Revitalize Your Church

I've discovered than in most of life's endeavors, there are two kinds of people -- the folks to make things happen, and those who sit on the bleachers and criticize. Some make progress while others make suggestions. Some find solutions while others find fault. Some create while others critique. Some see the answer while others see the obstacles. A few good folks roll of their sleeves and try to make things better, while others point out how they're doing it wrong. One day, the Packers were getting hammered, and I yelled at the television. "Get him!! Good grief!! Tackle him!! Can't you guys do anything right????" My son, Wes, rolled his eyes at me, and said, "Dad, they're TRYING! Do you think you could do any better?" Now, that shut me up real quick! It's a whole lot easier to yell than to perform! You can gripe and complain about our elected officials (and those running for office), but how would you like to be in their shoes? Do you seriousl...

Only those leaders who act boldly in times of crisis and change are willingly followed. -- Jim Kouzes

Last evening, just as we were sitting down to dinner, we heard a loud "POP", and then the electricity went off. It took several hours for the repairmen to fix the problem. So, with darkness descending, we made a campfire in the backyard, invited the neighbors over, and enjoyed s'mores together. Good conversation around the fire reminded me of Sigurd Olson's observation in The Singing Wilderness: Something happens to a man when he sits before a fire. Strange stirrings take place within him, and a light comes to his eyes which was not there before. An open flame suddenly changes his environment to one of adventure and romance. As our company parted, one of the kids said, "I wish the power would go out more often."

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the world's great landmarks, was originally designed to stand up straight. It began to lean shortly after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation. The word "pisa", I've heard, actually means "marshy land", which might explain why history's most famous church bell tower started going off kilter before it was even completed. Several years ago, it looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa was headed for toppling. Moving one-twentieth of an inch each year, it eventually ended up 17 feet out of plumb. Alarmed architects and engineers puzzled over it, and in 1990 created a plan to remove 38 cubic meters of soil from underneath, straightening the tower by 18 inches. Now, they say, it is stable for another 300 years. Perhaps you will be surpised to learn that The Leaning Tower of Pisa is NOT the most tilted tower in the world. In November 2007, that honor was given to the Leaning Tower of Suurhusen in Germa...

It has been a beautiful Sunday. At services today, we took some time in the service to pause and remember our loved ones who passed away over the last twelve months. We projected a photo of each person (there were 29) as I read their names aloud. We also included a moment to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the service of our country. The Memorial Day Tribute ended with Brittany Adams playing "Taps". It was a deeply moving experience. I preached on the last half of Ephesians 6, "The Armor of God." In the message, I told the story of how God helped me overcome the fear of speaking in public through this verse . After the last service, a young Native American man approached me. I could tell that God was really working in his heart. He asked me to pray that verse over him, which I joyfully agreed to do. I sense that God has special plans for this young man, as he continues to grow in grace. In the afternoon, our family went to some graduation par...

The Gospel of John and the Epistle to the Romans are “the sum of the New Testament; Isaiah the prophet and the Psalms of David the sum of the Old.” -- Dr. John Rainolds (father of the 1611 King James Bible)

On Wednesday, Hannah and I dropped a line at dusk at the shore of Hospital Lake. Just as the sky turned purple, nature's orchestra began to play (a blend of trilling, croaking, and peeping, to accompany an acro-BAT performance.) Just then, SPOOSH -- Hannah's bobber went under, her pole bent with the weight of evening catch. It was a 14 inch largemouth bass. We jumped and shouted and "high fived" each other. Then, I took a picture with my cell phone, and we released her prize back into the placid waters. Moments later, something hit on MY line! "It's MY turn now!!" I shouted as I furiously reeled the line, " Come home to Daddy!" It was a three inch sunfish. Hannah and I laughed until our sides hurt, and she took my picture with the cell phone.