I was stuck. Years ago, I had just finished taking a final exam at Harding Graduate School of Religion (Memphis). The test was not complete until late afternoon. I decided to spend the night and stayed at my friend Gary’s apartment. Gary worked nights and I would have the apartment to myself most of the… Continue reading Stuck in a Memphis Bathroom
Tag: God-Hungry
On Being Real
She and her family heard him preach one Sunday morning. He was their new preacher and this was his second message to the church. A few days later, she was on the telephone when her friend asked: “How do you like your new minister?” The woman replied, “I have heard him preach twice and I… Continue reading On Being Real
On Resilience 3 (Guest writer Charlie Coil)
The following post was written by Charlie Coil on the important subject of “resilience.” You can find part one here, and part two here. Part III: We Are Perplexed Four-year old Tyler looked up at his daddy and asked him, “Daddy, how did you get to be so big? I wanna be big just like… Continue reading On Resilience 3 (Guest writer Charlie Coil)
Worth Pondering
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl
Strenthening the Soul (13)
With one finger, he lowered the electric window of his Cadillac convertible. He was smoking a big cigar. He was a prominent businessman in our town. In our little church, he was our big giver. I was a young minister, newly married, and had been preaching in this little church for only a few months.… Continue reading Strenthening the Soul (13)
Ministry Inside.25
1. “Manage yourself.” These are the words of my friend Charles Siburt, longtime ministry professor at ACU. If you as a minister approach ministry from a systems perspective, there is nothing more important than managing yourself. Yet, managing yourself is not simply a matter of working harder or trying more. It is examining how you… Continue reading Ministry Inside.25
On Resilience 2 (Guest writer-Charlie Coil)
The following is part two in a series by guest writer, Charlie Coil of Bentonville, Ark. The entire post entitled “Resilience.” This is a well written and well thought-out post. (You can read part 1 here) Part II: Pressed on Every Side by Troubles Everybody sing along: “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, Nobody knows… Continue reading On Resilience 2 (Guest writer-Charlie Coil)
Happy Birthday to Me
It was a Saturday. We were traveling south on I-35, toward Austin, and decided to stop at Salado. While there, we went into Brookshire’s grocery store. Jamie was with us that day. As she walked through the store, she passed by an older gentleman holding a cake he had purchased from the store bakery. On… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Me
Strengthening the Soul (12)
Recently, I heard the podcast of a message preached by Tim Keller entitled, “Real Friendship and the Pleading Priest.” (This is in the series The Gospel According to Abraham.) We live in a Western culture, especially as Americans in one of the most individualistic cultures there has ever been. What I mean by an “individualistic… Continue reading Strengthening the Soul (12)
Ministry Inside.24
1. There is much to be said for listening. In the past month, I have been intentional about meeting with small groups of people in our community (outside our church family) in order to learn more about our city. I ask questions like: What are people in your circles talking about? (Your family, friends, neighbors,… Continue reading Ministry Inside.24