Every now and then I will hear a leader say, “I am absolutely out of gas! I’m going to ask my board for a sabbatical.” I’m hearing it even more often in these current trying times.
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I’m a voracious reader. On the fiction side, my taste ranges from historical novels to detective mysteries. On the non-fiction side, I enjoy devotional, professional, and developmental publications.
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One of the most beloved names given to Jesus in the Scriptures is Immanuel – God with us. But more than a theological truth regarding the incarnation, or pretty words to sing at Christmas, Immanuel – God with us - is a reality you and I can experience every day.
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In his outstanding book Hero Maker, Dave Ferguson posits that leadership at the highest level isn’t about attracting followers but about developing other leaders. It doesn’t settle for being the hero. It is committed to making heroes.
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Most of us are probably familiar with C.S. Lewis’ classic work, The Screwtape Letters. For the uninitiated, Lewis writes from the perspective of a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew and protégé, Wormwood, on the various ways to get “the patient” to turn away from “the Enemy” (God).
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In my 40 years of walking with the Lord, I’ve worked hard to maintain a disciplined devotional life. While that commitment has proven to be valuable, I’ve got to admit that at times it’s been more duty than delight.
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The most potent organizations in the world are those in which individuals possess a common group identity. There’s a shared sense of “This is us. This is who we are. This is how it’s like us to act.”
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It’s election day in the United States, a day that has loomed large on our national consciousness for months. We have stewed over it, argued over it, fought for it, and dreaded it. Indeed, this has been the most vitriolic election our nation has seen in years.
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My wife and I have both been greatly inspired by the challenges regarding prayer that Mark Batterson offers in his book, Draw the Circle. In one section, the Washington D.C.–based pastor talks about not allowing prayer to be a substitute for action but a stimulus to action.
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Thirty-eight years ago this month I was installed as senior pastor at Fellowship Missionary Church. The church was a small plant and met in a YMCA. And I was as green as grass!
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In light of my experience of handing off a church I led for 34 years, I’m often approached both by pastors and church boards to share with them what I learned about succession. What worked for us well, where we made some mistakes, and what I would do differently.
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In this season of prolonged stress brought on by the repercussions of a global pandemic, the need for good soul care is essential – especially for pastors and leaders. Without it, we may find ourselves headed toward burnout, depression, addiction, and/or damaged relationships.
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Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, scientists constructed a research facility in Arizona called Biosphere 2. Its purpose was to study the interactions between life-systems in a controlled environment, ostensibly to explore the possibility for usage in outer space.
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For most of my years as a Senior Pastor, I took time off during the month of July to rest, think, pray, and plan. In addition to allowing me to slow down and engage in personal renewal, I also used this time to do long-range sermon planning and study.
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That leathery old saint, A. W. Tozer, is credited with a quote I’ve shared quite a few times. “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”
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In last week’s post, I talked about how the recent shutdown during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic actually presented the 21st-century church with a wonderful opportunity. Almost overnight we went from being the church gathered to being the church scattered.
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As often happens when we go through hard times, somehow, someway, something good comes out of it. I think that’s true for the western church in this current crisis. The shut-downs brought on by COVID-19 have forced churches all over the world to rethink the ways we “do church.”
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As a young leader, I was 100 percent convinced that competency was the key to effectiveness in leadership. I no longer believe that’s true.
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Jesus was the greatest leader who ever lived. He inspired multitudes with His teaching. He performed miracles before thousands. Yet, for all of His interaction with large numbers of people, His primary investment was with a small group of individuals.
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Even though the coronavirus crisis continues to rage, there’s already talk of when we can expect things to get back to normal. When life as we once knew it will return. Please allow me to offer an observation. Things will never get back to normal.
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