If the apostle Paul was a city bylaw officer, then the book of Galatians is a “cease and desist” letter. This letter was Paul’s serious warning that the Galatians constructed “weak and worthless” (4:9) trappings around the gospel that were not merely oppressive (think ‘forced circumcision’ 6:12) but also dangerously unstable (1:6-7). The Galatians were…
Early in his faith, John Wimber, leader of the Vineyard Movement, once asked his pastor, “so, when do we do the stuff…like healing the sick and casting out demons?” He was inspired to action by the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry. Yet, these same accounts also show Jesus prioritizing just being. Emulating Jesus’ life means…
A lot of us say we want to live by faith, but the moment we can’t see or understand what God is doing, we throw up our hands and say, “Are you even there, God?” We want to walk by faith, but we also want to be able to understand why every bad thing happens.…
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…
What’s happening with church attendance? It’s not our job to get people to commit to the church. It’s our calling to help them commit to Jesus.
What do you think is the hardest prayer to pray? Have you ever been stuck in life? I know I have. We get stuck trying to decide for our family, career, a trip, major in college, or what school to put our kids in. I think one of the most common things I see among people…
You said “yes” to planting a church? You are in for an amazing adventure! Planting a church is one of the most challenging and rewarding opportunities within the Kingdom. While there are many blessings within the process, there are also many challenges. Conquering these challenges early in the church planting process will make or break…
For 30 years the primary indicator of health in churches is weekend attendance. The challenge is that healthy things aren’t the only things that grow.
Some things require more than mere “behavior modification.” Real transformation has to start with identity.
I am still inching out of the darkness of a chronic illness, and I haven’t unearthed all the lessons learned. But one lesson presented itself even before the light was visible.And it’s this: self-care is not selfish.
