On almost every Sunday morning, I meet with two friends who pray with me at 7:45 and declare with confidence, "Hey guys, guess what? It's gonna be great!" Part of that, I'm sure, is talking myself into that same conviction. Yesterday, however, was different. I met...
This looks like an unlikely place for a king's coronation, doesn't it? And yet in the way Mark tells Jesus' story, that hill far away is exactly where Jesus' kingship was unveiled and unleashed. He was made King Of The Hill ... and declared King On The Hill. What does...
In church leadership, it is quite tempting to confuse personal preference for effective church strategy. For example, a few years ago, I could have come up with a different U2 song to go along with virtually every message I gave (these days it would trend more towards...
When this tennis racket ... the Original Prince Pro (Green) ... was released in the late 1970s, it was revolutionary. Those of you who played back in that day remember thinking, "that's it. Tennis will always and forever be played ONLY AT THE NET. With a big...
In reflecting over the last several days, I realized that this past weekend was an unusual one. Some of it filled with mirth, other parts of it loaded with majesty, all of it making a testimony to the goodness of God. Here are the five highlights (and you must read...
Yesterday's message ... Started right with the Scripture, pointing out that Mark 15:15-20 is an OLD story with a MODERN sensibility; Noted that irony, sarcasm, and mockery dominate every moment of the scene; Gave a quick shout out to mega church pastors who cause many...
Scripture is a never-ending reservoir of truth, power, and beauty. Here's why I say that today. I have been reading the bible regularly for 39 years now. That includes the four Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. And of those four Gospels, I...
Continuing a nostalgia theme for this week's post, here is an article from a San Antonio newspaper (The Light? The Express? The Light-Express?) on June 16, 1979: Oh the Jack Kramer racket. The adidas clothes. The slice backhand return of serve. Those days are...
I realized something with a jolt the other day: I have been a pastor for over half of my life. I graduated from seminary and started work at Mt. Carmel & Midway United Methodist Churches in Monroe, NC, in 1990 at the age of 28. I am now 56, so you do the math....
I wish that my foresight was as accurate as my hindsight. I bet you're the same way. We have seasons in life that, as we head in to them, feel like seasons of punishment. They involve duty, training, re-education, and orders from on high. Then once that particular...