Posts by Cameron Tarrh
It’s Good to Talk
We are living in unprecedented and uncertain times. With the spread of COVID-19, many of us are left feeling unsure of what life will look like for the present and the future. With an invisible danger spreading throughout our communities, and with the real possibility of an economic recession, it is easy to feel worried, anxious, depressed, and even paralyzed. During times like this, here is something to remember: It’s good to talk. Talking will not change our circumstances usually.…
Thanksgiving and the Crossing of the Jordan
In Joshua 4, when everyone had crossed over the Jordan River, God commanded Joshua to take twelve men representing the twelve tribes of Israel and find twelve stones to set up as a monument that would remind the people of their crossing over into the Promised Land. Towards the end of the chapter, Joshua pointed out a specific function this memorial would have for later generations: When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do those stones…
The Intersection of “Knowing” and Intergenerational Relationships
If you were asked the question of what you think is the most important aspect for a children’s ministry to have, what would you say? If you are a family with kids and have ever “church shopped,” what kinds of things did you look for regarding a church’s kids ministry? If you are a children’s ministry worker, what is the first thing you think about when you hear the words “children’s ministry?” More often than not, the answer that we…
The Christmas Story: The Last Shall Be First
Christmas is here and it feels like it comes faster and faster every year. It has always been my favorite time of year. All of the decorations, Christmas specials on TV, Christmas songs and carols, peppermint flavored everything and much more always seem to create happy memories and bring back nostalgic feelings and memories from the past. It is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends, shop for presents and gifts, and not to mention getting some good…
Letting Others Shape Us
Pressure We face many pressures in our society. What are they exactly? Parents have to deal with the pressures of raising their children and hoping they will turn out to be who they want them to be; employees have to deal with the pressures of demanding jobs and deadlines; the holidays bring the pressure of having to entertain and get along with extended family and sometimes they bring the pressure of having to deal with painful holiday memories. As Americans…
Being Faithful vs. Making a Name for Ourselves
We’re all familiar with the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Humans wanted to make a name for themselves so they got together and conspired to build a tower that reached to the skies. In essence, they wanted to be like God and worship themselves instead of the one, true God. There is something about “making a name for ourselves” that tries to draw and steal away our hearts. What exactly is it? Maybe for some…
By Serving Kids, We’re Serving Millennials
I recently read a book entitled Gospel Centered Kids Ministry. From the very beginning, the author makes an assertion that can be a little striking. He asserts that one of the main reasons millennials and young adults are leaving the church is not necessarily because the church is failing them, but rather, the church is failing children. According to him, the main way we do this is by teaching lessons to kids that focus more on behavior than they do…
Are Our Habits Consistent With What We Know?
Whenever I’m in my car driving somewhere, I usually have something playing other than the radio. Lately, it’s either been a sermon or a podcast of some sort. I love studying and learning about theology, the Bible, and culture; for all these things, you can find many different podcasts and sermons if you search hard enough. This is the reality of the world we are living in – a world of constant information everywhere we turn. Information is not the…
What Are Kids Seeing When They See The Bible?
We all used to be children at some point. Some of us grew up in homes where we learned about the Bible on a regular basis whether it was taught through our parents reading Bible stories to us or through Sunday School, Vacation Bible School or other means at church. However, many of us can also say that we did not have a strong foundation in the Scriptures growing up. Regardless of which place we fall into, there was probably…
Recognizing
Recognizing Around the time I was in high school and became a Christian, I used to go outside at night and stand in our driveway. We lived (and my mom still does) in a neighborhood that was near a lot of farm land and away from busy city lights. I would stand there, sometimes walk around, look up, and see thousands of beautiful little stars. This was one of my favorite settings to be in and talk to God, especially…
Giving What God Has Given Us
Pretty soon Christmas day will be here. Chances are, many of us are at times a little frantic with all of the plans and preparations we have to make. Some will be traveling, some will be home while welcoming family and friends, and there may be some who wish they were traveling or welcoming family and friends. While this day brings many joys and warm memories for many, the reality is that it can also bring sad and painful memories…
It Begins…
December is finally here. This month is by far my favorite time of the year, and I’m sure it is the same for many others. It is also one of the busiest times of the year for many. On top of all the regular errands and things to take care of, December brings Christmas shopping, traveling, parties, dinners, and much more. Also, along with the added busyness comes more temptations to neglect the things that truly matter. This is almost…
Being Available
Have you ever spent time with someone and, out of nowhere, they asked a question that you weren’t expecting? It wasn’t just any question – it was a hard question that you didn’t know the answer to and a question that you were struggling with yourself. How did you react? What did you say? Did you feel a need to provide an answer, even if you weren’t sure if the answer you were providing was the right one? We often…
Learning Styles
At times throughout my life, I have been known to be really hard on myself. When I saw certain things come easy for some but were hard for me, it was not uncommon for me to think the problem was my fault. But then I started learning about learning styles and how each person has a different way they learn best. Sometimes people can be a little skeptical of things like this, thinking that there is one best way for…
We’re Not Anything
I was reading a story yesterday about a little Filipino rock quarry worker in Iraq. This worker was apparently a follower of Jesus and one day he had decided to paint the words of John 3:16 on a rock. He painted them in English so his supervisors, who spoke Arabic, would not understand and be offended by it. The person who was guiding the project, however, was an English-speaking Chinese man who was also an atheist at the time. He read the…