One word describes the last five years well…VOLATILE. Five years ago we were in the middle of the COVID lockdowns and tensions were at a boiling point. Today, everyone is watching their 401K balance go down and talking about a subject most only know from history class: tariffs. In the last five years, we haveContinue reading “NO Volatility”
Category Archives: Leadership
What I Have Learned in Ministry
One of my goals is to write more to my fellow pastors and those who serve in the Lord’s church. After 30+ years of ministry in the local church, I offer the following lessons I have learned in ministry – some of them the hard way! Some of these are original to me. Some areContinue reading “What I Have Learned in Ministry”
“Our Disappointments are His Appointments”
Those words are a quote from the late pastor A.T. Pierson. I ran across this quote while preparing a message from 2 Samuel 7 where David greatly desires to build the temple but God tells him he isn’t going to get to do it. So how did David respond? Undoubtedly, he was disappointed, but DavidContinue reading ““Our Disappointments are His Appointments””
The Church’s Entitlement Crisis
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;” (Romans 12:10, NASB95) Politicians speak of the looming “Entitlement Crisis” regarding how to pay for Social Security and Medicare. Never mind that their own legislation and spending has helped to create said crisis! However, that is another subject. As aContinue reading “The Church’s Entitlement Crisis”
The Myth of Neutrality
Social media was up in arms last week after the Biden administration issued a proclamation for March 31 as the Transgender Day of Visibility. March 31 also happened to be Easter Sunday. The criticism was (rightly) ferocious. Defenders pointed out that March 31 is the Transgender Day of Visibility each year and Biden was simplyContinue reading “The Myth of Neutrality”
Why Reaching New People Must Always Be at the Forefront for the Church
“Pastor, you talk about reaching new people all the time, but what about the members we already have? Shouldn’t we take care of them? Don’t we care?” Those words were spoken to me years ago when I was the pastor of another church. We had been experiencing a good season of growth. I was excitedContinue reading “Why Reaching New People Must Always Be at the Forefront for the Church”
Needed: LEADERS
Psalm 78 is a type of history lesson for the people of God, recounting God’s faithful guiding of His people in spite of their consistent failure and unfaithfulness. Then at the very end of the Psalm attention turns to how God raised up David to lead the people. By any measure, David was a tremendouslyContinue reading “Needed: LEADERS”
Leading the people of God
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—” (Titus 1:5, NKJV) Titus was a Gentile who had come to faith in Christ – possibly even led to Christ by the Apostle Paul himself. ForContinue reading “Leading the people of God”
Why I have a picture of Spurgeon in my office
Not long ago, a pastor friend of mine was surprised to see a portrait of the great English pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon on the wall of my office near my desk. “You’re not a Calvinist, why do you have a picture of Spurgeon?” It was a good question. It was also my joy to explainContinue reading “Why I have a picture of Spurgeon in my office”
Clash of the worldviews
Dr. Del Tackett who helped produce Focus on the Family’s excellent series “The Truth Project” defines a person’s worldview in this way… A person’s worldview consists of the values, ideas or the fundamental belief system that determines his attitudes, beliefs and ultimately, actions. It’s important to understand that there are many worldviews in operation today.Continue reading “Clash of the worldviews”