The Path Of Most Resistance The heaviest weight. The hardest class. The highest mountain. Those difficult challenges are the ones that make us and mature us. The greater the resistance, the stronger the result. And it’s the same with what we call a living...
What A Day That Will Be
A lot of you know that I spent they years 1990-1999 pastoring in Monroe, North Carolina, a medium-sized town about 30 miles south and east of Charlotte. As is typical of United Methodist pastors, I served two churches at the same time (called a two-point charge): ...
Wordsmithing And The One Point Sermon
Not long ago, I received an email from someone who attended Good Shepherd for a season and then had to move to another part of the country. Anyway, part of his email said that he and his family still remember and use the phrase “forgiveness is learned, so teach it...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Things I Never Get Tired Of
If you know me at all, you know I like my routines. Actually, I love them. Honestly, I live by them. And so in the middle of all that, there are five things above all others that I just never get tired of. Here they are: 1.Listening to Don Henley's The Boys Of...
“The Not Eating Habit” Sermon Rewind
How to make a sermon on fasting interesting? Or relevant? Or fun? Well, I'm not sure I accomplished any of the above, but I did make it practical. We distributed a very clear Call To Action at the conclusion: a church-wide fast on Monday, February 6, complete with...
Creatures Of Habit, Week 5 — The Not Eating Habit
It's Super Bowl Sunday. It's Scouting For Food Sunday. ( See below.) And yet it's the Sunday we wind up Creatures Of Habit with a message called "The Not Eating Habit"? What in the world is that about? Sunday. 8:30, 10, 11:30 on Moss Road. 10, 11:30 on Zoar Road....
Before Something Comes Out Of Your Mouth It Should Have A Pit Stop In Your Brain
When I am walking in the flesh — meaning, not rigorously & consistently connected to the Holy Spirit — I can fall into a trap. The trap that says all my thoughts needs to be verbalized. As if I’ll lose it if I don’t say it. Sarcastic thoughts. Condescending...
Celebrate His Rule With Trembling
Here's Psalm 2:11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Yikes. I sense that few people celebrate the Lord's rule. More object to it. Still more re-fashion it to suit their own agenda. Even more simply ignore it. And yet the call to...
