Aug 10, 2023 | Church Matters, Inspiration, Personal Development, Perspectives
Recovery isn’t a fixed state; it’s a process. Recovery isn’t a destination. If you’re “in recovery,” you’re on a journey whose direction of travel is toward self-direction, health and well-being, and the fulfillment of your potential. In recovery, we develop the...
Aug 4, 2023 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Personal Development
A few years ago, I (Chris) wrote a book with neuroscience specialist Dr. Jim Wilder, addiction recovery specialist Ed Khouri, and educator Sheila Sutton called Joy Starts Here. In our book we describe joy this way. Joy is the twinkle in someone’s eyes, the smile from...
Aug 1, 2023 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Perspectives
That is the opening line to Bob Dylan’s 1989 song “Political World.” The poet laureate of rock ’n’ roll ends the song with these lines: We live in a political world / Everything is hers or his / Climb into the frame and shout God’s name / But you’re not even sure what...
Jul 28, 2023 | Church Matters, Inspiration, Leadership, Pastor's Life, Perspectives
The hot Haitian sun beat down on our metal tap tap as we bounced along the dirt road of a small town just outside Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. My hands wrapped around the metal bars, I squinted into the high noon sun as we came to a slow stop, our driver pointing towards a...
Jul 25, 2023 | Church Matters, Devotion, Editor's Pick, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Personal Development, Refreshment
In 1 Chr. 25:1, the Chronicler recorded that, “David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals.” And again, in verse 3, the Chronicle mentioned...
Jul 21, 2023 | Church Matters, Devotion, Inspiration, Leadership, Pastor's Life, Perspectives, Refreshment
As Christian leaders, we tend to assume we already know what thriving communities are; we then simply go looking for instances in Scripture that confirm our knowledge and agenda. Over time, we cease learning from Scripture how to think and instead use it as a tool to...
Jul 18, 2023 | Church Matters
Lord knows how many times I have tossed churchly keys and thrown myself on a couch of religious despair. I have felt the expansive loneliness of not being able to turn apprehension about the church into prayer. I’ve been embroiled in the ups and downs of church my...
Jul 14, 2023 | Inspiration, Perspectives
Preach a series of sermons on giving. In my twenty years as a senior pastor, I learned that a stand-alone sermon on stewardship, even if preached twice a year, had little impact on people’s giving. But the first year I preached a four-week series on the biblical...
Jul 11, 2023 | Perspectives
If you are convinced that deconstructing faith is dangerous, and you are annoyed by the “trend,” this article is an attempt to help you see things a little differently. It’s an article that’s trying to deconstruct your view of deconstruction. Let me guess. You’re...
