RESET book now published

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Hi Friends,

I’m excited to share that my latest book has been published! RESET: A Strategy to Win the Battles in Your Mind is designed to help you overcome the mental battles you face daily. We all have these sorts of struggles. But anxiety, worry, fear, anger, and regret do not need to hold you back. By God’s power, you can overcome them!

That’s why I wrote the book. Years ago, while feeling some teenage anxiety, I applied a passage from Philippians, and I found that my anxiety lifted. Later, while providing pastoral counseling, I saw others benefit from the same steps to help them win their own mental battles. This led me to refine the five “RESET” steps and place them in book form so that more people can overcome their own struggles.

God’s people, using God’s Word, fueled by God’s power through His Spirit in them is the key.

Consider picking up a copy of the book on Amazon. I trust you will benefit from it. You also could encourage a friend, neighbor, or coworker with a copy.

Others have found the book to be worthwhile and recommend it:

“In an age when mental health demands exceed the resources available, creating a vacuum into which dubious social media guides are eager to step, Kevin Freeman’s new book offers a practical, readable, and reliable guide on how to regain our focus and maintain a perspective that, in the face of life’s struggles, will determine our most basic mental and spiritual health.”
–Rev. Dr. Thomas E. Rodgerson, consultant for CentrePointe Counseling; assistant professor, Department of Pastoral Counseling, Loyola University Maryland (retired)

“We all face battles within our minds—times when we are taken captive by our thoughts and feel like we are bound in chains. Living with out-of-control fear and anxiety is no way to live. God has designed us for so much more! Kevin shares deep insights into what he calls the RESET steps, offering a better way to face these battles through biblical principles and practical application. Read this book! You will be challenged, and if you take it to heart, you will be changed!”
—Tom Stolle, certified public account; executive director and chief financial officer, Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

“This book is not just a good read; it’s a journey toward mental, emotional, and spiritual wholeness. Whether you are facing anxiety, conflict, or simply seeking a deeper connection with God, RESET is a resource that will inspire and equip you to live a life of purpose and peace.”
—Ken Braddy, director of Sunday School & Network Partnerships, Lifeway Christian Resources

If you believe this is an important book, please buy your copy, spread the word about it, and pray for people to find it. Getting the word out on books is not easy; you can play a big role in helping others discover RESET. I believe this will be a life-changing book for many people who limp along with their struggles, little realizing that by God’s power they can overcome them.

Thank you for your partnership!

-Kevin

Shining Bright: Lessons from the Centennial Light

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How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? This variation of a well-known joke may make you chuckle. The answer, by the way, is at least 15: one to change the bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.

Improved technology allows us to change light bulbs less often these days. Bulb life is measured in Average Rated Life (ARL) hours, and the old, incandescent bulbs had an ARL of 750-2,000 hours. Compact fluorescent bulbs scored higher with an ARL of 8,000-10,000 hours. Now, LED bulbs can operate 5 times longer with an ARL of 40,000-50,000 hours. One bulb, however, surpasses all of these.

The Centennial Light is the world’s longest running light bulb. As its name suggests, it is well over a hundred years old. It was given to the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department in 1901 and has burned brightly since then. The bulb has burned brightly in the fire station for over a million hours! That means the bulb has remained illuminated throughout 24 presidential inaugurations. A dedicated webcam allows people to view the Centennial Light at any time.

Centennial Light

We can admire the Centennial Light not merely as a marvel but also as an example for our lives. We too are called to continuously shine, but we do so with the light of Christ. The bulbs of believers do not always remain illuminated, which is why Jesus urged His followers, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

This world craves light. David wrote, “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us anything good?’ Let the light of your face shine on us, LORD” (Psalm 4:6). People remain in darkness on their own, however. In Proverbs we read, “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble” (Proverbs 4:19).

Christian, your light is needed. How is your light shining for Christ? When people look at your life, do they see good works that brightly illuminate the goodness of God? The light that we shine originates not from us but from God. Paul explained,

“For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

The more you immerse yourself in the “light of knowledge” as revealed in Jesus, the more you are equipped to continuously shine for the Lord.

How will you let your light shine?

Unconceived Wonder

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Sometime last year, while surfing the web, I stumbled upon a clickbait article with an intriguing title about world wonders that have been discovered through Google Earth. People have used Google’s eye-in-the-sky viewing ability to find previously unknown wonders on earth. Here are some examples:

In Greenland, grainy images revealed two rivers in the far North. Sarah McNair-Landry, Erik Boomer, and Ben Stookesberry went on an expedition to find them. They kite-skied over 600 miles across the frozen land and then paddled the waters. These are the northernmost waters that people have paddled.

Film producer Sergio Neuspiller was in Argentina scouting new filming locations when he discovered the spinning island called “El Ojo.” This circular island sits in a slightly wider circular lake. A combination of wind, current, and methane gas in the water help the land float and spin.

Image credit: Parque Nacional Ciervo de los Pantanos

The world’s largest natural arch was found with the help of Google Earth! Locals knew about this land bridge spanning the Buliu River in southern China, but Jay Wilbur led a team on a rafting trip to locate and measure the arch. It is nearly 400 feet long, over 100 feet longer than the previous record holder in Utah!

Google Earth has helped people discover a meteorite crater in Egypt, an entrance to a cave containing early human skeletons in South Africa, and a hidden rainforest in Mozambique. It’s humbling to think that, despite all we know about this incredible world, new wonders continue to amaze. Discoveries shift our own understanding and expectations.

Our life expectations can shift, too. Having entered 2025, we may think we know what to expect, but new wonders have yet to be experienced. Perhaps God has a new endeavor for you to undertake – one that will fill you with joy. Maybe this year’s events will leave you dazzled with God’s imaginative creativity. Are you looking forward to that?

Isaiah 64:3 describes God performing “awesome works that we did not expect.” Paul quotes a later verse in this chapter, writing,

“What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived — God has prepared these things for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

The same God at work among His people in ancient times is at work among us in 2025! Let’s look forward to what God will bring us. I encourage you to be ready to respond to God’s prompting this year. It could be an unconceived wonder that God is bringing you to increase your delight in Him.

RESET project edits

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Hey friends, I’m working on another book! It’s called RESET: 5 Steps to Overcoming the Struggles that Hold You Back.

RESET helps Christians take control of their toxic thoughts – the fear, anxiety, anger, loneliness and other struggles that keep them from flourishing as God intended.

Using principles from Philippians 4, I share five steps that any Christian can follow to “RESET” his or her heart and mind. Rather than passively remaining helpless, people can take charge of their struggles.

My friends at Good Comma Editing have been helping with the final polish of the manuscript to get it ready for publication. It will be a few months, but the wait will be worth it!

My next project…

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I’m excited to share some news with you: I just completed the manuscript for my next project!

I hope to share with you more in the coming days, but here’s the working title of the book: RESET: 5 Steps to Overcoming the Struggles that Hold You Back

Stay tuned for updates, coming soon.

RightNow Media has a Scatter the Seed series

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Hey Friends,

In August, I had the privilege of filming a RightNow Media series for Scatter the Seed!

The series went live in November, but I’m just now getting around to posting about it.

This is the perfect pairing with the book. While the book covers church strategy, the video series encourages people to embrace the mission personally. The videos average 8 minutes, which allows groups to focus on the discussion content (and a free guide is included with the study to make it a cinch).

If you have RightNow Media, feel free to check out this awesome 4-part series: https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/content/details/898129

Scatter the Seed book is now available!

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Dear Friends, I am excited to announce that Scatter the Seed has officially published! Many of you have prayed and supported me in this journey, and I thank God for your encouragement. This book will help churches more effectively fulfill their Great Commission call. Pick up your copy here.

After learning from this easy-to-read book, my fervent prayer is that, through God’s Spirit, it will reignite our hearts to get back to the basics of evangelism and discipleship as Jesus instructed. It certainly has mine!

Dr. Peter W. Teague, President Emeritus of Capital Seminary & Graduate School at Lancaster Bible College

Read it with a team for the greatest impact.

Get your leadership team on the same page and strategize around the vision together. Each chapter has discussion questions that teams can use to prayerfully plan their mission together. Bulk copies of 10+ are available at a discounted rate. Contact Kevin to arrange this.

Kevin Freeman has given us a remarkably thought-provoking and practical book based on Jesus’s two dynamic objectives in the Great Commission—to make and teach disciples. He helps us answer this important question: To what extent do we have these supracultural directives in balance? This is an immensely helpful book!

Dr. Gene A. Getz, Professor, Pastor, and Author; Founder of bibleprinciples.org; Host of Renewal Radio
Get your copy

What can you expect from Scatter the Seed?

Discover why most churches struggle with lukewarm discipleship and anemic outreach – and how to improve.

Equip yourself with tools to develop your strategy and align your church around it.

Creatively consider how to DREAM: Develop the mission, Recruit by the mission, Evaluate by the mission, Allocate for the mission, and Motivate by the mission.

More praise for Scatter the Seed

This book is an absolute gem! Kevin’s passion for the local church and its disciple-making efforts shines through. Thoughtful, practical, and truthful, he shines a light on an area in which far too many churches fall short: the making of disciples. I was encouraged, challenged, and convicted as I consumed this powerful work. Thanks, Kevin, for the reminder that we are called to make disciples, contributing to the next generation of people who will not only say “Jesus is Lord” but will follow Jesus as Lord!

Tom Stolle, Executive Director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

Kevin Freeman lives his life with Great Commission intent. Scatter the Seed is a guidebook that not only outlines the importance of proper disciple-making—that special combination of evangelism and spiritual formation—but also presents a clear and reasonable look at how the true mission of the church can be restored. This book can motivate Christ followers toward fulfilling the Great Commission within their lifetime.

Dr. John B. Brittain, Associational Mission Strategist at West Central Baptist Association, Missouri

This book is a beneficial resource, rooted both in Scripture and our modern context. It clearly points us to our primary call to make disciples and practically describes how to be faithful to that mission.

Dr. Daniel Hyun, Church Partnership Team Leader at Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware; Adjunct Faculty Member of Church and Ministry Leadership at Lancaster Bible College

Many congregations seem unclear about their mission in God’s Kingdom plan. Further, they lack the ability to evaluate the fruitfulness of their present efforts and programming. Kevin Freeman, informed by Scripture and years of ministry experience, provides helpful analysis and encouragement from a foundational parable rooted in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels.

Dr. Kevin Smith, Pastor of Family Church Village in West Palm Beach, Florida

I had the privilege of teaching Kevin in multiple seminary classes and spending time with his family outside the classroom. Kevin consistently displayed not only a sharp intellect but a creative mindset. He has masterfully combined both those traits in this book. Biblically based, creatively written, and with a focus on application, I heartily endorse this work. It will force you, as it has forced me, to think about evangelism and discipleship in new and helpful ways.

Dr. Timothy Beougher, Associate Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Get your copy

Evangelism and discipleship, as Kevin Freeman shows us, are not a bifurcated “either/or” but rather a “both/and”endeavor. Employing the Parable of the Sower and extrapolating it into future fictional generations, Freeman creatively shows how the church has abandoned Jesus’s original plan of scattering the seed of God’s Word in favor of ineffective and far less optimal alternatives. The resulting harvest has been mediocre rather than bountiful. But Freeman also shows a better way: one that appreciates the integral relationship between evangelism and discipleship to empower the church to make disciples who make disciples. As Freeman says, “The sustained success of both evangelism and discipleship is found when they operate in concert.” This book will equip the church to do exactly that.

Mark Dooley, State Director of Evangelism at Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware

Scatter the Seed is a must-read for any Christian wanting to refocus on fulfilling the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18–20. Kevin Freeman defines the nature of true discipleship and provides wise counsel to enable believers to be more effective in cultivating followers of Jesus. This book is engaging, practical, and firmly grounded in Scripture.

Dr. Mark R. Meyer, Director of Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College; Pastor of Halethorpe Community Church

 

Kevin Freeman’s approach to ministry is to integrate discipleship with evangelism, an often-overlooked strategy. He is like a modern-day Johnny Appleseed who believes that the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18–20)—going, baptizing, and teaching to obey—is indeed the church’s mission and is best described through the organic metaphor of a farmer casting seed. The aim is to reorient Christians in their mission to make disciples and to depend upon God for growth and fruit. Freeman’s ideas are based on sound research and years of experience in ministry—and are easy to understand. In a world of ministry fads that come and go, this book is a needed addition to help churches grow deeper in their understanding and practice of discipleship.

Dr. Ron R. Blankenship, Director of Missions for Montgomery Baptist Association in Maryland; Adjunct Professor of Practical Ministry and Biblical Studies at Washington University of Virginia

In a culture that offers many avenues for Christ followers to pursue, Kevin lays out a compelling message, explaining that at all times the Christian can and should embrace Jesus’s Great Commission call to be the disciple He wants them to be. This book will help reinvigorate you and your leadership team toward God’s call and realign it with a more effective and achievable ministry strategy.

Maina Mwaura, Minister, Public Speaker, and Journalist; author of The Influential Mentor: How the Life and Legacy of Howard Hendricks Equipped and Inspired a Generation of Leaders

Kevin Freeman makes a compelling argument for balanced discipleship and evangelism in the church today. From the Parable of the Sower, Kevin helps us see the need to use time-honored methods for reaching and discipling people while being open to new methods in successive generations. The church has scattered the seeds of the gospel for over two thousand years, and in whatever time that remains, we must be adaptive and hardworking to reach and disciple more people. Kevin’s book is an important work for the church and its leaders today. It’s well worth your time and investment—read it with others to multiply its impact.

Ken Braddy, Director of Sunday School & Network Partnerships at Lifeway Christian Resources