Friends, let me tell you: the struggle is real. We all go through challenges. Because you’ve chosen to step in, or move into, the position of a leader, you’re experiencing more struggle than the average person. Not only do you have the weight of your personal life on your shoulders, but you also have the…
Funniest Questions I Received as a Church Planter
Here are the funniest questions I received as a church planter: “When are you going to build a church?” I always thought, “Well, that’s what we are doing now meeting in this high school.” (Oh, you mean a building, but, of course, you’d agree the church is not the building, right? ) “Are you going to…
Sometimes It’s OK to Let a Church Die
A lot of energy and money can go into keeping a church on life support. But what if it would be better to let that church experience death with dignity so that it can have a lasting legacy? A dying church doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a failing church. Should you let a church die?…
3 Reasons You Should Preach Through Galatians This Year
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…
Religious Arguments – Do We Need Cops in the Pulpit?
My daughter saves her deepest theological questions for bedtime. She doesn’t give a rip about theology, but she cares deeply about delaying bedtime. If Daddy is foolish enough to take the bait on Who made God-type questions, she wins. Even though her greatest need is rest, she thinks her late-night allies are unsolvable religious questions. In…
Following Jesus: The Active and The Contemplative
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…
