4 Signals of Insecurity on Your Team (and in You)
Insecure leaders are never as effective as they could be. Insecurity crushes leadership development, stifles honest conversations, creates a lack of clarity, and fosters a no-risk culture. The good news for Christians is that we don’t have to live in insecurity. Christ has already secured us. We are His sons and daughters, adopted into His […]
4 Painful Results of Insecure Leadership
Insecurity must not be confused with humility. Insecurity, like pride, is a focus on your self. Humility comes when you have a proper view of yourself in light of the Lord who is holy and above all. Humility comes from understanding that we are not God but we are loved by Him. When leaders lead […]
Thoughts from Ground Zero of the Civil Rights Movement
Racism is appalling because God’s crowning creation, humanity, is devalued. All people are wonderfully created in the image of God. He loves all people. Only Christ’s righteousness qualifies us to stand before God—a righteousness He offers to all. Racism is deeply offensive to God because it attacks His creation and asserts that one can stand before God in something other than His grace. Racists reject the grace of God and sinfully believe the color of their skin qualifies them and makes them superior to others.
Brother Must Trump Boss
I play basketball with guys who work for me. In heated moments, guys who work for me have shoved me, yelled, or elbowed. It was part of the game, part of the day when aging men try to grasp a few more years of playing a sport they love. On the basketball court, the org […]
3 Common Ways Leaders Miscommunicate
Great leaders are always great communicators, but not always great speakers. Great leaders may not excel with a microphone, but they are able to communicate what is valued and what direction is being taken. Communication and leadership are intertwined and deeply connected. When leaders fumble in execution, culture formation, or rallying a team, the fumble […]
3 Simple Steps to Self-Destruction
We get the term narcissism from the Greek mythological figure Narcissus, who fell in love with himself, with his own image. He was a hunter and was well known for his beauty. His arch-nemesis was named, well, he was named Nemesis, and he attracted Narcissus to a pool where Narcissus saw his own reflection. Narcissus […]
5 Consequences Leaders Face for Not Resting
A trick many employ in a job interview when asked, “What is your biggest weakness?” is to give a weakness that many don’t view as a weakness, such as “I am so driven that sometimes I fail to stop working” or “I own my responsibilities so much that sometimes I can’t let go.” The person […]
5 Reasons We Struggle to Rest
July is often a time many ministry leaders rest. For years it has been a time when I have taken some extra time to slow down, read more, vacation with my girls, and not go to the office as much. Whether you rest in July or not, you do need to rest. Rest is not […]
2 Big Reminders from 2 Weeks with Lots of Kids
This summer approximately 140,000 kids and students will attend one of our student or kids camps or mission trips. We hire 1,000 amazing summer staff who run the events, invest in kids and students, and work extremely hard to serve the kids and student ministries well. Each summer I speak at one of our camps, […]
3 Reasons Kids Ministry Is Important
The last two weeks have provided great reminders to me about why kids ministry is so important. I served as camp pastor at CentriKid camps for a week. The whole family came and we had a great time. The kids participated in Bible studies, recreation, track times based on their interests, and morning and evening […]