Francis Collins, the author of The Language of God, is a billionaire who gave it all away five years ago.  From 1993 until 2003 Francis worked with researchers in the United States, China, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom in his role as the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health.  In those ten years the team successfully mapped and sequenced all of the human DNA and then compiled all of the information stored in what he describes as the instruction book.  If it were a book it would be over one billion words long; with 5000 volumes, each 300 pages long. …

In her book, Finding God Beyond Harvard, Kelly Monroe Kullberg describes the growth of the university campus based movement Veritas: “Veritas isn’t about religion. Its about the art of life and a new way of seeing. Veritas is truth whose nature is love and hospitality… Our approach is generally not debate but exploration… If Jesus is truth and life, we imagine every sane person wants to know.” Those words could describe what Nicky and Pippa Gumbel have demonstrated in the last 18 years through the Alpha Course. In 1986 when Nicky and Pippa came to Holy Trinity Brompton, Nicky was a practicing barrister in the City of London. He was…

I believe it was 1985 at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs that I first met Bill Hybels. I was sitting in on a small group of pastors of large churches from around the country for three days and, no surprise to anyone, there were a number of speeches made and even a little bit of posturing. The moderator had his work cut out for him to keep the brothers from talking right over each other. However, his biggest challenge was getting the youngest guy there to say anything. He hadn’t tuned out. He wasn’t rude. He just seemed to know something no one else knew. It turned out he did.…

An older and much wiser friend once told me to spend more time on the search for the right questions than right answers. How often that’s turned out to be true.  Even tonight I’m grateful for the influence of two men who asked a simple question over 2,500 years ago. I’m grateful for the conversation with God that followed as a result. I’m often asked about the vision of The Gathering.  Sometimes I feel uncomfortable in admitting I don’t think much about it.  I’ve never found the one minute elevator speech that explains who we are and what we do.  I wish I could for then I could stop asking…

Whatever happened to the easy days of introducing people for The Gathering. I could just stand here and say “Chuck Colson needs no introduction” or “we all know Jim Dobson” and get away with it. Everyone, including me, knew exactly what words best described them. Those days are gone for good! Groups like Switchfoot combine music, video, websites, blogs, multiple messages, layered meanings, causes that sometimes defy easy description and a heart for merging the gospel with a culture that is invariably surprised in the way it is presented. Many in their audiences would never describe themselves as Christian and are caught off guard by the way the music and…

Northwest Bible Church – Dallas, Texas Psalm 112  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.  His children will be honored everywhere; for good men’s children have a special heritage..  Wealth and riches are in his house, and his good deeds will never be forgotten.  When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in. He is kind and merciful – and all goes well for the generous man who conducts his business fairly.  Such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances; He will have no fear of bad news nor live in dread of what may happen; God’s constant care of…

This has been an interesting year for all of us.  I’ve been giving it extra thought because of three events that happened all at once for me.  First, our daughter, Catherine, was married on July 8th to Terry Jaimes.  Since then, I’ve been trying to learn the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3 about the season of life where you discover there is a time to embrace and a time to refrain.  We learn to let go after a marriage – or we should.  Second, I turned 60 the next morning.  While I blew right past 40 and 50, something was different about 60.  Some of you may have had the same…

In that same essay by Seneca that describes so well the ministry of Tim Keller, the writer says, “Everybody agrees that no one pursuit can be successfully followed by the man who is busied with many things – eloquence cannot, nor the liberal studies – since the mind, when its interests are divided, takes in nothing very deeply.” Unfortunately, Seneca never had the opportunity to meet Andy Crouch. Andy has so many pursuits – music, writing , speaking, leading worship, film – and does them all well. It’s impossible to nail down what he does best or to define him. Just when you think you have him in a category…

Over the last 20 years in my role as President of The Gathering, an international association of individuals, families and foundations giving to Christian ministries around the world, I have had many occasions to talk with people about philanthropy.  Two of the most frequent questions, especially from those new to giving, are: “What is the Biblical way to give?” and “What are the best and most strategic causes to which I should be giving?”  Those are good questions and have been the source of many great discussions.  However, while I have always appreciated the sincerity with which they have been asked, I have wrestled with the value of a simplistic…

I cannot think of a greater honor and responsibility than to be invited to speak a word to my friends this afternoon.  For all of us this is a day to which we have been looking forward for years.  Two people with such grace, wit, talent, generosity and love of life being called together for a new life of purpose.  I like the texts you have chosen..They tell us something about Steve and Polly because they selected them.  I want them to remember these texts for the rest of their lives together because they are pointers to true north.  If you hold to these verses you will not lose your…