose is not to scold church members or make faithful people feel unappreciated, but to encourage all of us to examine how we can better love, serve, strengthen, and support the work of God in our church.In this opening episode, we begin with the foundation: the kind of member every church needs. Everybody wants a good church, but fewer people ask whether they are helping their church become one. This episode challenges each believer to consider how his presence, attitude, words, service, humility, and faithfulness either strengthen or weaken the body of Christ.

Sandy Creek Stirrings is entering an exciting new season of ministry. After six years of podcasting with the desire to stir up Christians for the cause of Christ, the Lord has opened the door for that burden to expand into print through the launch of Sandy Creek Stirrings Press.The heart behind the press is simple: the written word still matters. The Lord has used truth in print to stir my own heart, shape my thinking, and help me run my race; and my prayer is that these resources will do the same for other young men, fathers, families, pastors, churches, and Christians. Habakkuk 2:2 captures the burden: “…Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”Sandy Creek Stirrings Press will launch with eight books covering several areas of need — Bible topics, Christian living, church/pastoral helps, fatherhood, and historical devotionals for young men. In the full announcement video, I give a brief look at each book and explain how these first resources fit into the larger vision for the press. These will be available for preorder on our website starting July 14th!To learn more about the press, the burden behind it, and to get a sneak peek at each of the eight books, be sure to watch the full video announcement. Sandy Creek Stirrings Press is launching with the prayer that these resources will impact this generation and the next for the cause of Christ.