Apr 9, 2024 | Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
Paul’s letter to Philemon presents us with a challenge. Imagine taking this letter to various movie studios in the hopes it gets turned into a film. The problem that studio executives will have is there is no clear villain. Sure, Philemon is fraught with problems— he...
Apr 2, 2024 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Personal Development
Imagine greeting a family member without a hug, handshake, or smile. Your lack of enthusiasm would reveal a great deal about how you felt—or didn’t feel—about that relative. Imagine your favorite team in your favorite sport winning the game. Enthusiasm would be the...
Mar 29, 2024 | Inspiration, Mental Health, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
In a sense, a life of flourishing can be described very simply: It is the opposite of depression. Though you may be familiar with what depression feels like and how debilitating it can be, you may be surprised at how exceptionally common it is in our society. In 2020,...
Mar 26, 2024 | Family, Pastor's Life, Personal Development, Perspectives
Discipline is about teaching. In fact, the word discipline is derived from the Latin word disciplina, which means instruction or training. It is also derived from the word discere, which means “to learn.” Basically, discipline centers on providing instruction and...
Mar 22, 2024 | Church Matters, Creativity, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
There is a special joy for a Christian in teaching, because for every subject there is a backdrop of God’s reality and presence. For instance, in the teaching of mathematics, the lesson is about truth and distinguishing truth from falsehood: God is the God of all...
Mar 19, 2024 | Church Matters, Inspiration, Leadership, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
Mental health challenges can affect anyone, including pastors. Raising awareness and providing support within faith-based education is essential for equipping religious leaders with the tools they need to effectively serve their communities. The following are some key...
Mar 15, 2024 | Devotion, Editor's Pick, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
“We’ve done everything possible to save this leg, all that’s left is amputation. When you’re ready, we’ll have that conversation.” Those words came from my wife’s surgeon, following numerous operations to save her right leg...
Mar 12, 2024 | Devotion, Editor's Pick, Leadership, Leadership, Pastor's Life
A Call to Insufficiency How often have you thought, I’m the wrong guy for this? Right. And wrong. At the same time. Deep pastoral wellness begins with reckoning—a reality check of sorts. Without complaining, we need an objective view of ministry realities. Gospel...
Mar 8, 2024 | Devotion, Editor's Pick, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development
Fourteen years ago, I suffered heat stroke in sight of the finish line of a community race I’d been training to win. It was 80 degrees, with high humidity, and I’d trained for months in unusually cool-for-summer 70-degree mornings. I had my time goals for each mile —...
