Unhappy Campers Many of us – maybe even most of us – have heard the story of the children of Israel passing through the waters of the Red Sea as if walking on dry land. Moses – in our mind, played by Charlton Heston – stands boldly before the waters, they...
Whether it's a Sunday School Class, a Bible study, a Life Group/Small Group, or even a recovery meeting, one group member poses a unique set of obstacles: The Oversharer. You know who I'm talking about. People who, with good intentions and a genuine heart, share too...
This photo comes from the 1980 Texas Sectional Junior Championship (the This-One's-For-All-The-Marbles state tournament) in San Antonio. It's hardly an action shot, is it? Either my mom took it or the mother of a friend took it; either way, it shows my typical...
So this post is pretty specific to my little world of the United Methodist Church (#UMC). Because within that particular tribe, there are a couple (maybe more, according to this piece) of clearly defined camps: Progressives and Traditionalists. Liberals and...
The concluding message for Chiseled could well have served as the series opener. It was less about being chiseled for ministry and more about being chiseled for obedience. And ... it took a couple of detours involving violent video games, attachment to mobile devices,...
I was saddened to hear of the death of Adam West late last week at the age of 88. In the mid sixties, West had the TV role of Batman in the ironic, campy version of that superhero's story. Which leads me to this picture: I was so captivated by the TV Batman (and at...
The older I get, the more convinced I become that Christianity is not based on a philosophy; it's built on history. At the heart of our faith is not love thy neighbor or do unto others or even pray without ceasing. No, the heart of our faith is a decisive invasion of...
When it comes to music, the 80s seldom get much respect. Due to the influx of hair bands and the advent of MTV, many experts contend that the decade was rather long on style and short on substance. The 80s are why Nirvana was such a revelation as its raw sonic boom...
I normally don't like to mix metaphors, but this time I did. In a series all about the metaphor of chiseling, sculpting, and stonework, I inserted a message revolving around acorns and oak trees. It used a really glorious section of Scripture -- Philippians 1:1-11...
Ok, it's in the books. We had a three day Vacation Bible Experience this week. I served as a crew leader. Been there, done that. Or is there more to it than that? When kids have the freedom and feel the safety to ask "How do you know there's really a God?" is it...