Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
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
Recently, I re-read Exodus 18 where Moses receives a visit by his father-in-law, Jethro. It’s a well-known story, especially among Christian leaders. It’s often used to make a case for team-building and delegation. After observing Moses do all of the work by himself, Jethro advises Moses to find and equip capable people to share the … Read more
As I look back over the past twenty-five years of following Jesus, clearly my greatest passion has been God’s mission — engaging in it and leading others to engage in it, too! I’ve always been challenged by Jesus’ first words after the resurrection: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you!” (John 20.21, … Read more
We just returned from vacation in Maine (where we went in 2011 and 2012). The kids enjoy going to Maine. They talk about going there through much of the year, even though it’s far away and the water is cool (water temperature was 57-59 degrees last week). Last year, it took them a few days … 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
When we encounter adversity, we naturally want to get through it as quickly as possible. When we get knocked down, we want to get back up and get on with it as quickly as possible! But, often, it simply takes time, sometimes a long time, to get through seasons of adversity! It’s easy to lose … 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
Well, you’ve heard the stories of the Lost Coin, the Lost Sheep, and the Lost Son (see Luke 15). On Saturday, we experienced the story of the Lost Blanket! Last week, our family went to annual conference, a gathering of pastors and lay members from each church or charge in the conference. We arrived Wednesday … Read more
One of the things I’ve discovered over the years that stirs my passion for God is listening to praise and worship music! In Ephesians 5.18-19, the Apostle Paul wrote … Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, … Read more