Church Leaders: Ministry Is From God, But It Is Not God
When I first began serving in local church ministry, a pastor told me that “church is a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out.” He further explained that ministry can attract workaholics, those who live off affirmation from others for the work they do. And that ministry can also attract […]
5 Dangers of Being Deprived of an Involved Father
In their latest book, The Boy Crisis, Warren Farrell and John Gray highlight stats and research that point to the pains of boys growing up deprived of an involved father. They also offer wisdom and counsel on how to invest in your sons. Though I don’t have sons, the research reminded me of the great […]
Grave Clothes and the Importance of Community
The biblical account of Lazarus in John’s gospel is the account of every Christian. Like Lazarus, we were dead. We were dead spiritually, dead in our trespasses and sins. Like Lazarus, Christ raised us to new life. Just as He called Lazarus by name and pursued him, Christ pursued us. He set His love and […]
8 Ways to Treat your Successor
We are only eight months in to the transition at Mariners Church between Kenton Beshore (long-time senior pastor) and me (the new guy). But we are frequently receiving phone calls from churches that see succession from a long-time senior to a new leader in their not-so-distant future. The healthy relationship Kenton and I share is […]
Christian Leader: Remember, You Are a Child Before You Are a Boss
We lose our power as Christian leaders when we think as “leaders of people” before we think as “children of God.” We must posture ourselves first as sons and daughters of God, not as rulers and bosses. If we lead others without following Him, we are not leading well and who knows where we are […]
3 Important Places We Benefit From People Who Are Different Than Us
The cliché “birds of the same feather flock together” has been around for centuries and it captures the reality that we tend to gather with and connect to people similar to us. While we are often most comfortable with people who are like us, we benefit and we grow when we are in relationships with […]
3 Things Pastors Must Learn from Teachers
Today is officially “teacher appreciation day,” and while it is right and good to be thankful for our teachers every day, I am glad there is a designated day that reminds us to be grateful. I am so thankful for the teachers in my life. Those teachers who have invested in me have made a […]
5 Sins Leaders Must Constantly Give New Wounds To
In his famous and classic work, Mortification of Sin, John Owen wrote, “Never think your sin is dead because it is quiet, but labor to give it new wounds, new blows every day.” He also famously wrote, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” The more we think our sin is quiet, the […]
5 Amazing Rhetorical Questions to Preach to Yourself
There are questions that are not really questions, but statements masked asked questions. For example, When Kaye has said to me, “Are you going to wear that?” it has not really been a question. When you are at lunch with ultra-healthy friend and you order a double patty burger and they order a kale salad […]
3 Practical Challenges of Less Frequent Church Attendance
Several years ago, while I served at LifeWay Christian Resources, we noticed a big shift in the definition of “regular church attender.” The speed of the shift seemed to be fairly dramatic and it transcended theological tribe and type of church. In other words, people from every type of church were attending less frequently than […]