Recently Leadership Network asked 40 pastors (including the likes of Wayne Cordeiro and Elmer Towns) to explain in 6 minutes what they wish they had done differently in ministry. They held an online conference called SAGE. As one of the speakers, I spoke on why I wish I was less like a turtle. You can read

Do you ever think about the fragrance of Christ? What is it, what does it mean. And really, what DOES He smell like? I once read one of those tear-jerker email forwards about a baby girl who was born severely premature and was not expected to live. Due to her immature little immune system, her

This is my married daughter’s story about her ministry to women involved in strip clubs. She and her husband recently moved to California, yet this ministry she started continues to thrive. The drive to Kentucky was beautiful, punctuated with fields of yellowed wildflowers and the emerald green of the lush Southern foliage. We rolled into

When I was a kid, one of my favorite toys was an Etch A Sketch. If you’ve never played with one, it works like this. You turn the two white knobs in different directions to create a line drawing like the one in the picture. That was cool enough for us kids like me who

I’m a pastor and I bought an iPad 10 days ago (16 Gig wi-fi version, the cheapest). If you are a pastor, could an iPad help you become more effective? Maybe. Maybe not. Although I’m only a little over a week into owning mine, this phrase captures my experience,”It has exceeded all my expectations.” What

5/5, Wednesday. (this post is delayed by 5 days because I just returned and could post via wi-fi) On Tuesday we traveled about 3 hours north from Managua to the mountains. We’re staying at an idyllic coffee plantation that almost seems out of place. It’s almost feels like a tropical paradise. When we arrived we

Yesterday over 50 pastors and their wives attended the first of our three 1-day pastor’s conferences. I was humbled by their presence. These pastors serve small churches (50 people or less), are very poor, and don’t own transportation beyond a bike. The night before (Sunday night) a deluge of rain washed out the road that

I learned an odd thing about Nicaragua today. Insomniac roosters live here. At about 3 am this morning a rooster decided to flex his vocal chords, repeatedly for 4 straight hours. He is continuing his display even as I write this blog. Fried pollo (chicken in Spanish) will be quite tasty for lunch. I recruited

Do your best and leave the results to God. That phrase may seem a bit worn, but it’s well worth heeding. In Christ’s parable of the talents, the master, representing God, gave responsibility to the servants, us, based on individual ability.[1] The story implies us that some pastors (and people)  have greater competencies than others.