I would completely understand if you are feeling low heading into the holidays. You might even be struggling to prepare sermons of thanksgiving. It’s been a hard year for everyone and as a ministry leader I know you’ve carried more than your fair share. ...
Are you feeling weary of all the tension and disunity? In a time when many people disagree about many things, most of us can agree on this: We live in a world desperately in need of restoration. We need help. We need salvation. In Easter we celebrate life from death,...
Every once in a while, when I’m sketching out a diagram to represent an idea, I find myself apologizing for my lack of artistry. Fortunately, my job doesn’t require much by way of drawing skills, but I do have to sketch the occasional diagram or flow chart to...
Once I received a handwritten note of thanks from someone who was impacted by my ministry. My executive assistant (secretary back then) handed it to me and said, “Put this in your happy file.” That gave me the idea to start one. Ever since, I’ve kept...
When you’re working with people, and they’re trying to make a decision on where they need to go or what they need to be doing, I often ask them, “How has God led you in the past?” They then rehearse where God has led them and that informs their current situation. They...
For me, seminary preaching classes were a painful experience. The worst part was when I had to go to the preaching lab to be videotaped as I struggled to deliver a message. Having to listen to myself on tape seemed bad enough, but having to see myself too was just too...
Recently I watched a baby of about one year old who was trying to learn to speak. As conversations were carried on around him, he mimicked the sounds and actions he was observing. When people were talking, he would make word-like sounds in their direction as if we...
Note: part of a series from From Followers to Leaders. See Feb 21 blog entry for backstory. We’re not on this journey alone. And we’re not on it just with our guide. We’re on it with our fellow hikers, our peers, our teammates. There are other people trekking nearby,...
