Articles
Pastor: Thou Shalt Not Kill Thyself
Ministry is hard work, beset by temptation, difficulty, and weariness. Clergy are not immune to depression or suicidal thoughts. What follows is advice for pastors, designed to help prevent the depression that can lead to suicide. Fellowship It is all too common for...
The Federalist Press Number 87
To the Citizens of the United States The Covid-19 pandemic has officially surpassed the year mark in America. This last year has been extremely challenging for many of us. These challenges have manifested themselves in some of the most open-air attacks on our...
12 Powerful Ways Jesus Chooses to Not “Play Nice” Part 2
What happens before the Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16? To Jesus, the master conversationalist, it’s all fair game toward one overriding mission. Nicodemus is confused. Jesus comes right back at him. “Pay attention. That which is holy and true to God is like...
12 Powerful Ways Jesus Chooses To Not “Play Nice” (Part 1)
What happens before the Bible’s most famous verse, John 3:16? To Jesus, the master conversationalist, relationship and meaning triumph over social norms…every time. He interrupts, He puzzles, He changes subject, He provokes, He monologues. It’s all fair game toward...
Making the Most Of Biblical Higher Education
It has been said that “An education cannot make the most of a person, but a person can make the most of an education.” Some of the greatest men in the modern history of Christian ministry were without any formal theological training. Such a list is too long to...
The 7 Rules of Rest
Pastor, you are called to preach. You are called to shepherd, you are called to lead. You are called to serve, you are called to sacrifice. You are also called to rest! This is especially important after this long season of stress we have all endured during the...
Praying Through Your Church Directory
The apostle Paul says that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Then, the apostle James tells us to “pray for one another” (James 5:16). Good ideas, but easier said than done. The sainted apostles didn’t have to work 8-10 hours a day, take care of...
Church – care for abused and neglected children
A responsibility of the local church to care for abused and neglected children In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, CityServe, along with churches around the nation will be observing a National Day of Prayer. Referred to as Blue Sunday, this April 25th. This day...
The Stamp Collector
Mark and Jeff and I are sponsors of our sons’ soccer teams this year. After a bruising Saturday morning chasing the kids through an activity that was something like soccer, we loaded the rowdy bunch of 9-year-olds into the van and headed towards the local pizza...
Life Lessons and Love Languages: How My Writing Career Started
While I never thought of myself as an author, writing has become a major part of my ministry over the last three decades. Almost all of my books have grown out of my counseling ministry. Earlier in my career, I discovered the five love languages and how they greatly...
A Dangerous Inconsistency
Ministry preparation is as old as the church itself. The apostle Paul had received formal Jewish instruction at the feet of Gamaliel before receiving personal instruction from Christ Himself. Bringing this concept full circle, Paul exhorted Timothy to “be diligent to...
3 Reasons Pastors Need Rest
As pastors, we’re on the move! We’re movers and shakers of influence by nature. That’s how we became leaders. We have big dreams and dynamic plans. Yet, following Jesus requires that we rest. After an intense season of ministry, Jesus offered this invitation to His...
Ministry to the Vulnerable
I remember when I first heard the word “vulnerable” a couple of years ago. My wife, Julie, and I had been invited to be the CityServe National Directors for the Vulnerable Initiative. But to be honest, I wasn’t sure I knew who “the vulnerable” were. I soon learned...
Building Endurance In Ministry & Life
The coffee bean is a tiny thing that drives many people through the day. Maybe we don’t “need” it to survive, per se. But, for some, it plays a critical role in our ability to function effectively. And apparently helps us live longer. Prayer similarly has this...
Loving God and Loving Our Neighbors in the Digital Age
In response to the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan. The lawyer’s motivation in asking this question, the Bible tells us, was to evade moral responsibility. But Jesus patiently unpacked the question...
Discipline or Desperation? The Key to Living Free in Christ.
One evening, after decades of a Christianity driven by rules and performance, I came impulsively close to ending my life. Until that moment, my relationship with God had been primarily about Bible content and the discipline to obey. But that night, everything changed....
Demonstrating Gentleness
Demonstrating gentleness toward others, especially when they’re against us, means we’re walking in the humility needed to handle others with care. In the ways we speak and the ways we act. Gentleness is a determination to encourage and bless others as we interact with...
Five Biggest Tax Mistakes Made by Pastors
…and What You Can Do to Avoid Them It’s tax season again, and pastors across the U.S. are gathering the financial documents necessary to carry out their civic duty. With inherent complications of ministerial tax treatment, albeit with some benefits. How can ministers...
Hope When Your Heart is Breaking
Truck drivers see it all the time. I’ve seen it a few times when we’ve needed to drive through the night. It comes about the time you’ve opened the window on a frigid night. And you’ve turned to the most annoying radio station you can find. Because the night is...
The Healing Power of God
When Curt was diagnosed with brain cancer, all of us were heartbroken. All except Curt, who stood tall and resolute. He told us God was in control. On the eve of the day the doctors would operate, our group of seven held a healing service in Curt’s home. I had never...
