by Jeff Kephart | Mar 17, 2025 | Encouragement
As I write this, the US President’s speech to a joint session of Congress is just a few evenings past. Elements of that event echo in my mind: the partisanship, the confrontational messages, the striking division evident in the room, the “over the top” demonstrations...
by Jeff Kephart | Feb 12, 2025 | Encouragement
Dear Death, I’m writing to clear the air on the relationship between you and me. Put directly, we are DONE—I am through with your efforts to manipulate me and everyone I care about. I know you’re going to go on that rant again about how no one escapes you,...
by Jeff Kephart | Jan 3, 2025 | Encouragement
We enter 2025 with differing opinions of how 2024 went for us. For some, it was a year of victories and blessings; for others, it was a year of challenges and setbacks; for the majority, it was likely a mix of both. So, what should we expect for this fresh new...
by Jeff Kephart | Dec 10, 2024 | Encouragement
As I write this, I sense that the “tone of the times” seems focused on the brokenness around us. Whether the discussion is political, economic, social, or personal, the tendency is to zoom in on the uncertainty and challenges ahead. In such dark times, the...
by Jeff Kephart | Oct 10, 2024 | Encouragement
Those who have been part of the East Central Region for a while know our mission as a combined family of churches: “To partner with the Church in Ohio and West Virginia to represent the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every man, woman and child.” I’ve often highlighted the...
by Jeff Kephart | Sep 5, 2024 | Encouragement
As I write this, the November elections loom just over the horizon. In past years, I’ve been approached by Christians asking, “should I vote?” and “for whom?” I’ve counseled that since God gives us the privilege of living in a nation in which our vote can influence...
