If nothing else will distract a leader, discouragement will.
And if nothing else will discourage a leader, comparing himself with others will.
Envy is the great disabler. And sometimes it disables me. Here I am, constantly going for God while the stress and the pressure of ministry seems never to go away. When I dwell on this, I’m in a turmoil that feels like it just won’t end.
Read MoreMost Christian leaders agree their main priority—maybe their top priority—is seeing lost people saved.
And too many Christian leaders think the inadequacies of others—immature leaders, uncommitted church members—are the main reason their congregations aren’t reaching that goal.
But in my study of scripture this week I was struck with a truth that should have been obvious to me. I was reading 1 Corinthians and meditating on Paul’s claim, quoted above: “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” And here’s what hit me: The first step toward seeing others saved rests with me and how I view myself. When I am selfless, many will be saved. Others finding salvation begins with my selflessness. And that’s something I can fix without waiting for or depending on anyone else.
Read Morein 2018 I dove back into the blogging and writing sphere. The coaxing of a good friend caused me to reflect and dive back into this space. Last year was a good year. In fact, for the most part it was a great year. Like most years though, looking back there were some themes in my life and ministry. I also found that there are themes that many of you resonated with in 2018 and I am sure that they would be beneficial to revisit as we hit the ground running in 2019.
Read MoreWe’ve heard quite a bit in the last decade about the church’s waning influence in our culture. Many writers want to talk about generational differences, sociological trends, or cultural changes to explain why fewer and fewer Americans attend or care about church.
But I want to propose something more basic. I thought about this as I reflected on the sermon I preached last Sunday. It was about spiritual warfare and the reality of Satan’s work in our world. Early in the sermon I quoted John MacArthur’s words in a sentence that seemed to resonate with many who heard it:
Read MoreI first met Scott in Colorado as we both stepped into a mentor group that would begin to shift and change both of us as leaders. I have always described him as the most down to earth man with the most amazing leadership. When you hang with Scott he is like any other guy on the surface. He is funny, sarcastic, loving, self-deprecating (in the best of ways), and yet he drops the nuggets of gold that you start to take notice of.
Read More
