Helping People Come Alive to the Wonder, Beauty, and Transforming Power of God's Grace by Living All of Life in View of the Cross
Read below or listen to the podcast. Jacob’s Story: A Defining Moment in the Ascent of a Leader Most of us have defining moments that shape the rest of our lives. Like that night walking down sorority row at Ole Miss when I met a ridiculously cute red-head from Benton, Mississippi. That encounter was a defining […]
Read More Why Do the Best Leaders Limp?Disagreements are part of living in a world with humans who each have differing perspectives, personalities, experiences, preferences, opinions, passions, gifts, and expectations. Being different is okay. The problem is when being different becomes an opportunity for unhealthy conflict. I mention unhealthy conflict because there really is a way to engage in healthy conflict. Yeah, […]
Read More The Three PosturesWhile not the master of video preaching by any stretch, I have learned some things over the past eight weeks that I thought I’d share in case you are looking for some tips. They are born from my own experience and will not apply to every situation. So feel free to pick and choose. Let […]
Read More 9 Tips for Preaching Into a CameraDiagnostic personality tools like the Myers-Briggs Temperament Indicator and the DiSC Assessment introduced me to myself. As I read the descriptions of the INTJ and the “high C,” I felt understood. That is me! Going further, to realize that the introverted, thinking type of person is not inherently a bad, flawed type, was like the […]
Read More 9 Types of Pastors According to the EnneagramI listened to a podcast this week on how churches are thinking through post-quarantine life after the coronavirus pandemic subsides. The first question leaders seem to be asking concerns when and how to begin gathering in person on Sunday mornings. The presenter suggested we consider other questions. What have we learned that opens up new […]
Read More Three Needs for Churches Making Plans to Re-Enter a COVID-19 WorldIn church planting circles, it is popular to identify leaders as prophets, priests, or kings. The prophet is someone whose primary gifting is preaching and teaching. The priest is the true pastor type who naturally expresses empathy and care, listens well, and finds it life-giving to help people work through problematic personal issues. The king […]
Read More What is Your PPK Profile?Just like overused tires may get worn and lose their gripping power, words may become so overused that they no longer retain the tread with which they were originally created. Consider, for example, the word awesome. In view of the truly awesome (awe-inducing and worthy of reverent wonder unto potential terror), the way I tend […]
Read More What is a Distinctively Gospel-Centered Sermon?Of course, there are more than three, but tethered to the cross, emphasizing the doctrines below will serve you and your congregation well. The story of redemption is the story of the Bible and of all history. The epicenter of that story is the cross of Jesus, where he becomes a substitute for sinners, taking […]
Read More Focus on These Three Doctrines for Faithful Pastoral MinistryProfessional Christian Syndrome While on vacation this summer, I grabbed my Bible in an attempt to read it devotionally. Just one sentence in, I reached for a pen and paper — not to make a note for myself, but in order to outline a sermon. Rather than being in the presence of my Father to […]
Read More How Can a Pastor Have a Genuine Devotional Life When Being a Christian is His Job?Every vocation provides a degree of challenge for a marriage. Coaching has really funky hours and seasonal rhythms. Politics feels like it must be a 24/7 job. Doctors who work at hospitals have a pretty crazy schedule. And shift work at a manufacturing plant or on a police force. Yikes. Pastoral ministry presents challenges, too. […]
Read More Eight Challenges Every Ministry Marriage Will FaceIntroduction I am preaching a sermon series on Sundays that is inspired by Jerram Barr’s book, Learning Evangelism from Jesus. However, rather than base my messages on the content of his book, I am just using the same passages from the gospels that deal with Jesus engaging “sinners.” After I write the sermon, I go […]
Read More Pastors, Let’s Stop Preaching Good SermonsTHE DISEASE If you are a pastor, you’ve suffered from a debilitating disease. You may not even know that you’ve been infected. But this illness has crippled your soul and is adversely affecting every aspect of your life, especially your personal spiritual health. In this post, I want to help diagnose this problem and help […]
Read More The Cause of and Cure for Pastor’s GuiltI served a church back in the 1990s where many folks in the congregation were members of the Country Club. As a pastor in my twenties, there was no way that I could afford to pay the membership fee, which I suspected was in the six-figure range. Nevertheless, I was invited to the club as […]
Read More Pastor, You (Too) are Complete in ChristIn a recent post, I described 4 ways to be a great assistant pastor. It is only appropriate to follow that up (and I probably should have led) with a post about being a great lead pastor for an AP. Here are some thoughts on nine ways to be a great lead pastor for an […]
Read More 10 Ways to be a Great Lead Pastor for an Assistant PastorWhile I have been a lead pastor for almost fifteen years (a church planter for the past ten), my first ten years out of seminary were spent serving as an assistant pastor in churches ranging from under 200 to over 2,000 members. While I loved my seminary experience and learned a great deal about the […]
Read More 4 Ways to Be a Great Assistant PastorEuropeans call their vacations being on “holiday.” I love that. Holiday is a compressed version of holy day. Like Halloween is the compressed form of All Hallows Eve. Historically, the church has set aside “holy days” as times to stop and reflect, not upon our work but upon God’s work for us. A holy day […]
Read More Pastor, Are You Taking Enough Vacation Time?