Articles
Prayer is Not Just for the Spiritually Elite
For many, a life of prayer and spiritual depth is not for them. It’s not that they do not desire it; it’s that they believe it is out of reach. There’ve been too many false starts in their spiritual life. A lot of well-intentioned declarations of commitment...
5 Unhealthy Habits for Leaders to Avoid
The recently deceased monk Thomas Keating said that to be human is to carry three lifelong needs—the need for approval, the need for security, and the need for control. These needs are not bad; in fact, they are hardwired into our souls by God himself—so that he...
Don’t DNF
I am fairly determined when it comes to accomplishing a task. My wife, Diane, would even say that I’m hard-headed! Guilty as charged. As an endurance athlete, that is even more important. Maybe it’s just a manifestation of my German descent, but I don’t...
8 Ways Members Can Support a Church Plant
If you’re considering planting a new church or prayer group, gaining and maintaining the support of a core group of like-minded people will be very important. My wife and I participated in a church plant some years ago that began in our own home with five...
Grieving a loved one? Moving could give you a fresh start
Sometimes, it’s too hard to keep living in a home with memories of your loved one. It can be difficult to put distance between yourself and the memories while finding the closure you need. While it’s typically inadvisable to sell your home when you’re...
Recognizing and Resisting the Power of Beauty to Promote Evil
During the past two decades, there has been a technological revolution in advertising and entertainment. Graphics software has made it possible to produce astoundingly beautiful images that would have been unimaginable as late as the nineteen nineties....
Longing for Revival
It’s important to long for revival for a few reasons: First, it has some biblical basis. The Psalmist prays, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” It’s right there: a prayer for the revival of the Jewish people and their...
What Scripture Says About Women and Authority
While there are several levels to calling and various ways God can extend a leadership call, nowhere does the Bible teach that either gifts or secondary callings are bestowed according to gender. In fact, women preached, prophesied, and led in both the...
Passion to Cynicism in 4 to 6 Years Flat!
Do you remember what it was like when you first became a pastor? Do you remember the zeal you had? Do you remember how you thought you couldn’t love people any more then you did then? It’s kind of like having your first child. It is so incredibly...
Build a Directory Team
So, you’ve been handed the job title of “directory administrator.” The job at hand can feel daunting and overwhelming, especially if you feel all the responsibility lies on your shoulders. But this is a great opportunity to remind yourself that you don’t...
Perfect Church
We give our money and things when there is a need that we can meet: *Don’t bail out on this when you get angry. Just keep reading and finish it. And then if you are still angry, please reach out and begin a discussion. Contact info is listed at the...
How to Reach Millennials with Your Sermons
Millennials are one of the largest demographic groups in America, yet they are one of the hardest groups for pastors to reach. Barna Group has done some interesting research into what millennials like and dislike about church. Their findings reveal some of the values...
Another Way to Spell CARE
The number of blogs and articles related to growing volunteers in the church is simply astounding. Yet, every pastor and church staff member knows that there is no 5-step model, 6 ways, or 3 keys solution to growing volunteers and to exterminating the...
Prayer is Not Just for the Spiritually Elite
For many, a life of prayer and spiritual depth is not for them. It’s not that they do not desire it; it’s that they believe it is out of reach. There’ve been too many false starts in their spiritual life. A lot of well-intentioned declarations of...
A Short Sermon by the Devil on Improving The Minister’s Image in the Community
https://soundcloud.com/pastorresources/a-short-sermon-by-the-devil My Fellow Fakers, I have assembled you here today for the purpose of preaching a short sermon on an amazingly effective way to improve the public image of a Christian minister in most...
Five Christian ways to handle an election year
You may be a political junkie, searching out every possible partisan nugget in media and among friends, and looking forward to the bare-knuckled skirmishes of the new election year. Or you may find the sharp rhetoric and endless parsing of political...
Our God is a Relational God
https://soundcloud.com/pastorresources/becoming-whole Before we can heal the brokenness in the world, we must diagnose the deeper issues of what causes brokenness. We must understand who God is, why He created humankind and what causes people to change....
Humor in the Church
Believe it or not, this subject has sparked some controversy and theological debate among many pastors and theologians in the past. Some have taken the approach that Christianity is supposed to be a serious endeavor and, therefore, should not include...
Ignorance is Dominant
Having just come through the Christmas season I thought it would be a good time to look at an age old debate that always resurfaces during that time. I am speaking of the use of “Xmas” rather than “Christmas”. As any of you who have been in Christianity...
Angry at Your Spouse? Six ways to handle this emotion productively.
“I don’t ever remember losing my temper until I got married.” All married couples experience anger. The tragedy is that thousands of couples never learn how to process anger productively. Marriage becomes a battlefield, each spouse accusing the other of...
