Monday, December 27, 2021

Last Sermon Recaps for 2021

Well, here they are! The last sermon recaps of the year. I haven’t gotten the audio set right for the podcast app, but I’ll have that done by next week.

Here are the YouTube videos:

Monday, November 22, 2021

Sermon Recap for November 21 and November 14

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons



Monday, November 1, 2021

Sermon Recap for October 31

Good evening!

Here is yesterday’s sermon. It’s still strange to be doing one sermon on Sunday…and doing Wednesday live and without livestreaming it. Folks, the pandemic has been strange. It has reshaped habits and forged tough edges. And one of our challenges, going forward, is to remember that very little of our normal church programming was…explicitly Bible-driven. It wasn’t wrong, per se, it was how previous generations had applied concepts from Scripture to their culture, and we have held on to it for years. It worked. Then it didn’t really work any more, but the decline was something we could blame on other factors. Plus, it was comfortable for the people who were already present, the people who make the decisions in church.


Now here we are: remaking those habits. It is a challenge and one that we have to embrace, going back to the Word of God and asking “What is the best way to honor the commands of Scripture and work together to make disciples?” From this, we’re remaking church schedules and habits. It’s a long haul. And it is one that will be different in different areas: American culture is more uniform, in some ways, than it has been before while also being much more localized: times of availability, lengths of connection, opportunities to serve are very driven by our local context.


Let’s grab hold of this time, church, and let’s do it well. After all, the last major shuffle was centuries ago, and we have just done it the same way ever since. The patterns we set down now will become the default for generations to come.


Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Also available here: Faithlife Sermons

Monday, October 25, 2021

Monday, October 18, 2021

Sermon Recap for October 19 2021

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93 

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons



Full service:


Monday, August 30, 2021

August 29 2021 Psalm 1

Good morning!

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons



Monday, August 23, 2021

Sermon Recap for August 22 2021

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Monday, August 16, 2021

Sermon Recap for August 15

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons



Monday, August 9, 2021

Sermon Recap for August 8

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons


Monday, August 2, 2021

Sermon Recap for August 1 Galatians 2

Good morning! Here is yesterday’s sermon, as we begin a new month, ready to see what happens next!

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons



Monday, July 26, 2021

Sermon Recap for July 25

Good evening! Here is yesterday’s sermon:


Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Monday, July 12, 2021

Monday, July 5, 2021

June 27 and July 4 Sermons

Good morning! I’m still getting all the sermon workflow running properly, but here’s the last two Sunday mornings.

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons


Videos:



Worth your time:


And the ever recurring reminder that Doug and Ann do a video together every morning:

Monday, June 21, 2021

Have you earned the do-over?

My family and I just returned from our yearly trip to the Southern Baptist Convention. We've gone since 2016, after also going in 2009 and 2010. (I expect we'll miss Anaheim, at 1695 road miles, next year, but who knows?) I'm not necessarily going to reflect on the whole convention, but I want to highlight something that happened on the trip up.

Now that we live in Crossett, Arkansas, and Chick-fil-A is somewhat inconveniently located for lunch trips, we thought we would run through a CFA on the trip up to Nashville. So, as I'm used to doing, I punched the order into the CFA Mobile App (Angela was driving, I was in the backseat) and we rolled up to the Tupelo, Mississippi, Chick-fil-A. They brought us our order, and away we went...back on the road.

As Ann was distributing food around the car (I'm back to driving, I trust my eat/drive combo), we noticed something. Something very, very unusual: Chick-fil-A got our order wrong. They shorted us a sandwich. Now, since it was Steven's sandwich, that could have been a disaster, but we had ordered too many nuggets (with plans for the leftovers) so he just ate nuggets and was fine. We had gone too far to turn back, and it was just easier for us to let it go.

Now, how long do you think will be before we eat at CFA again? I can give you a hint: it was on the trip home, because there wasn’t an accessible Chick-fil-A where we were in Nashville. And that without CFA “making it right” or giving me a free sandwich or anything.

Contrast that with the word that Burger King has a new chicken sandwich which, according to some, is fantastic! Now, with all due respect to Burger King, the various local franchises of BK we have tried over the years were sub-par. Orders were consistently wrong, service was slow, food quality was weak, customer experience was just pitiful. So we’ve given up on Burger King and probably will never darken the door of another one.

There is essentially nothing I can picture BK doing that would convince us to try again. Too many wrongs, too many times consistently being bad at what they were supposed to be focused on: delivering reasonable food at a reasonable price, letting us have it our way.

Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, has made mistakes on our orders in the past (probably 2 years ago was the one before this one), but our experience, overall, has been great.

CFA gets a do-over because they have demonstrated a commitment to get it right, and so one honest mistake indicates humanity, not something to be overly angry about.

BK used up all their do-overs and it would take a mountain of testimony from others that they had reformed their low standards and were getting it right to even get a thought from us. It would probably take being in a place with a high quality Burger King, where we knew employees, managers, local owners, and could see that they were all bought-in to doing what the place is supposed to do: reasonable food, right, quality (recognizing fast food, ok?), and at a decent speed.

Without that connection, the whole chain is on our “never again” list.

Now, the preacher part of me wants to turn this into an illustration, but instead there’s a situation for you to ponder:

Do you think you are Chick-fil-A when you are really Burger King? (Fill in different restaurants if necessary from your experience.)

I think we in churches assume we’re CFA: moral stance that fits our views, off on Sundays, lots of right things said about us…

But in truth, we’re more BK than we admit. Over the years, people have, in our name, been rude, mean, grouchy—and that’s just within the church to each other! (I’ve been a Baptist for a while now and been in lots of business meetings.)

And they’re done. Not with God. Not with spirituality or even religion, but with us. Done with churches that are primarily marketers of a specific system. Done with pastors who are sales representatives with all the fake smiles and outward shininess that involves.

Done with churches that cannot do the one thing they claim to do: be a community of people that helps one another walk with Jesus. Which is what we are supposed to be: people, broken, failed, faltering, forgiven, growing, loving, caring, people; community, group, diverse body, gathering; walk with Jesus and do the things He does and did and commands and loves those He loves and serves those He died to redeem.

So, now, what are you going to do about it? You can’t just rebrand it. You can’t just put up a new sign or add a few new items to your menu.

You have to find the problems; fix the problems; then demonstrate your trustworthiness to the people around you. Realize it will take years: you cannot escape in a month a problem you’ve spent a decade building.

The first step is the biggest: realizing where you really stand.

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Sermon Recap for May 30 2021

 

Happy Tuesday! Here's the sermon from May 30th. If you go to the church's Facebook Page, you'll find the videos of the complete service.

Meanwhile, here is the audio of the sermon:

https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/19318676/height/360/theme/standard/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/

And here is the video on YouTube:



Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Sermon Recap for May 16th

I’m a little late, but here we are!

for the YouTube video


for the same video on Facebook



If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: hhttps://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

On having many books

The writer of Ecclesiastes comments that “of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). Having just moved, I can agree that many books definitely weary the body. Overall, I think the book box count was somewhere in the high 70s between the office and the house.

And that was after two hard looks through everything to consider what needed to be given away before we moved it all.

Why do we have so many books? This is a question we asked ourselves every time we found another box of books. We had already asked it every time we packed another box of books. Why?

Here are a few of the reasons:

1. We spent money on those books and we’re not throwing them away. It’s not a flashy reason, but it’s a reality: books aren’t cheap. Unless a book is bad—and by bad, I mean, bad in theology or result, like some books that endorse abuse, racism, or others like that—we don’t just toss it. (and a book from the 1700s would be treated differently than, say, the nonsense that comes out of some camps RIGHT NOW, given its historical setting). We’ll give it away to someone or, if it’s a basic fiction paperback, give it to Goodwill, etc., but we hate to throw books away or just to neglect them. Trees died for us to have that book.

2. Books represent opportunities to learn. We have books on the shelf that help with math—even parts of math we don’t expect to use, like Calculus or addition! (mainly Calculus) The more I read, the more my family reads, the more we know, but also the more we are aware of our “knowledge differential.”

What’s a “knowledge differential”? It’s the difference between how much you know and how much you know that you don’t know. For example, as I’ve said several times in the COVID mess, I know enough about infectious disease to know that I don’t know enough about infectious disease. Knowledge differential is both empowering and humbling at the same time: it’s what drives us to know more and also to listen to others, realizing that they may know more as well.

3. Books represent what we already know: why do I have so many history books? I am a historian. I’m a pastor, too, and have lots of pastor-y books. It’s helpful to remember what we’ve already learned. There are some books that I can simply pull of the shelf and remember what I learned from it.

4. Books represent the accumulated wisdom of years gone by. Sometimes, there is the presence of error from years gone by that we can then learn from even now, like the assumptions about race or gender from centuries past that need to be revisited. Even so, people learned, grew, and passed on what they had learned. Life without books is like suggesting that we do not need anything from those before us, which risks buying into the myth that we are fully self-made. There may be one or two out there who taught themselves everything—but usually self-made folks did a lot with books and the wisdom of days gone by.

And lest we forget: all the authors, even the bad ones, were made in the image of the Almighty God. The God who causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust may have also left wisdom in the hands of many. Should we neglect His gifts?

5. Books are just fun. Honestly, they’re heavy, take up space, but books are well-worth the lifting, sorting, and reflecting.


Now, if I just could find the right organizational scheme for the ones in my office…

Monday, May 3, 2021

Sermon Recap for May 2 (and a bit before)

So, I’ve been offline and non-communicative since….February.


Oops. In that time, we have relocated and taken on a new church ministry assignment. There’s more to be said about that, later, but for now, we have relocated to Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Crossett, Arkansas. More on that in a few days.

For now, I wanted to share sermon and service audio and video. The video links to either the church’s Facebook page (where the backlog of content is and will stay, though we will be working to develop more) or to my YouTube page as in days past. Audio is a fresh feed to the podcast system.

Facebook link (no FB account should be necessary, but we all know they want you to have one):


Audio player:


Now, you may not know it but Ann and I have done daily videos (of varying quality, she’s always awesome, me…not so much) since last March. They’re a peek into our daily mornings. I drink coffee, she tries to get me to be reasonable and intelligent. Here’s a starter link:



Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DougHibbardPodcast

Audible Link is coming soon! Search "Doug Hibbard" to see if it's there yet

Spotify is here: https://doughibbard.libsyn.com/spotify

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Monday, February 15, 2021

Sermon Recaps for February 14 2021

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2  for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here:  https://sermons.faithlife.com/api/channels/598184/feed

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons


Audio:

Monday, February 8, 2021

Sermon Recap for February 7

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2  for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here:  https://sermons.faithlife.com/api/channels/598184/feed

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Audio:





Have a great week!

Monday, February 1, 2021

Sermon Recap for January 31st 2021

One thing I’ve realized is that I’ve posted sermon recaps long enough I should start adding the year to the dates; some of them overlap and I’d hate for you to hit the wrong January 31st.


Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded YouTube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2   for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here:  https://sermons.faithlife.com/api/channels/598184/feed

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93 or the church’s FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/EEBCAR/ (Some videos aren’t on YouTube yet, full services are on Facebook)

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons 



Monday, January 25, 2021

Sermon Recaps for January 24 2021

It’s Monday Morning, so it’s time for our sermon and service recaps for the last week.

Sunday morning:

Sunday Morning Sermon only (from YouTube):

Sunday Evening:

Wednesday January 20

Monday, January 18, 2021

Sermon Recap for January 17 2021

Good morning! Here are yesterday’s sermons and services. First, the audio links. Audio is the only record of the 11 AM sermon, and it was just a smidgen different than the 845.


If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2  for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here:  https://sermons.faithlife.com/api/channels/598184/feed

The video is linked on my personal YouTube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons


Morning Service:


Evening Service:

Morning Reflection flashbacks starting here:

Thank you for watching!

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

January 5 2021: Tuesday night flop

Well, here it is 5 days into the year and I don’t have a blog post written. I also didn’t get a content video made today that I need to get made, and missed the chance to have a necessary conversation with a friend about a situation that affects both of us.

In short: other than getting groceries for Thursday’s breakfast at church (currently a Men’s Breakfast, but we’re seriously contemplating moving to a Church Family Breakfast in February or March), I’ve gotten nothing done.

So what do we do? Well, tomorrow I’ll also double-check the to-do list and see if that’s really the case. That’s the first step: validate feelings by checking facts. The facts may be different—even now I’m thinking about the sermon prep that got done, the church cleaning, the admin task…

Second, it’s end-of-night routine time. So I’m going to run my routine and go to bed. What’s the routine?

1. Thankfulness journal.

2. Brush teeth; do mouthwash.

3. Copy over pending-todo list.

4. Put on Jammies. (Everything’s on the list, folks)

5. Read 1 chapter of a non-fiction/serious book (this is where I read history or other materials that aren’t relevant to my dissertation).

6. Read relaxing fiction until Alexa turns off the lights on schedule. (The program. My wife is named Ann, not Alexa).

7. Pray, rework this week’s Scripture memory, while dozing off.

LATER: wake up when cat makes some form of excessive noise.

Monday, January 4, 2021

Sermon Recap for January 3

One of the goals for the year? Get the sermon recaps posted! And on time! (You can subscribe to the sermons in podcast form here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2  for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here:  https://sermons.faithlife.com/api/channels/598184/feed

Here are the ones from yesterday. First, the audio to the sermon:



Now, the video of the whole service:

FB Embed:


YouTube embed for those without Facebook:


Evening Sermon:

FB:



(YouTube will be on the same channel as above. It’s still “processing.”)


Thank you!


Doug

Saturday, January 2, 2021

January 2 2021

It’s the second day of the year…I may not have a lot to say that is useful today, but I’m forming a habit. It’s like an exercise habit: you need to do it even when you’re slow, not feeling it, or measurably better.

I’m not measurably better at writing or anything since yesterday. However, I am at it again. It’s like my goals for fitness: you’re not going to compare the morning video from one day to the next day and see improvement, but hopefully you’ll see improvement from January 1 to April 1, and so forth.

It’s about marginal movement. We are a bit misinformed by those inspiring “training sequences” in movies or TV shows: where Burt Reynolds goes from being flabby and out-of-shape and back into full Bandit-form within the first 15 minutes of the movie, so that the rest of the film can show him driving a Trans Am and smuggling an elephant. (That’s the plot of Smokey and the Bandit 2)

So, having said that, let’s note that habits are the key to your overall success. “The Bandit,” of the aforementioned movie, likely eventually self-destructed in his alcoholism and lifestyle because it was his habit. He could pull out of it for a short time, for some flash and fame, but his habits were his making or his unmaking.

What does that have to do with you and I? Simple: we must examine our habits if we want to talk about changing our life on an ongoing basis.

For example:

I need to lose weight. I could choose to try some crash-fad diet and look good…and not break the “oh, look, there’s some cookies over here!” habit. OR I can find ways to make sure my environment doesn’t typically involve unfettered access to junk food.

One will lose weight quickly. One way will keep it off. Which one is better?

Or perhaps you need a new habit of reading? A crucial environment change: have books around. Not just a Kindle, though those are GREAT, and definitely not just “I have a book reading app on my phone.” You won’t read much with that. You’ll surf Facebook more. Get real books, those things that trees have given their lives that you may have, and stockpile a few of them.

Why? Because you’ll eventually pick them up and read them if they are there—you don’t have to have “important” or fancy books: get books that look interesting to you. Then read them. A bit at a time as necessary.

Because if you didn’t read any books last year and you read one book this year, that’s improvement. Oh, and if you only read one book this year but survive an onslaught of chaos, that’s success. If you veg out in front of the TV and watch all the Bachelor-type shows and read nothing, you need to rethink a few things…

Those are my thoughts for the day. Remember, as several preachers will tell you, Sunday church is a Saturday decision, so make it now.

Friday, January 1, 2021

Reintroducing Myself

Well, it’s been a few years of casual neglect of the old blog here at Learning, Teaching, and Laughing. Part of the challenge has been, I think, that there’s been a dearth of laughter around here. Not that any one thing has gone wrong—though at some point this year, you’ll probably be subjected to public introspection about ministry and what happens in the less than stellar moments of life.


Today, though, we’ll leave that aside. Instead, I’m going to start off as if I were introducing myself for the first time. Does all of this perfectly match the bio or about page here? Probably not yet. I need to deal with the setup on the page and such, update the biography. After all, I started this blog with a seven-year-old, a five-year-old, and a two-year-old. They’re all teenagers now, and one of them has moved out…


So who am I?


My name is Doug Hibbard. My SSN is…just kidding, I’m not that dense. I’m married to Ann, and we’ve been married since December of 1998, so as of right now, we’ve been married 22 years. That means I’ve been married longer than I was single, and I’m not bothered by this. I graduated from high school in 1995, college in 1999, and finished my master’s degree in 2014, so the rate of graduation has definitely slowed down. Although hopefully the current pursuit, PhD, will take a bit less time, since I’m at the stage where I should be writing a dissertation and not a blog.

Nothing motivates me to do something else, though, like an assignment with a deadline. I’m more motivated to blog now than I have been in years.

What else should you know about me?

I’m middle-aged and stereotypical: I need to exercise more than I do, and lose weight. I tell what are now affectionately (or derisively) known as “Dad jokes” and don’t think twice about it. I am constantly amazed at my children’s growth, learning, and resiliency, and cannot put into words how awesome my wife is.

I’m also going to try and build up this year by writing here about what I know, while I write in school about what I am researching.

I will get back to my series of Through the Whole Bible. I hope to get back to doing book reviews, though I’ll probably just review books I own. I’ll share some of the third party ministry work Ann and I are working on—hopefully we’ll get a webpage going soon as we develop our plans.

That’s about it for today. It’s January 1, 2021, and we’re going to make this year into something. I think, personally, I let too much of 2020 (and 2019) happen to me instead of addressing it and taking action. That will be different this year.

Sermon Extension: Joy

 This past Sunday, the focus of the sermon was on JOY! I wanted us to start off the Advent season looking at embracing the glad tidings of g...