“Shadow Government” on the Radio Today

May 17, 2010

This week (Mon, Tues, Wed & Fri) I’m co-hosting “Today’s Issues” from 10 AM-12 Noon CDT with Tim Wildmon. Today at 11 AM our guest will be Grant Jeffrey, author of the book/DVD set called “Shadow Government,” an eye-opening look at the loss of personal privacy through modern technology. The march of progress…

Battling the Black Dog

May 13, 2010

It’s a little-known and rarely discussed secret that pastors sometimes struggle with depression. There are many reasons why we prefer not to deal with this problem openly. Because we look to our pastors as spiritual leaders, it’s hard to think of them wrestling with fear, discouragement, doubt and depression. And pastors feel the pressu…

Back from Charleston

Late yesterday Marlene and I returned from a brief vacation trip to Charleston, South Carolina. Early this morning a friend emailed saying she and her husband are heading to Charleston next week, and did I have any recommendations? Well, yes I do. Charleston struck us as a terrific town to visit, a place redolent with the fragrance of history infus…

Praying for Leaders With Whom You Disagree

May 6, 2010

So how do you pray for those in power when you didn’t vote for them? Leaving all politics aside, it helps to remember that in any contested election, there will always been winners and losers. Someone is bound to be disappointed. In 1884 Democrat Grover Cleveland defeated Republican James Blaine in one of the closest elections in American his…

Wrestling With an Angel

May 4, 2010

Now and then I like to alert you to things that I find personally compelling. The weblog called Wrestling With an Angel falls into that category. The subtitle tells you all you need to know: “Lessons in the life of a father learned through the struggles of his disabled son.” Greg Lucas is a police officer in a small town in West Virgini…

Sunday Morning in Kampala

May 1, 2010

Each week we send out a prayer update that includes a report on recent happenings at KBM. After sending out this week’s update, I decided to post it as a blog entry because it contains a little snapshot from our time in Uganda. Dear Prayer Partners,"I never thought I’d meet him in person."That’s what the pastor s…

Trivia Time Q &A

April 30, 2010

Every Friday on “Today’s Issues,” we devote the second hour to “Trivia Time.” After a long week of discussing serious issues, it’s fun to end the week on a lighter note. The format is very simple. We throw out a few questions, then invite the callers to either answer one of the questions, or try to stump the pane…

Should I Pray for the Job I Really Want?

April 28, 2010

A friend sent an email asking a question that many people have wondered about when facing big decisions. At the moment he is looking for a job, having been laid off as a result of the recession. After many years building a fine career in his chosen field, he now stands at a crossroads. Here is part of what he wrote, with some of the identifying det…

My Favorite Books on Preaching

April 27, 2010

As a follow-up to my message on What I’ve Learned About Preaching, I decided to rummage through my library to find the most helpful books I own regarding preaching. Over the years I’ve read quite a few books on the topic, though not nearly enough to make me any sort of specialist. My standard of evaluation for books on preaching is…

Hope’s Journey

April 24, 2010

On our flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta I listened to the audio of a sermon called “Hopes’ Journey” that Bryan Chapell gave at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. I think it’s one of the finest sermons I’ve ever heard. Chapell makes a compelling case that it’s not enough to teach people doctrine an…