4 Research-Informed Best Practices Church Leaders Commonly Ignore
Steve Graves was my executive coach when I was serving in the marketplace in publishing, and we met once a month for several hours. As I was wrestling with a strategic decision one day, he said to me, “You can decide to go against best practice, but if you do, you should have a very […]
Helping Teenagers Know and Respond to God’s Love
One of the deepest struggles teenagers encounter is believing they are loved, not based on performance, looks, or status, but that they are deeply and securely loved by God Himself. Day Forty-Six of the new fifty-day devotional I wrote with my daughter speaks to that longing. 50 Days to Embracing (and Enjoying) Who God Says […]
The Danger of Loss of Wonder for Ministry Leaders
As a family, we love a week at the lake during the summer. Several summers ago, we rented a boat on Lake Powell in Utah, a beautiful location, and had an amazing week. We rented the boat from a family business, and the owner brought the boat to the lake and backed it into the […]
Helping Teenagers Know Jesus Understands Their Pressure
The teenage years are filled with real pressure from academics, friendships, sports, expectations, and the desire to fit in. One of the most encouraging truths in the Bible is that Jesus Himself faced those same pressures. Day Five from 50 Days to Embracing (and Enjoying) Who God Says You Are, a devotional Eden and I […]
Helping Teenagers Embrace Their Design
The first day of the new devotional for teenagers, 50 Days to Embracing (and Enjoying) Who God Says You Are, encourages teenagers to embrace the body they have as a gift from God. My daughter, Eden, and I wrote the devotional book together, and each day presents incredible news about what the Scripture says about […]
The Humility That Makes Succession Work
I was recently a guest on the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. I always enjoy connecting with Carey, and I had a great time discussing succession, simplicity, and leading in the church. We spent a good portion of our conversation talking about what has made succession work at Mariners Church. You can listen to or watch […]
Christmas in the Garden
Wars, oppression, abuse, natural disasters, grief, the pain of betrayal, a crushing medical diagnosis, a phone call that changes everything. No wonder people regularly ask, “What is wrong with the world?” Some have diagnosed the problem in our world as a lack of knowledge, and the solution is education. Some have diagnosed the problem as […]
Who Jesus Comes From Is Who He Comes For
When you trace the genealogy of Jesus back through the Old Testament, you don’t find a pristine family tree of spiritual giants. You find deceivers and the unwanted. Even looking at one couple in Genesis 29 reminds us of this shocking reality: Jacob and Leah. The Deceived, Deceiver Jacob was a deceiver, and even his […]
5 Paradoxes Leaders Must Embrace
Jim Collins, leadership researcher and consultant, coined the phrase “genius of the ‘AND’” in his well-known book Built to Last as an exhortation for leaders to reject the “tyranny of the ‘OR.’” Collins showed through his writing how great leaders, in the organizations he studied, embraced “AND” across a myriad of dimensions at the same […]
8 Principles for Church Leaders Around Worship Service Times
A series of questions I often receive from other church leaders centers on how to choose the number of worship services a church offers and the days and times for those worship services. Those questions are massively important, as church leaders are deciding when they will gather God’s people for worship, community, and to study […]