Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
We’re nearing the end of my sermon series on Cultivating a Movement (see Surrender, Rely on God’s Power, Pursue Holiness, Scatter Seeds, Preserve Unity, and Pray Through). There is clearly a great deal of need in the world. And, the only organization in the world that truly has the power to change the world is … Read more
I’m in the home stretch of a sermon series on Cultivating a Movement (see Surrender, Rely on God’s Power, Pursue Holiness, Scatter Seeds, and Preserve Unity). Too Busy Not to Pray! We often live as if we’re too busy to pray. In an effort to get things done, we cut out prayer time. This is … Read more
I just read The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson (2004). It’s a good book about the church in action through service. Rusaw and Swanson suggest, “Externally focused churches are internally strong, but they are oriented externally” (17). They are “convinced that good deeds and good news can’t and shouldn’t be separated” … Read more
Today is one of our favorite days of the year—Ethan’s “gotcha day”! Six years ago today, Joleen and I were in Korea and Ethan became part of our family, a day after meeting him for the first time in his foster home. In some ways, it’s hard to believe it has been six years already. … Read more
I’m near the midpoint of a series of messages on Cultivating a Movement (see Surrender, Rely on God’s Power, Pursue Holiness, and Scatter Seeds). One thing churches must also do is preserve unity! Sadly, churches can be notorious for their lack of unity. When this is the case, the church develops a bad reputation in … Read more
I’m working my way through a series of messages on Cultivating a Movement (previous messages include: Surrender, Rely on God’s Power, and Pursue Holiness). The Church has been entrusted with the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ. We have a story to tell … God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, … Read more
We bear fruit when we stay connected to Jesus! Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit” (John 15.5a, CEB). We can’t produce fruit on our own. We produce fruit by staying connected to God. Jesus said, “you … Read more
Last month, I found myself saying, “I don’t just want to pastor a church; I want to lead a movement!” That sentiment has shaped my first sermon series of the year: Cultivating a Movement. So far, I’ve talked about Surrender and Rely on God’s Power. Another area that’s vital to being a people God can … Read more
I’m working through a sermon series at Centre Grove called, Cultivating a Movement (which was the focus of my latest prayer for the Church). I want to be part of a movement for God. My working definition for a movement is simply a people God can move through, a church God can use! I started … Read more
We just returned from the 2014 Bishop’s Retreat for Our Clergy Family, which was held in Lancaster, PA. The retreat is for pastors and their families from our conference. Tracy Radosevic, this year’s presenter, is a storyteller, and she was excellent. Tracy spoke often about, and from the perspective of, the Network of Biblical Storytellers. … Read more