Pastor Mike's Blog

In the last several years, recovery ministries have been springing up all over the Dayton, Ohio area. With the opioid epidemic, many people in the church decided they wanted to get involved and start these ministries. For several years I helped start several recovery ministries in the area and elsewhere. My passion for those who need recovery comes from losing my father when I was 15 to an overdose, and ultimately becoming an alcoholic myself. By the grace of God, today I am more than 8 years sober and try to stay involved in these types of ministries. Four to five years ago I would be praising these ministries and churches for simply opening their doors to those in need and being willing to help. However, in the last couple of years I have attended several recovery ministries and left feeling concerned about the direction we are headed in. My primary concern is the motive of the leaders involved in recovery ministries. I realize many people are in recovery and love Jesus, however

The word "forgiveness" is common among Christians. Many of us are familiar enough to quote what the Bible says about it. However, it is still one of the hardest things for us all to do. When we offend or cause harm to others, we immediate quote the Bible and want to be forgiven right now! But when someone offends us, we hold on to the resentment to keep “one in the bank” for later. In other words, we use the offense as a sense of power over the offender to control the relationship for as long as possible. On the other hand, if we don’t hold on to the offense until we get “justice,” we will never forgive the offender. The problem with the power struggle is pride. Pride and ego are at the center of almost every long-term quarrel. Think about it; If you take out the pride in every disagreement, and put love for the other person ahead of your pride, how much argument do you have left? In Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV) we read, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandmen

As many know, Dayton, Ohio has been one of the hardest hit cities in the US by the Opioid epidemic. As I wrote in my previous blog, the church spent many years burying its head in the sand until it was too big to ignore. Now that some churches have come on board to fight the crisis, there is a huge debate on the use of Narcan in the church. Unfortunately, there are also some churches attempting to use "recovery services" as a way to grow their church and get donations for the cause. Today, I was in a conversation with someone who stated there is a church with a "recovery service" who now (1) refuses to use Narcan on anyone who overdoses and (2) does not allow anyone who is intoxicated or high to attend their services. Let me address these in order. (1) The Use of Narcan in the Church The parable of the Good Samaritan is a great example here (Luke 10:25-37). In fact, Jesus even points out that a priest (vs 31) was walking by the person in need of help an

Problem - The Churches Approach to The Opioid Epidemic The local church in the Dayton, Ohio area and throughout the country in general, has found itself facing a drug abuse crisis on a scale it has not had to deal with until now. Throughout the history of the church there have been problems with drug use in the community however, the opioid epidemic in Dayton, Ohio today has reached astronomical numbers of deaths and overdoses and the church has to find a way to get involved in an ever-increasing lack of spiritual guidance in our society.     Dayton is the largest city in Montgomery County Ohio. According Sheriff Phil Plumber of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, “We're on a pace to have 800 people die this year due to overdose in our county," Sheriff Phil Plummer told NBC News. "Per capita, we're Number 1 in the nation in overdose deaths” (Soboroff, 2017). Montgomery County Coroner Kent Harshbarger stated that because his office covers one-fifth of Ohio,

For centuries there has been some debate within the Christian church about "working your way to Heaven." Some believe you have to do so many good deeds to get there, others believe you don't have to do anything but believe in Jesus and follow a few sacraments and rituals. With the opioid epidemic that has hit America and particularly Dayton, Ohio where I am from, I felt like God was calling me to address a few things in this area using His word to do so and not just what some pastor trying to get you to volunteer said out of frustration.   First thing we have to understand is there is legitimate reason for the frustration in the church today. It is said that 90% of the work in the church is done by 10% of the church goers who eventually end up burned out and frustrated. I believe this comes from a consumer society that tells us to take all we can get, make sure we get a discount, and if you can rip the other guy off, do it!   Too often we go to church and automat

Over the last few years I have spent in ministry, I have had the privilege to serve a lot of the Dayton community through volunteer work in a multitude of areas. Not all have been ministry related. Many of the projects I have been involved in have been manual labor that needed done at places like the Life Enrichment Center and other community centers and churches in the area. I have tried my hardest to be humble about the work, lead by example for those around me, and simply be a good representative for Jesus in the flesh. One of the most frustrating things in volunteering is getting others to volunteer as well. The average American in today’s society has been conditioned to be a consumer only and not a giver. It has become a society of what can I get from this or that, and what angle can I take to get more out of someone or their business. No one wants to work for what they have today they just expect it is owed to them and they want to make it to the top off of the back of someone