I had a lead role in the movie “Radio.” I don’t like to brag about it much, but it was kind of a big deal. The movie was a true story about a high school coach who befriended a man with special needs who helped the team for decades. I had the important part of […]
Outside the Walls: Be Concerned
“Pastor, can I talk to you a minute about some concerns I have?” There is not a pastor in the state who ever answers that question honestly. What they want to say is, “No. The last thing I want to talk about after a pretty good Sunday is a trivial complaint that has nothing to […]
Outside the Walls: Let Them Go
“Thanks for helping me move into college, Dad. So, how long are you planning to stay?” Just like that, 18 years of preparing my second son Connor for the world came to an end. Connor is attending Anderson University and is on their inaugural football team. For those who have not experienced taking their child […]
Outside the Walls: Some Things Never Go Out of Style
It was a hot summer day in July. My wife and I would be married in just a few hours, and I had secured the perfect getaway car. It was my wife’s dream car, so I wanted us to ride in it at least once in our marriage. She was a cherry red, white sidewalls, […]
Outside the Walls: Who’s In?
“You’re out!” Poor Colin struck out again. He was on my Little League baseball team, and struggled at the plate. The other kids on the team got frustrated with him, but I wasn’t going to kick him off the team for not doing everything right. Then, with humility, he came up to me one game […]
Outside the Walls: Lights. Camera. Action.
“Is this a movie?” Christian asked as he raced toward the metro in Hollywood, Calif. Christian was homeless, broken, and in desperate need of hope. He had recently arrived in Los Angeles and had spent the last week in the depths of the subway. I was serving with our South Carolina Palmetto Collective group of […]
Outside the Walls: Listen to Your Mom
Nancy was told that her son, Tom, wouldn’t make it in school. They called him addled or mentally ill. One day Tom overheard the teacher talking about his deficiencies to another teacher and relayed the information to his mother with a broken spirit. She fiercely defended him and went to the school to be his […]
Outside the Walls: The Energy of Innovation
“We are having a baby!” As a young husband, I remember where I was when we found out that something new was about to happen to multiply our family and embark on an adventure. Nothing brings more energy and excitement than the birthing of a new baby. The day finally arrived for our first son, […]
Outside the Walls: March Madness
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, […]