Living in Southern California, we have famous theme parks in driving distance. The last time we were at Knott’s Berry Farm, my wife and two boys had gone on most of the big rides except one. Late in the night, we stood sizing the Xcelerator ride, and from sheer intimidation, we passed. Leaving the park, […]
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Movement Starts With Us
We can observe movement in many Bible passages. Try it now. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way […]
Continue readingGod’s Globes
It’s that cinematic celebration time of year again. We are now only days away from the Oscars. I watched its precursor, the foreign press’s Golden Globes. Did you tune in? I enjoy these cultural events; there always seems to be something worth noting. And no different this year—it arrived from the words of George Clooney. […]
Continue readingYour Highest Call: How God Births His Vision
What is that unique work that God wants to do through you? As we look at the Scriptures in relation to our world, one thing is always consistent: God sees injustice. It reflects who he is as the One and only Righteous Ruler. Looking down from heaven and throughout the earth, God picks servants to […]
Continue readingMission Atrophy
I played football at Long Beach State University. A walk on, I fought my way up from the bottom rungs of the depth-chart to second string status; that is until I blew out a knee in the final Spring game. Ouch! It wasn’t the worst kind (medial collateral ligament tear), but it did require the […]
Continue readingNew Believer Ministry Matters
Standing before the class, the teacher asked the question: When you became a Christian, how many of your friends were non-Christians? “All of them,” replied Chris. Stop for a moment to let his statement sink in. All of his friends were outside the church. Wow! If you can’t see the missional opportunity there, you need […]
Continue readingCulture Mirror
My pastor friend, Mike Barnes, recently attended a public city gathering in the spirit of meeting new people from the community. The event began with an ice-breaking activity as a mixer. Everyone got a piece of paper taped to his or her back with the name of a specific people-group category. The participants were then […]
Continue readingMissional Doctorate Anyone?
If you, or someone you know, are ready to take a higher education step in the area of church growth expansion, please consider the attached flyer. (Don’t hesitate to forward it on!) This is the program of my doctorate. I loved the connection with the cohort, the class material, and most of all, the extended […]
Continue readingGod’s Withholdings
When the months of searching for a full-time job turned into years, oddly, we settled into feeling displaced. Uncertainty about your future is not a comfortable place to be, especially when it extends over time. Some of you know my story. Anyone who reads Soul Whisperer will get an insider’s look at my journey into […]
Continue readingReunion Worthy?
Been to a reunion lately? Designing a discipling path at Sandals Church, I had a light bulb moment regarding this notion, which I have deemed valuable. Trust me here. Making media history, the television show Lost became a cultural phenomenon, with a gigantic following boarding a plane to nowhere, or somewhere—it’s still hard to know […]
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