How Not to Loathe the Culture You Are Leading
One of the dangers of a growing organization or ministry is the temptation to quickly bring people on to the team to meet the demands of the growth. Of course, there is nothing wrong with desiring to scale the team. As the organization grows, wise leaders expand the leadership base. The temptation is to take […]
Check Your Mark
Deuteronomy 15:12, 16-17 reads: If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is […]
Gospel and Others
In the research behind Transformational Discipleship we discovered that people are more likely to grow when godly leaders apply the truth of the gospel to their hearts. Instead of only teaching the commands found in Scripture, leaders who view discipleship through the lens of the gospel bring people to God’s grace as the foundation for […]
Volunteers and (not or) Discipleship
Each week church leaders feel the weight of responsibility for two important facets of their ministry roles. First, they desire to disciple people in the church, to develop people the Lord has called them to serve. Second, they have the responsibility of “pulling off church” this week. The kid’s ministry, student program, weekend services, and […]
Savvy People, Not Savvy Policies
In Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable about a wicked and shrewd manager who in a savvy way ensures that people will welcome him into their homes when he is no longer employed. Jesus affirms his shrewdness, not his wickedness, to challenge believers to be more shrewd with eternal matters than the wicked are with […]
Unveiled Faces
Second Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (NIV). Paul is taking the readers back to Moses. Moses would walk up to this mountain called Mount Sinai. There he would […]
The Burden of Earning
As the movie Saving Private Ryan reaches its climax, some of us preachers sit on the edge of our seats looking for an epic illustration. The film seems to be leading to a great comparison of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Private Ryan (Matt Damon) has been pursued just as Christ pursues us and has been […]
7 traits of leaders who hire well
For a leader, there is not a greater responsibility or a more important task than choosing the people who will serve alongside you in fulfilling the mission of the organization or ministry. Great coaches are known for their masterful and careful recruiting, ensuring the potential player fits both the team’s strategy of play and the […]
Four Root Idols
Last week I was honored to spend a day with the team at Austin Stone Church. I preached there two years ago for their summer preaching series, but this time I was blessed to speak to the staff and then teach a systematic theology session at Austin Stone Institute. Each week 300 plus men and […]
Enjoy Your Unique Contribution
As God’s bond servant, your service is unique. Your contribution to the Master’s kingdom and family is uniquely customized to your calling, personality, gifting, and stage of life. In other words, you administer God’s grace through your unique gifting. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace […]