Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. What kind of absurd demand is that?  Why in the world would Jesus tell all of us who are clearly imperfect to become perfect? As it turns out, it's one of those commands that lit a fire under early Methodist...

A lot of blood has been shed and even more ink has been spilled trying to make sense of this Sunday's eye roller from Matthew 5:48: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Well, I don't think I will shed any blood on Sunday, nor do I expect to spill...

The authors of the bible use incredible restraint. In contrast to our modern culture's tendency towards too much information, the scriptural writers were masters of understatement. Perhaps that's because the process of writing was both expensive and painful in ancient...

I find it helpful to check my own motives from time to time. I say that because I like people to come to church.  And I have more than a few friends from Good Shepherd whom I will text, cajole, and encourage to attend service as the weekend approaches.  In fact, if...

We say it a lot at Good Shepherd:  the bible is not a book; it's a library. We say it so much, in fact, that an elementary schooler in our church actually corrected her school teacher who had dared to refer to the bible as a book.  "No ma'am," the Good Shepherd...

Yesterday's message ... Dealt with the best-known and least-loved eye roller, turn the other cheek; Hinged on the reality that when Jesus speaks hypothetically in Matthew 5:38-42 become actual for him.  He becomes the stories that he tells. This eye rolling section is...

You don't know how the right word at the right time can make all the difference. I spent much of this week in Austin (as you know if  you read yesterday's post) and while there of course spent some time internalizing this Sunday's message. Then on Wednesday I needed...

On Wednesday, as I wound up my three day visit with my mom in Austin (Betty Davis, age 102), I stopped by this church down the hill from where she lives. It's actually the place where I first sensed that maybe I was supposed to be a pastor and even more specifically,...

This might be my favorite graphic ever. Favorite author articulating a treasured belief.  Inspiration to write, create, build, or achieve never arrives in your life. It instead emerges from the hard work you're doing when it comes to writing, creating, building, or...

Most of you who read this blog know that I loved my time at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. I was a student there from 1987-1990 and feel like it did a superb job of preparing me to be a preacher, a pastor, and a Christian.  Given the choice, I would do it all...