Danger of Picking Your CornerPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryThe other day my son said to me, “Mom, I made a new friend! We have something in common, so I think that means we are friends now.” In my mind I thought, exactly son, this is a true basic building block of having a friend. We find something we have in common with someone and we can build from there. While there are times we befriend others wh...  Read More

Danger of AssumingPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryThe whole book of Song of Solomon is so greatly expressive. Both the bride and the bridegroom, her beloved, go back and forth explicitly expressing their love and passion for one another. Their communication is clear to one another and nothing is left to assume. When we leave others to assume what we meant, or we assume that someone else understands, we...  Read More

The Beauty of HardshipPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryI have never met a married couple who has not had their fair share of hardships. It can be hardships that are self-induced or a Job-like storm the couple goes through together. I know I was under a fierce sense of denial of that before I got married and thought that my marriage would always be healthy. If I worked hard enough and planned well enough...  Read More

Danger of ThoughtsPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryHave you ever caught yourself in an out-of-control thought pattern? One word, one action, and one thought, can cause our thoughts to completely unwind. Sometimes all it takes is one statement from our spouse and we find ourselves pondering, analyzing, and fuming over that thought the rest of the day. In the same way, sometimes those statements are good,...  Read More

Danger of SuccessPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryThe opening statement of Song of Solomon is, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (Song of Solomon 1:2). This sets the tempo for the entire book. The bride, bridegroom, and townspeople (which is a bit weird that they were so invested in this relationship, but I digress) proceed to dote on the love that is between these two. After sweet talking ...  Read More

Danger of the GrandiosePastor Ryan and Cathy StoryRomantic comedy movies have created an unrealistic expectation of the world. In most romantic comedies there is one sweeping grandiose gesture and everything is happily ever after. As I have watched most of these movies, I have laughed at the unrealistic expectation that is created for men. The “moral of the story” for most of these movies is that ...  Read More

God’s Plan for YouPastor Ryan and Cathy StorySex is a topic that is very intimate and personal. Our culture wants people to think participating in a lifestyle full of sex is not a big deal. It is normal and sometimes even encouraged to be intimate with multiple people before you can really find “the one.” While we look at and talk about how God has designed sex to be for marriage, there are those ...  Read More

Bible Verse for the BedroomPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryWhen talking about sex, there is a razor-thin line between crass and profitable. I pray throughout these devotions I have not landed on the crass and offended, but I also hope I have been able to speak the truth in the reality we live in. This is a disclaimer. My heart for this devotion is strictly profitable and meant for building up.Hobby Lob...  Read More

InterchangeablePastor Ryan and Cathy StoryHave you ever thought about how interchangeably we use words? We can say, “This pizza is awesome!” the same way we will say, “God is awesome!” You may say, “I love this food!” the same way you might say, “I love my spouse!” A book can be good, but that does not even come close to the goodness of our God. Clearly, no one would go about believing that you lo...  Read More

Let’s Talk About ItPastor Ryan and Cathy StoryDifferences in our upbringings cause so many variations in thinking, conversing, and acting. Think for a second about the past few interactions you have had with people. Whether that person is a spouse, child, friend, co-worker, neighbor, or a random encounter in public, you can likely think of differences that you have compared to that other person. T...  Read More

“And God Saw it was Good”Pastor Ryan and Cathy StoryI mentioned last week about the Eden Hermeneutic. Hermeneutics is the theory and methods of interpreting the Bible. Now, it is always important to understand that God’s Word (the Bible) is infallible and without error, not man’s interpretation. Hermeneutics is amazing to dive deep into if you are looking for more understanding, engagement, apprec...  Read More

For MarriagePastor Ryan and Cathy StoryGod created marriage. That truth has to be known, understood, and lived out. Marriage is not an institution man came up with. Marriage was not created to put two people in a lifelong relationship of conflict, tension, and misunderstanding. Marriage is one of the most beautiful pictures we have to see God’s mercy, grace, and love. Adam was alone, God saw that ...  Read More