As thrilling as it is to ensure that at least a moment in every sermon points to Christ and him crucified, it is even moreso when sermons issue an urgent yet loving appeal to surrender to his Lordship. Doing this well involves doing it with variety. It includes...
Top Five Tuesday (Cinco De Mayo Version!) — Top Five Stages Of Sermon Development
You’ve heard of the five stages of grief? Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance? Or on a lighter note, the Five Love Languages? Acts Of Service, Words Of Affirmation, Gifts, Quality Time, and physical touch? So those cinco-centric lists got me...
“No Problem” Week 2 — The “Big Problem” Sermon Rewind
Yesterday's message ... Dug a bit deeper into the short story from Mark 1 that is our basis for the entire "No Problem" series; Acknowledged that some people actually like their problems and derive their identity from them; Led to an opportunity to say Yes to Jesus,...
Losing My Voice. And Finding It Again.
One time I lost my voice. Here's how I found it again. There was a season in the life of Good Shepherd, stretching from, say 2007 – 2010, in which I had learned the technique of a one point sermon. So that was progress. However, during that same time I had become...
Turns Out You CAN Come Home Again …
Here's our son Riley Davis and his wife Natalie enjoying ice cream on the recently re-opened streets of Prague, Czech Republic. They have been stationed there since last summer, working on behalf of Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade For Christ) with college...
Top Five Tuesday — Top Five Rolling Stones Songs
Last week the Rolling Stones released an extraordinary song inspired by the Coronavirus Pandemic: Living In A Ghost Town. It's a little bit of "Miss You," a little more of "Shattered," and a little most of "Your Love Is Strong" all rolled into one. Check it out:...
No Problem, Week One — The “Small Problem” Sermon Rewind
Yesterday's message ... Launched a series inspired by Professor Joseph Okello of Asbury Seminary with whom I had a lively interaction about "points" preaching or "pointed" preaching back in October of 2019; Leaned heavily on the pacing of the early sections of Mark's...
“No Problem” Series Begins With “Small Problem”
“No problem.” We hear it from the lips of friends who assure us we’re not a bother. We hear it from the lips of customers who assure us they’ll wait. We hear it from the lips of vacationers who assure us the laid back lifestyle really is the best. We even say it to...
#TBT — Princeton Tennis, 1982
I received this photo in a group text with some college tennis friends this week. What memories! This is from the spring of 1982, my sophomore year in college. Why are our sweatsuits cream and blue? I have no idea -- the school colors are orange and black (tiger...
Yet Another Example Of Just How Well They’re Listening
I received this from a Good Shepherd mom this week: Add this to your "Kids Say" file... One of my sons picked up a Kids Bible to, let's say, thump his brother over the head. I told him, "The Bible is not a weapon!" And he says, "No, it's a library." Of course I...