I’ve spent a lot of time this week hearing from advisors, listening to our leaders, and considering the spiritual and practical implications of COVID-19 virus for our church, school, and ministry.
Responding to Hard Stuff
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Ministry
Five Christmas Essentials
The pace of life in 2019 is faster than any human being can possibly sustain. We weren’t designed to process the vast volume of noise or to accomplish the incessant stream of activity and obligation that life offers up to us.
The Monday After Easter!
It’s Monday morning after Easter Sunday. The first task on your task list is “Start preparing next Sunday’s message.” But hold on a minute. This particular Monday morning brings a collision of dynamics…
Resurrection Week and Spiritual Battle
Any time you tackle a big effort to lift up Jesus, you can buckle up for some spiritual opposition of some kind. It’s as predictable as the sunrise.
Gawk A Little
Ernest Becker wrote in Denial of Death, “…By the time we leave childhood we have repressed our vision of the primarily miraculousness of creation. We have closed it off, changed it, and no longer perceive the world as it is to raw experience.”
How God Funds His Work…
Do you ever stress over ministry finances? Read on! This post was written three years ago. I never posted it, not sure why. But now, more than ever, I’m convinced of a few things…
To the Pastor Taking (un)Friendly Fire…
What story will be told ten years from today? Early this morning I read a long document from seven years ago journaling the turmoil of God’s disruptive will in my life. At the time, I was recovering from cancer…
Eight Demons Pastors Fight…
To stay in the ministry any length of time, a pastor needs to learn to fight some predictable “demons.” For instance, Monday mornings for pastors and spiritual leaders are unique.
In The Gospel Podcast and Weekend
What Changed at Emmanuel Over Six Years
A pastor-friend recently asked me this question, “What are the most essential changes made at Emmanuel over the last six years?” He urged me to shape my answer into a blog post, which I nervously submit to you at this time.