Resources by Jim Frech:
Jim Frech
Jim has been the Lead Minister at Countryside Christian Church in Pittsburg, Kansas since 2019. He has served churches in Kansas, Indiana, and Ohio since 1993. Jim married Rhoda Souder in 1992, and they have 4 children, Matthew, Kara, Kathleen, and Allison. Jim graduated from Ozark Christian College in 1993 with a Bachelors in Biblical Literature. He enjoys playing guitar, buying used books, and coffee. Lots of coffee.
Sinners or Saints? Coming to Terms with What We Are
“Golden bars of sunlight come sneaking through the shutters laying stripes on my back like a zebra Sweaty fingers turning pages, and clinging to the bed like it’s a bride and I never want to leave her Paul calls me a ‘saint,’ and the mattress shakes with laughter and the sheets let out a chuckle...
Jim Frech
How Do I Become a Better Listener?
You’ve heard the old joke: My wife told me I have two main faults. One is I’m not a good listener, and I don’t remember what the other one is. Then there was the guy who was convinced that his wife needed hearing aids. So he devised a plan to test her. From the kitchen,...
Jim Frech
Thoughts on Giving a Communion Meditation
Taking the Lord’s Supper is a central component of our spiritual lives and our worship services. Here are some reminders I give to people as they prepare to lead our church in preparing for communion (what many churches call “communion meditations”). Keep it biblical. A Lord’s Supper meditation is always about Jesus. It’s about his...
Jim Frech
Somewhere Between Now and Not Yet
A little perspective: Sitting at the coffee shop doing some studying and sermon writing is sometimes a mixed bag. It’s great coffee, and away from some of the distractions of my office, but it’s also a public place with other customers. And sometimes it’s a place where young mothers congregate with their two-year-old children. Did...
Jim Frech
Want to Learn About God? Volunteer to Help Kids.
I am convinced that, to grow up, every young adult needs to spend some time volunteering with, tutoring, or coaching young kids. I recommend this whether the young adult is married with kids or single. No matter your athletic or artistic ability, no matter your income level or family background, every college kid or 20-something...
Jim Frech
How Do We Take the Lord’s Name in Vain?
How do we take the Lord’s name in vain? A common way to see this third of the Ten Commandments as prohibiting speech about God which misuses his name (e.g., using his name in an oath that you break). It is also possible to “take up” God’s name in a way that represents him poorly....
Jim Frech
Following Jesus In Between the Firsts and Lasts
Look around social media over the last few days and you’ll likely see all kinds of photos of smiling children headed off to their first day of school. Some little ones are holding cute little chalkboards that state the school year, age of the child, etc. Perfect not only for social media, but for scrapbooks...
Jim Frech
God’s Love Is…Better Than What We Typically Want
Some people think that God’s love is a green light to do and be whatever they deeply feel they should do and be. Yet is that what God’s love is according to the Bible? Although people often want God to love them by affirming and even ignoring their decisions, the love of God in the...
Jim Frech
Revisiting Jesus’ Unabridged Invitation
Picture a typical worship service, youth group lesson, or revival meeting somewhere in America. There’s been worship in song, prayer, preaching, and now the invitation to “accept Jesus into your heart,” “trust Jesus for salvation,” or something similar. It’s an appeal to salvation from a typical, transactional-type Christianity. You know how it goes: Just believe...
Jim Frech
When Life Falls Apart: A Lesson from the Game of Jenga
When life falls apart, it can be a frustrating but fruitful time of reexamining what your life is built on. Ever played Jenga? The more fragmented and extended the stack of blocks gets, the more fragile it becomes. The tower sways with every attempt to make it taller. Then there is that panic moment when...
Jim Frech
The Gospel: Good News for Cultural ‘Christians’?
Is the gospel good news for people who claim Christianity but who don’t actually trust and follow Jesus? Since a lot of Americans hold to this watered-down version of the gospel, we need to do a better job of articulating the real thing. I have the numbers of our local funeral homes in my phone....
Jim Frech
A Change for Better: Good News about Change for the Christian
We experience a change for the better as we submit ourselves to God’s grand story of making all things new. The older I get, the harder it is to change: to adjust to changes foisted on me, to adopt changes that are needed, or initiate changes that I know would benefit me both in the short...
Jim Frech