Developing Spiritual Maturity (Part 3)

Luke 2:52 tells us that during his time growing up, Jesus developed in four ways.

He developed in wisdom – intellectual development.

He developed in stature – physical development.

He developed in favor with God – spiritual development.

He developed in favor with man – interpersonal development.

A full human life is well balanced. Thus, it was important to […]

Developing Emotional Maturity (Part 2)

As Christian leaders we are called to continually grow to more like Christ, developing in the same ways he did.

Luke 2:52 tells us four ways that Jesus developed, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and favor with man.”

He developed in wisdom – intellectual development.

He developed in stature – […]

Developing Christ-like Leadership (Part 1)

If you are a Christian, then your ultimate goal is to become like Jesus Christ. God has given us the Holy Spirit to live in us to help us grow to become more like him. If we want the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our life to his so we can […]

Reality Check: Pastor Fetch is Unbiblical

Recently, while I was teaching a class on pastoral leadership, a student pushed back hard when I shared that membership care, hospital visitation, and most church administration are not primarily the functions of clergy – that the church members should be responsible for those kinds of ministries.

“I got into ministry to do ministry,” […]

Go for the Gold

This week, thousands of people have gathered in Tokyo and millions of others from around the world will watch great athletes from over 200 countries compete for gold medals in the Olympic games. Years of hard work, dedication, and desire are put to the ultimate test in the Summer Olympics.

Imagine if you saw […]

Setting SMART Goals

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that when we talk about making plans in the church, we may not be speaking the same language. What I call mission may or may not be what you call mission. And the same goes for vision, strategies, tactics, and goals. the definitions for these terms are […]

The Five Tasks of the Lead Pastor

First let me say this: The lead pastor is ultimately responsible for EVERYTHING the church is called to do. From worship to weddings, finances to funerals, bulletins to butts in seats, discipleship to digging the weeds, annual planning to plunging toilets, and vision to visiting, the buck stops with the person sitting behind the […]

Be An Encourager Part 2

In my last blog post I addressed the story of a woman in Old Testament times by the name of Naomi who through her encouraging ministry secured a prosperous life for her daughter in law Ruth. Despite some of life’s most difficult circumstances, Godly leaders are able to help encourage others to achieve great […]

Vision Crashers

Recently, I received an email with a question about vision and I thought I’d share it with you.

Many pastors seem to have wonderful visions when they tell it. However, they rarely seem to be able to turn their words into reality. What do you think are the major causes of failure for […]