Eric Needle

Grace, peace, mercy, and love from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit! I just finished an interesting read: not a fan by Kyle Idleman.  Kyle is a teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.  The book differentiates fans and followers with the subtitle: Becoming a completely committed follower of Jesus.  I don’t I agree with everything he writes; however, several times during my reading I wondered: “Am I really a follower?”  If Jesus asked...

Grace, peace, mercy and love from God: Father; Son; Holy Spirit! I am amazed that it will soon be Thanksgiving.  I am not really sure where summer went and autumn, well that too is fading into the shadows.  However, I enjoy Thanksgiving.  It was and continues to be a time for family gatherings – a time to just be thankful.  Right now, I would ask you, the reader, to take a moment, maybe four or...

Grace, peace, mercy, and love from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit! One week ago we were leaving Palm Beach Atlantic University after a tremendous National Gathering, aka NLS AM 2013. There were seven wonderful worship services…thank you Lord for your Spirit with us – alive and in everything we did. There was a tremendous keynote offered by The Reverend Doctor Al Sager…He challenged us to Come 2 Go! Come and see…then…Go and tell! There were...

Grace, Peace, mercy, and love from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit! It is my joy to bring each of you reading this encouragement from God! What could possibly be better than the certain knowledge and presence of God’s grace, peace, mercy, and love? Right now my heart is filled to over-flowing with encouragement for each of you that I find it difficult to know where to begin. Following God’s lead, after each of the first...

Grace, peace, and mercy from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit Some years ago, back in the Jurassic Age (June 1977), I participated in a class focusing on empowering people in the workplace.  The workplace was the military!  At the time it was a very revolutionary topic – empowering people: giving them a voice; preparing them to make decisions that affected the workplace.  This is a concept that many have written about. Isn’t this what Jesus...

Good Friday 2013 Grace, peace, mercy, and love from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit “There is so much to tell yet my heart is heavy!” I am convinced that’s how Jesus’ disciples felt in the time between his crucifixion and his resurrection. It is difficult for us, on this side of that first Easter, to imagine the emotions the disciples must have felt: sadness, certainly; regret, undoubtedly; fear, absolutely! The more I read and reflect...

Grace, peace, mercy, and love from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. So much has happened in the last month, I trust this finds you in the midst of God’s loving presence and not too overcome by the things of this world that you are not able to see God in places and faces. A good friend is a Personal Trainer who is very passionate about her work. She is relentless in her interaction with clients:...

Part One: Grace, peace, and mercy from God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What makes the bible so special? Why is it that every time I feel just a little out of sorts, I open God’s word and it speaks directly to me? Why is it that when things are not making sense and confusion is rampant, I step back, take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and ask God for some help, help comes –...

Good day faithful Jesus followers of the National Lutheran Secretariat Board.  I’ve been thinking of that word – “Hallelujah” a lot since I was in New Orleans with 34,000 Lutheran youth from all over the country. Rachel Kurtz sang the song “Hallelujah” as the closing piece at The Super Dome on Friday night and I wanted to share the video of that with you. You can’t get the “real” experience of being in the Dome...

“O, God, for another day, for another morning, for another hour, for another minute, for another chance to live and serve you, I am truly grateful. Do this day free me from all fear of the future, from all anxiety about tomorrow, from all bitterness toward any one, from all cowardice in face of danger, from all laziness in the face of work, from all failure before opportunity, from all weakness when Your power is...

He walks down the street every morning as I leave.  He has a way that he walks that I can notice from far away.  He is an older man, always in an orange t-shirt and white ball cap, perhaps to be seen from afar.  He walks his dog on the leash and every time I pass by he gives a big wave…even though his back is to me!! Today I was leaving a bit later...

I’m not quite sure what makes a good Dad. I’ve tried different things, like trying to be tougher, tighten up the bed times or mandate the vegetables. I try and do and say the right things, to love my son’s mother, and try to set a good example in all things. Most of all, I am pretty quick to say I’m sorry, or forgive me. There is a man from my former congregation who I...