I am so grateful for Defining Moments.Which is ironic because I fought with it for the four weeks before it launched.  I'm glad the series won that fight.Because the concept connected.The fasting brought breakthrough.The "Sunday morning at the movies" tickets...

One of the many happy consequences of Stan Wawrinka winning last week's Australian Open was the message contained in the tattoo on the inside of his left forearm.(Before I return to the tattoo, some other of the "many happy consequences" of his win include: ...

Here's what our city looks like today:So what in the world can a preacher blog about on a day like this in Charlotte?Of course, we've certainly got it better than Atlanta where my daughter's commute home took five hours yesterday.Speaking of my daughter, she makes an...

This week, the new www.gsumc.org has gone live.Months in the making, blood, sweat, and tears in the planning, the new site is a significant upgrade from the old one.  While not all the pages are filled yet and a few isolated bugs need to be repaired, the site is...

There are two kinds of people:  those who think to talk and those who talk to think.Those who think to talk very carefully measure their words in their minds before they let them escape from their mouths.  Think-to-talkers tend to speak in short bursts,...

We've been playing this "sermon bumper" each week during the Defining Moments series:Well, as part of our Divine Appointment, you'll see more than the trailer.The short film is poignant, provocative, and compelling in its presentation of the life-altering power of the...

I'm reading When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss' massive biography of Vince Lombardi.Early in Lombardi's coaching career (and therefore, early in the book!), he got a job at Cathedral High School, a small Catholic institution in northern New Jersey.The...

Not long ago, I was involved in cyber-communication with a new Methodist friend, and we were discussing the same-sex conundrum within the United Methodist Church.  My friend (who knows about this post, by the way) and I align on most  issues, but I...

Defining Moments Prayer & Fasting Instructions – Tuesday, January 21, 2014As you may know, we are asking the people of Good Shepherd to fast from food products on Tuesday, January 21.We are counting on this time of shared sacrifice and shared prayer to unleash the...

We had a houseguest last night:  Claude Kayler, Good Shepherd's founding pastor.  He was in Charlotte on Sunday evening before catching a Monday flight to Israel.Claude gave birth to the church in 1991 and led it until 1999.  Today, he is the...