I was reading through a list of quotes recently on "change." Some were inspiring. Others were convicting. A few were humorous. Here are some of my favorites:
Oftentimes, leaders are not always measured on their wins or successes but rather their mistakes and failures. A leader is supposed to have wins; therefore, they are oftentimes overlooked. However, those mistakes stick out like a sore thumb.
The best way to describe it is to say that Spouse and I are in love. We are crazy about each other. We've lived a lifetime of building a good marriage. 
When you think of fishing, what image comes to mind: a solitary figure with a rod and tackle box, patiently choosing a lure, casting, and reeling? Or a commercial shrimp boat with nets spread wide?
In October 2009, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. This legislation created a firestorm of controversy, with exaggerated and unfounded claims being made on all sides. According to some, pastors who preach against homosexuality from the pulpit, or even quote passages of the Bible pertaining to homosexuality, will be guilty of a hate crime. Is this fear warranted?
I'm fanatical about a lot of things: coffee, books, clothes, work, running--not necessarily in that order (in case my employers are reading this). But more than any of these activities, I'm fanatical about sleep. Like Brooke Shields and her Calvin Klein Jeans, nothing gets between me and sleep.
But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! . . . And . . . clothe . . . yourselves with the new [spiritual self ], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [ fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. --Colossians 3:8, 10
I've attended many pastors' conferences--and seen hundreds of advertisements promoting others. All of these events were geared around a definition of success that assumed that "bigger" and "more" were a pastor's goals. I pushed back from my desk after reading an ad for one such conference thinking, That's a lot of pressure for a pastor. Furthermore, I wondered if the ad's assumed definition of pastoral success was even accurate.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV 1984) 
Parenting is hard. And yes, we don't have kids, so no, I'm not going to offer advice from a soapbox I have no business standing on. However, I do want to share a piece of parenting I learned from the "back-side" of things, from my own childhood.
The Bible says in Matthew 4:1-11: 
Years ago, a friend of mine asked me what I thought about some big artistʼs new worship CD, and I remember taking the opportunity to (ever so subtly) slander the artist. I was able to word it in a way that it sounded impersonal, objective, and merely a matter of opinion, but deep down I was giving in to a nasty little sin.
Church office staff members often learn personal, and sometimes embarrassing, facts about other individuals. When it comes to passing on information, an administrator may feel confused or experience tension about what to say and to whom. Defamation can occur in situations in which the alleged offender is acting in what he or she believes is the best interests of the church. In fact, that often is the case.
I haven't liked Valentine's Day since 5th grade. Cindy Smith was the girl for me back then. Valentine's was my opportunity to express my vast, undying love for her. I did the best I could to fully describe it in a little hand-written note. To seal the deal, I topped it off with a few sweethearts in the same envelope. She read my note, ate my candy, and then promptly threw the note down the sewer drain.
The Bible says in Matthew 4:1-11: 
My top recommended book on a biblical theology of worship is David Peterson's Engaging with God. If you're responsible for leading in your church, either as a pastor or a musician, I think you'll serve people more faithfully and biblically if you read it. I go through it every year with my interns and never fail to come away from our discussion times with fresh understanding and inspiration for leading corporate worship.
The predicament of the American church is that we live in a kind of Magic Kingdom. Like going to Disneyland, you buy your ticket, and once you are inside the gates, everything you experience is controlled. The rides, the food, the shows are all there to entertain and amuse you. All you have to do is be there and observe.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished many things in his much-too-short life, and he initiated many more -- some of which continue to blossom today. His most-remembered moment came on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when he delivered his infamous "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington D.C.
We have been instructed by Jesus to "occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13). But how are we to be occupied? The answer is clear in Jesus' last instructions to His disciples in Acts 1:8, "You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." We have been left on this earth to lead others to Christ. Witnessing makes the wait worthwhile.
The Bible says in James 4:7: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 
So often we hear that allowing two men or two women to marry will not hurt anyone, and certainly not "straight" people. Well, the truth is, we already know what happens when a society promotes sexual license and devalues marriage. We just have to look at history.
