Church Consultant | Tom | Activity

Tom posted an update: In our readings today Peter dropped everything, […]

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:18:49 -0400

In our readings today Peter dropped everything, maybe because he felt like his life was on a treadmill as well…but The Son of God called him to something better!

I remember feeling like that as a younger man while roofing and framing homes. Hard robust work but a treadmill like feeling till Cheryl taught us as a family to work together at…

Tom posted a new activity comment

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:52:16 -0400

I liked how he interceded on the behalf of others💒

In reply to - Steve posted an update

I think Psalm 78 is a powerful summary of Israel’s history from the Exodus through the reign of King David. Verse 4 really impacted me again today.

Psalm 78:4 We will not hide them from […]

Tom posted an update: We’ve met too many people who think healthy “rest” is a 1 […]

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:52:30 -0400

We’ve met too many people who think healthy “rest” is a 1 or 2 week vacation in Key West every year even though it was our privilege they wanted to spend that time listening to our family band🤯

In Chariots of Fire, the main character found his “rest” while running daily. I need to stop making excuses for not skating 🔥☝

Tom posted a new activity comment

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:28:19 -0400

Sometimes when we can’t see God’s hand in our lives we can look back and see how He protected us from ourselves. For example, back in the mid 2000’s our family band had much success yet I couldn’t understand why record labels wouldn’t sign us. I can now look back and not only see the corruption of that industry in those days but also God’s…

In reply to - Tanko posted an update

Reading Psalm 77 reminded me that I can be very real and honest before God, and yet still find that He is both loving and faithful. When I feel overwhelmed, I can trust in God’s mighty […]

Tom posted an update: Like most people we live very full lives and made […]

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:32:24 -0400

Like most people we live very full lives and made a difficult decision to “rest” for a full week near Letchworth State Park and meeting up with family and friends on Saturday where Ben, TJ, and his two oldest children(grandkids) had their first gig and were the headliners at a bluegrass festival that first hired out family 22 years ago! Holy…

Tom posted a new activity comment

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:27:17 -0400

Process…like David penning his sufferings to the point of v.21, these verses seem to be processing David’s lineage to not only Jesus’ suffering but His ultimate glory

In reply to - Steve posted an update

Do you think this passage is about Solomon or Jesus or both?

1 Chronicles 22:9 But a son will be born to you who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies on […]

Tom posted an update: Today’s scripture concerning the lineage of David is a […]

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:27:56 -0400

Today’s scripture concerning the lineage of David is a powerful reminder how God uses broken vessels who love Him to do His will. Michal’s disdain for David’s unashamed faithfulness always bothers me greatly. Maybe a curse handed down from her father Saul. There’s a lesson there too…hmmm gonna do a concordance search 👍🏻

Tom posted an update: This is a powerful alternative to hanging out on a […]

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:52:35 -0400

This is a powerful alternative to hanging out on a friday night with friends over a beer, many times where we’d drink away our sorrows of that empty whole in our hearts; instead, Philippians 4:6,7‼️

Another answered prayer in His mysterious ways is getting to know our 2 granddaughters well during this unusual season of change. Refusing to worry…

Tom posted a new activity comment

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:10:22 -0400

2nd commentary pointed out John 1:21 and Luke 1:17…nice connection

In reply to - Steve posted an update

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. 6And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and […]

Tom posted an update: Before meeting Cheryl i struggled with addictions. […]

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:52:02 -0400

Before meeting Cheryl i struggled with addictions. After full surrender the process began, met Cheryl, and started a family. After kim was born came the full transformation because the addictive struggles were still there and about once a year I’d screw up and cave to the cravings. I clearly remember when Holy Spirit suddenly and miraculously…

Tom posted a new activity comment

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 14:26:49 -0400

TJ just asked me about the “tunes” or “cadence” of The Pentateuch. Told him I hope it’s not as spooky as I remember it being read in church as a boy when the priest gave it a whirl reading scripture rhythmically in a high piercing single note 🤯😉

In reply to - Steve posted an update

As I started to read Psalm 58, the first couple of sentences made me pause and chuckle.

Psalm 58:1 1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”

What struck me as funny today was […]

Tom posted an update: It was 1985 and shortly after Cheryl and I decided to […]

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:02:29 -0400

It was 1985 and shortly after Cheryl and I decided to start going to church came that first tithing sermon. It really hit home plus it revealed the biggest worry in my life to that point was in fact money. Bouncing between different jobs money was tight. My gas tank was fairly empty and that weeks income was a measley $200 and only a 20…

Tom posted an update: God is so amazing and uses broken people like myself […]

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:21:47 -0400

God is so amazing and uses broken people like myself to serve hundreds of churches over the years. I love when pastor points out He uses our availability where we may at times feel quite unable…a heart condition. This particular Psalm spoke to me intimately about how God uses us as broken people in His church to accomplish His will

Tom posted an update: Cheryl and i learned this lesson on debt long ago […]

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:21:08 -0400

Cheryl and i learned this lesson on debt long ago well before our family band days. When God called us to go live on the road as a traveling band we didn’t have that old debt from the past holding us back ☝🔥📖💒

Tom posted an update: A timley highlight for 5-2-1, Thankful5 found scrolling […]

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:37:47 -0400

A timley highlight for 5-2-1, Thankful5 found scrolling to the bottom of OnlineBibleInstitute page and clicking on the 3 dots to the right of Church Encourager…

Tom posted an update: Last Friday gave me a chuckle. Our 6yr old granddaughter […]

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:28:15 -0400

Last Friday gave me a chuckle. Our 6yr old granddaughter was getting restless with our long wait to see the doctor. Suddenly she broke out into a VBS song, hale hale hale haleleuh…giving all our praise to You, repeatedly and louder and louder. Couldnt help but think someone in that office needed to hear that ‼️🎶😂

Tom posted an update: The horror of their confession to intermarrying…AND the […]

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:56:36 -0400

The horror of their confession to intermarrying…AND the heavy rain? It had to be one of those 100 year storms too, and i must confess Irma had me a bit worried and thinking in terms of scarcity…❤️‍🩹🙏💒

Tom posted an update: There are days Jesus doesnt get first place, yesterday […]

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:01:06 -0400

There are days Jesus doesnt get first place, yesterday was one of those days so whats cool is asking The Lord to forgive me TODAY! Meeting Fran at his naked homesite to help with more demo was a good thing, but i didnt get up early enough to start out with the best…thank You Lord for “do overs”❤️‍🩹✝️🎁

Tom posted an update: Discerning between kindness/charity and enabling […]

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 15:04:56 -0400

Discerning between kindness/charity and enabling requires His presence in 1st place. Learning from mistakes means erring on the later. Help us Lord be thankful in ALL things…🙏

Tom posted an update: Every single day is loaded with distractions competing […]

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:18:39 -0400

Every single day is loaded with distractions competing for 1st place. Thank You LORD for The Bread of Life, Your Word, and Your Presence even when we get tripped up doing life

Tom posted an update: God literally “pounded” this priciple into my being as a […]

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:10:12 -0400

God literally “pounded” this priciple into my being as a roofing contractor knowing the finished product not only needed to look nice but more importanly each nail needed precise placement to fully warranty the product…sometimes as many as 3,000 or more nails daily! Sad fact is from the hundreds of roofs we’ve torn off, most nails dont meet…

Tom posted an update: Psalm 33:12 is our anthem this past 4th […]

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:33:49 -0400

Psalm 33:12 is our anthem this past 4th of July🎁✝️🇺🇸

Tom posted an update: Reads like the great flood and v11 is a pic of Noah and […]

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:01:27 -0400

Reads like the great flood and v11 is a pic of Noah and his family…from chaos to peace…”lead us not into temptation…”

Tom posted a new activity comment

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 13:32:19 -0400

Jakob also told me the other day how much he’s enjoyed this sermon series and podcasts‼️❤️

In reply to - Steve posted an update

Here is a link to our recent OBI podcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iKl82qW8e0

Tom posted an update: “Blessed be the name of The Lord”, as our oldest […]

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:36:54 -0400

“Blessed be the name of The Lord”, as our oldest grandson, 16yr old Jakob, called yesterday and we spoke of his challenges living every other week with his 3 sisters at either his mom or dads home for more than the past 5 years now since their divorce. Knowing he reads his bible every morning, we spoke of the need for healthy relatiinships…

Tom posted an update: Todays devo question sheds light on my tendancy to […]

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:13:28 -0400

Todays devo question sheds light on my tendancy to put things off at home that need upkeep. Forgive me Lord, its like the cobbler who’s kids didnt have shoes on their feet…🙏

Tom posted a new activity comment

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 20:22:22 -0400

Mom’s fav Psalm read at her memorial service after being their worship leader for 30 years. Kim and TJ were 10&12 years old and knew 3 songs. We played 2 of them and looking back it’s like she passed the torch of musical worship to our family ❤️☝🏻🔥🎁

In reply to - Steve posted an update

It always amazes me how much comfort I find in Psalm 23!

Tom posted an update: https://open.spotify.com/track/1FmzUoB2lpgg4WAkxcJ57W?si=WvD6 […]

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:12:23 -0400

https://open.spotify.com/track/1FmzUoB2lpgg4WAkxcJ57W?si=WvD6DVN0QdW0CiwL5LOjiA

Tom posted a new activity comment

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:32:13 -0400

This verse is a Petra song. One of the first hard rock Christian bands long ago 🎶

In reply to - Steve posted an update

This Psalm is so filled with praise. I love the opening verses:

Psalm 18:1 For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD […]

Tom posted an update: Fully embracing prayer brings me back to my early years […]

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:00:44 -0400

Fully embracing prayer brings me back to my early years of full surrender being married with many young children. Looking for healthy mentors was easy coming from a “praying family” led by gram and her 4 daughters including mom. Every single time anyone visited gram and gramps they could be sure of one thing…gram’s heartfelt greeting of, “omg…

Tom posted an update: What is the difference in our prayers being a formula […]

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:03:15 -0400

What is the difference in our prayers being a formula or conversation with God Almighty? The answer takes me all the way back to my personal testimony, truly wanting to know God in a very personal way and incorporating/empowering that love to others. I love how God’s Word shapes the core of our…

Tom posted an update: Working on homes as a contractor went smooth when […]

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:36:03 -0400

Working on homes as a contractor went smooth when households were in order, disorder added much difficulty. Lord help me keep my home in order to serve You better

Tom posted a new activity comment

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:39:21 -0400

Verse 27 seems to work

In reply to - Ralph posted an update 8He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.

Im stumbling a bit on this verse. Anyone care to clarify.

שּׁלום

Tom posted an update: Love how our KW homeless shelter has shown […]

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:39:49 -0400

Love how our KW homeless shelter has shown radical generosity with a little responsibilty and accountability added to the mix…cant imagine a nicer shelter anywhere and the people there are obviously very gracious and thankful too! At first the healthy boundaries seemed like the shelter was “holding back” on the blessings but in reality it…

Tom posted an update: I like how BSB categorized the 30 sayings of the wise

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:33:42 -0400

I like how BSB categorized the 30 sayings of the wise

Tom posted an update: Proverbs 16:7 points us true north in rough […]

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:38:04 -0400

Proverbs 16:7 points us true north in rough waters(poetic metaphor 😉)

Tom posted an update: Proverbs 13:7 brought my old work van to mind that […]

Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:47:45 -0400

Proverbs 13:7 brought my old work van to mind that looks rather junky, but i absolutely love, knowing my quiver is FULL!😉

Proverbs 14:13 speaks to me as comic relief where my old drinking buddies r always “laughing it up”, covering their aching hearts within

Final laugh was both remembering an anonymous donation the early stages of our family…

Tom posted an update: All throughout Proverbs so much that while listening […]

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:36:04 -0400

All throughout Proverbs so much that while listening and reading with our 6yr old granddaughter, she insisted on knowing its meaning‼️📖🎁

Explained to her if we dont ask Jesus into our decisions or imaginations we may end up just following the rules instead of enjoying God’s presence(todays devo reflection)😉

Tom posted a new activity comment

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:21:19 -0400

Biblical integrity started with me at work. Self employed and installing roofs meant go faster with less quality to make more money or slow down for precision and better quality for the customer knowing I was different than 95% of the industry standard and nobody watches exact nail placements, thousands and thousands daily, but our audience…

In reply to - Ralph posted an update Jesus put it like this: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it” (Luke 9:24).

From todays blog. As hard as it is to give up […]

Tom posted an update: Most the translations speak of recieving righteousness. […]

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:32:37 -0400

Most the translations speak of recieving righteousness. NLT comes right out basically saying “do the next right thing”. Realizing this as Jesus gift to us all takes all the pressure off of “having” to do this, instead planting in us His desires and purposes of “wanting to”. That is very freeing 🎁📖

Tom posted a new activity comment

Sat, 30 May 2026 15:25:54 -0400

Job 38:32 talks of a bear and her cubs which seems to be a constellation. Knowing context and original language seems like an endless journey at times making my head spin in awe

In reply to - Ralph posted an update 2“Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge?

5Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?

Can you imagine hearing those words coming […]

Tom posted a new activity comment

Sat, 30 May 2026 15:21:10 -0400

Can’t imagine…

In reply to - Steve posted an update

Can you imagine what Job must have been thinking/feeling when this happened:

Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this who obscures My counsel by […]

Tom posted a new activity comment

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:24:06 -0400

Hands and fingers…hmmm…the written Word is powerful as David pens where his authority comes from next. Maybe when we journal-hands and fingers-from the same context David used, our immediate response from ingesting His Word can also be on that same spiritual battlefield we face daily. Years maybe decades of journaling after chewing on…

In reply to - Steve posted an update

I thought this verse from Psalms 144 was worth spending some time with today

Psalm 144:1 Blessed be the LORD, my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

In some ways, […]

Tom posted an update: Love the cohesiveness of weekly Church Encourager and […]

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:58:38 -0400

Love the cohesiveness of weekly Church Encourager and OBIN podcasts, thank you pastors Steve and Doug 💒

Tom posted a new activity comment

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:31:48 -0400

David is so relatable. God and Job speak so highly of his righteousness it seems a bit fictitious. This bothers me from my childhood understanding of the Bible where I assumed particularly the OT was full of “good stories”

In reply to - Steve posted an update

I found it interesting in today’s readings to consider the difference between Job’s and David’s attitudes. One seems way more humble than the other, at least in the moment.

Tom posted a new activity comment

Tue, 26 May 2026 13:00:46 -0400

Making it too easy…a reminder to put a monthly copy of Our Daily Bread in downstairs boys bathroom on back of toilet😉

In reply to - Steve posted an update

I have been working on automating the Bible Project Reading Plan. Give it a try and let me know if it is working for you. (There are only Scripture Readings and Psalms until day 151, so […]

Tom posted an update: Anyone who’s needed morphine, like with appendicitus, may […]

Sat, 23 May 2026 16:32:31 -0400

Anyone who’s needed morphine, like with appendicitus, may have a glimpse of Job’s last statement here to his “friends” who at this point dont have a clue. Job’s immeasurable suffering, a good reason to call this wisdom literature, gives us a glimpse of our deaperate need for a savior

Tom posted an update: OT life without a mediator…am i really aware of the […]

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:44:26 -0400

OT life without a mediator…am i really aware of the magnitude of His presence in our day to day lives…come Holy Spirit knowing You wont give us more than we can handle 🎁

Tom posted a new activity comment

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:32:30 -0400

🫣😂

In reply to - Steve posted an update

This verse struck me as really funny today:

Job 8:2 “How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.

However, I am not sure if I can find a kind […]

Tom posted an update: Leaders are marked with a bullseye from the enemy. […]

Wed, 20 May 2026 14:24:57 -0400

Leaders are marked with a bullseye from the enemy. Todays devo goes well with our study in Job. Pray for our pastors and community leaders that they dont fall prey to enemy attacks and we all stay in the good fight for truth and justice