In November 2018, I did a podcast on the need for consistency in leadership. I wanted to expand a little on that idea by putting together a post on the topic as well. I wanted to share a concise set of reasons that consistency is important in...
It has been said that practice makes perfect. But it really doesn’t. In the past, I’ve modified the saying to “practice makes permanent”. That’s a better way to look at practice. But now I think there may be even a better way to think of practice. I...
Len Sweet has penned a new book due out in March, 2014, entitled, The Well-Played Life: Why Pleasing God Doesn’t have to be Hard Work. This Tyndale House publication seeks to help Christians understand that discipleship is not work; it is play. The...
In a previous post, I reviewed a book by Co-pastors Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken, of Oak Hills Church in California. They had grown their church using the Willow Creek model of ministry, but found that they were seeing people formed into consumers...
Several years ago I went through a small crisis. I have been in some type of ministry since I was 19. But the churches I served, be it as a youth pastor, youth & worship pastor, or senior pastor never were big. We didn’t turn into large...
I was thinking the other day over the phrase “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” As I meditated on that verse it wasn’t the with part that captivated me. I get that Jesus basically says to love...
Invitations are powerful. They shape and form us, and challenge our understanding of ourselves, of others, and of God. Some invitations are welcomed – invitations to dinner, to a cruise, to speak or to a sporting event. Other invitations are...
Don’t you? It’s not so much of a problem if I don’t know something or don’t know how to do something. I’ve always been a willing learner. It’s just been my nature. But if I need help on something I should know how...
I want to talk for a few posts about the storying process. In this post, let’s talk a moment about images and imagination. Here’s a trick. Let’s suppose I say, “Not everything that appears to be valuable is actually valuable...
I’ve seen too many pastors give sermons that resemble reports or presentations more than sermons. I confess that I have done that myself. One major reason for this, I believe, is the emphasis on expository preaching. And expository preaching...