. . . because Gary Williams of the Morning Sports Page on WFNZ radio got a bigger, better job with Sirius/XM radio in New York. This is his last week on the air in Charlotte.For almost ten years, Williams' show has been a staple of my morning routine. In particular,...
I've loved this prayer ever since I first saw it in preparing for the Top Secret series. In fact, I was so fond of it that we handed it out at the conclusion of the Secret Dreams service the other Sunday.The prayer comes from John Piper, a well-known and strongly...
A little later today, I'm meeting with a representative from Asbury Theological Seminary. It has to do with alumni relations and fund raising.But as some of you know, my Asbury ties are strong. Really strong.I identify myself much more readily as a graduate of that...
Someone who doesn't attend Good Shepherd said this to me recently:"You've got to believe in the guy preaching before you can believe in the God the guy talks about." Interesting.Before a preacher has any credibility on his subject, he has to have credibility in his...
If you missed it live, you can watch Rick Warren's prayer at President Obama's inauguration here.As with any prayer at a civic function, I got a bit nervous towards the end. Is he going to pray in Jesus' name? Will he be polarizing or compromising?I think he resolved...
One day last week, Good Shepherd hosted a gathering from the Mosaix Network, which is a nation-wide ministry of like-minded pastors and church leaders.What is the subject on which all these people are like-minded?Building and growing multi-cultural churches. At Good...
Last Sunday (January 11) was one of the most powerful worship experiences we've ever had at Good Shepherd. The title was "Secret Pain" and we dealt with issues of abuse, incest, and trauma, all based on the Tamar-Amnon-Absalom story from 2 Samuel 13.The message was...
Bruce Springsteen says it this way in the song "Used Cars" from the Nebraska album:Now, the neighbors come from near and farAs we pull up in our brand new used carI've always loved that line: our brand new used car.And now we've got one.My son Riley was hit in the...
Our pastoral staff spent Sunday night and all day Monday in Blowing Rock, NC.It was a time of retreat, renewal, and connection.It was also a result of my commitment to be more focused and diligent in my leadership of my friends and colleagues on the staff.As I've...
I've looked at message preparation on every post this week.By now in the process, I have selected a title, excavated Scripture, unearthed one main point, and then attempted to bring that point to life. To this point, it's all pen on paper (very 20th Century, I...