Changing by Adding
The statement, “I love my wife” is completely changed if something is added to the end of the statement. For example, “I love my wife” is a very different message than “I love my wife when she cooks my favorite meal.” Adding “when they behave” radically alters the statement “I love my daughters.” Addition radically […]
5 Gifts for Your Pastors for Pastor Appreciation Month (and all the time)
October is fast approaching, which means so is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” Very few folks celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month, and I am not advocating that it become a more prominent holiday on our calendars. While I am grateful for those in our churches who express appreciation to pastors during October, it is far better for the […]
5 Ways to Display Self-Control
Below is a guest blog from Chip Henderson. Chip serves as senior pastor of Pinelake Church in Brandon, Mississippi. The Lord has done and is doing a great work at Pinelake. Chip is also the author of two LifeWay studies, Samson and Pressure Points (studies from James). Both are great for groups and classes. Samson’s […]
6 Ways to Build a Loyal Team and Become a Better Leader
Today’s blog is from my friend and colleague Todd Adkins. Todd serves as our Director of Leadership at LifeWay. We first served together in student ministry, more than a decade ago in Cincinnati, Ohio. I headed to Miami, and Todd went off to McLean Bible Church to serve as executive director of Frontline—the young adult […]
When Advice Ceases
Ari Fleischer was serving as White House Press Secretary as our nation was attacked on September 11, 2001. He was with President Bush the entire day, and he recently tweeted his experiences from the day at the times they occurred 13 years ago. They are fascinating to read, and you can see them all here. […]
Lecrae, Jimmy Fallon, and Making Culture
I am no Jimmy Fallon, but last year I had the opportunity to interview Lecrae. I was honored to spend some time discussing faith, culture, and music with him. I respect Lecrae, his music, and his mission. Lecrae said that if his new album, Anomaly, hit #1 on iTunes, he would release a free bonus song. […]
Leadership and “Placing Bets”
For the last three years, I have enjoyed regular coaching conversations with Steve Graves. Steve is a Christ-follower and a consultant/coach. He recently recounted a conversation he had with a leader of a multi-billion dollar global company who shared with him that “leadership is really about placing bets.” As leaders, we are constantly confronted with […]
Creating a Discipleship Culture in the Local Church
The following is a guest post by Pastor Robby Gallaty. He is the author of Growing Up, a book about discipleship, and the senior pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is also a good brother in the Lord, a strong leader, and wisely appreciates good New Orleans seafood like I do. I am grateful for Robby and how […]
2 Unintended Consequences of the Idea That “Anyone Can Lead a Group”
Over a decade ago, many small group pastors began to communicate messages such as “Anyone can lead a small group” and “If you can press play and make coffee, you can lead a small group.” For some of these churches, these messages were a way to help change the perception of what it takes to […]
Bunyan and Grace
Recently Darrin Patrick preached at our chapel at LifeWay. His message from Galatians 5 was both powerful and helpful, and I am grateful for Darrin. He shared a fascinating story about John Bunyan, pastor and author of The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan continually preached grace, constantly reminding people that Jesus’ perfect obedience was theirs, that His […]