We feel that way in life, don't we?And, if we're honest, we feel that way in our faith. What had in an earlier season been both urgent and joyful now many times seems mundane and ritualized.Boring.Is there life after that kind of spiritual boredom? Is there hope for...
A Guideline For Church Meetings
Church meetings are legendary, aren't they?And not in the way, say, Michael Jordan is legendary in basketball. Or Joe Montana in football. Or even Roger Federer in tennis.No, church meetings are legendary for the bloodshed -- real and imagined -- that they...
Two Terms I Never Thought I’d See In The Same Sentence
As a native of Dallas, I never thought I'd read "Texas Rangers" and "World Series" in the same sentence.But now I have.So I'll begin watching the World Series tonight with a bit more interest than usual.Not that I'm a consistent baseball fan or even a loyal Rangers...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Things Heard At Ginghamsburg UMC
I spent three days in Ohio last week at Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church's Change The World Conference. I went as part of the Reynolds Leadership Program which sends 25 pastors from North Carolina to various training events four times per year.Ginghamsburg is a...
Developing The Core
I recently added two exercises to what I do at the Y.The first is called the deadlift, which helps strengthen the lower back:The second is called the squat, which helps primarily with thighs:(The fact that I can do either is no small miracle, because when I first...
Life After Launches Sunday
Farewell to Sacred Marriage, hello to Life After.It's our new series and I believe it will be both hard-hitting and soul-comforting.Here are the subjects we'll look at together:October 24: Life After JesusOctober 31: Life After BoredomNovember 7: Life After...
A Strange Preaching Day
This past Sunday -- the final Sunday in Sacred Marriage -- was a bit strange for me.As many of you know, I actually write my messages, then spend time "living" with them, and on Sunday deliver them without any notes. I've been doing it that way as long as I've been...
Room In The Inn Begins
Here's a glimpse of Good Shepherd's Room In The Inn Ministry:It's one of the best things we do.And it's starting over again this year.If you'd like to make your life count by living for someone and something beyond yourself, come to the Room In The Inn training event...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Things Our “Fresh Eyes” Taught Us
As I posted last week, we've retained the services of Will Mancini to help us with clarity, strategy, and focus. After touring Steele Creek on Saturday and visiting the GSUMC programs on Sunday, he spent most of Monday with the lead staff. By Monday afternoon, our...
Men’s Pathfinders TAILGATE
Instead of a conventional "launch" for our Men's Pathfinders on October 25, we're doing a tailgate party. Here's how we promoted it during church yesterday:We even did a slow motion instant replay of the tackle.It's going to be a great night.You can sign up here.