Pastor Tom's Journal

  Summer Is Nigh Matthew 24:32–35 What can an ordinary fig tree teach us about living through change? At our church in Fremont, a fig tree grew outside the main doors. Its fallen fruit could be messy, but during fig season, there was always a snack available. My friend Bob understood that tree. He knew when to prune it—usually sooner than I thought appropriate. Because he paid attention and cared for it at the right time, it thrived. I never became an expert in fig trees. But I learned to notice a little more. Jesus invites his disciples to learn from a familiar tree. Tender branches and emerging leaves tell them summer is approaching. Recognizing the season helps them respond, even though they do not know every detail of what comes next. Jesus was addressing people whose familiar world would change. The temple seemed extraordinarily secure. Yet even that great building would fall. We know something about that experience. Institutions change. Familiar arrangements disappear. Things...

  Remembering Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer—the Oxford Martyrs—and the candle of conviction they left burning. Their courage invites us to consider faith, humility, and the dangers of religious coercion. How can we honor their witness while protecting freedom of conscience for everyone, including those who disagree with us? https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-candle-of-conviction...

  “Then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.” — Genesis 4:26 We can become so familiar with sacred words that we stop attending to the One we address. Calling upon God invites us to bring reverence, trust, gratitude, and a willingness to listen. In “Beginning to Call on the Name,” I reflect on that invitation—and what it might mean for our prayers to grow into daily companionship with God. What helps you approach God with renewed wonder? More reflections and resources: https://tomsims.life/2026/10/16/beginning-to-call-on-the-name/ #Genesis426 #Prayer #Worship #Reverence #WalkingWithGod #ChristianDevotional #BibleChat #TomSims

Keep Love Alive - Matthew 24 :1–31 - Dive deeper at https://tomsims.substack.com/p/when-the-world-comes-apart I have opened a Patreon for more intimate conversations. Doubters ar welcome. https://www.patreon.com/cw/tomsims

  Watching a powwow, I felt grief for what had been lost and admiration for the cultures people continue to carry forward. In this Wednesday in America reflection, I consider the history of conquest, the consequences of forced assimilation, and what it means to honor Indigenous peoples today. I also ask what might become possible when we approach one another with greater humility and a willingness to learn. I’ve prepared a companion workbook and discussion guide for subscribers: Indigenous History Where We Live. It invites you to investigate local Indigenous history, compare accounts, learn about living communities, and share your discoveries. What do you know about the Indigenous peoples connected to the place where you live? What would they have their neighbors understand? Read the reflection on Substack: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/a-white-guy-celebrates-indigenous #WednesdayInAmerica #IndigenousPeoplesDay #NativeAmericanHistory #LocalHistory

   Beyond Woe: The Heart of Jesus for a Wounded Church Matthew 23:1–39 | Bible Chat with Tom Sims “I’m burned out on church.” “Too many hypocrites.” “I was hurt there.” Jesus takes seriously the harm religious leadership can cause. In Matthew 23, he confronts hypocrisy, heavy burdens, and spiritual self-importance, calling us back to the weightier matters: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Then comes his lament over Jerusalem—the longing to gather its children as a mother hen gathers her young beneath her wings. His searching warnings and compassionate invitation call us to examine our lives, listen to wounded people, and lead with humility and love. Watch the entire message on Facebook: https://fb.watch/v/4_NdJ105L/ or YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZOXF3i9HBgY Read the accompanying message, discussion questions, and subscriber deep dive: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/beyond-woe-the-heart-of-jesus-for More Bible Chat: https://biblechatonline.com Connect with Tom: https://linktr.e...

   When the Questions Become Ours Matthew 22:15–46 Questions can open doors. They can help us examine our assumptions and discover truths we might otherwise miss. Questions can also become traps. In Matthew 22, three questions are directed toward Jesus. They are intended to test, manipulate, or discredit him. Jesus refuses to remain confined within them. He turns each question into a question for us. Then Jesus asks a fourth question—and all the others converge upon it. This is a brief introduction to the message. For the synopsis, complete article, full sermon, historical background, Gospel comparisons, and subscriber Deep Dive, visit Bible Chat on YouTube or Substack: ttps://tomsims.substack.com/p/when-the-questions-become-ours Who owns what? The Pharisees and Herodians ask Jesus whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. They want a yes-or-no answer. Either answer could create trouble. Jesus asks to see the coin. “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?” “Caesar’s.” “...

  Matthew 22:1–14 There is a kingdom party. A king prepares a wedding banquet for his son. The food is ready, the tables are set, and the invitations have been delivered. It should be a story about joy. But Jesus tells it during a moment of crisis. He has entered Jerusalem, confronted the religious leaders, and challenged their assumptions about authority and faithfulness. The kingdom for which people had prayed was arriving in the person of Jesus. The invitation had become immediate: “Everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.” Too Busy to Come The first guests had already been invited. The servants were simply announcing that the anticipated moment had arrived. But the guests refused to come. Some returned to their fields and businesses. Their activities were not necessarily evil. Work had to be done. Responsibilities had to be met. But something can be legitimate and still become the reason we miss the most important moment of our lives. The kingdom had come, and they had...

Courage, Confrontation, and Crisis | Matthew 21:18–46 Jesus walks into the fire. As the conflict in Jerusalem intensifies, Jesus does not retreat. Through the fruitless fig tree, the challenge to his authority, the parable of the two sons, the wicked tenants, and the rejected cornerstone, Jesus exposes the danger of profession without practice. He does not manufacture trouble or stir up contention for its own sake. He uncovers contradictions that are already present and directs attention toward their true sources. Then he brings everyone to a defining moment—a crisis of truth and choice centered upon himself. Courage enters the danger. Confrontation uncovers the truth. Crisis demands a decision about the Cornerstone. Read the complete reflection, subscriber Bible study, personal inventory, and small-group discussion guide: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/courage-confrontation-and-crisis

  THE LORD NEEDS THIS Matthew 21:1–17 Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble King, riding a borrowed donkey. He overturned the tables that obstructed prayer, made room for wounded people to receive healing, and welcomed the praise of children. The Lord needed a donkey, two obedient disciples, and someone willing to release what had been tied up. What might the Lord need from us? Watch the full sermon: https://www.facebook.com/tomsims/videos/1625032299151069/ Read the sermon and expanded subscriber study: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/the-lord-needs-this Join the Fellowship of Joy discussion group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fellowshipofjoy/ Short Version Discussion questions: What might God be asking you to untie, release, or make available? What “table” may need to be overturned because it is obstructing prayer, mercy, healing, or welcome? Who needs more room to approach Jesus through your life or community? Share your response in the comments or join us in the Fellowship of Jo...

   Can You Drink the Cup? Matthew 20:17–34 Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem. He tells his disciples plainly what is waiting for him there: betrayal, condemnation, mockery, flogging, crucifixion—and resurrection. He is going up to Jerusalem, but the way up is sometimes down. It is down into service. Down into compassion. Down into surrender. Down into the costly love that refuses to grasp for power. And immediately after Jesus tells them this, James and John come seeking the best seats in the kingdom. They want one at his right hand and one at his left. They are posturing and negotiating. They still seem to imagine that Jesus is going to march into Jerusalem, take over, and need a couple of trusted associates to help him run things. We understand that impulse. You can still visit old Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where a guide will point out pews once rented by prominent families. They bought the best seats, and no one else could sit there. Even afte...

What has you? In Matthew 19:16–30, a rich young man asks Jesus, “What good thing must I do to have eternal life?” He approaches eternal life as another achievement—something to acquire, possess, and add to everything else he owns. Jesus meets him where he is, but leads him beyond rule keeping, spiritual accounting, and accumulated merit. He places his finger on the possession that has become possessive and gives the invitation: Go. Sell. Give. Come. Follow. The destination is not poverty for poverty’s sake. The destination is discipleship. The man’s problem is not merely what he lacks. It is what he has—and what has him. What possesses you? Money? Reputation? Control? Achievement? Resentment? Position? Certainty? Even a carefully maintained religious identity? Salvation is not another human acquisition. “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Read the complete reflection and access the subscriber Bible study and group discussion guide: https://tomsims.subst...

Summer may be winding down, but here in California’s Central Valley, we still have a “second summer”—one more chance to get out, explore, and enjoy what is close to home. In my latest article for Kings River Life Magazine, I reflect on all those summer plans we meant to make and offer a few ideas for turning the remaining warm days into memorable ones. We may not be able to do everything, but there is still time to do something. What Central Valley adventure would you like to fit in before summer finally slips away? Read “Second Summer: One More Chance to Get Out in the Central Valley”: https://kingsriverlife.com/08/15/second-summer-one-more-chance-to-get-out-in-the-central-valley/ #SecondSummer #CentralValley #CaliforniaLiving #ExploreCalifornia #VisitTheCentralValley #FresnoCounty #KingsRiverLife #SummerAdventures #LocalTravel #ThingsToDo #Staycation #CaliforniaTravel #TomSims

  The Pharisees ask what the law permits a man to do. Jesus redirects them toward what God intends. In Matthew 19:1–15, Jesus moves us: • From control to covenant • From disposability to dignity • From conformity to calling • From exclusion to welcome Jesus will not allow law, marriage, singleness, or religious custom to become a mechanism for controlling, discarding, or excluding people. He calls us away from hard-heartedness and toward covenant faithfulness, human dignity, and openhearted welcome. His teaching must never be used to excuse cruelty, protect abuse, silence wounded people, or exclude those whose relationships have ended. The same Jesus who honors covenant also protects human dignity and opens his arms to wounded people. Read the sermon companion and access the subscriber study and reflection guides: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/the-hard-heart-and-the-open-arms Hard Questions:   https://pastortom.blog/2026/08/16/hard-hearts-or-open-arms/ Join the Conversat...

 

   Who can we welcome? How can we welcome them? What makes us "great?"

 One generation remembered God’s works. A later generation forgot. The journey from Joshua to Judges reminds us that faith cannot simply be assumed or inherited. It must be remembered, practiced, taught, and renewed. Even in a forgetful generation, God raises leaders like Deborah. What are we giving the next generation that is worth remembering? Full Bible Chat: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/when-a-generation-forgets https://linktr.ee/tomsims #BibleChat #WhenAGenerationForgets #Deborah #Joshua #BookOfJudges #GenerationalFaith #PassingOnFaith #ChristianLiving #TomSims

  Strength is not permission to dominate, criticize, or win every argument. Strength is a calling to build people up. Romans 15 asks us to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. That includes the beginner, the struggling believer, the person with unfinished theology, and the person who asks uncomfortable questions. May no one leave an encounter with us feeling crushed, hopeless, or unwanted. Use your strength to serve. Use your knowledge to encourage. Expand the welcome—and let hope overflow. Read and hear the fully study: https://tomsims.substack.com/p/welcome-one-another Bible Chat with Tom Sims https://biblechatonline.com https://linktr.ee/tomsims #BibleChat #Romans15 #WelcomeOneAnother #ChristianCommunity #ServantLeadership #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianEncouragement #AboundInHope

  We all appreciate mountaintop moments—times of inspiration, clarity, worship, and renewed vision. But Jesus does not invite us to build shelters and remain there. He leads us into the valley, where people suffer, disciples fail, and our strength proves inadequate. That is where mustard-seed faith becomes real. God does not give us the mountain so that we can escape the valley. He gives us glory for the valley. See Jesus in his glory. Listen to him on the mountain. Follow him into the valley. Trust him at the cross .Remember his resurrection.   Dive deeper and utilize small group tools: https://tomsims.substack.com (biblechatonline.com) You can also watch or share   the whole sermon on Facebook : https://fb.watch/IBULGpCibx/ or YouTube Five questions for reflection and conversation: 1. What mountaintop experience has helped sustain you through a difficult valley? 2. Is Jesus saying something to you that you have found difficult to hear or accept? 3....

Long before Zoom meetings and Slack, I learned an unforgettable lesson about divided attention. While waiting to support a live online conversation between Vice President Al Gore and my remarkable friend Georgia Griffith, I found a harmless way to pass the time—or so I thought. Unfortunately, everyone could see it. Sometimes our most embarrassing moments become our best stories... and our best teachers. Read the full story: https://medium.com/@tomsims/how-i-got-caught-playing-craps-with-the-vice-president-f7eee1f4f4b0?sk=f90a55be00521e5e98dac14055f50ada