Leaders are typically driven. They have a deep burden and that burden becomes a vision that compels them to consistent action. But conviction towards a goal without deep love for people can ruin a leader and result in people not being cared for. At the same time leaders will be hurt as leading others is…
When to NOT Ask Your Predecessor to Stay on the Team
Over three years ago I made the decision to ask my predecessor, Kenton Beshore, to stay on our staff and teaching team. While there are many reasons to consider asking your predecessor to stay, there are times when it is unwise to do so. There are times when it is best for the new leader,…
10 Reasons to Consider Asking Your Predecessor to Stay Involved
When I became the senior pastor of Mariners Church over three years ago, I made the decision to ask Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and long-time pastor of Mariners) to stay on staff and to be on our teaching team. One of the most common thread of questions I receive from other ministry leaders is around…
Fire, Momentum, and Three Questions Leaders Should Ask
When we lived in Nashville, our favorite place to hang out as a family was the outdoor fireplace in our backyard. I loved gathering sticks and picking up firewood with my daughters. We often enjoyed the warmth of the fire on a cool evening and the conversations around the fire were rich. To maximize our…
Pastors and the Paradox of Being Resented and Revered
We are reading through the book of Acts as a life group. In Acts 14 we see a glaring paradox in the lives of apostles Paul and Barnabas. They were despised by some. “The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” And “an attempt was made to mistreat and…
Receiving and Keeping the Freedom to Work Hard AND Protect Your Schedule
Whenever I have shared the principle with leaders that “it is not how much you work but when you work,” I am inevitably asked how to enjoy such a freedom. In my last three roles (executive and teaching pastor, senior vice-president, and senior pastor), I have been honored with the gift to live by the…
How Do You Invest in Your Family AND Work Hard in Your Role?
I am leading the pastors at Mariners Church through the classic book Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders. A few weeks ago, as we discussed his chapter entitled “The Leader and Time,” I shared some of the lessons I have learned about stewarding time and fielded some wise and insightful questions from our pastors. One of…
A Greek Class that Left Me in Awe of God as Father
J. I. Packer wrote that the heart of the New Testament is the glorious news that God has adopted us as children through Christ. He stated: “You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s Holy Father. If you want to judge how well…
5 Leadership Reminders from Launching 4 New Congregations
In early 2019 we set plans, as a leadership team, to launch one new Mariners congregation in Orange County each year for the next five years. Orange County is filled with 3.2M people spread out through 34 cities, and we believe Jesus loves each person and each city. We were in early stages of planning…
2 Things We Must Do Because the Bible Calls us Sheep
Our dog Roscoe sometimes wanders away from home, but thankfully he is smart enough to come back home or even smarter to go to Brian and Marianna’s home – friends of ours who live on the next street. Roscoe likely prefers their home to ours because when they watch him for sometimes, they feed him…