The Weather Preacher
The role of the TV weatherman has changed drastically in the last 25 years. I’ve seen three distinct stages: The serious scholar-meteorologist. In the early 70’s the weatherman (and they were men then) were nerdy-looking scientists with meteorological degrees who studied the National Weather Service isobars and frontal systems, then made a practical application of
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Time is a tool to be used. Tragically, time is only sacred to us when it slips away. Every moment, every choice and every event plants something within us, be it good or evil. Thoreau said, “Time is
A Lesson in Sympathy, Humility (Part 2)
Luke 14:1-14 It is one thing to have ambition, but quite another thing to be selfishly ambitions for position and power. The man with true ambition will prepare himself, be faithful in his work, and watch for God-given opportunities for growth and advancement. He knows there are no successful shortcuts to the top. The ambitious
What’s the Big Deal About Modesty?
Summer is almost here, and I am ready to hit the beach. I love relaxing on the sand with a good book as the cool waters lick my toes. However, the pleasant thoughts of summer on the beach are quickly overshadowed by one thing—bathing suits. Now I’m not going to get into a theological discussion
Blue Monday
Most pastors know what you’re talking about when you say “Blue Monday.” They’ve had them—maybe often. Blue Monday is more than a Monday morning hangover. It’s closer to a feeling of failure—wanting to give up and walk away. Usually by the middle of the week the gloom lifts and you are back to your old
Laughing on the Outside, Dying on the Inside
My two favorite comedians were the famous Abbott and Costello. Their work is still around today on video and audio cassette. One Christmas, a staff member gave me a script from the 1950s TV show. I love to watch Bud and Lou. Today I am a member of the Abbott and Costello Fan Club. I
A Lesson in Sympathy, Humility…(Part 1)
Luke 14:1-14 How many times have you seen this motto hanging on the wall in a Christian home? “Jesus Christ is the head of this home, the silent listener to every conversation, the unseen guest at every meal.” These are worthy sentiments, and the consciousness of these truths would make us easier to live with
Prayer – Lighting the Night With Joy (Part 2)
Paul understood that joy was the result of consistent companionship with Jesus. There was no need for him to give into the fear of failure or the despair of abandonment. When he prayed, his problems shrank in His Presence. Lloyd-John Ogilvie, Chaplain to the U.S. Senate, wrote in Discovering God’s Will: “Knowing God’s will in
My Students Plan to Change Your Church
This week I opened each of my courses by handing out slips of paper asking students to answer one question: What is the most important change you want to make in the church when you get on staff? I did this before saying anything else. I just compiled their responses. Of course this is not
When God Takes Over
While many talk of revival in the church, few in fact want it. We say we want a visitation of God, but when He shows up, we reject it. God didn’t show up and behave Himself. He didn’t act like we told Him to. That’s what we hate about revival—God takes over. Those who have
M Is For Maverick (Part 2)
That Maverick Paul In his unconverted days, rabbi Saul of Tarsus did what any other devout Jew would have done: he promoted and protected the Jewish faith and persecuted the Jesus movement. Sensible Jews all knew that Jesus of Nazareth had been crucified and that the disciples stole the body from the tomb and hid
Silly Women
If you are breathing today, then you have probably been bombarded by the latest hype surrounding Dan Brown’s best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code. I read the book a few years ago when it first came out because a friend who was wrestling with the claims of Christ “dared” me to. Because I’m extremely competitive,