<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ben Graber]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ben Graber]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:44:50 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.bengraber.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[A Personal Update]]></title><description><![CDATA[What's Next for the Graber Family June 11, 2026 I have always had a passion for church planting. Churches are the central hub for evangelism, discipleship, and community across the world. The local church is the body and the vehicle that God established to spread his kingdom to the ends of the earth. I always thought I’d be backing those who went to plant churches, but God has recently made it clear that his plan was to send me instead. Rachael and I are excited to share that I have accepted...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/a-personal-update</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2ccbee913d229ac52afabc</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:18:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_5c54225f379d49e38579d1bece6c656f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_520,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[To, Not From]]></title><description><![CDATA[How God Gives Direction June 02, 2026 I have always been a firm believer that God doesn’t call people from; he calls people to. Look at the Bible. In Genesis 12, we read the call of Abram: “The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” God didn’t tell Abram where specifically he would be going, but the call was not to simply leave; the call was to go to the land that God would show him. There are plenty of other examples...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/to-not-from</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2ccb8544c7bef1d02f48d3</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:17:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_f0ee72f73ba245458d1569189191aeeb~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_530,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Promoting Truth... or Just True Facts?]]></title><description><![CDATA[What is the difference between the two? May 16, 2026 I was listening to Ben Shapiro while on a run this morning. Now, before you stop reading because I mentioned that name, know that I’m not going into political current events. He opened his show responding to allegations that his company, the Daily Wire, is basically teetering on failure because they laid off some of their employees recently. He talked about his philosophy of business and the worldview/mindset behind his show. He said at one...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/promoting-truth-or-just-true-facts</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2ccb3f418318a8f7e31937</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:15:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_7264b1dfe1934eeda1775959fc65d038~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_530,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Gave a Tip Yesterday]]></title><description><![CDATA[I don't like tipping, but I had a good reason. Apr. 29, 2026 I hate our culture of tipping. It’s terrible. Call me a grumpy old man. I am not going to add a tip on the self-service kiosk that I am forced to use to order my burger. I’m not going to tip for you to turn around, grab the food on the counter, and hand it to me. That’s ridiculous. My philosophy is that if I’m paying for the service/product directly, then I’m not going to tip. For example, I pay for my food, but not my waiter, so...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/i-gave-a-tip-yesterday</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2ccae48d10dcf628923ce2</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:14:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_3cec7b7ef4c847cdb4e9e978d3cf3dc6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_540,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's Not About the Pancakes]]></title><description><![CDATA[Looking Ahead to Easter Weekend Apr. 02, 2026 It’s only ever always all about Jesus. If you don’t attend my church, you’ve probably never heard that phrase before. It’s commonplace around our church. It might sound a little clunky to you. It did to me at first. However, it’s so true and a good reminder. Let’s break it down. It’s only (there’s no alternative) ever (at any time) always (at all times) all (there is no other part) about Jesus. Easter weekend is the Super Bowl of church services....]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/it-s-not-about-the-pancakes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cca818d10dcf628923c33</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:13:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_9b4597b37a174d96b60be1884f7418a8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_532,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Turn the Page]]></title><description><![CDATA[We don't want the silence Mar. 24, 2026 I’ve never been a person to speed up what I’m listening to, be it an audiobook or podcast or anything of the sort. I know some people will speed it up to 1.5x, or if your brain is in overdrive, 2x. I just don’t. The podcasts or books I listen to often require enough of my brain power that speeding it up is just too much for me. Do you remember when you used to have to listen to the theme song of a TV show on streaming platforms? Nowadays, theme songs...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/turn-the-page</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cca2d44c7bef1d02f46c7</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:11:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_721b13a968a847779fee1fff9b555a5e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_538,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Everybody Wants the Burning Bush]]></title><description><![CDATA[...and everybody thinks they aren't like Moses Mar. 10, 2026 If you’re a Christian, at some point you’ve probably wanted the burning bush (Exodus 3 &#38; 4). You’ve wanted that undeniable divine intervention in your life where God appears in an unmistakable way and tells you exactly what to do and/or what he is doing. You wish that God’s voice didn’t just come across in an indescribable way or in ways that make you second guess. You want it audible. You want God to speak direct. You want God to...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/everybody-wants-the-burning-bush</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc94c913d229ac52af697</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:07:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_fab3257cc3f24e4f9256edc265ec89a2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_532,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Up or Down?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Loving people wherever they are Mar. 04, 2026 What does it mean to share the gospel with someone? How do we approach it? What angle do we take? I think too often Christians look at it wrong. We want to bring people up to Jesus instead of bringing him down to them. That’s the opposite of the gospel message, yet we can be so prone to do it. Instead of telling people the truth that Jesus meets them where they are, we want people to act better, and thereby, come to faith. It’s a lie that the...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/up-or-down</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc9028d10dcf628923a07</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:06:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_ae33a1ce31554134868183324bd74da6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_532,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Raising Up the Next Generation]]></title><description><![CDATA[Do we want to reach the next gen or raise them up? Feb. 16, 2026 I was at a worship leaders conference a few weeks ago and went to a breakout session about raising up the next generation. The idea is not foreign to the church, but I believe the application often is. It’s no secret that any church is one generation away from extinction. God promised that the Church will stand until his return; he did not promise that any local church will continue on until his return. Churches that seek to...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/raising-up-the-next-generation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc8a5418318a8f7e31540</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:05:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_44af0f438d36488ebc39f08901c9336d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_534,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Super Bowl vs. Silence]]></title><description><![CDATA[Feb. 10, 2026 I did not watch the Super Bowl halftime show. I had no desire to. If you know me, you could probably guess the different reasons why I did not care to watch it. Until this gets posted, I have posted nothing online about the halftime show whatsoever. After the third quarter began, I looked at social media to see what people had to say about it. Nothing I saw surprised me. Many people on the left seemed to think it was the most unifying moment in the history of human civilization...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/the-super-bowl-vs-silence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc85c44c7bef1d02f43e7</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:03:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_9c6987038afb4e8eb305a00d8451ee0c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_538,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lessons from the Cupbearer]]></title><description><![CDATA[What does it mean to trust God? Jan. 12, 2026 It seems that so many of us can fall into one of two camps when talking about trusting God. The first camp is the “Pray for Naturalism” camp. This camp prays for God to work through his natural world - for him to orchestrate things that would look to an outsider as luck or just the way the world works. The second camp is the “Only Pray for Miracles” camp. This camp is not satisfied with a doctor helping bring healing - it needs to be unmistakably...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/lessons-from-the-cupbearer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc7ee913d229ac52af43c</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 03:02:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_5f9dcd571a3a4e0d80c6c1ed8e3494a3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_530,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[New Year, Same Me]]></title><description><![CDATA[Fixing New Year's Resolutions Dec. 30, 2025 If you know me personally, it’s probably no surprise to you to hear that I don’t like new year’s resolutions. That said, I have definitely started new habits, began something new, tried to stop something old, etc. at the break of the year. It’s just a good time to make a change. But new year’s resolutions just annoy me. There probably are multiple reasons for it. Too many new year’s resolutions stem from people being unhappy with themselves and...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/new-year-same-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc72f8d10dcf6289236e7</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:58:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_728aee7c97f8485184709bf4853823bf~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_528,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Which Reindeer Do You Want to Be?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dec. 18, 2025 Without a doubt, the best traditional Christmas song is Leroy the Redneck Reindeer by Joe Diffie. I know that’s a universally agreed upon fact, so I don’t need to justify my statement. If you haven’t heard this classic musical masterpiece, HERE it is. The first two verses go like this: Rudolph was under the weather And had to call in sick So, he got on the horn to his cousin Leroy Who lived out in the sticks He said, “Santa’s really counting on me And I hate to pass the buck”...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/which-reindeer-do-you-want-to-be</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc6c7913d229ac52af242</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:57:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_3c8729e28d9a4ad5b260322d715a5376~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_754,h_452,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Church and Immigration]]></title><description><![CDATA[Is this a simple two-sided issue? Dec. 04, 2025 I came across this article this morning with the headline Massachusetts church puts up Nativity scene with “ICE was here” sign over empty manger. I’m not going to dive into my thoughts on this ridiculous politicization of the incarnation of Christ (I think Not the Bee does that well enough), but I do want to comment on the immigration issue today. It seems like every couple of days there is another headline about something immigration related....]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/the-church-and-immigration</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc67f913d229ac52af1c1</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:55:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_4fca962ae3d14df9b37805a47ec9dbec~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_538,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["It Isn't a Chore for Me"]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why do we serve? Nov. 24, 2025 Yesterday during our services, I thanked someone for serving that morning. Her response was “Of course! I love doing it. It isn’t a chore for me.” I didn’t think much about her response until about half an hour later. It made me think, do we actually look at serving that way? Whether it’s serving in an official church team context or helping out a friend in need, do we see serving as a chore? Obviously, we wouldn’t admit it, but I fear too many people do. For...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/it-isn-t-a-chore-for-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc63444c7bef1d02f400b</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:54:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_2d88dd97e00b4984986d39396a19565b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_876,h_474,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Are You Curious?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Why reading the Bible can sometimes feel boring. Nov. 11, 2025 Do you ever find the Bible boring? Do you have trouble paying attention? Does your mind start to drift and you don’t even remember the last three paragraphs you just read? Yes, I’m a pastor. Yes, that happens to me too. The problem lies not with the Bible, but the ways we interact (or choose not to interact) with it. Furthermore, it’s a problem not just with our Bibles, but with most materials we interact with these days. Rather...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/are-you-curious</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc59b44c7bef1d02f3f11</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:52:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_9d8050d902a34c02acabaed1040186e6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_536,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oh SNAP... The Government Shutdown]]></title><description><![CDATA[What should we do about the freeze of government assistance programs? Oct. 30, 2025 In case you have not yet heard, the government shutdown is causing a freeze on SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) fund distribution starting November 1st. As time goes on, funding for WIC (women, infants, children) will become less and less. 42 million Americans are on SNAP, and 7 million are on WIC. That’s nearly 50 million Americans who are on these government funded social programs. What...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/oh-snap-the-government-shutdown</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc4b18d10dcf628923292</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:48:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_bc0586228850424b857f91baa4d8ef9e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_536,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[You Know What They Say About Assuming...]]></title><description><![CDATA[How much do we read in that is not there? Oct. 21, 2025 If you look at society today, so much conflict comes from people reading something into a discussion, situation, or comment that is often not there. People attribute racism, sexism, bigotry, hypocrisy, etc. to statements made and suddenly what was an ill-timed joke is now a national headline. Some people bring it on themselves. Some people are intentionally looking for ways to start a fight. But often, people make assumptions that turn...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/you-know-what-they-say-about-assuming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc40c418318a8f7e30d2b</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:46:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_9ad17f44bb31464b9763f62bc983df5c~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_532,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Law of Liberty &#38; Love]]></title><description><![CDATA[Thoughts on Romans 14 Oct. 02, 2025 In the CSB, Romans 14 is divided into two subheadings: The Law of Liberty and The Law of Love. As I was reading this chapter, I had to reflect on the American church. Are we following the instruction Paul gives us in this verse, or do we completely disregard it? In the first half of the chapter, Paul talks through the disagreements people have regarding rules of the faith. His point is to basically not let differences in what you eat cause division in the...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/the-law-of-liberty-love</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc32e8d10dcf628922fd4</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:43:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_0596a06a185c41ed8843cbaa90d66536~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_534,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It Comes Back to Identity]]></title><description><![CDATA[Trying to understand the hatred and evil of the last two weeks. Sept. 24, 2025 When Charlie Kirk was killed, I was astounded by the amount of hatred that came out of people. People showed their true colors in ways I never expected. Sure, I expected it from the “out there” crowd, but not the people I knew, especially those who still call themselves Christian. It made me wonder, how do people have this degree of hate in their hearts? I think I know the heart of the answer, and it really comes...]]></description><link>https://www.bengraber.org/post/it-comes-back-to-identity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2cc24f8d10dcf628922e25</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 02:38:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/66ee7f_dc7ed3cb7dfa4542aa51169858a58f34~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_534,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ben Graber</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>