Live albums are admittedly a mixed bag. All too often they feature poor quality sound, tired arrangements of familiar songs, and a longing for the original, “studio” recording. I still remember disappointment at the Moody Blues anemic Caught Live Plus Five.  Get the concept?  A recording of a Moody Blues concert plus five brand new Read the full article…

In the middle of preaching the sermon yesterday, I realized I was stepping into some people’s hallowed ground. Here’s what I mean. Our Baptist friends have a teaching called Once Saved, Always Saved.  Our Reformed & Presbyterian friends believe the same thing and call it Eternal Security.  (If the fact that Baptists call it Once Read the full article…

Kenny Chesney knows How Forever Feels. Rod Stewart wanted to be Forever Young.  (It didn’t work, by the way). Most of us want a BFF — a best friend forever. But how about a Forever Upgrade? That’s this Sunday. But be warned.  The Forever Upgrade has to be teased out of one of the most Read the full article…

I recently had a conversation with a fellow United Methodist pastor who reminded me that she had been on the denominational building committee which approved the final drawings for Good Shepherd’s current Worship Center. (That’s denominational policy, by the way — and a good one, as it keeps checks and balances between congregation and connection.) Considering Read the full article…

Exegesis is the art and science of pulling out the meaning of a particular passage of Scripture. The word comes from the combination of two Greek terms:  exo, which means out; and hegeisthai, a verb meaning “to lead, guide.” Exegesis is the opposite of eisegesis, which happens when the reader imports his or her previous understanding Read the full article…