The Blog
Writings on leadership, faith, and life from Stephen Hopkins.
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2025
Rabbis & Influencers
“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher."
What do you want to be when you grow up?
“No man is fit to command another who cannot take care of himself.”
Busyness is not a Virtue
“Hey!! How are you doing?” “Ah good. Just busy, ya know?”I’ve heard that (and said that) more than a few times in my life.
A Few Lessons from Speaking at TEDx Johnson City
Last week (June 3), I had the great fortune to speak at TEDx Johnson City.
What will you do with your strength?
Jonathan Edwards was a New England revivalist and leader during the First Great Awakening in the US in the early 1700’s. He was a renowned preacher, scholar, and author.
One Lesson from Lincoln: Take Action
There’s few American Presidents who inspire, encourage, and confound like Abraham Lincoln.
The Strength of a Man
“No, when a king forgets who he is, he looks for himself in the rubble of conquered cities.
A Man Needs Community
"Now of those, who dare, abiding one beside another, to advance to the close fray, and the foremost champions, fewer die, and they save the people in the rear…
A Man Needs a Purpose
Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary.
2024
Christmas and the Vision of Greatness
On the eastern edge of the Judean wilderness in Israel, there sits an ancient stone fortress, Masada.
A Brief Thought on Elections
In the week days since the Presidential election more or less wrapped up Tuesday evening (or Wednesday morning?), I’ve been thinking about the cultural…
Being Welcomed Means Being Healed
My earliest memories of visiting my dad at work were walking past the morgue at Holston Valley Hospital. I’m not being morbid. His office was in the second sub-basement.
Under the Fig Tree
When my oldest daughter was in 3rd grade, she learned about idioms. Idioms (in case you don’t remember) are phrases that are commonly used but aren’t literal in their meaning.
Follow the Vision & Don't Worry About Details | A Startup Journal...vol2
It all starts with a vision. Any kind of meaningful work or change or activity starts with a vision.
A Startup Journal
"What do you do?"It's one of those questions people ask automatically when they meet you. It just flows off the tongue.
The Problem with Masks
“I’ll start going to church when you get all the hypocrites out.” Ouch. I well remember the conversation in which this was said to me. The man who spoke these words was older.
The Biggest Mistake You Can Make As a Leader
“Then Saul admitted to Samuel, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.”
The Sword of Goliath
This article was first published in the Kingsport Times News in July 2024.
A Valuable Lesson I learned from Racing on Zwift
I've been a cycling fan almost all my life. It's a pretty obscure sport for most Americans, but I fell in love watching Lance Armstrong win his 7 consecutive…
2023
Before We Wrap Up 2023
It has been a consistent and regular practice of mine the last several years to take the week between Christmas and the New Year as a week of reflection, planning, and prayer.
Today, you will change: Why I'm doing TRANSFORM 7
For the last 8 years or so, I've made it a point to read through the Bible over the course of the year. There's no real magic in that.
Be a Thermostat, not a Thermometer.
“These are the numbers of the men armed for battle who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, as the Lord had said:…from Issachar, men who…
Being Present Where You Are.
"You become what you give your attention to." -- Epictetus If we want to be better as men, one of the first things we have to get right is what we are paying attention to.
Training, not Trying.
Milo of Croton was one of the most decorated athletes in the ancient world.
Being Better Men.
"The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”
2022
The Miraculous and the Mundane
So much of the Christmas story is miraculous, isn’t it? In the writings of those early evangelists, Luke and Matthew, we read about Angelic visitations and supernatural dreams.
What a Good Dad Must Do
"But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your…
The God of Hope
A few weeks ago, we started uploading the full audio from our Sunday morning teaching. You can find that (if you like) on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
How to Say, "Thank You"
“Where are the other nine?” On one occasion, Jesus was walking the border between Samaria and Galilee when he was approached by ten men with leprosy.
Your Life System Is Perfectly Designed to Produce the Results in Your Life.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Nothing to Prove
“Humility,” writes David Brooks, “is freedom from the need to prove you are superior all of the time.”
For the Teachers
It’s back-to-school week here in Kingsport. Which, of course, conjures up a variety of emotions for all of us parents.
Shifting our Focus...Slightly
This article first appeared in the print edition of the Kingsport Times News on Sunday, 17 July 2022.
Don't build your legacy. Build your relationships.
“During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.”
Am I paying attention?
My two daughters were on the sofa watching TV. “Girls?! I’m about to run the vacuum, but it’ll only be a couple minutes, ok? Ok?
Small things and every day deeds.
At this point, we have no shortage of material for "responding to a mass shooting" or "responding to natural disaster".
Rooted in Love.
Did you know that the roots of most oak trees grow in the top 18-inches of the soil? Oak roots aren’t deep, but they are wide.
A Good Friday Reflection
Friends, I wanted to share a brief reflection on this Good Friday.
The Cost of Reclaiming Eden
The content below was first published in the Kingsport Times News on Sunday April 3, 2022.
Patrick, Purim, and Purity of Heart
Today is the feast day of St. Patrick which is largely celebrated in our popular culture with green beer, Irish whiskey, and cabbage – but preferably not all…
Offer them Christ.
This first appeared in the print edition of the Kingsport Times News on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
Love Curved In
*This piece first appeared in the print edition of the Kingsport Times News on Sunday, January 30, 2022. ------------------------------------------Sin is a tricky topic.
2021
Singing with Joy on the Edge of a Cliff
Author's Note: This piece was first published on Sunday, December 12, 2021 by the Holston Annual Conference Daily Devotional at holston.org.
Like a Coyote in a Cow Field
Alright, so I was driving into work this morning and I turned off Moreland Dr. onto Rock Springs Road heading towards I-26...you with me?
The Secret of Contentment
There is a fairly well-known verse from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church that often gets taken out of context: “I can do all this through him…
The Boy in the Linen Ephod
Note: This was originally published for the Holston Annual Conference Daily Devotional on Friday, November 12, 2021. I am not a musician.
From the Whirlwind
This devotional was originally published by the Holston Conference Daily Devotional on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. You can find that post at this link.
Pick up the Towel
This devotional first appeared in the print edition of the Kingsport Times News on Sunday, September 19, 2021. On a personal note, it's so good for me to get back to writing.
"Was It Worth It?" A Brief Personal Reflection on Afghanistan.
Over the last week, I've been thinking a lot about what I want to say - if anything - about what's happening in Afghanistan right now.
See the Good.
My oldest daughter got me a coffee mug for Father’s Day. Second graders are notoriously short on cash and she knows I drink coffee. The mug was an obvious choice.
Be a Bucket Filler
I've been shockingly busy the last few weeks. It's not a feeling (or a state) that I much care for but...here we are. And, unfortunately, that's not likely to abate any time soon.
Students, Not Converts
Why didn’t Jesus ask his disciples to make converts? In some ways, it’s a hard question for us to consider, two millennia removed from Jesus’ social and religious context.
Freedom, Liberty, and Justice For All
In June 2008, my family travelled from Kingsport to West Point, New York to drop me off for Reception Day at the US Military Academy.
Consider it Pure Joy
An Authorial Note: I've been going back through various things I've written for other platforms over the last year.
You have a story to tell.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Take the Shoes Upstairs
The defining feature was the stairway. Our front hall was a black and white checker board of marble – always cool to the touch.
Living in a Post-Wilderness World
I love stories and I doubt that will ever change. That’s one of the things that I love about the Hebrew Bible (i.e. the Old Testament).
Choices in the Desert
An Authorial NoteI wrote this piece last Summer (June 2020).
For those who are bad at prayer...
Ah, Sodom and Gomorrah – there’s one that doesn’t make my kids Bible Story books.
The Maker's Flock
“For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
All I Have Needed
I just took a walk around my neighborhood and two features of the landscape proved themselves inescapable: the birds and the flowers.
A Lesson From the Birds
I dug this one up from the archives today. This time last year life....sucked.
Holy Saturday
“God is dead,” wrote German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in 1882. “God remains dead. And we have killed him.
What is holiness?
“I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44, NIV)To be holy as God is holy - seems like an impossible request does it not?
Jesus, Genesis, and Science
At my church, we've been working through a series in the early chapters of Genesis considering some of what this work says about what it means to be genuinely human.
Don't Settle for Juicy Fruit
The US Army Ranger School is notorious for a lot of things, but one of them is putting immense amounts of stress on leaders and asking them to do nearly impossible things.
Slaying Dragons and Saving Kingdoms
Lilly had a bad dream last night. I purposefully get up earlier than my girls so I have can have some time alone to sit and pray (and drink coffee...which is…
When the Hits Keep Coming
I've always loved inspirational sports movies. Of this love, I stand completely unashamed.
Dignity of the Ordinary
Here's another from the Archives for this Monday morning. This work first appeared in the print edition of the Kingsport Times News on October 29, 2020.
But the stories stay the same.
“The faces change, but the stories stay the same.” It’s a line I won’t soon forget from an old coach of mine. I live 2 miles from the track at my old high school.
The Other Epidemic (Part II)
Last week, I presented some data that suggests that, as an American society, we are more burned out, anxious, and depressed than we've ever been.
The Other Epidemic (Part I)
One of the questions I've been pondering over the last year has been, "How has the pandemic (and our adopted countermeasures) affected the mental state of our society?"
An Appeal to Unity
I went to seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. It’s a small town about 20 minutes south of Lexington.
Shiplap will not fix this.
When both my kids were very little (as in newborn), I made a habit of recording things on TV so I could watch them at 3am when I was giving them bottles.
Relationships are more important than Real Estate.
“What if we treated people with the same kind of reverence that we treated our buildings?”That question was posed to me this Fall as we sat in the parking lot outside our facility.
Same song, different verse.
Mark Twain is alleged to have said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes." I was talking to an old high school coach of mine once I moved back to Kingsport.
No Respecter of Persons.
I was really embarrassed. I had just rolled out of bed, thrown on my sweats, grabbed my bag, and trudged downstairs. I was in my Sophomore year at West Point.
Into the Fire.
"Three Jewish men refused to participate in the pagan worship practices of the Empire. In their stubborn defiance, a gruesome execution was ordered."
Let it go.
I had the privilege (or misfortune) of being in Afghanistan in 2014 during the nation's Presidential election.
A Risky Faith
Last week, we travelled with Daniel into Exile. Before there was a Lion's Den and great prophetic visions, there was just a young man taken away from everything he knew and loved.
Pick a Side.
“Pick a side!” That’s the prevailing narrative raging across our headlines isn’t it? Our country’s a mess right now. I think most of you know this.
John Wesley and TikTok?
Weird image right? But it's worth considering in this age of social media...how can the communication technology that is so ubiquitous in our world be…
Into Exile
It was a C+. That was my worst grade in an academic class in my entire life. (I'm excluding "handwriting" because, let's face it, who cares?!)
Morning by morning.
In light of the events in our country and world over the last week (let alone the last year), I wanted to share this short piece I'd written for the Kingsport…
Change is Possible.
I've been watching a lot of Strongman lately. I guess it's because once I get my girls to bed there is....no one else for me to consider.
2020
4 Practices to Transition into 2021
I've always loved this week on the calendar. Anyone else? Besides the Thanksgiving Break (Thursday-Sunday), the week between Christmas and New Year's Day is…
God Is With Us
Most of us have grown up celebrating Christmas in some capacity. Because it is so familiar, the full message and weight of what is happening in this season can sometimes be lost.