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...
Yesterday's message .... Completely hinged on a twist in Jesus' speaking in Matthew 5:21-26; when you notice what he does and how he does it, everything in the passage changes. Used a prop of the words YOUR ANGER and YOU ANGER placed on either side of me on easels....
Most of you know that I really like preaching. I like the study, the brainstorming, the preparing, the delivering, and even the responding. And in recent months, with the Simplify The Message; Multiply The Impact workshop I've been teaching, I have spent a lot of time...
Earlier this week, a couple from Good Shepherd was cleaning out their attic, came across an ancient bible, and decided I might have a use for it. And this time, I did. I do. See, the edition my friends gave is called the Douay-Rheims Bible, translated and published...
As a lot of you know, we've started a new "up front" prayer team for the conclusion of our Sunday worship gatherings at Good Shepherd. We want to normalize what was previously remedial. Meaning: we want our altar area to be a center of prayerful conversation...