Week 1 of our series “And He Shall Be Called” Christmas comes early this year for our church. I know there are two kinds of people: those who pull out the decorations on November 1st, and those who refuse to hear a carol until Thanksgiving is done. I usually belong to the second group. This year I’m making an exception, partly because I think we could use a little more holiday joy, but mostly because we’re starting a new series. It’s titled “And He Shall Be Called,” taken from Isaiah’s...

On Sunday (October 18) we reached the end of our series through Ecclesiastes. Before I tell you what the key is, let me tell you about keys. Last week (October 15-17), our church served over a thousand people at a clothing giveaway. I came in at the end on Saturday to help with cleanup, and since it was chilly, I had a coat with me for the first time in months. I tucked it at the back of the stage. An hour and a half later, I was ready to leave and couldn’t find it. Someone had bagged it with...

Finish this line: "I pity the…" If you said "fool," you've been paying attention to 1980s pop culture. Mr. T, the A-Team tough guy who famously put a beating on Rocky, is now a gospel preacher, and some of his sermons are worth looking up. But his catchphrase is exactly what came to mind as I read the end of Ecclesiastes 9 and all of chapter 10. Throughout the book, the Teacher has told us that wisdom is better than foolishness, but both end in the grave, so what's the point? Is it worth...