Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
The Church needs to stay humble and hungry! I’m in the midst of a long series, posting prayers for the Church (see links to previous prayers below). I’m not sure when this series will end, but in the meantime, I invite you to pray with me for the Church! A couple of months ago, Mark … Read more
The Church needs provision for the vision! I’m nearing the end of a series of posts, offering prayers for the Church on different topics (see links below). I invite you to pray with me for the Church for the sake of the world God loves so much! God has given the Church its mission–to make … Read more
The Church needs vision! I’m nearing the end of a lengthy series of posts, offering prayers for the Church focusing on different areas (see list and links below). According to Bill Hybels, “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion” (see my post on Hybels’ book, Courageous Leadership). Hybels calls vision “a leader’s … Read more
The Church needs courage! This is another prayer in a series of prayers I’m writing for the Church, each focused on a different area. I’ve lifted up a number of areas, so far (see list and links below). I often find myself asking God for courage. It’s a requirement for both discipleship (following Jesus ) … Read more
The Church can be driven by many different things. A quick Google search reveals a number of terms, including: Purpose-Driven Church, Gospel-Driven Church, Christ-Driven Church, Mission-Driven Church, Disciple-Driven Church, Kingdom-Driven Church, Passion-Driven Church, etc. None of these are bad; in fact, they’re all good. I certainly want to help the church be driven by purpose … Read more
The Church needs discipline! I’ve been writing a series of prayers for the Church, each focused on a different area over the last several weeks. I’ve lifted up a number of areas already (see list and links below). Discipline isn’t always thought of in a positive light, but it’s necessary for the Church. Discipline was … Read more
The Church needs to trust God! I have been writing a series of prayers for the Church, offering a prayer with a different focus each week. It’s been a few months since my last prayer in this series, and I have a few more I want to write. So far, I’ve prayed for awakening, transformational … Read more
I really enjoyed preparing a message for Pentecost Sunday this past week. In fact, it struck me that without Christmas and Easter, there would be no Christianity, but without Pentecost, Christianity would have no power or ability to last! Pentecost was so important that Jesus’ final instructions to his followers were to wait in Jerusalem … Read more
In the last two days, I read three mini-ebooks by Laura Vanderkam. The books are from her series, What the Most Successful People Do. The books are good because they are short, practical, and include lots of personal stories and application. What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast is about early morning routines and … Read more
The Church needs endurance! I’m writing a series of prayers for the Church, offering a prayer on a different topic each week. So far, I’ve prayed for awakening, transformational leaders, urgency, hope, health, compassion, action, unity, power, and favor. Endurance is an essential quality for followers of Jesus. And, it’s been on my mind a … Read more