I wonder how much pain among Christian believers (and church planters!) would never have happened if all of us listened to and follow James’ simple command: “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness” (James…
After years mentoring younger leaders, I’m convinced there is something all leaders with more experience need to understand as we welcome young leaders to our teams: Young leaders share some common fears. And they aren’t talked about much – or even admitted. The pressure to perform often keeps us from admitting fear, but these fears…
Many churches, ministries, and non-profits are starting to wrestle with the need for any kind of cyber liability insurance. This is a good thing to wrestle with and often generates more questions than answers. To be clear, I’m a tech guy, not a lawyer or an insurance representative but I am often asked about the…
Sometimes all it takes is one key phrase to spark an entire sermon. Christmas preaching is no different. This year, try looking at the phrases you might be tempted to skip over—there might be enough material to ignite all of your Christmas preaching in just one passage. Take Luke’s famous account of the annunciation: In…
It’s happened to even the most conscientious among us: A simple drive to the grocery store or something gets interrupted by the flicker of blue and red lights in your rear view mirror. Followed by a flush of nervous adrenaline and embarrassment. Your mind swimming with questions: “What on earth did I do? Did I…
Thanksgiving posts always seem to sound like such a scolding: we ought to give thanks. Think about all the things you have and all other people who have nothing. There, now: give thanks. Don’t concentrate on what is missing, be grateful for what you have. There, now: give thanks. Ungrateful people are losers. There,…
Articles, How To's, Leadership
Healthy churches are a powerful and attractive witness. In a recent article, I described six kinds of members who build up the church. Unfortunately, even in a healthy church, not every member pursues unity. What kind of members wound our witness? What kind of members do not build up the body of Christ? Consider these four types…
Every local church is comprised of a diverse group of people who have been radically transformed by the power of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. These diverse people have no reason to live and work together, let alone care for each other—and yet, they choose to live in love and unity…
In Judson Edward’s book, The Leadership Labyrinth, he describes 21 paradoxes in ministry. He defines the ‘relationship paradox’ in this way: the people who like you the most will be the ones you try least to please. He then writes that these three kinds of people fill every church. His insights are quite helpful. The energizers: their very…
I have a huge interest in homiletics, the art of preparing and delivering sermons. I’ve read dozens of books on the subject, written a lot on it, and trained a lot of preachers in the past decade, not to mention having taken a number of courses in my undergrad and graduate studies. I love to sit and geek out…
