Greed is not defined by what something costs; it is measured by what it costs you. If anything costs you your faith or your family, the price is too high. Such is the point Jesus makes in the parable of the portfolio.

Be quick to pray. Stop talking to yourself. Talk to Christ.

All of my sermons become books. I've been accused of having no unpublished thought. I encourage pastors to do that. I think there are so many great sermons that never really get circulation.

Matthew loved the magi. He gave their story more square inches of text than he gave the narrative of the birth of Jesus. He never mentions the shepherds or the manger, but he didn't want us to miss the star and the seekers. It's easy to see why. Their story is our story.

Usually I'm able to prepare a message about two to three weeks in advance.I know some preachers don't like that. They want to be finishing it on Friday before they preach it on Sunday, but our worship team really likes me to get it done way in advance.

Sometimes I wonder if we don't see Christ's love as much in the people he tolerated as in the pain he endured.

It seems to me that election season is just a Petri dish for anger and cynicism.