This week my family has been enjoying some memory-making time at “Mickey’s Castle” (as my three-year-old calls it). Since I’m technically on vacation, I’ll keep this short. Here are seven things the church can learn from Disney World: 1. Their experience begins in the parking lot. Walt intentionally made the parking lot of Magic Kingdom far away from the park itself because he wanted everyone to experience the magic of the entrance to his park on a monorail. How can churches... Read more
BIG Idea: Live for the line, not dot. Have you ever encountered someone who lacked perspective? If you have, you’ve probably been amused/annoyed/concerned/entertained by their complete lack of self-awareness. It might be the two-year-old throwing down Armaggedon in the grocery store because his mom wouldn’t get him the candy that apparently his life depended on. It might be a teenage girl stomping to her room and cocooning herself in an isolated sanctuary of self-pity and grief because her boyfriend broke... Read more
With the release of the latest James Bond movie, it’s fitting to do a book review on a real life James Bond, the CIA’s Henry Crumpton. Written by a former CIA operative about the shadowy world of US Intelligence, this is one of the few books written by an insider with deep ties to the intelligence community. As I was reading it, my most reoccurring thought was, “they let him write this?” It was fascinating to read about some of the... Read more
With the release of the latest James Bond movie, it’s fitting to do a book review on a real life James Bond, the CIA’s Henry Crumpton. Written by a former CIA operative about the shadowy world of US Intelligence, this is one of the few books written by an insider with deep ties to the intelligence community. As I was reading it, my most reoccurring thought was, “they let him write this?” It was fascinating to read about some of the... Read more
I think marriage is like a college road trip. Don’t ask me, ask my friend. Several days ago I emailed some local Air Force guys about their life in the military as research for the current series I’m preaching through, “I Want a New Marriage.” One of them emailed back with a great metaphor for military life, which is eerily similar to marriage. Here’s what he wrote me: “Military life is pretty much like a road trip you start off... Read more
Wednesday and Thursday I wrote about the fallout from the election. This Five for Friday will be one last cathartic experience to try and put the bitterness of the election behind us. The People Have Spoken – What Should Christians Do Now? – Great thoughts from Ed Stetzer of Lifeway Research. 3 Things the Church Can Learn from the Election of 2012 – If you love the church, you need to read this post. Christians, Let’s Honor the President –... Read more
Dear Evangelical Brothers and Sisters, I know that you’re still in the throes of angst with the results of the presidential election. While it’s understandable to be disappointed, bitter, and angry, please remember: 1. Jesus wasn’t concerned about politics. In Luke 20, the religious leaders tried to bait Jesus into picking a political side when they asked him about paying taxes to Caesar. They tried to get him to pick a side: Rome or Israel. He confounded them all and refused... Read more
Dear Mr. President, Although I did not vote for you, I will support you as my president. I understand that you bear a greater and deeper burden then most Americans could ever fathom. In and of itself, the presidency is a responsibility too great for any one man. The time for politicking and posturing is now over. The people have spoken. It is time to put away what divides us and come together around what unites us. As a follower... Read more
On the day that our nation is deciding its future for the next four years, it’s fitting to pull back for a moment and reflect on evangelical Christianity’s impact on American politics over the last few generations. Jonathan Merritt is uniquely positioned to offer words of insight into this delicate subject. Born and raised in an environment that actively engaged in religious culture wars, he had a front row seat to watch conservatives such as Jerry Falwell and the Moral... Read more
Last week in our marriage series, I shared seven ways to fight with your spouse, based off of Ephesians 4:25-32. Use these principles and have a good fight with your spouse! 1. Be honest about what you’re fighting about. If you’re going to fight, at least fight about the right things. Ladies, that will mean that you’ll have to open up and tell your husband what’s really going on. Guys, you’ll have to open up and share about your feelings... Read more
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