Help Me to Love Here and Long for There (My Prayer on Election Day)
As followers of Jesus we live in a holy paradox of loving the place where we live (the city, state, country, etc.) and longing for the day when Christ will return and graciously give us our eternal inheritance. We are to love where the Lord has placed us, serve the people we live among, and […]
How Should I Confront My Leader?
In my latest book, How to Ruin Your Life, I share how isolation typically leads to destruction. Leaders are not the only ones who face the temptation to abandon community, but the temptation for isolation is strong for leaders because they can use the guise of “it is lonely at the top.” Since writing the […]
Three Questions to Ask as You Discern the Culture of Your New Church
Realtors love the summer because it is a time when many families move. Kids have completed a school year, so summer provides a transitional season. When ministry leaders change roles, they often do so in the summer. I know this personally as our moves from Cincinnati to Miami and then Miami to Nashville both took […]
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, […]
Three Marks of a Healthy Culture
Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He was not diminishing strategy. He was simply recognizing the overwhelming influence culture has on people. It dominates everything else. It is constantly teaching, constantly showing people what is most important. By culture, I am referring to the shared values and beliefs that undergird all that […]
10 Characteristics of Magnetic Team Leaders
This is a post by Rick Howerton. Rick is a Discipleship and Small Groups Specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources. This post originally appeared at LifeWay Church Leaders. Oftentimes, when we think of a church leader we think of the ultimate human leader leading the church, the senior pastor. Below the senior pastor on the flow […]
15 Tips for Successful Leadership
The following is a guest post by Faith Whatley. Faith serves on our team in the Church Resources Division at LifeWay and is the director of adult ministry. She is an incredible leader and it is an honor to serve churches alongside her. While some of her articles on our leadership channel are directed to women […]
10 Wise Leadership Lessons I’ll Never Forget
The following is a guest post by Faith Whatley. Faith serves on our team in the Church Resources Division at LifeWay and is the director of adult ministry. She is an incredible leader and it is an honor to serve churches alongside her. While some of her articles on our leadership channel are directed to women […]
Consistent Confession
Don’t be misled into thinking that the more you confess the further away from God you must be. The opposite is true. As your relationship with God becomes more intimate, confession is more prevalent. When Jesus gave us an example of prayer, He encouraged us to seek forgiveness: Therefore, you should pray like this: Our […]