Is God evil?
Of course not.  Well…most would agree that He’s not.
But does God allow evil things to happen?
Take a peek into a conversation that Job had with his wife:
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity?  Curse God and die.”  But he said to her, “You speak as one of [...]

Whether you’re a church leader, a business leader, a small group leader, or the leader of a local gang, you should constantly evaluate your system.
We just had a small groups launch yesterday at Grace Community Church.  10 new small groups launched, with over 150 people committing to joining new groups.  Amazing, right?!?
There’s room for improvement.
There [...]

I lost my voice on Sunday, and still haven’t been able to get it back. I’m able to squeak out a whisper most of the time, but that’s about all I’ve got.
Why is it that people feel the need to speak softly to me now? As if somehow their soft voice mimicking my [...]

This video does a great job showing group leaders what not to do.

(HT: Ron Edmondson)
What have you experienced that “kills” community?

Looking back over my spiritual growth, I can definitely notice ups and down. I have had periods of no growth and periods of slow growth. I’ve also had a few times when I’ve grown rapidly.
The most memorable time of spiritual growth for me was when I was in late high school.  Every Friday [...]

Never heard of Sam or Colt?
Sam Bradford, quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, was the winner of the 2008 Heisman Trophy.
Colt McCoy was the quarterback at the University of Texas, 2008 Heisman Trophy runner-up, and led his team to the National Championship game in the 2009 season.
I won’t get into who your favorite college football [...]

Whether you’re a professional or not, you can operate like one.
I meet with people a lot.  A whole lot!
Invariably, lots of folks have to reschedule.  And I love it when they let me know beforehand.
I was supposed to meet with Rick Howerton today in Nashville (about a 45 minute drive from Clarksville, where I live).  [...]

Some (including my wife) call me a coffee snob.  I just say that I like my coffee.
Hey, if I’m going to buy my own coffee, I’m going to get the good stuff!  Bad coffee isn’t worth the bag it’s packaged in.
Regardless whether you get your coffee from a local microbrewery, a national chain, Wal-Mart, [...]

You’ve heard of Noah, right?
In Genesis 6, God “was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.” (Genesis 6:6).  So He “determined to make an end of all flesh.”  All flesh!  Gone. Washed away (pun intended).  Except for Noah and his family.
So, God was going to destroy [...]

I’m reading through the Bible in a year.  I’ve done this before.  Started a “Read Through the Bible in a Year” plan, only to make it to the first part of February.
It’s not that I quit reading my Bible.  I just quit the plan.
So I’ve started with The Chronological Plan. I wanted a plan [...]