Christmas begins in July for the Dickersons. Choir directors start music research, purchasing and rehearsing long before the average person even thinks about the holiday (unless you are like my grandmother who had her shopping finished by March!). The tree, on the other hand, doesn’t make an appearance until Thanksgiving weekend. This year, our sixteen-year-old […]
Welcome to Advent
This is the first week of Advent! Advent comes from the Greek word adventus which speaks to the second coming of Christ. When was the last time you actively thought— I wonder when Jesus is coming back? I know the things I’ve waited for more recently are for the milk in the bottle to get warm, for […]
Watching and Waiting
There are two children in my life for whom I have prayed with more faithfulness and fervency than almost anything else in my life. One, adopted from Ghana, was added to my prayer list when I met her parents four years ago and agreed to run a half-marathon to fund-raise for her adoption. (What?!?! A half-marathon?!?! […]
One More Step Forward in Your Prayer Journey
This weekend I will preach the final message in our series, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray.” As I said from the beginning of this year-long emphasis on prayer, our goal is not that you will know more about prayer, although I believe that will be true. Our goal is that you will pray. More of you. […]
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A Community of Support
Joey’s and my first real date was scheduled for September 11th, 2001. Ever the romantics, we planned an afternoon that included Slurpees from 7-11 and playing Frisbee. Even from the very beginning, I knew this relationship had potential and was excited to look back at this silly first date in years to come. Instead, we […]
On the Eve of Election
Next Saturday I will celebrate my sixtieth birthday. When Cyndi asked me last summer what I wanted to do, I told her I wanted to go to Hawaii and be with her… alone. So, that’s where we are and I’m sure we are having a blast. But when we made those plans last summer, it […]
On Our Knees for Our Country
Tuesday night my wife Cyndi and I were part of a crowd of 399 folks who gathered in our sanctuary for a night of music, worship and, especially, prayer for our nation. I looked forward to this event, because I love the music of Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman and others. What caught me by surprise was […]
Chris Tomlin at Chapel Hill
All right… the heading is a bit misleading. But only a bit. On October 25, Chapel Hill will be one of hundreds of venues across the country who will simulcast a night of worship and prayer featuring Chris Tomlin. Other artists and speakers will include Max Lucado, Louie Giglio, Matt Redman, Phil Wickham, Tasha Cobs, […]
Jump-Starting Your Prayer Life
I’ll admit it: I was nervous last summer as we approached our Year of Prayer. I always have September Jitters, but the idea of spending a whole year preaching and teaching on prayer when, in fact, my own prayer life could be described as spotty… that made me really jittery. Then I shared an experience with the rest […]
Insult to Injury
Last weekend we celebrated World Communion in what many of you have shared was a moving and innovative way: we prayed through the Lord’s Prayer, focusing each petition on one of our Mission Partners. You will recall Joseph Bataille who shared via video, our representative with partner World Relief in Haiti. As I shared, Haiti—the poorest country […]