Frank Gasparro was an artist with very little name recognition, yet his artwork has been held by millions of people. You have owned one of his works. Frank designed the images on the penny. All pennies from 1959 through 2008 have his initials on them. If you look at the lower right of the Lincoln…
Spiritual Development
God and Synergy
Every time a great group of individual players come together on the same team, fans and commentators raise the question of synergy. Will the players be able to play well together? Will there be chemistry? As a Heat fan, I desire synergy from Lebron, Wade, and Bosh, but my hope is that the new Lakers…
Paths of Righteousness
Psalm 23 is a passage that many people love because of the comforting imagery of the Lord being our shepherd in difficult and painful moments. And He is. He restores and cares for His own. He provides for His sheep, His people. And He leads. But notice where the Scripture promises us that He leads…
When Football Is God
The report from former FBI Director Louis Freeh regarding the Penn State scandal is both shocking and sickening. Our hearts break for the victims and our anger burns against those who knowingly put children in the path of devastating danger. The report shows that key leaders at Penn State, including head coach Joe Paterno and…
God of the Ordinary and the Extraordinary
We love when God reveals Himself in extraordinary ways, when He shows up in the miraculous. But often He chooses to care for His own in the ordinary of life. Two Jewish celebrations are beautiful reminders that God is the King of both the extraordinary and the ordinary. Passover is the Jewish time of remembrance…
Even to Death on a Cross…
While studying Philippians 2:5-11 for the Easter message I was honored to preach at two Christ Fellowship Miami campuses, the Lord stirred my heart. I thought I would share a few thoughts from the one phrase “even to death on a cross.” Jesus displayed deep humility in His birth as well as in life, from…
Our Hunger for Story
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve heard of the movie The Hunger Games. The movie is actually based on a book series that I’ve not read—probably because I am not a 13-year-old girl. I don’t want to ruin the movie for you, so I will stop where the trailer does, but the movie…
Have You Tried the Roof?
One of my favorite stories in the gospels is the story of the four men who carry a paralyzed man to Jesus [Mark 2:1-12]. Imagine the details surrounding the narrative. Jesus is talking to a huge crowd crammed in and around Peter’s house. Hearing a loud noise on the roof, people begin to look up….
Righteous Frustration
In their now classic work, The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner wrote, “More than anything else, leadership is about creating a new way of life. Leaders must accept the responsibility for making change happen.” Leadership and change are inexorably related. When God raises a leader for a task, He often burdens that leader with righteous…