Hi, my name is Parker Davis and I’m a graduating senior this year. I have been a part of St. Luke’s Student Ministries since the beginning of 7th grade. Being a part of this ministry has shaped me into the person I am today, and I couldn’t thank them enough for all they have done for me. Back in 7th grade, I couldn’t go on a retreat, and I was so bummed. It would have been my first church retreat and all my friends were there. It was disappointing, but God brought some good out of it. Once [...]

Personally, Scouting has had a profound effect on me, and I have watched as Scouting has influenced every boy that passes through our troop. As one of the oldest Scouts in the troop, I have the ability to step back and watch the development of boys into young men as they progress through the ranks of Scouting. From Tenderfoot to Eagle, every new rank signifies a vast increase in the Scout’s knowledge and experience. I know this because I have experienced it firsthand. When I first entered Troop 46, I was just a young, and probably quite annoying, [...]

I am not a believer in the notion of God “showing up.” Sometimes, when things go extraordinarily well, one can be tempted to attribute success to the attendance of the Almighty. Annie Dillard says, “Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there.” I believe not only that beauty and grace are OF God, but that God is ever-present and it is our responsibility to show up. I don’t consider myself to be gifted in that regard, and the details of life, no matter how [...]

This year’s first sermon series was about weathering the storms in our lives. One of the elements that resonated deeply with me is how we are not meant to handle these storms alone. God wants us to lean on him and each other in order to draw strength and persevere. We know this intellectually, but it is hard to completely understand its application in our lives until you are in the midst of your own storm. For us, the storm was literal when our single-story ranch style home in Meyerland flooded with Hurricane Harvey. St. Luke’s and The [...]

What personally inspired you to pen Unafraid? As I began exploring scripture, I found that over 140 times the Bible addresses fear — it is a major theme in scripture. Again and again, God tells his people, “Don’t be afraid!” This became the impetus for the book. I ended up surveying the congregation to see what their fears were, and I read everything I could get my hands on about fear. The book was the result of this study. What is the first step in not allowing our fears to paralyze us? In the book, I speak of [...]