God’s Desire for One-Percenters
When I was in high school I so badly wanted to be tall. We had a couple guys on our high school basketball team that were 6’5” or taller, and I envied them. They could dunk easily. They were more imposing defensively than me. I asked God to make me taller and He did not. […]
Ministry Leaders: When Values Collide, Make the Right Choice
Values don’t have to collide, but when they do, leaders must decide and declare which value wins. For example, a ministry can value excellence and leadership development. But beneath the surface the values can be at odds with one another. A children’s teacher struggles to hand responsibility to another because “it won’t be excellent enough.” […]
3 Ways We Hate Sin in Others More Than in Ourselves
After David committed adultery and murder and the Lord regarded all of it as evil, the Lord sent a prophet named Nathan to confront David in his sin (2 Samuel 12). Like any good preacher, Nathan set up David with a killer illustration: “David, there were two men in a certain city. One was filthy […]
3 Ways Ministry Leaders Must Live as Stewards
In his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul called the overseer “God’s administrator” or “God’s steward” (Titus 1:7). Ministry leaders are stewards, not owners, as Jesus owns His Church. Jesus promised to build His Church, not ours (Matt. 16:18). The financial resources the Lord blesses a church with are ultimately for Him. The ministry leader, […]
Four Hard Questions Pastors Should Continually Ask Themselves
When the apostle Paul challenged the believers in Philippi in their obedience to the Lord, he told them: “Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me” (Philippians 4:9). When he wrote the believers in Corinth, he said, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Though not perfect, […]
Was His Service Poor?
Most of us claim to be pretty good tippers. Certainly there are bad tippers, but it seems very few actually admit to being one. After all, most tend to realize that stinginess reflects poorly on one’s character. So what do you tip when the service is really bad? I mean really bad such as when […]
Gospel and the Poor
The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians of their status when Christ called them to Himself. Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what […]
Gospel and Giving
Church leaders are bombarded with advice on “raising capital,” “developing donors,” “cultivating generosity,” and “teaching stewardship.” With giving as a clear mark of spiritual health, the church needs resources to be all she should be in the community where God has placed her. If the apostle Paul were at the table hearing church leaders bemoan the […]
When Vision Is Not Enough
I once heard Rick Warren wisely say, “People respond to vision, not need.” His statement resonated deeply with me, and I’ve seen it to be true in every ministry setting where I’ve served. “We need more small group leaders” never works as well as “God is calling us to launch 20 more groups and we […]
Some Amazing Research About Giving
The sample of the research I am about to share is very small. So small that this would definitely not be considered an appropriate enough research sample to make wide, sweeping claims. But the observation really got my attention; I place it in the amazing category. When I served as executive pastor, I was plugged […]