When a Blessing Becomes Meaningless
In Ecclesiastes 1, Solomon declares everything to be meaningless. He boldly states, “Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities. All is vanity!” Just as the Bible uses the language “King of kings and Lord of lords” to emphasize that Jesus is above every king and every lord, Solomon is emphasizing that everything is emphatically and utterly […]
Why Churches Should Give Pastors Sabbaticals
I know that the decision makers for giving pastors a sabbatical vary according to context. The ones responsible with the decision may be executive staff, elder team, deacon body, or personnel team. If you are on one of those teams, I encourage you to give your pastors a sabbatical for two reasons: (1) for the […]
7 Sabbatical Lessons
Last week I had a conversation with a pastor who was about to go on his sabbatical. With great focus and intentionality, he was planning the time away, which by God’s grace will refresh him. His family and the church he serves will benefit. The conversation reminded me of my first sabbatical and the insights […]
Why Your Pastor Needs a Sabbatical
In a church I served years ago, I was in a committee meeting where some members were bemoaning the fact that my senior pastor was taking “a sabbatical.” One man boldly proclaimed, “The devil does not take a day off; if we want to make a difference in this community, how can our pastor take […]
4 Questions to Plan Your Development
Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). If we look to His development as an example, we will desire mental, physical, spiritual, and relational health. We don’t seek to grow in order to earn His love, grace, or favor. His perfection is already ours, already freely given […]
4 Spheres of Personal Development
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people [Luke 2:52] Jesus’ teenage years are essentially summed up in the above verse. He grew in wisdom, physically, relationally with people, and in favor with God. Christian educators have referenced the verse to show how we grow and develop across multiple spheres: […]
5 Things that Killing Sin is NOT
I have been reading the classic work, The Mortification of Sin, by John Owen. Owen famously challenges us to “be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” He strongly states, “The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.” It is our duty, […]
5 Lessons from My Daddy-Daughter Trips
A pastor once encouraged me, as a father, to “invest in experiences, not toys.” While far from a perfect father, I am attempting to be really intentional about investing time in my girls during these early years and providing experiences they will enjoy and remember. On a regular basis these currently look like breakfast dates […]
Dating Your Spouse
Steve and Debbie Wilson have been in ministry for over 30 years and now lead a ministry of marriage and family counseling and teaching. After being married for 12 years they realized that ministry had overtaken their lives and they’d “lost each other.” At that point they went on a mission to reconnect and in […]
13 Business/Leadership Books Church Leaders Should Consider
I am frequently asked about what business/leadership books I think are helpful for church leaders to read. I think there are two polar opposites that need to be avoided when believers who lead ministries consider adding “leadership and business books” to their reading diet. On one extreme, there are people who consider it unspiritual and […]