It was early spring of 1980. Doris and I were living in a mobile home in Augusta, GA, furnished to us by the church where I was serving as youth pastor. We were enjoying one of our rare evenings at home with nothing on the schedule when a knock on the door surprised us. That… Continue Reading
I was a young, youth pastor, trying to make a major life decision. One of the teens in my youth group gave me this quote and it has been a source of direction for me for nearly 50 years. I found out much later that it comes from the Talmud, Jewish sacred literature. I’ve shared… Continue Reading
A new episode drops today. The second part of my interview with David Robertson, creator of My Virtual Mentor. If you are a man who is looking for an intentional discipleship plan, or you know a man like that, you will want to meet David. Download season 2, episode 7, of “What Difference Does That… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 23, Proverbs 3, John 20:30-21:14 Well, congratulations! We did it. 40 days ago, we started this wonderful spiritual adventure, Love Actually: Loving the Things God Loves. It seems like the days have flown by and here we are on day 40. Thank you for walking the walk with me. I hope it has… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 23, Proverbs 2, John 18-19 Good Friday Those of you who may have read my first book know that I have a chronic, terminal, and apparently incurable disease, the disease to please. I am, by the grace of God, in remission, but in the past, this ugly disease brought me to the edge… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 23, Proverbs 1, Mark 14:12-26 I was pastoring a great church in Springfield, Ohio. The church had grown explosively. We had just completed a new building and in this building was something I had always dreamed of as a pastor, a sacristy, a small room set aside for the preparation of the communion… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 23, Proverbs 31, John 13:21-38 Many of you know the story of the birth of Branches. It came out of my own failure, the pain that Doris and my family endured because of me, and the healing that Jesus brought to us. Here’s a little anecdote that you may not have heard. Doris… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 23, Proverbs 30, Ezekiel 37:1-14 This might surprise you but there is a bunch of stuff in the Bible that I don’t understand. Symbols and events, timelines and theology, there are just things that don’t make a lot of sense to me. A couple of days ago we read in Proverbs, “Don’t answer… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 23, Proverbs 29, John 12:1-11 Doris was out of town this weekend. She was involved in a women’s retreat and I am so proud of her. But, when she leaves, for some reason, this house just becomes a wreck. I don’t know who messes it up so bad but after a couple of… Continue Reading
Read Psalm 56, Proverbs 27, Isaiah 53:10-12 Next week is Passion Week. We will read Psalm 23, the Proverbs chapter of the day, and pretty much the Passion week story: Monday-John 12:1-11, Tuesday-Ezekiel 37:1-14, Wednesday-John 13:21-38, Thursday-Mark 14:12-26, Friday-John 18-19, Saturday-John 21:1-14 Here are some housekeeping things: Monday is supposed to be our last video.… Continue Reading