Maximize the vision, minimize the change

Leadership, Outreach, Visionizing

  There’s a young guy who lives in the inner city. He works outside the city most of the week, but on Sundays he plays basketball to relax and exercise. His vision is to reach inner city youth, but he felt he didn’t have much time to invest in any official type...

God’s calling at an early age

Leadership

  Among my earliest memories are receiving Christ as savior and knowing I was supposed to work for God. At the time, the only people I knew who worked for God were missionaries, so I wanted to be a missionary. (I didn’t know that being a pastor was an actual job...

Vision: Where is the “more”?

Coaching, Leadership, Visionizing

  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” –Ephesians 2:10  You’ve read this verse before. You know God has created you with certain work in mind for you to do. He has a purpose for...

Leading from the pulpit

Leadership

Most pastors don’t realize the power of their sermon and to what a great extent their sermon can provide leadership. Carl George once told me, “Tell me the stories you’ve used in your sermons in the last six months and I will tell you where your church is going.” He...

A visionary board report?

Leadership, Visionizing

I used my board report very strategically when I was a pastor. I would include all of the standard items: reporting on progress, celebrating successes, recognizing challenges. Then about three quarters of the way down the report, I’d slip in a throw-away line. I’d...

Catch the seashore vision

Coaching, Leadership, Visionizing

As a young church planter, knocking on doors in the 70s and struggling to get a new church up and running, I had a vision that has since directed the rest of my life. In my vision I was standing at the seashore in southern California. I was joined by other church...
When your expectations exceed God’s expectations

When your expectations exceed God’s expectations

Leadership

When your expectations exceed God’s expectations, you’re setting yourself up for frustration and failure. Jesus said, “I have accomplished the work you set out for me to do” (John 17:4). Yet all sorts of things were still left undone. Was Jesus successful? He was...