I knew a man who went to Mt. Rushmore as a child. He said the whole trip bored him. The drive, the gift shop, the usual rigmarole of tourism, all of it was a drain. Mt. Rushmore was a dud.But then something happened, something that changed everything: He looked up. As the day ended and his family drove away, this boy for the first time actually looked up at the mountain. He … [Read more...] about Missing God
Simple
I am fascinated by simple. Captivated. Simple sentences written clearly. Short fragments of verse. They all seem so refreshing. Life is complicated and noisy. My mind is complicated and noisy. Give me simple. My children love simple. They demand it. I constantly catch myself saying impossibly abstract things. I stop and ask if they understand what I mean. Blank … [Read more...] about Simple
To Catch a Frog
My son saw the frog first. It sat at the lake's edge where the water laps the sand. It leapt just as we approached. Without hesitation, my son dove after him, splashing and running and grabbing at the water down the shoreline. After a flurried few seconds, and to my great surprise, my little three-year-old held up the frog and shouted, "I got it!" He grasped the frog in his … [Read more...] about To Catch a Frog
Preach Better
Paul Tripp rips mediocre preaching. He challenges preachers everywhere to improve. He writes: "Preaching is more than regurgitating your favorite exegetical commentary, recasting the sermons of your favorite preachers, or reshaping notes from one of your favorite seminary classes. It is bringing the transforming truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ from a passage that has … [Read more...] about Preach Better
Ministry Longevity
My generation considers longevity in ministry. We count the cost better than previous generations. We have seen marriages and ministries flame out, annihilated in a moment. We have seen stretched and strained families. We know the statistics of dropout in ministry as well as anyone. We have heard stories and made notes. When I consider my own ministry, I often think in … [Read more...] about Ministry Longevity