Articles
Grit Don’t Quit
I have learned, in my forty-plus years of serving God and living in His kingdom, that there are recurring pressures and voices that try to convince me to wave the white flag. That is to be expected, because the values of God’s kingdom are not the values of...
Christmas Away From Home
There are many reasons and places to experience a first Christmas away from home. If you have, you understand. Have you thought of the first time anyone spent Christmas away from home - the very first time? Have you thought of Mary and Joseph in this...
Jesus, the Grandest Story of All
An old man stoops and grabs a weathered hardback off the shelf. He handles the volume gently, careful not to disturb the fragile binding while returning to his favorite chair, glasses perched on his nose. As he slowly turns the yellowed pages, his eyes...
A Big Gospel in Small Places
My church, Pepperell Christian Fellowship, is a nondenominational church on Main Street in the town of Pepperell, Massachusetts, an hour northwest of Boston and just minutes from the New Hampshire border. You’ve probably never heard of Pepperell. It’s not a...
Cultivating & Guarding Children’s Love for Jesus
Why do children love Jesus so much? In the Gospels, it’s clear that they loved Jesus because He first loved them. Jesus wasn’t posing for future artists when He invited children to gather around him. Actually, He didn’t have to do any coaxing. Children...
How I Became “Pastor Cop”
First off, I have to tell you that never in a million years would I have ever thought that I would become so involved in Law Enforcement, especially while a full-time Sr. Pastor! Not only that, but I also currently serve on our regional SWAT team as the...
Five Elements of a Great Worship Experience
Experiencing church for the first time as a twenty year old young man was quite the experience. I’ve been a part of brush arbor revivals, where you go out into a field and gather some sticks and build a structure to have a church service in. I’ve been in...
Why do I sing?
I enjoy singing. It's fun. It's been a big part of my life and I take satisfaction in using it to express my heart and as a tool to explore my relationship with God. It's good for me. But that's not why I sing. Singing connects people. It's an activity...
She Rises Late and Her Kids Make Her Breakfast
It’s Not Gossip If Your Head Is Bowed Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. —James 1:26 I love catching my mother in sin. One time I heard her on the...
It’s About the Heart
It will be very difficult to embark (and remain) on a journey of transformation if we do not have confidence that we are already loved as we currently are. We don’t change so that we’ll be loved more by God. We are measurelessly loved by God, so we are...
The Pharisee Frog
Many years ago the seminary where I attended had invited a guest speaker to preach at one of the chapel services. While I don’t remember anything about his subject I remember something he said in passing: “I have heard a lot of Pharisee frogs in my...
Seven People You Should Fire Right Now
I’ve been pretty lucky in ministry. Over the years I’ve only had to fire a handful of staff and volunteers. It’s the least enjoyable part of my job but also one of the most important. And if you’re a pastor, it’s one of your most important jobs. Allowing a person to...
Why I Stopped Preaching Doctrine
I was saved as a teenager in the mid-seventies in a small church in a small town in southwest Missouri. Almost immediately I was taught doctrine. Even before I really knew what it was. The English word “doctrine” derives from the old Latin word “doctor”...
The Rule of Seven (Times Seven?) in Missions
Experts have studied how many times humans must be exposed to something in order for it to stick. One author says, “The rule of seven is an old marketing adage. It says that a prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times...
The Benefits and Pitfalls of Full Disclosure
To reveal or not to reveal? Should our lives be an open book? Self-disclosure is definitely a risk, but sometimes a risk worth taking. Pastor Mike “bragged” about his short-term memory loss, treating his condition as inconsequential and refused to ask...
It’s Time for a Game Change!
All pastors and church leaders worth their salt say they care about disadvantaged and disenfranchised people. In many cases, however, their actual ministry strategy is designed primarily to increase the number of people attending weekend services. The...
The Devil’s Three Deadly Ds: A Three-Point Sermon for Defeating Christian Leaders
The front cover of Rev. W. S. Harris’ 1904 classic book Sermons by the Devil 1 is decorated with a drawing of a devil-like man gesturing from behind a pulpit. Harris selected the image because he knew that with the exception of our Lord Jesus Christ,...
Is pastoring really that hard?
According to recent statistics, from LifeWay Research, the average tenure for a senior pastor in the U.S. is only about 4-6 years. Translated that means that there are a lot of pastors out there with four to six years of experience many times...
A Month of Sundays
While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.” Matthew 17:5 This is one of the most difficult texts in...
Becoming Compassionate Leaders
Nehemiah faced one of the of the most complicated and most documented leadership challenges ever when God called him to oversee rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. At the time, Nehemiah lived a thousand miles from Jerusalem and served as the cupbearer...
