Mar 6, 2020 | Devotion, Personal Development, Podcast
<iframe width=”100%” height=”166″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay”...
Mar 4, 2020 | Pastor's Life, Personal Development, Podcast
It was shortly after 3 am as I was rudely jolted from sleep by my ringing cell phone. Good news for pastors rarely travels at 3 am so I bolted from my comfy bed expecting an emergency. The call, from one of our Sheriff’s Deputies, informed me, as their...
Mar 2, 2020 | Personal Development, Perspectives, Podcast
In 1987, we founded The Church of The Apostles in Atlanta with fewer than forty adult members. We never dared imagine we would one day become a congregation of more than three thousand members. We didn’t choose the name of our church. We belonged to a mainline...
Feb 28, 2020 | Devotion, Personal Development, Podcast
A few days ago as I was lying in bed, getting ready to go to sleep, I listened to my nightly devotional—“Pray As You Go,” a beautiful daily audio recording by a group of British Jesuits. I paused the recording in the middle to answer a question from my wife, Kellie,...
Feb 26, 2020 | Church Matters, Perspectives, Podcast
As much as you and I may dislike it, we can’t argue with the fact that people are attending church less often than they used to. It’s not uncommon for someone to attend church once or twice a month. That’s becoming the norm, and even your most committed members...
Feb 24, 2020 | Devotion, Personal Development, Perspectives, Podcast
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...
Feb 21, 2020 | Church Matters, Inspiration, Leadership, Pastor's Life, Personal Development, Podcast
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...
Feb 19, 2020 | Creativity, Personal Development, Podcast
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...
Feb 17, 2020 | Church Matters, Inspiration, Pastor's Life, Perspectives
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...