Posts
SeptemberSep 14 Monday 09
Thanks
Last night I had the opportunity to say "Thanks" to a group of my brothers & sisters who volunteer their hearts, souls, minds and hands in order to minister to others. It was so much fun to go the extra mile to appreciate them. Do you need to say "Thank you," to someone …
SeptemberSep 11 Friday 09
One Guy Who Gets It
I was always a big fan of David Robinson, who was elected into the Hall of Fame today. Before he won a title, some said he was too nice too win. Those predictions don't look so good now. Apparently, you can be nice and win. In fact, the way he treated others is why the …
SeptemberSep 8 Tuesday 09
The Dunk is King
I've had the joy of investing in guy's lives while playing basketball with area guys for the last eleven years here in Tulsa. At times I've been the worst player on the court. At other times I've been the best player. We've had some scrubs play. And we've had lots of …
SeptemberSep 3 Thursday 09
Book Review: Surprised by Hope
Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing to write this review , because I started reading this book a really long time ago. I think I averaged 6 words a day.
But I'm actually glad that it took me a long time. I think that helps it soak in.
NT Wright's book tries to …
SeptemberSep 2 Wednesday 09
"Confession" vs "Ah Shucks"
A feeble attempt at confession sounds like this, "And I probably said a few things that I shouldn't have..." or "I might have messed-up a bit..." But are these types of statements what God had in mind when he told us to confess or are they simply said to soothe our …
AugustAug 30 Sunday 09
2 People; 1 Story
Have you ever heard a preacher say, "If you were able to help one person follow Christ... and then that person helped one person follow Christ... and then that person helped one person follow Christ... just think about the impact you would have." Well, today there was a …
AugustAug 27 Thursday 09
When We Are the Church
I've seen the church at it's best this week. In the wake of a horrible accident that has greatly impacted many of my brothers & sisters in Christ, the church has been in the middle of it. Here's are a few things that I've seen (most in an ICU waiting room): Meals …
AugustAug 25 Tuesday 09
When Ethiopians learn English do they sound Italian
Shurabe started saying a phrase this weekend when my parents were here, and it's so funny to hear. If you see her in the morning, you might hear her sound quite Italian as she says, "Good-duh morning."
Beth, Ray Ray & India Arie
Beth & I took Ray Ray to a concert last night. It was an early birthday present (about 3 months early). The highlight of the concert was listening to India Arie. Her music was amazing, easy & had a lot of depth to it. We definitely became big fans.
We had a great time …
AugustAug 24 Monday 09
Atheists for Jesus
I've spent the afternoon studying for Sunday's sermon and read about a website that I had to check-out (and that I had to share with you): Atheists for Jesus. Yes, it's for real. They embrace Jesus' message of love & kindness but reject that He was God or that the …
Scriptures
I'm amazed at how relevant things written thousand of years ago can still be to our lives today. I mentioned a few Scriptures yesterday that I was asked to pass along, so I will do that below. We'll have the audio online this afternoon. You can listen to it
AugustAug 23 Sunday 09
Three Letters
This morning we talked about a subject that has three letters. We wanted to show this video, but had some technical difficulty. As it turns out, we didn't really have time for it anyway, but it's one we showed to the teens a while back - just to have some fun with them.
AugustAug 20 Thursday 09
Words
I was eating some cereal and reading Proverbs when Levi sat down next to me with his pancakes. He asked me what one of the highlighted verses meant, so I told him it was one that I really liked to remember. It was "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir …
AugustAug 18 Tuesday 09
Why Suffering?
Our Sunday morning began with my talented friend, Kevin, singing REM's song "Everybody Hurts." Not only did he do a great job & capture people's attention, he set the stage for our whole morning. Lane did a great job preaching. He asked two questions: #1. Why does God …
Suffering & Worship
I am so thankful to worship a God (and The God) who understands suffering better than any of us. That thought leads me to worship.
AugustAug 11 Tuesday 09
Our World
My good buddy, John, sent me a link to a video that shows how enormous our world is - and how small Earth is. We showed a small clip of a similar video on Sunday. I'm trying to figure out if I should stay up & try to watch the meteor shower tonight. Will I honor God …
AugustAug 10 Monday 09
I had fun at the hospital
Lane, my friend & co-worker, went to visit a friend at the hospital today. I gotta tell you, it was fun. Our friend is fully of life - the only kind of life that comes from someone who is in awe of Jesus. Her love of God and others oozes out (even in the midst of both …
AugustAug 8 Saturday 09
Be Glad You Aren't on a Committee with Waxman
U.S. News and World Report; August 4, 2009. After another day wrangling over healthcare reform, it was no small amount of frustration that inspired Rep. Henry Waxman to stand in front of a press gathering and not-so-subtly accuse the "blue dog" Democrats of being …
The Greatest Leadership Strengths & Weaknesses of 4 Presidents
I heard David Gergen interviewed by Bill Hybels yesterday. I gotta admit, it wasn't one that I was highly anticipating, but it turned out to be fantastic. He served under 4 Presidents as either an advisor or speechwriter. I appreciated that he was willing to work for …
AugustAug 7 Friday 09
The Unusual Prophet
I just got done watching Bill Hybels interview Bono. Regardless of what you think of him or U2, it's clear God used his voice prophetically. Several years ago he called the church out for neglecting the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world - people dying of …