Several years ago, while in a planning meeting to plan a sermon series on the Holy Spirit, our worship design team talked about some of the misperceptions people have of ministry that is truly “Spirit-filled.” If a preacher stands and announces that he is shelving...

My music tastes run decidedly to Classic Rock. The soundtrack of my youth has become the background of my, um, not youth, and I’m always good to listen to Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones, or Tom Petty. All classic, all the time. Until Dawes, that is. Who?...

I’ll admit it: I’m somewhat obsessed with reading biographies of some of our best-known Presidents. In fact, I have labeled one of our bookcases my very own “Presidential Library” as it’s full of tomes on Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Harry Truman, Richard...

Something happened recently in the preparation, preaching, and aftermath of a sermon that I just have to tell you about. During a series on the intersection of relationships, faith, and politics, I delivered a message with this as the pointed point: Don’t burn a...

Some of you may have seen or at least heard of Sophie’s Choice, the 1982 film for which Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for Best Actress as she played the title character. I am old enough to have seen the movie, in person, in a theater, over a Christmas break while...