Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman: Will you serve both? If you had to choose, which one do you find easier or more enjoyable to love and serve? We tend to be more passionate about serving some people over others. Even for those of us on staff at a church, those of us with the title…
Spiritual Development
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…
4 Reasons to Consider Theological Education While Serving on Church Staff
When I was a college student, the Lord made it clear to me that He wanted me to serve His church for the rest of my life. In college I knew I was going to be a pastor. In fact, I became a pastor while in college and started working on staff at a church…
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…
The Shanghai Marriage Market, Match.Com, And Our Incompatibility with God
I have never been to the Shanghai marriage market, but every Saturday and Sunday the market runs for five hours, rain or shine. Parents and grandparents who want their kids or grandkids to get married post portfolios and peruse others, hoping for a match. Descriptions of each person are posted on walls or umbrellas. If…
2 Things to Remember About Living by Faith in Our Hard-Working World
We live in a world that values hard work, achievement, and success. Most of us have experienced the pressure to perform. Have you ever: …practiced and practiced more to earn the starting position on the team (because you’re easily replaceable)? …studied hard enough to land at a reputable University (because how else will you…
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…
How to Recognize Repentance in a Restoration Process
When friends or ministry leaders fall, we can find ourselves in the serious conversations of designing a restoration process – a process that places the leader in the care of others with the purpose of restoring the person to some type of leadership. In recent years, I have been asked frequently about restoring someone to…
Hope for the Prodigal: Colin’s Story
I love stories that are reflections of the ultimate Story—the story that God welcomes sinners to Himself. One of the most popular stories that Jesus told is the story commonly referred to as the story of the prodigal son. Most of us can identify with the story because we see in ourselves the proclivity to…