As a teenager, my parents, concerned about the influences I was choosing, would sometimes ask me, “If your friends would jump off the Mississippi River bridge, would you jump with them?” Of course, I answered, “No,” but the reality is that wherever those closest to us go, we tend to follow. Whoever those closest to…
Sanctification
Leaving or Keeping in the Love of God
The times are crazy and chaotic. People who once worshipped Jesus are walking away from Him and even teachers of Jesus are departing from Him. God’s people are disoriented and discouraged as people they love are drifting from the faith they once shared. It was the mid 60s AD, as in only a few decades…
10 Commandments for College Students
I have been thinking a lot about college ministry the last few weeks as we are launching a new college ministry at our church and as we will be seeing and serving more college students this fall. As this new college year begins for tons of Christians, here are the 10 commandments for college students;…
7 Signs We Are Not Spiritually Hungry
We all hunger for something, at all times. Whether for position, for influence, for affluence, for possessions, for a relationship, or for righteousness – we are hungry for something. Jesus said that only those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. In Jesus’ Kingdom, the only way to be satisfied is to be…
The Curse of Talent for Young Ministry Leaders
I am over 40, so no longer young, and I failed to make “Gifted and Talented” as a kid so this post is not about me but about young leaders who are labeled as talented, amazing, exceptional, “the future,” and a myriad of other similar adjectives and phrases. In ministry circles, we have seen in…
10 Signs You Are More Prideful Than You Realize
Though all of us struggle with pride, we often don’t recognize pride in our own lives and leadership. C. S. Lewis called pride the great sin and the sin we see in others much more easily than we see in ourselves. Following are ten signs leaders are more prideful than they realize. I wrote the list…
Three Ways Your Spouse Can Make You a Better Leader
I don’t claim to be a great leader, but I am much better than I would be because of my wife, Kaye. God has used her and continually uses her to make me better. The relationships the Lord gives us are given to us, in part, for our own sanctification. God puts people around us…
Eight Things Church Leaders Should Never Say About Leadership Development
What you say about leadership development, even in casual conversations, will inevitably impact the culture you are forming. Because how you speak of leadership development will influence perceptions about developing leaders, here are eight things church leaders should never say (if you think any of them, some rethinking is in order): It is not my job….