My twelve year-old son, Jacob, has taken to hip-hop music. Now, if you’re like me, the revelation that your son likes hip-hop can be a bit concerning. I certainly don’t need to mention the fact that most hip-hop music is angry, often violent young men spewing their anger and violence out lyrically. Much of it…
Category: Christian Living
Conflicting Times: Handling Relational Challenges
Conflict happens. There is no way around it. If you care about someone or work closely with someone, you spend more time with them. If you spend more time with them, you have more opportunity to annoy each other or miscommunicate. If you have more opportunity, conflict happens. So, the question is not whether or…
Walking in the Shadow of the Resurrection
Easter’s over, the crowds have dispersed, eggs found, rabbits eaten, services conducted, Monday came and went…now what? Maybe the answer lies in how Monday went. Did it seem like Easter to you? Were you walking in the shadow of the Resurrection? Was it filled with hope and grace, forgiveness and joy? It’s so easy to…
A Pivotal Day: Gay Marriage Before the Supreme Court
Today is a big day in our Country. The United States Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments regarding California’s “Prop 8” ban on same-sex marriage. The suit that will be heard by the Court is being brought by one lesbian and one gay couple, challenging the voter-approved ban. As I’ve listened to the rhetoric on…
Giving Pause: Taking Action When Conviction comes
Something happened to me Sunday just before I got up to speak at The Gathering. Clearly, the Spirit of God was working through the time of worship and I had the impression that we needed to pause…I knew I needed to pause. Things weren’t right. Earlier that morning, I had gotten upset with my 12…
Luck and The Providence of God
Luck is a big part of our vocabulary. I wonder if it’s a part of our theology? Is there such a thing as luck? When we say we’re “fortunate,” are we saying the same thing, but in a less secular way?
Saving Daylight, Part 3: Rest
I want to finish this week of posts about “Saving Daylight” with some thoughts on rest. Friday is my day off; my day of rest. It’s the day that I have that I can get away from work, unplug “completely” and spend some time re-charging my batteries. So, as I write this, I’m kicked back…
Saving Daylight, Part 2: Loving Well
Over the last few days, my thoughts have been consumed by a lovely lady within our church who is nearing the end of her journey on earth. I’ve thought about the relationship she has had with her devoted husband for 63 years and the love they have shared. I’ve thought about how over the last…
Saving Daylight
(You can watch the message from March 10, 2013 here, called….yeah, Saving Daylight) What are you doing with your time? If I were to ask you where your time is spent each day, unless your life is simply consumed by just one or two things, you probably would have a tough time accounting for all…
A Church That Fails to Pray…
(This post is re-published from the March edition of Road Signs, the monthly informational newsmag of The Gathering, Chattanooga.) A church that fails to pray, fails. I believe this statement and am coming to understand it more and more. How easy it is to become so busy that the very thing that empowers our efforts…
The Zone
The beach. The mountains. The dinner table when some really great conversation has just happened. The bedside of a dying family member or close friend. Each of these are places that, for one reason or another, you just don’t want to leave. I experienced one of them Wednesday night. We were having our praying time…
Right now in the Chapel at The Gathering!
Right now in the Chapel at The Gathering!
The Armor of God…now what?
Yesterday saw the conclusion of The Armor of God at The Gathering. It’s been an important series, challenging us to “suit up and power up” every day. If you missed any or all of it, you can watch it here on our archives page. So, now what? Now, you look for the battle. It’s…
Your Serve
I meant to post this here earlier in the month of February, but this is article from our monthly RoadSigns mag: Quick question: Why are you here? No, not why are you on this earth…why are you at this church? Or any church for that matter? Does it make you feel good? Is it sort…
Some Thoughts on a Tragedy
I’ve been deeply affected by the news coming out today of the intensely tragic shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut. We find ourselves asking how anybody could do something so heartless; so devoid of humanity? It seems hard to comprehend, doesn’t it? Though I won’t go extensively into how I think it’s possible…
On Presidential Politics: The Aftermath
It was once told to me that if you have a pastor you don’t like, don’t waste time complaining. Instead, pray for the one you have that he’ll become the one you want. This will prevent you from dishonoring Christ, leaving too early or causing problems within the church. I think that is very good…
Quiet the Chaos
Do you ever get to that place where you get so busy and so stressed that all you want to do is climb in a corner and hibernate? Or cry? Or drink five Monsters and end it all right there? You feel like you’re at the end of the thread that’s hanging off the end…
Bragging for Fun and Profit
My message Sunday was on Humility where, among other things, I talked about a not-so-rare disease called “Twitter-itis,” the condition that causes one to retweet whatever flattering thing was said to or about them on Twitter to their own hundreds or thousands of loyal, adoring followers. The problem is that this is a disease we…