God’s Righteous Anger vs. Man’s Unrighteous Anger
The Apostle James wrote that “human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness” (James 1:20). There is a difference between God’s anger and human anger, righteous and unrighteous anger. Not all anger is bad. God is holy and loving and His anger is holy and loving and always good. So, there is a good anger. It […]
Israel, Palestine, Hamas and Some Things That Are True at the Same Time
Just over a year ago, just outside Jerusalem, I took this picture overlooking “shepherds field” where many believe the angel announced to the shepherds the birth of our Savior. Bethlehem is in the distance, four miles away, now in modern day Palestine. Some things that are true at the same time: Lord Jesus, we long […]
The Rewards Are Greater Than the Risk of Developing Younger Leaders
Wise leaders often think about the risk and the reward in their decision-making, and when it comes to the decision to develop younger leaders, the reward is always greater than risk. The Low-Risk The risks revolve around younger leaders being unproven and uncertain—unproven in their skill and uncertain about where they want to go in their […]
A Framework for Evaluating Risk and Reward in Decision-Making
Wise leaders often think about the risk and the reward in their decision-making. Here is a tool that I have used with my team to help frame our decision-making. Many leaders have used “risk and reward” language in making decisions, and I have simply put the sentiment into four boxes. If making a small tweak […]
Gifted From Him, for Them
Many pastors have made a distinction between abilities and spiritual gifts, that an ability is something you received at birth and a spiritual gift is a supernatural ability you received at your re-birth, when you became a Christian. The distinction can be helpful as long as we remember that both abilities and gifts are from […]
How Christians View This Brief Life Differently
Christians and the broader culture agree with the declaration to “make the most of the time!” The Apostle Paul exhorted Christians to make the most of the time (Ephesians 5:15), and there are countless articles, blogs, and books written with advice to make the most of the time. We see constant reminders of the brevity […]
Give Young Leaders an Unreasonable Seat at the Table
In the marketplace, leaders of different departments and divisions often make the case to “have a seat at the table”—meaning that they, as the leader of the particular division, should be on the leadership team. By being “at the table,” they would be able to influence the direction of the overall team and give the […]
Pay Careful Attention to Time
The Apostle Paul encouraged us to pay careful attention to how we live these really short lives. Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise— making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless […]
How to Build a Leadership Pipeline (A Framework)
You need a leadership pipeline to scale leadership development. Wise leaders insist on having systems for what is important. If church leaders believe following up on guests or givers is important, then they put a system in place to ensure it happens. If marketplace leaders believe that annual goal setting or financial scenario planning is […]
Vapor, Inches, and Making the Most of the Time
Jordan Grumet is a hospice nurse who wrote Taking Stock based on conversations with people who were in their final days. He believes the dying have much to teach us about living—that evaluating our limited time helps us have fewer regrets at the end of our lives. Journalist Oliver Burkemen wrote Four Thousand Weeks to help people understand that […]