Weekly Devotionals and Blogs
What Was it About Hank—That Changed Our Lives?
Saturday at Riverbend Church here in Austin, TX, a large number of people gathered to say a formal “Goodbye,” and “We love you, Hank!” to our dear remarkable, unpretentious friend, Francis Leo “Hank” McNamara. It was a strange mix: some 50 or 60 family members; many...
Finding a Vocation after Surrendering to God
Keith, After I decided to surrender my life to God, how should I go about finding my vocation? Good question. At first I didn’t know what to do. I was a land man for a major oil company. It was a good job but hardly considered to be a training ground for...
How to Get Out of Pain
Keith, what does Jesus say about the fact that good Christians often have serious pain? I don’t know where the notion came from that committed Christians shouldn’t have pain. But for me pain has been the most important way that I find my way back to God—again and...
Faith: Transaction or Relationship?
Keith, as I have watched you from a distance for the past twenty-five years, you have not been a Christian who just made up his mind to be a Christian and just relax and be one. You seem to keep wrestling with the faith as if it is a continuous process after you are...
Real Time Experiences—Lessons in Loving God and Others
This is a response to the second question of a two-part question that came up after John Burke (Lead Pastor at Gateway Church) interviewed me last month. I responded to the first of the two-part question on last week’s blog. Last week’s question was about why I...
Jesus’ Teaching Laboratory
Keith, a few weeks ago I watched as John Burke interviewed you at Gateway Church. I am an emerging leader at Gateway and have a few questions for you. First, specifically, why do you think the kind of small group you described is so important? (You can watch...
Weekly Blog—from an 84 Year Old Novice
I have been sitting here for some time, writing my heart out to you on our new software program. I was telling you about our family’s solution to not having quality time together with our kids, grandkids and great grandkids. After pouring my heart out for three...
Facing One’s Own Death
Keith, What have you learned as a Christian about death and dying? As an 84-year-old, how are you handling the fact that statistically your own death is not far off for you? In the first place, death is real for everyone—Christians and all others. But death is...
Finding the Courage to Begin: Monkey See, Monkey Do
Dear Keith, Where and how did you learn to be open about personal problems all Christians face? A “C-minus!” I couldn’t believe it! I’d been a good student all my life and had spent hours developing, writing, and editing this, my first sermon for a homiletics...
