We've all seen them.Yes Men.Those people -- and they can be Yes Women as well -- who traipse around the work place, agreeing with every idea, suggestion, or thought the boss has.Yet on Sunday as we move to Week Two of Trending, we're going to discover something very...

I'm pretty sure of most of these thoughts below.In other words, I think that I think the following . . .I don't like sweet potatoes.  But I love sweet potato fries and sweet potato chips.  Do I need therapy?When clergy post opinions on celebrity deaths, they...

These are just a few of the more than 1,000 Trending Prayer Pledge cards we received on Sunday:Knowing that all those people are following their periods of high activity with periods of rest at their Master's feet fills me with encouragement, peacefulness, and, most...

This is a Top Five list I can do about something at Good Shepherd because I actually have very little to do with it.Sermon bumpers.You know, the one-minute (or so) video that tells the story of the current series in a compelling way while also allowing me to roll my...

A couple of years ago, I read John Irving's novel The Cider House Rules.  In it, Irving's narrator describes one of the main characters, Dr. Wilbur Larch, as someone "who occupied his emotions with a task."I found that to be a profound thought, so I wrote it...

In the world of social media in general and Twitter in particular, there are few more coveted places to be than Trending.If you, your company, your product, or your hashtag are currently trending, it means a lot of people are talking about you at the same time. ...

Moms and dads, grandmoms and granddads:Praise your children with a period and not a comma.Here's what I mean:  your affirmation and encouragement needs to be without qualification, free of compromise, and, most importantly, not serve as a prelude to...

One night not too long ago, I was at the local YMCA.There were also three young men working out near me who looked to be about 19, 16, and 12. This kind of thing happens all the time, and in that particular setting I don't usually initiate conversation with people I...

There is one kind of news story that I don't ever want to be in as a pastor.You've seen the headlines, you've seen the falls, you know the stories.So to prevent sexual or relational immorality in the pastorate, I've found it helpful to live by certain...

I'm going to miss Lost And Found.I think it's been one of our strongest series ever, combining extraordinarily good music with the kind of bible-study-snuck-into-a-sermon with which people resonate.In the way Lost And Found told Elijah's story, it was really a drama...