Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
Last Sunday, I began a sermon series called Cultivating a Movement. It’s a series designed to help us put ourselves in a place where God can move in and through us. The series will last several weeks. It won’t be an exhaustive list, and it’s certainly not intended to be a formula, because I don’t … Read more
As I wrote previously, I just started a sermon series at Centre Grove on Cultivating a Movement. The series began with a focus on surrender. The word “surrender” has mostly negative connotations—on the battlefield, in the political arena, on the sports field, and in life, in general. But in the spiritual life, surrender is essential. … Read more
I just started a new sermon series called, “Cultivating a Movement.” A few weeks ago, I wrote in an email to church leaders and prayer partners, “I don’t just want to pastor a church; I want to lead a movement!” Now, that may not be the most theologically-accurate statement. By nature, a church is a … Read more
The Church requires followers of Jesus who are growing in every way more and more like Jesus! One of the passages of Scripture that drives my understanding of ministry is Ephesians 4.11-16. In this passage, Paul describes church leadership in terms of equipping God’s people for ministry, and includes a phrase that I have come … Read more
One of my favorite books is The Circle Maker. That should come as no surprise. I’ve written seven posts about the book (last one here, with links to the previous ones). In the book, Batterson writes … Maybe one of the reasons we get frustrated in prayer is our ASAP approach. When our prayers aren’t … Read more
There’s been a movement in recent years to focus on one word for a year. Jon Gordon has written a book called One Word That Will Change Your Life (see also getoneword.com). Gordon was on the NBC Today Show on New Year’s Day discussing the power of one word. Last year, my word was cultivate. … Read more
I grew up in a denomination that only read and approved the King James Version of the Bible, and viewed other translations with a great deal of skepticism. But in seminary, I began to read, enjoy, and prefer modern translations (that was also during a time when several translations were developed, including God’s Word, the … Read more
I love the beginning of a new year. While there’s nothing magical about it, there’s just something about getting a fresh start, and entering a year for the first time in history! But I also love the opportunity to look back and reflect on the year that was. On the blog, we wrote (only) 79 … Read more
Why is there a Christmas? I believe there’s a Christmas because “God’s faithful love endures forever!” That’s a phrase that appears over and over in the Old Testament (mainly in the Psalms). It includes the Hebrew word, hesed (appears 248 times in the Old Testament), which describes God’s faithful love, loyalty, and devotion. God’s faithful … Read more
What an exciting time! And, what an incredible opportunity for the Church as we celebrate Christmas—God’s rescue mission to save the world! As the Church prepares to celebrate Jesus’ birth, and offer Christ, over the next few days, here’s what I find myself praying. O God, thank you for your great love, and for sending … Read more