Surfing the Inner N8

Insights & Outsights from a Guy Trying to Follow Jesus

  • Clutter Must Die

    Clutter is like dust.  I have trouble preventing its accumulation. A while back I read Little House on the Prairie, and I was struck by how simple their stuff was.  They didn’t have much–only the things that really mattered.  I mean, for Christmas one year, the kids each got their own drinking cup.  That’s pretty… Continue reading

    , ,

  • My (Probably) Last SonRise Sermon

    This morning I’m preaching what is likely to be my last sermon at SonRise Church for a while.  It’s kind of funny–my first sermon at SonRise, before I came on staff, was the week after Easter (in 2004).  My last sermon at SonRise, after leaving the staff, is also the week after Easter. So it’s… Continue reading

    , ,

  • Really Cool Live Painting Video

    Seems like I’ve been posting a lot of videos lately, but oh well. I can do that–haha. Enjoy this one. It’s a little long (about nine minutes) but very much worth it. Continue reading

    ,

  • Lessons from Preaching: Interacting With Your Listeners

    In my preaching, I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way: through experience. I keep a running file of mistakes I make in preaching and what I’ve learned from them. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned about crowd interaction while preaching: (1) Since people’s thoughts are guided by associations, be highly selective in… Continue reading

    , ,

  • The Museum of Bad Art

    I think I’ve found my new favorite museum.  Located in Dedham Square, Massachusetts, the Museum of Bad Art states that its mission is “to bring the worst of art to the widest of audiences.”  How cool is that?  Their website boasts that their exhibits display “the best bad art ever assembled in one museum.”  To… Continue reading

  • And You Thought You Had A Weight Problem

    When Carolyn and I were at the National Zoo in D.C. last Friday, we watched three different elephants walk across their massive scale. A little elephant went across it, followed by a larger elephant, followed by a massive, 9,000-pound hulk of an animal. Nine thousand pounds! Dag. Here’s a little help to put that in… Continue reading

  • The Ultimate Hungry Hungry Hippo

    This video is a classic, some of Jenna’s best work. It was a big hit at Coast Concerts back in January. Continue reading

    , ,

  • The Blogging Church

    Recently I finished reading The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey with Terry Storch. What an extremely useful and helpful resource! The book begins with an explanation of what blogging is and why it’s important. They do a great job of showing how blogging can be an amazing resource for the church, and they cast the… Continue reading

    ,

  • Easter Sunday

    Easter morning.  What an awesome day.  I know that Pastor Daryl has a great message prepared for SonRise today.  I’ll link to the podcast as soon as it’s up. I hope everyone has a great Easter, and remember–we celebrate it today and every day because Jesus lives!!! Continue reading

  • Invertebrains

    Yesterday when Carolyn and I were at the zoo, we were near the Invertebrates House.  There was a little boy there who kept asking his mother: “Mommy, where are the invertebrains?” Continue reading