God of the Ordinary and the Extraordinary
We love when God reveals Himself in extraordinary ways, when He shows up in the miraculous. But often He chooses to care for His own in the ordinary of life. Two Jewish celebrations are beautiful reminders that God is the King of both the extraordinary and the ordinary. Passover is the Jewish time of remembrance […]
Two Common Hiring Mistakes
Every hire is a risk. Every time I have hired someone or have been hired, there was a risk involved. Some argue that proven track records eliminate the risk, but in reality a great history only minimizes the risk. Even when hiring someone who has a proven track record, it is hard to separate the […]
Choices and Your Announcements
Earlier this week I referenced Barry Schwartz’s work The Paradox of Choice, which advocates that too many choices leads to regret because we are never confident we made the right choice. While I pointed out that this regret is really a result of our sinful hearts seeking satisfaction in things other than Christ, I do […]
Choices and Unsatisfied Souls
Barry Schwartz is a psychologist and a compelling speaker. In his book The Paradox of Choice, he draws from research that for most people “more” really is “less”. He reasons that the more choices someone has, the more the person is set up for unmet expectations and regret. For example, imagine that you take your […]
Culture and Your Church
A church’s philosophy of mission is greatly influenced by how she views the culture around her. How a church views the culture around her will deeply impact how she responds to the community in which she is placed. For centuries, Christians have debated what our response to the world around us should be. During the […]
Theology of Staffing
The great folks at The Gospel Coalition asked me to write a few articles on staffing. Here is the first one I wrote that is also posted on their website. Pastor David is perpetually frustrated, and he is self-aware enough to know it. As his church is growing, it seems he is always overwhelmed with […]
Discipleship: More than Information
Many churches equate discipleship with knowledge. Churches who view discipleship as information transfer seek to stuff as much information about the Bible into as many people as quickly as they possibly can. I realize this sounds noble, but the essence of discipleship is transformational not informational. Jesus did not merely ask us to teach everything […]
Values, Culture, and Facebook
While a church’s doctrinal statement, strategy, and leadership structure are all important, the church culture trumps them all. Culture is the alpha male in the room. It dominates everything else. As leadership guru Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He was not diminishing strategy, as Drucker wrote a lot about organizational strategy and […]
The Bottom-Line of Church Ministry
The reason Jesus left His disciples on the planet was to make other disciples. The fundamental reason your church exists is to make disciples of Jesus. To the church at Colossae, the apostle Paul wrote a defining statement about his ministry to the church. “I have become its (the church’s) servant, according to God’s administration […]
A Letter for My Mom
When my mom celebrated her 60th birthday last year, my sister-in-law compiled a book of letters for her. Below is the letter I wrote to my mom. I am reposting it here in honor of her as we approach Mother’s Day Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: “Many women are […]