A Little Bit Of This, A Little More Of That

Some random, disconnected thoughts on the first Thursday of March Madness . . . .

  • At Good Shepherd, we have to take care that we don’t “brand the bullets & forget to brand the gun”; which means, as one expert told us, don’t spend so much time promoting individual sermon series that the church itself gets overlooked.
  • Last night, Roger Federer demolished Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-3 in Indian Wells, California, and I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed watching a match so much.  It was a work of art.  Destructive art, but art nonetheless.
  • The more I listen to Jason Isbell’s Southeastern, the better it sounds.  His songwriting helps me be become a better sermon writer.
  • I am doing James MacDonald’s Think Differently and Andy Stanley’s Starting Point with two different LifeGroups.  I thank God for both of these men and their ministries.

Starting Point

  • Right now, I have an large, bulky knee brace on my left leg because I have a slightly sprained MCL.  The contraption reminds of the time in my senior year of college when we played Duke in a dual tennis match.  My opponent that day was wearing one of these knee braces and was hardly what I’d call swift around the court.  And yet I still found a way to lose.  Not that I’m still haunted by that loss 32 years later or anything.
  • Speaking of college & sports, Princeton is on a 19 game winning streak in basketball and plays Notre Dame later today in the first round of March Madness.  SMU is on a 16 game win streak and plays Southern Cal tomorrow night.  Which means that, together, I am on a 35 game winning streak.
  • Instead of praying for growth, I’m praying for revival, complete with signs and wonders.
  • United Methodists get a little bit uncomfortable and sometimes defensive when your language sounds something like that of an independent church evangelical.
  • My primary daily battle is against self-absorption.  What’s yours?