Four Common Ministry Errors That Leaders Make

You have likely observed two common and opposite errors in relation to physical fitness and health—neglect or obsession. Neglect often looks like minimal exercise, eating to relieve stress, and ignoring the neglect you know is occurring. Obsession often looks like being unable to enjoy a meal because you are so consumed with counting the macros, […]

Election Year and the Kingdom You Belong to That Will Not Be Shaken

Ah, another presidential election year in the United States of America. And of course, another election that is “the most important election in our lifetime,” as each one has been called since I can remember. Among Christians, we will hear all kinds of comparisons from within the biblical narrative. Some will liken our choices to […]

Coach Mike Leach and The Called, Loved, and Kept

Mike Leach, the college football coach for Mississippi State, passed away recently. He was beloved by players, fans, and other coaches. He was hilarious and did some unconventional things. A story from Mike Leach’s coaching days at Texas Tech University reminds me of God’s gracious pursuit. In 2008, his team was really good. They went […]

4 Common Fears and How to Fight Them

Psychologists make a distinction between healthy and unhealthy fear. Healthy fear helps us make wise decisions such as preparing for a test or wearing a seatbelt. Unhealthy fear can paralyze a leader from making decisions or cause someone to be untrusting of others. Below are the four common and unhealthy fears I have seen. I […]

3 Reasons We Must Be Alarmed by Boredom

The renowned pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “The life of sin is always in some sense a life of boredom.” This is a really strong statement about boredom—something we don’t typically associate as damaging or sinful. Augustine famously wrote that we are restless in this world until we rest in God. Thus seasons of boredom must […]

A Disturbing Moment in Ministry and What It Has Done for Me

In the last seven weeks, God has moved in beautiful and profound ways in the church I am honored to serve as pastor. We have seen nearly 500 people stand and declare “I Believe” in public gatherings… which I realize needs a bit of explaining. Every church I have served has invited people to “repent […]

Popeyes, Our Fascination With “New,” and the Exhaustion of Climbing

Because I grew up in the New Orleans area I grew up eating and loving Popeye’s Chicken (Popeyes started in New Orleans). As a kid, my parents would drive us by Al Copeland’s house at Christmas, the founder of Popeyes, because of the incredible Christmas lights he put up each year. My childhood nostalgia had […]

5 Ways You (and the People in your Church) Will Grow This Year

When God wrestled with Jacob (Genesis 32), God won Jacob to Himself by making Himself weak. In His love for Jacob, He withheld His power as even a slight touch to Jacob’s hip dislocated it. God has won us to Himself through weakness too. He emptied Himself, took on human flesh, and submitted Himself to […]

Pablo Escobar and How Providing for Your Kids Is Not Enough

With the Netflix drama Narcos, there is a resurgence in interest around Pablo Escobar. The Discovery Channel just released Discovering Escobar’s Millions, which tracks two guys searching for the buried money of Pablo Escobar, who reportedly buried millions of dollars. Escobar was one of the world’s richest men as he made nearly 22 billion dollars […]