Labels! We don’t like them! Young men don’t think of themselves as young and old men don’t think of themselves as old, probably because the words “young” and “old” are not specific enough. They are highly subjective, are they not? A man who dies at 65 was “just too young”, a man who has a child at 45 was “just too old”, and a man … Continue reading Young Men and Old Men
Though there is much we can learn from the leaders of this present world (Luke 16:8), it is important the Christian leader look to Jesus Christ as his primary source for leadership training. Jesus has much more to say on the subject of leadership than we can cover in this little post, however I will point to one particular scene in which we see Jesus … Continue reading Leadership – Lessons from Jesus
The American mind has a very difficult time trusting those in authority. Perhaps we were more traumatized by the tyranny of King George or the dictatorial demands of authoritarian regimes from which we migrated than previously expected. Perhaps words like Watergate, Lewinski, WMDs, and deleted emails have broken down the walls of trust. Perhaps too many fathers have walked out, employers have flipped out, and … Continue reading WHY IS IT SO HARD TO TRUST LEADERS?
For Christmas one year my parents scrimped enough money to give me an electric-powered slot-car racing track. It was absolutely incredible! Two cars, one blue and the other red, would race down the strait-away, take ninety-degree turns, round embankments, and speed toward a double loop de loop. My brother and I spent hours racing each other. There we’d sit, clutching our plastic hand controls, attempting … Continue reading Brace Yourself for Change
Hire the right people! Over the last 12 years our church plant has grown from zero to 1,000 in attendance. This has been clearly a work of God and only His grace can be credited for such growth. We’ve been the recipient of His unmerited favor and often sit in awe of God’s blessing. In the last 4 years I’ve had many pastors ask what … Continue reading The Single Greatest Contributor to Ministry Growth
In November I found myself in Alabama. I wasn’t there for a football game or family reunion. I had traveled thousands of miles to attend a one-day event for ministry leaders called Idea Day. Idea Day is a day to share ideas for pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and all ministry leaders. We came to share and receive ideas; and this is precisely what we accomplished. But … Continue reading Pastors Need Pastors
The typical American toy box is filled with miscellaneous Legos, broken action figures, and toys that should’ve been trashed years ago. What 11-year-old boy really needs a glowworm with dead batteries? Yet American children are simply following the example of American adults who would rather spend $1,000’s per year on storage units than to be forced into the discipline of throwing something away. “That Teddy … Continue reading The Demise of the American Church
5. Casting Vision for the Future I Peter 5:2 (Pastors should be) taking the oversight thereof. Each local church is unique. Although we all have the same message (the Gospel) and mission (advance it), we will not all have the same methods for doing so. Therefore, God gives the church a pastor. A Pastor is to develop a deep sense of what the church is to … Continue reading The Idea Talks – Episode 11 – 5 Priorities of the Lead Pastor
