Madness. It happens every March. Sixty-eight NCAA men’s basketball teams compete to be a champion. However, it is not simply the number of games played in March that leads to insanity. The madness comes from the possibility of some obscure, unknown team to upset a champ that no one is betting on. The world waits […]
Outside the Walls: ‘Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes!’
Al Michaels fought back tears to get these words out as the 1980 United States Olympics hockey team mounted an unbelievable comeback in the final period of play to defeat a powerful Soviet Union team 4-3. The U.S. went on to secure the gold, but it was much more than a hockey game. For decades, […]
Outside the Walls: Be Resolved
Let’s face it: You’re not going to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions. Don’t you feel better now? According to inc.com, 91 percent of Americans will not achieve their New Year’s resolutions. I know what you are thinking: “So, you are saying there is a chance?” I appreciate your optimism. The top three New Year’s resolutions […]
Outside the Walls: It’s a Small World
“Dad, what do you want for Christmas?” I asked as we sat at his table. “I want the entire family to go to Disney World,” he said. Dad was on a mission, but this would be no easy task to pull off. We have a big family that includes five guys and all their families. […]
Outside the Walls: The Climb
“Who wants to climb Table Rock?” asked my 60-year-old grandfather while on a family camping trip. To a 10-year-old kid, climbing a mountain sounded like a good idea. I asked how long the hike would take. “It shouldn’t take more than an hour,” he said. That was about all the preparation we had before my […]
Outside the Walls: Moment, Map, Mountain
I remember the moment when my wife said yes. I surprised her at her dorm to go on a picnic. We headed up to Whitewater Falls and hiked around to the top of the falls and climbed down a small embankment. I spread out the blanket on top of the rock and pulled out the […]
Outside the Walls: Unwanted Lives
Shelley was an unwanted child. Ruth had longed for a child of her own and adopted Shelley at birth and loved her. Ruth never hid from Shelley that she was adopted. It was important to her that Shelley know that she had been “chosen.” Shelley would wonder at times who her birth mother was. The […]
Outside the Walls: Nations Moving to Neighborhoods
“Do you have anyone from Asia your church is reaching?” a missionary asked while having lunch with a pastor friend. The pastor shook his head and said, “We have not taken a mission trip to Asia.” “I’m talking about right here in your community.” The pastor looked up from his lunch and asked, “Do you […]
Outside the Walls: Don’t Give Up
“Tell them not to give up. Those two young men need to hear the gospel.” I was on the streets of Paris. The two North Africa migrants the missionary was referring to were smoking a cigarette waiting on the metro. I watched him walk over, start a conversation in Arabic, and share with them the […]
Outside the Walls: Heartbeat of a Multiplying Church
I sat in a local church recently that was full and vibrant. The pastor stood up in front of the packed house and shocked me with what he said: “We need some of you to leave.” Those who were guests couldn’t believe their ears, but the locals knew what he meant. It was time to […]