The Holy Spirit is doing so many things--in so many places! The crucial question is: can we see it? In some places his power is knocking people down. In other places his power is making people stand tall and strong. In some places the Holy Spirit is giving people loud voices. In other places he’s causing…
It’s an everyday observation now: Jesus was a friend to sinners. I read or hear it nearly everywhere I turn—so much, in fact, I wonder if we’ve thought it through completely. Let’s give it a try today: One of the most amazing (and challenging) things about Jesus is he's a friend of sinners, but no…
When you feel like you're dying inside, get near to Jesus. Sorry if that sounds like some toothless religious platitude. It’s not. It’s got jaws like a gator that won’t let go. The reason is that the antidote to Death is Life. The remedy for Decay is Resurrection. The solution isn’t to stir up more gusto for…
Waiting upon God with an attitude of humility is one of the prerequisites for church planting leadership.
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…
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,…
Maybe we never graduate beyond having little to offer the God of the universe; the longer I do ministry, the more I suspect that it’s all just loaves and fishes.
Doubt kept me from indigestion because I had to take things one bite at a time. Here are four things Thomas taught me about doubt.
Church Planting lessons can come from the least expected sources. For example, my 5th-grader. I asked her to clean her toy closet. What I gained was valuable insight into how to welcome people of all kinds. Like most children, she resists cleaning-up anything. And like most children, she has perfected the art of procrastination. No…
Every day, up to eight times a day, I silently perform a 1-3 minute spiritual ritual that is – quite literally – changing me. It’s called the Daily Examen.
