A Bloody Bible?
In some ways, the book we call the Bible is a legal document. According to the Church’s view, God has made two primary contracts with...
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Jun 27, 20233 min read
Scaredy-Cat Leadership
About three-thousand years ago, Israel was once again in a bad place. They had this pathological spiritual pattern: after having some big...
Jun 13, 20233 min read
Jesus, Miracles, & Serving
Servanthood is central to the work of the church simply because it was central to the work of Jesus. Jesus’ ministry included two types...
May 30, 20233 min read
What Churches Will Survive?
Let me lay my cards on the table by stating a central belief I have about the local church: it must be outward-focused if it is to...
May 16, 20232 min read
Asking For Help
Yesterday I had a little hiccup. About seven months ago, my wife and I felt prompted—I think now by the Holy Spirit—to have a CT scan to...
May 9, 20233 min read
Hypocrisy Voyeurism
Have you heard the news about _______? Just insert the name of a politician, athlete, leader, celebrity, influencer, whatever…and then...
May 2, 20233 min read
The Experience Laboratory
Not even an extremely gifted communicator can rival experience as a teacher. Truth must be experienced to take root. Academia has begun...
Apr 11, 20233 min read
How Do We Learn?
When I was pastoring, getting sick was disastrous…especially when it happened at the last minute and you’re speaking the next day in four...
Mar 28, 20233 min read
When a Leader Steps Down
When a church goes through our Pathway or Inventory program for revitalization, it often includes a site visit from one of our team...
Mar 21, 20233 min read
Smart Leaders Ask Questions
I once had dinner with a well-known leader of a powerfully influential church after I spoke at his church. I had so many questions to ask...
Mar 7, 20233 min read
Leadership and Self-Awareness
Leadership by its nature makes one prone to take hits. Imagine how hard it is to be the U.S. president in these hyper-polarized...
Jan 17, 20232 min read
The Evolution of Language
The other day I happened to notice a poster about a Big New Blockbuster Movie coming out. The top line on the poster read: “Only in...
Nov 28, 20223 min read
Dogpaddling with Dolphins
I’ve been on both sides of a lead pastor transition. Years before serving in the lead pastor role at our church, everyone on...
Nov 22, 20222 min read
What's Your Attitude Indicator?
So here’s an idea as we move into the Thanksgiving holiday… Paul’s short letter to the Philippian church underscored his belief that...
Oct 12, 20223 min read
What Really Counts for Worship?
In the tribe that I pastored in, creating space for worship was very important. It typically meant the musical part of the service, where...
Sep 27, 20223 min read
Are Apologetics Dead?
Don’t get me wrong: apologetics are important. From the launch of the Church in Acts 2, Christians have proclaimed the uniqueness of...
Sep 6, 20223 min read
VBS…an Emergent Problem?
The Integrity value is one of four key elements we’ve identified as being absolutely essential for the health and effectiveness of any...
Jul 19, 20222 min read
Changing the “Routine Paradigm”
At one time I had my Christian life neatly prioritized. It was: first, God. Second, family. And third, work…specifically, my work as a...
Jul 5, 20222 min read
Leadership Is Crucial, But...
Leadership is crucial, but not all leaders are the same. Over the last few decades there has been an emphasis on church leadership, with...
Jun 14, 20222 min read
How Big Is The Church?
Play along with me for a minute and let’s use our imagination. If a twenty-something artist named Michelangelo could create something as...
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