Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about unity and division. Jesus provides a way for all humans to come together in peace and harmony. But we have to do it His way. Not ours. I’ve been reading … What Americans Really want … Really, by Frank Luntz. Honesty is the best policy, especially being honest with ourselves about our real values. I’ve been hearing … the impeachment process is really over, and Donald Trump is still our president. We don’t always like the reality that exists, but we would do well to accept it. I’ve been playing … Coup. Amass i
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about finishing. How you finish something is far more important than how you start. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are great examples. I’ve been reading … two different reactions to the halftime show featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. Which one is yours will depend on whether you value carnal things or spiritual things. I’ve been hearing … about female participation, in sports and in every other walk of life. If women want to assume traditionally male roles, fine. But if I were a woman, I would rese
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the power of smiles. Joy is meant to be shown and shared. It makes all the difference in the world. I’ve been reading … the lyrics to “Closed on Sunday,” from Kanye West’s new album. This is why I don’t listen to hip-hop. I’ve been hearing … All the local Chick-fil-A employees sing their boss’s praises. And I mean everyone. They’re not brainwashed. They are just made in his image. I’ve been playing … New York Slice. Like in retail, the only way you can get what you want is by giving other people what they wa
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about leadership. Chick fil-A #01389 trains its employees to be “leaders,” both inside and outside the workplace. And it shows. I’ve been reading … about Christians withdrawing their support for Chick Fil-A because of changes in their charity policy. We have got to get a grip on who the good guys and bad guys are in this culture war. I’ve been hearing … “My pleasure.” A lot. Is there a difference between “My Pleasure” and “You’re Welcome”? I think there is, and I’ll tell you why. I’ve been playing … Lanterns: The
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the fear of God in a godless world. Sinners do not fear God; we know that. But there may be a bigger problem — that there is not enough fear of God in us. I’ve been reading … Faith for This Moment, by Rick McKinley. It is our job as Christians to present the gospel to the world. But if we think it is merely a tool to make the world less worldly, we are missing the whole point. I’ve been hearing … the Lord’s church must change with the times to accommodate changes in culture. Funny, I’ve always thought it was
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about God-given rights. They are not as “self-evident” as the founders asserted. And they certainly are not as important as the right God actually endowed us with. I’ve been reading … Epitaph, by Mary Doria Russell. Again. The OK Corral incident was all about gun-control laws. They didn’t work then, and they don’t work now, because they don’t deal with the real problem. I’ve been hearing … about the White Settlement shooting. In all the talk about concealed carry permits and church security, we have ignored the re
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about The Little Drummer Boy. This is not a beloved icon of the season; it’s an example of everything that’s wrong in the church today, and I’ll be glad to tell you why. I’ve been reading … A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. The spirit of giving manages to escape many of us. Surely the story of Jesus should be enough to make us think of someone other than ourselves. I’ve been hearing … Baby it’s Cold Outside. And I’ve been hearing the backlash, and the backlash against the backlash. Well, here’s my backlash ag
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been hearing … the good work Terry does in cooperation with Philip Martin on the popular Do the Work podcast. If you’re on Facebook, look it up. It will give some excellent insight in to the work of an evangelist — helpful for preachers and non-preachers alike. In the “I’ve been Playing” segment, we will discuss Terry’s lifelong obsession with the football program at the University of Tennessee. He’s had a rough go of things in recent years, but that’s what being a fan is all about — sticking it out through good times and bad.Are
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! In this special two-part episode, I will be speaking with Terry Francis, who preaches for the Chelsea church of Christ in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Terry cohosts the popular Do the Work podcast with his colleague, Philip Martin. I was able to sit down with Terry recently. Here is some of what we talked about: Terry has been preaching … about the role non-traditional families play in the local church. Every church craves more young families with children. But the church is here to serve. And often it is single-parent families that n
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We will discuss what I call “The Magnificent Seven,” Biblical characters that remind me of the heroes from the classic film. We will discuss Epitaph, by Mary Doria Russell, again. Josie Marcus was determined that the world see her man, Wyatt Earp, as the man she knew him to be. We should be equally protective of Jesus’ reputation We will discuss John Wayne’s “The Alamo,” a film he saw as his commentary on freedom and communism. The stand he took, both behind the scenes and on the big screen, should inspire us to stand for Christ. We wi
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We will discuss placing our faith in government. Only God can give assurance in the matters Christians truly care about. If that isn’t enough for us, an ineffectual government is the least of our worries. We will discuss Epitaph, by Mary Doria Russell. There is the Wyatt Earp who played by the rules and lost, and the Wyatt Earp who broke the rules and won. Which one is your hero? We will discuss the impeachment process, and why people seem to be pursuing an impossible goal. Turns out, so-called pointless fights say more about the fight
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I will give thanks for the assurance we have in our salvation. Balancing confidence and humility is tricky, but thankfully we have Jesus to show us the way. I will give thanks for God’s presence, as expressed in Aaron’s benediction. It’s easier to remember our blessings when we remind one another from time to time. I will give thanks for Charles Schultz. I plan on watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving again this year, and remembering the great opportunities and responsibilities we have in America. I will give thanks for Between Two Cit
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We will discuss the authority given in the New Testament for local congregations. Simply put, you can’t go it alone, and Jesus will not permit you to try. We will discuss The Bridezilla of Christ, by Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin. It is tough to adopt a “you first” mentality in a “me first” culture. But we will kill the church if we don’t try. We will discuss what it means to be led by the Spirit. Some Christians use the Spirit as an excuse to disobey Jesus. And they ought to be ashamed of themselves. We will discuss Shadows over Camelot
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! We will discuss the myth of “priorities.” Thinking we can balance commitments to money and the Lord is wrongheaded, and doomed to tip to the wrong side. We will discuss Barbarians at the Gate, a book that details the buyout of RJR Nabisco. When making money is the only objective, there’s no limit to how insane the behavior can get. We will discuss professional athletes and their contracts. Measuring men by their wallets is par for the course in sports. That’s not the kind of role model we need these days. We will discuss London, a boar
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about loincloths — not the physical garments made famous by Tarzan, the spiritual ones we make to rationalize getting by with the absolute minimum. I’ve been reading … John, the gospel written specifically to build faith. You can read the gospel and believe, or you can see Jesus in the flesh and disbelieve. It’s about your heart, not your circumstances I’ve been hearing … Kanye West is having a spiritual awakening. How sincere it is or how long it lasts is not my concern. I’m just happy to see a high profile figur
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about being born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes a powerful and unmistakable impact on the souls He touches. If you don’t know what I mean, maybe that should tell you something. I’ve been reading … Luke, the gospel account that presents Jesus as the Master Teacher. But no matter how great a Teacher He is, it will do us no good if we do not listen. I’ve been hearing … Kobe Bryant is coaching youth girls’ basketball, and they’ve come a long way in two years. The apples are not falling too far from the tree. I’v
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about whether you are baptized. Not whether you have been baptized, mind you — whether you are baptized. There is a difference. I’ve been reading … Mark, the gospel account that particularly emphasizes the power and authority of our Savior. Strange that those closest to Him had such difficulty with the concept. I’ve been hearing … about my Houston Astros going to the World Series. I’ll tell you how they made it, and how you can succeed in your faith by doing the same thing. I’ve been playing … Azul, probably the b
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about tolerance. We have fits tolerating pain and ill treatment in this life; why do we find it so easy to tolerate sin? I’ve been reading … Matthew, the first of the four gospel accounts. Matthew is all about the kingdom of heaven. And it’s like no kingdom you’ve ever seen before. I’ve been hearing … about the 1619 project and the role slavery has played in creating the America we know today. Is Jesus the problem? Is Jesus the solution? I say, none of the above. I’ve been playing … Riverboat, in which you farm yo
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about our storm shelter. You can embrace the danger, ignore it, hope to escape it, or seek a shelter that guarantees your safety. You choose. I’ve been reading … Miracle at the Higher Grounds Café, by Max Lucado, Candace Lee and Eric Newman. If you could ask God anything, what would it be? I might ask, “Why aren’t Christians satisfied with reading the Bible?” I’ve been hearing … Greta Thunberg’s diatribes about climate change. Children should not be allowed to talk about serious matters in public. If that makes me
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … God’s lists of requirements. The fact that they differ so much doesn’t mean I get to pick and choose; it just means I have extra reading to do. I’ve been reading … about Union Theological Seminary. You could search for God in a place where they confess sins to plants, or you could search in the Bible. You won’t be surprised which one I recommend. I’ve been hearing … the Carter Scratch. We can argue all day about the greatest lead guitar player ever. But we can all agree that the first one was a poor country housew
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the joy we find in Jesus. And maybe that’s the problem with unhappy Christians — they aren’t really “in Jesus” in the first place. I’ve been reading … Hosea — a book about a man determined to make his marriage work despite his wife’s best efforts. Fidelity is a word seldom used and seldom practiced today, it seems. I’ve been hearing … people don’t like Brie Larson. I’m trying to stay neutral, but she certainly doesn’t seem to care how she comes across. Reminds me of some Christians I know. I’ve been playing
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about patience. Patience is a choice, just like every other virtue. The trouble is, patience comes with a price tag we are often unwilling to pay. I’ve been reading … Tornado in a Junkyard, by James Perloff. If we are supposed to believe something as ridiculous as Darwinism, we really ought to have some proof. And despite what you may have heard, we don’t. I’ve been hearing … Antonio Brown still has a job in the NFL. That may change, though. Even in pro football, bad actors will often reap what they sow. I’ve been
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about our lost sense of identity. With everyone telling us God is irrelevant or imaginary, it’s no wonder so many Americans feel lost. I’ve been reading … Three Finger, a biography of hall of fame pitcher Mordecai Brown. He earned his nickname the hard way, then he made it work to his advantage. I’ve been hearing … soft tissue has been found in dinosaur fossils. Multiple times, by multiple scientists. Evolutionists struggle to explain how that could happen. But I don’t. I’ve been playing … Fallout Shelter. Being a
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the decline of values in a godless society. If you don’t have God defining right and wrong, there is no right and wrong. We’re proving it in America every day. I’ve been reading … quotations from Mark Twain. All this time I’ve thought I was a big Mark Twain fan. All this time I was wrong. I’ve been hearing … Carli Lloyd is thinking about trying out for an NFL team. I say, good luck. But seeing is believing, and if Ms. Lloyd is really an NFL prospect, we’ll know soon enough. I’ve been playing … Escape: Curse
Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the rise of violence in our godless society. The world reacts radically when situations do not suit them. People of faith should know better. I’ve been reading … prophecies about the downfall of empires. Sometimes it seems God is disconnected from the affairs of history. But He isn’t. Just ask any Assyrians or Babylonians you run across this week. I’ve been hearing … traffic noise in the background of this podcast. Sorry, I can’t fix it. I can only hope you can come to ignore it like I do. I’ve been playing