The Blind Side of the Blind Side

It’s almost football season. That means it’s time for watching football movies. One of my favorites is “The Blind Side.” But there is one problem… Maybe it’s because I’m a minister. Or maybe it is because it was glaringly obvious. Either way, Disney rewrote Scripture. Maybe you caught it too. Near the beginning of the …

Temptation In Transit

About ten years ago, I was helping put together a student conference in Dallas.  About five days before the event was to take place, I was missing one important item. Two weeks earlier, I had ordered some give-away items with the conference logo and theme imprinted on them. Nervous that they would not arrive in …

The Relevance of Wilberforce Today

As a member of British Parliament, William Wilberforce fought to abolish the slave trade and slavery altogether. One of his frustrations was found in the fact that self-identified Christians were willing to continue and support the slave trade. In his efforts to understand why, he arrived at the conclusion that British churches had bypassed the …

Is Your “Inner Compass” Trustworthy?

Confession: using a compass is a challenge for me. I wish I could be cool like soldiers in the movies by whipping out the compass, giving it a quick check, and then stuffing in back in my pocket. But, truth be known, I have to stare at the compass for a few minutes, then I …

5 Character Traits of Growing Churches (Excerpt)

Here is an excerpt from my new free e-booklet, Five Character Traits of Growing Churches: “He sure is growing up.” That’s a common phrase around my household. I swell up with a sense of pride as neighbors, friends and family notice my son’s growth. Bryce is six now and it is hard to keep up with …

Priceless

Quick… what is the first book printed in the United States? Not the Gutenberg Bible –it was printed in Germany. But that’s close… The first book believed to be printed in the United States was printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640. And yes, it was Scripture -specifically, the Psalms. It was published by the Puritan …

Every ’78 Pontiac

In Neuroscience, the Reticular Activating System refers to a set of connected nuclei in the brain that monitors and filters information being taken in by the senses.[1] When the brain becomes familiar with certain stimuli or patterns of stimuli, the Reticular Activation System becomes more sensitive to that information. It is what allows a person …

How to Make an Effective Announcement

The morning worship service was broadcast live each week on the local radio station. So, the pastor knew he had to wrap everything up by noon. At the close of the sermon, he glanced at his watch to see that he had only one minute left, so he quickly transitioned to announcements. Imagine driving in …

One Story to Get Stuck In Your Brain

A friend texts you a strange picture of a piece of rusted iron fashioned into the shape of the number “1.” As you try to figure out the significance of the picture, another text arrives from the same friend. It is the same image; only this time the picture shows a wider angle. The iron …