As the Rio Olympics move to the track & field events this week, I remember a job that I used to think I'd have when I grew up. Professional long jumper. That's right. In fourth grade, I thought I was a good athlete with an explosive vertical leap and so I thought...
This sermon has its roots in a blog. Which, in turn, inspired an idea. Which then led to an interview with a living, breathing, resident hero of mine at Good Shepherd. So below you'll see a sermon designed to set up an interview which was to fuel enrollment in our...
. . . Jesus Christ. That’s how most of us in the evangelical world have grown accustomed to completing that sentence. In many ways, that phrase has become synonymous with modern American evangelical Christianity. (Though for a variety of reasons we use the phrase...
It's that time of year in church land when Life Groups gear back up. They've taken the summer off (unless, of course, they haven't), they're busy re-assembling existing members and inviting new ones, and, critically, researching & selecting material to study. In...
Yep, they're out there. Things that as a preacher I am tempted to do but have to pray that the Lord will prevent me from ever doing. That's in that prayer Jesus prayed, isn't it? Here they are: the Top Five Things I Pray The Lord Stops Me Before I Ever Do Them. 1. ...
Sunday's sermon was less about the sermon and more about the Ministry Fair that followed it. I wanted to connect the church's "need" to fill ministry openings with Scripture's truth that ministry stems from the Holy Spirit's power. Really, I wanted the church to see...
One of Good Shepherd's core values is that we as a church are awake to the Holy Spirit. But are we? We sing songs about the Holy Spirit, we read Scriptures which reference him, and sometimes we even pray for his power. But are we really awake to the power of Jesus...
I typically think of Grace (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense) as that which saves us. We don’t deserve to spend eternity in heaven, but because of grace, God sees Jesus when he looks at us instead of seeing our sin, and welcomes us into his kingdom. So far, so good....
I never, never, NEVER tell "what-happened-to-the-preacher-on-the-plane" stories. Just the fact that we're able to jet off to conferences & preaching engagements seems so . . . pretentious. And some of my clergy brethren and sistren (what did you want,...
Have you noticed it has been hot this summer in the Carolinas? This year's heat reminds me of my very first summer in Monroe, NC -- 1990, that was -- and of the times I'd look out my small office window and see red clay patches in the parsonage lawn. And when the heat...