Just J.

Just J. J. retired as Pastor of First Christian Church in Jacksonville in January 2020.

has served as the Senior Pastor of First Christian Church in Jacksonville, Illinois since December 1983.

Isaiah 26:3-4 NIV[3] You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. [4] Trus...
10/14/2025

Isaiah 26:3-4 NIV
[3] You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. [4] Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. …

Jeremiah 6:16 - Thus says the LORD,“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,Where the good way is, and w...
09/16/2025

Jeremiah 6:16 - Thus says the LORD,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.

A weathered barn comes into view as we make our way home from a gentle retreat with our college friends. It takes me back to 1972, when we were just freshmen, unaware that the friendships we forged would span a lifetime. Fifty-three years have passed—years filled with joys, trials, and countless memories flowing like water under the bridge. I can’t help but wonder how this very scene might have looked to us then, when we were young, unburdened, and standing at the edge of a world brimming with possibility. Would I have even paused long enough to notice?

A weathered barn comes into view as we make our way home from a gentle retreat with our college friends. It takes me bac...
09/16/2025

A weathered barn comes into view as we make our way home from a gentle retreat with our college friends. It takes me back to 1972, when we were just freshmen, unaware that the friendships we forged would span a lifetime. Fifty-three years have passed—years filled with joys, trials, and countless memories flowing like water under the bridge. I can’t help but wonder how this very scene might have looked to us then, when we were young, unburdened, and standing at the edge of a world brimming with possibility. Would I have even paused long enough to notice?

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the LORD,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.

08/27/2025

On this gentle, serene summer evening a delicate balm whispers its soothing lullaby. The sky softens into shades of pink, orange and gold, while the warm air carries the faint fragrance of grass and blooming flowers. Crickets strike up their steady chorus, joined by the rhythmic call of tree frogs and the occasional trill of a bird settling in for the night. And in that gentle mingling of color, scent and sound, a peaceful pause holds its collective breath before the night breaths its muted ballad.

07/04/2025

Thanks everbody who sent happy birthday wishes. It means a lot!

Tucked behind a tangle of wild sumac and blackberry bramble, the old barn stands quietly in the grip of time. Its weathe...
07/02/2025

Tucked behind a tangle of wild sumac and blackberry bramble, the old barn stands quietly in the grip of time. Its weathered boards, once painted a proud red, now peel in silver-gray strips under years of sun and storm. The roof sags gently, missing more shingles than it keeps. Inside, dust dances in shafts of golden light, falling on rusted tools and broken beams, remnants of a life once lived with purpose. Abandoned by people but not by memory, the barn seems to whisper tall tales to the breeze—of barn dances, of a passionate sense of community of good-hearted laughter from the hayloft, and the quiet dignity of work done well, now long past.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ea...
06/19/2024

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. James 5:7

I heard a thousand blended notes,While in a grove I sate reclined,In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughtsBring sad tho...
06/14/2024

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
William Wordsworth

Back in a field of grass; away from roads, human contact…sits a barn that has lost its utility but not its charm. Trees...
06/07/2024

Back in a field of grass; away from roads, human contact…sits a barn that has lost its utility but not its charm. Trees protect its fragile shell. I’m not sure why but this one calms my spirit. Perhaps it reminds me of the shelter and companionship of friends in days gone by. Life was never intended to be alone. Friends and family … laughter … loyalty and love always add depth and color to life regardless of the time and distance.

This beautiful barn stands where ugliness and hatred pocked the whole countryside. Brother killed brother. Lifelong fr...
06/04/2024

This beautiful barn stands where ugliness and hatred pocked the whole countryside. Brother killed brother. Lifelong friends watched a pungent cloud of hostility obscuring the same young faces that once filled Sunday afternoons …childish laughter … Now silenced forever. Cannons roared … ragged voices tried to pierce through the cacophony … desperate prayers for relief … the pall of the slaughtered.
Today this beautiful barn stands in stark contrast to the crimson stain that bathed these fields. Gettysburg.

Address

2106 S Main Street
South Jacksonville, IL
62650

Telephone

+12172436445

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