Many Christians get really uptight around Christmas whenever anyone uses the abbreviation “Xmas” instead of writing out, C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. Often the response is, “I’m keeping CHRIST in CHRISTmas”! Though well meaning, this is said in ignorance (and many times arrogance). “Xmas” is NOT some sort of compromise to pressure making Christmas secular, in fact “Xmas” is as […]
Read more "Merry Xmas!"Last Saturday, a group of nine leaders from our church visited Grace Community Church for one of their Saturday night services. Grace Community Church is #47 of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches in the US in 2011 (weekly attendance growth from 500 to 1,800 since ’09). What was even more amazing to us was, […]
Read more "Turnabout Is Fair Play"I am so excited to attend “The Elephant Room” this Wednesday (1/25) in New Jersey by way of simulcast. I’ll be traveling with my Executive Pastor (Josh Brossia), who introduced me to The Elephant Room last year. We have watched, re-watched and watched again the DVD from the first Elephant Room, used them for leadership […]
Read more "The Elephant Room -Round 2"As we celebrate and reflect back on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, I can’t help but think about how much he impacted my life and ministry. When I was a young pastor, I was challenged by and older pastor to read the book, “A Testament Of Hope”. While doing so, God […]
Read more "Living The Dream"Today, as I sit in my office, I find myself slowly dying. My message (sermon) is done for Sunday, in fact, I’ve already studied too much for it. I’m too prepared, and that only makes my current condition all the worse. I’ve been preaching for a long time now, but the truth is the preparation […]
Read more "Dying to Preach"We’re setting aside our plans for this Sunday at VALLEY Christian Church to reflect and remember September 1, 2001. Our nation changed that day. We all changed that day. Just yesterday, I was speaking with a friend who was a school teacher for years in NYC. Twenty-six of his former students lost their lives on […]
Read more "Today We Remember"The summer is now officially over (after Labor Day weekend here in NY), the kids are heading back to school and the cool crisp temperatures of Fall are closing in. I am so excited about a new series that we are kicking-off this Sunday at VALLEY Christian Church called, “BIG Church”. Two thousand years ago, […]
Read more "BIG Excitement About BIG Church"