Surfing the Inner N8

Insights & Outsights from a Guy Trying to Follow Jesus

Church Stuff

  • Risky Business

    Reading the Bible in a different translation than you’re used to can really help to round out your understanding of a passage. This happened for me this week as I was reading Mark 15:43 in the New Living Translation. This passage tells us how after Jesus had died on the cross, a man from Arimathea… Continue reading

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  • The Power of Story

    Thanks to Jenna, our technology woman, the message from Sunday is now available by podcast. It’s called “The Power of Story” and is the third part in our series “Just Walk Across the Room.” Pastor Daryl shared with us the previous week about listening to other people tell their story. In this message, I gave… Continue reading

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  • Top 10 Things Pastors Do That Inspire Me

    Surely you didn’t think I’d slam the men of the cloth one day and not give ’em a shout out the next? So here’s my list of the Top 10 Things Pastors Do That Inspire Me: (10) Teach. Through their own lives as well as through their sermons, pastors teach us to know God better… Continue reading

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  • Top 10 Things Pastors Do That Bug Me

    Let’s start off by making a few things clear: I am a pastor. I love and respect pastors. Every pastor has probably done some of the things on this list. I know I’ve been guilty of several of them myself. Pastors need to be cut some slack just like everyone else. Nothing on this list… Continue reading

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  • Transition, Part 3

    This might sound harsh, but I wish more people would make a transition. I mean really–have you ever noticed how many people are obviously in the wrong job? I don’t mean to bust on people, but something is not right when the Wal-Mart greeter ignores you, the nurse cops an attitude, the secretary can’t spell… Continue reading

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  • Transition, Part 2 (or How to Hire the Right Guy)

    As I transition out, the church will be prayerfully looking for the right person to transition in. By “the right person,” I mean someone who will fit three criteria. I can’t remember where I first read about these, but it was probably in The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley or Courageous Leadership by Bill… Continue reading

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  • Transition, Part 1

    With my time on staff at SonRise Church drawing near the end in three or four weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about transition.  So I thought I’d share my thoughts about it over these next three days. This whole thing was probably started by a Bible verse about a year and a half ago. … Continue reading

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  • What Does “Down Under” Mean, Anyway?

    A couple months ago on iTunes I discovered one of those international treasures that the Internet has unearthed. It’s a podcast called “A Little Bit of Preaching by Tom,” by Tom French. Tom is a youth pastor at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Belrose, Australia. Whenever Tom preaches at the church, his sermons are made… Continue reading

  • Choir Risers, Here We Come!

    Woo hoo!  Once again God has shown that He is so much greater than our limited faith. During the month of February, SonRise collected a special offering to buy some choir risers for Stephen Decatur High School, where we meet for worship.  They cost well over $3,000, and after the last Sunday in February, we… Continue reading

  • “Walk the Line” Podcast

    I forgot to mention earlier that the podcast for “Walk the Line,” the message from a couple Sundays ago, is now available for download.  You can find it here. Continue reading

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