Steve Jobs the Father and our Eternal Father
A few months ago, Lisa Brennan-Jobs released her memoir, Small Fry, about growing up as Steve Job’s daughter. It caused me to reflect on my own parenting and also my Christian faith. Lisa is an incredible writer and the story is incredibly sad. When she was born, Jobs arrived a few days later and insisted […]
4 Signs a Team Member Is a Distraction
Jimmy Butler is an amazing basketball player and he seems to be fitting in very well with his new team – the Philadelphia 76ers. Earlier this season, he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves but publicly stated he did not want to play for the Timberwolves any longer, that he did not trust or respect the […]
Beware the Person of a Single Book
Thomas Aquinas is credited with saying, “Beware the man of a single book.” Aquinas was an avid student of the Scripture, early church fathers, Aristotle, and the sciences, and he was clearly wary of those who only cared about one discipline or one issue. Aquinas’ quote reminds me of something my good friend Ed Stetzer […]
12 of the Best Christmas Quotes
Movies and books can provide us preachers with some pithy Christmas one-liners or stories that illustrate the message of Christmas. For example, Buddy (played by Will Ferrell) in the movie Elf, declared, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” There is truth in that statement. As we sing […]
4 Ways to Avoid Being a Distracted Leader
An effective leader is a focused leader. A distracted leader greatly limits his or her effectiveness. Instead of leveraging influence, intellect, and inspiration towards a great purpose, a distracted leader divides resources across a plethora of priorities. A distracted leader commonly diffuses attention and focus and chases too many goals. Distractions can come masked as […]
Your Marriage Is Your Most Important Ministry
Last week Kaye and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. Over dinner we talked about the journey the Lord has taken us on together, what we enjoy about each other, and how our marriage has made each of us better. Though our marriage is not perfect, it is healthy and I am so grateful for […]
If You Preach Like Whitefield, Think Like Wesley
In his highly popular book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell contrasted the ministry of George Whitefield and John Wesley. Gladwell articulated that Whitefield was the better communicator, a more powerful preacher than Wesley. Whitefield was also known as a more capable theologian than Wesley, more likely to be compared to Luther or Calvin than Wesley would […]
“Why Do You Mainly Quote Dead People, Eric?”
Someone on my team recently asked me why, of all the people I quote when explaining a passage or a topic, I mainly quote dead people. I don’t exclusively quote dead people. And I don’t reference other’s thinking in all my sermons and definitely not in every point I am attempting to make. But it […]
Care for your Community; Don’t Merely Consume From It
In the summer of 2010, Kaye and I were on vacation in New York City and we attended services at Redeemer Presbyterian church. Before the sermon, a young man stood in front of the congregation and prayed to the Lord on behalf of the whole congregation. He prayed specifically for the city they lived in […]
4 Signs of Unhealthy Communication on a Team
A team that trusts one another is a team that moves quickly. That is the premise of the book, Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey, which builds the case that trust is one thing that changes everything for a team. The inverse is also true; a lack of trust and a lack of clarity slow […]