If you like tennis, the end of August and beginning of September really is the best time of the year. Almost like a two-week Christmas, except with good weather.It's the U.S. Open.Here's are the five top reasons why I like it:1. It's the truest test in tennis. The...
Yesterday was notable for a couple of reasons:1. We received new members into the church at both the 8:30 and 10:00 services. That's not unusual -- it happens every six weeks or so. What IS unusual is the fact that one of those new members is a 92 year old man. I had...
Last Friday, I posted about my son's first game in his senior season on the football team at Charlotte Christian School.They won that game 14-13 and Riley played extrordinarily well.So we're on it again tonight. I'm learning why parents make such a big deal over high...
I spent some of Wednesday afternoon in a federal courtroom in uptown Charlotte.(Sadly, a friend of mine was there for a sentencing hearing.)The hearing was sparsely attended; in fact, aside from the court officials, I was the only one there.Yet as I sat in that...
Jesus tells a story in Luke 18:1-8 that most people call "The Parable Of The Persistent Widow":1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor...
After almost 20 years of full-time pastoral ministry, I believe I have a reasonably good understanding of how it works. Or how it doesn't.So what are those things that a pastor needs to avoid if he or she will have both an effective ministry and a vibrant spiritual...
Here's what we showed yesterday just before the message:As I Corinthians 12:5 says it, "there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord."
I'm really excited about tonight, the first Friday night of the school year.Because I'm gonna go out and party?Not really.Because high school football begins tonight in the Carolinas. And my son Riley begins his senior year on the team at Charlotte Christian...
Someone said the most interesting thing to me at lunch this week. Perhaps you've heard it before, but I found it helpful:Most leaders manage by exception. Good leaders manage by expectation.Leaders who manage by exception are unclear in their direction and often...
We're so glad that Marcy Smith has started working at Good Shepherd as our Director of Children's Ministries.She brings a wealth of experience from two churches up north: one in Connecticut and one in Huntersville.Well, Huntersville is north of I-485.Anyway, we love...