5 Nuggets of Wisdom I Learned from a Ministry Coach
I strongly believe in coaching, a process that intentionally invites a wise person to speak truth into another. I’ve been coached by Lance Witt, founder of Replenish Ministries and author of two great books, High Impact Teams and Replenish. We met via FaceTime each month and that hour was worth gold. One week we discussed several topics and these
The Dumbest Mistake I Ever Made as a Pastor
On the whole, I believe pastors are a pretty smart bunch. We earn advanced degrees, study biblical languages, go to conferences to learn, and constantly challenge our brains when we prepare messages and talks. I’ve earned two theology degrees and consider myself a relatively smart guy. But, brain smarts won’t guarantee ministry fruitfulness. Our walk
11 Traits of a Foolish Pastor
When you think of a ‘fool’ often a humorous movie character comes to mind like the Three Stooges, Don Knotts, or Jerry Lewis. But Proverbs gives a different slant on a fool. We are to avoid them, not argue with them, or refuse to employ them. Proverbs describes fools as unwise, unteachable, proud, and blinded to their foolishness.
5 Spiritual Benefits from Journaling (God’s Spiritual Cross-trainer)
Athletes understand that quality equipment helps them perform at their peak. A baseball player likes a broken-in glove. A basketball player prefers a leather ball. A tennis player wants a well-balanced racket. Although equipment varies from one sport to the next, every athlete requires good shoes. Since many people enjoy several sports, shoe manufacturers created
10 Ways Pornography Damages your Brain
Pornography is deadly not only to marriages and to our walk with Christ, but to the brain as well. Consider what science is now telling us. Read 10 ways porn damages your brain. Click To Tweet Until recently the research on how porn impacts the body and brain have been correlative. That is, from a
The Worrying and Fearful Leader
Worry and anxiety can stifle the effectiveness of the best leader. In my life when anxiety gets the best of me, my leadership always suffers. So, what goes on in the mind of a leader when he or she worries and what can we do about it? Consider these suggestions. When we feel anxious, a
Just Because You are Competent to Develop a New Competency, Should You?
As leaders we all face the challenge to choose the right priorities, work on our weaknesses, and wisely manage our time. Once in a conversation with leaders this phrase stood out. “Just because we may have the competency to develop new competencies, should we?” Just because we may have the competency to develop new competencies, should
3 Essentials to Resolving Conflict Well
Nobody likes conflict. Yet, it’s inevitable in life. As I’ve served as a pastor for over 30 years sometimes I’ve handled conflict well. Sometimes I’ve not. However, I’ve learned more about how to solve it Biblically from Ken Sande, author of The Peacemaker, a book I’d recommend every ministry leader read. His book is filled with pure gold
Healthy Leaders Look like an Avocado
I love avocados. They add a nice touch to a ham sandwich. And without them we wouldn’t enjoy guacamole with our chips. But avocados also provide a good metaphor for a healthy leader. Every leader needs a strong inner spiritual and emotional core, what I call a healthy spiritual immune system that helps us ward
11 Meeting Killers and How to Kill those Killers
As leaders, it seems we spend an inordinate time in meetings. However, we can’t lead well without face time with others. And face time means we must meet with our teams in person. At the same time, an unproductive meeting wastes time and creates frustration. What are some common meeting killers? Consider these 11 and potential solutions
