I have posted before on the process of preaching without notes.While I wouldn't do it any other way, it does have its pitfalls.This past Sunday, for example, I knew that I was forgetting something late in the sermon. Because I remember things based on where they are...

I like sermons in which I have some things I'm a little bit scared to say.And when I'm giving that sermon in which I have some things I'm a bit scared to say and I am approaching the time in the sermon when it's time to say them, inside I'm like "I can't believe I'm...

Twice last week I posted on the influence of Chip and Dan Heath's Made To Stick on how we do ministry and communication at Good Shepherd. You can read about it here and here. Those posts talked about how effective communication is both simple and unexpected.And it is...

Last week, I posted about the different cars of my life. Almost an autobiography told from the perspective of different cars I'd driven. A lot of you seemed to enjoy it.So I thought it would be fun to do the same thing . . . except with tennis rackets. Caution: this...

If you're from Good Shepherd, you would have been so proud of Chris Macedo for what he did in Russia.On the second night of the English Exchange camp, just after a "mock" wedding ceremony (no lie), Chris put on an MTV Unplugged-style concert for the 35 American...

At church on Sunday, everyone asked me how the trip to Russia went. And the standard answer was: "Great."And I mean it.Eight of us from Good Shepherd travelled to Moscow on July 23. From Moscow, we then took a bus to a Soviet-era camp that is today used as a retreat...

As I mentioned here, our first Thrive Alive outreach event at RiverGate Shopping Center was a roaring success.This weekend, Thrive Alive is at it again.On Saturday, July 19 from 6-8 p.m., the band and supporting team will be at the Plaza Fiesta mall near Carowinds. If...

So we had our first Thrive Alive at the Rivergate Shopping Center this past Saturday. We have changed our Saturday Thrive worship service into an outreach event. We're taking the band on the road to four different venues in the Steele Creek area this summer.Anyway,...

Some pretty interesting things happened during our second Sunday of the NUMB3RS series yesterday.James-Michael Smith's video intro was classic. Take a look:It's hard not to be inspired to preach well after that. Except at the 8:30 service I struggled. As a lot of you...

We began NUMB3RS yesterday with the teaching that "Revelation is a letter. It's a letter to churches."We wanted to begin there because it prevents so much mis-reading of the book. Think about it: have you ever gotten a personal letter written by someone you know and...