I visited a really great mega-church in a major city. I enjoyed it a lot, actually, despite some of my personal reservations about mega-churches in general. It was a warm summer night, a mid-week service packed with more than 2,000 people and afterward they announced water baptism in a cluster of large above ground pools … Read more
Launch right, not right now. Patience is a virtue (most of us lack). We get a an idea, sometimes a great idea, and want to run with it right away. We might not have a plan, or a budget, or the right people, and the timing is bad… but it’s such a GREAT IDEA, so … Read more
Don’t use people to build the church; use the church to build people. Churches depend upon volunteers — lots of them — bringing their talents, skills and experience together to serve one another and bless the surrounding community. There is always a synergy that takes place when talented people come together with a common purpose, … Read more
Relational connections are superior to organizational connections. Don’t get me wrong; I am part of a church organizational structure. It is a good organization and an okay structure, but relational connections trump those formal, organizational connections every single time. Let me give you two recent examples. About 20+ years ago I met Paul and Nancy … Read more
I took a business law class decades ago as an undergrad. I have no idea now WHY I took it, but I did. Most of what I heard and read in that class is now long forgotten, but one phrase stuck: implied warranty of merchantability. Feel free to read the wiki but here’s the part … Read more
I love the Disney experience. Immersive escapism, allowing old guys like me to dress and act like a kid for a day or more… it’s great fun; but make no mistake — Disney Parks are really just the world’s biggest shopping mall. Let’s take the recently developed Cars Land as an example. It is a … Read more
There are people with genuine needs. LOTS of people with genuine needs, actually, so I am hesitant to even attach that word to the list I am making, but I don’t exactly know what to call the list… so, needs it is. Not MY needs; I am blessed beyond measure, and have pretty much what … Read more
Matthew Chapter 5 is a famous sermon recording the words of Jesus; the first section of that sermon? We call that section “The Beatitudes.” That word — BEATITUDE — comes from a Latin word that means “BLESSED”… because there are a series of verses that start with the phrase: BLESSED ARE THE… 3 “Blessed are … Read more
I’m a red state guy living in the bluest of blue states. I have often referred to this place as The People’s Republic of Hawaii. Because I am a son of the south who has lived just about half my life in Hawaii and half in the south, I have a unique perspective and a … Read more
The Church as a Contrast Society (A Biblical Worldview) Everyone reads the Bible through filters — sometimes LOTS of filters. I know… people sometimes say, “Well, I just believe the BIBLE – that is my doctrine.” Sounds good, until you dissect that and realize that everyone reads the Bible through filters. You and I read … Read more