Archives

  • The Characteristics of Pastors who Guarded Themselves Against a Fall

    As I hear of church leaders who fall in some way, I’m also reminded of pastors who finished well—who served God faithfully until God called them home. Here are some of their characteristics that challenge me. Related: Carl Lentz’s alleged Muslim lover speaks out: ‘I was unaware he was a pastor’ 1. They loved Jesus […]

  • Four Key Attitudes of Leaders Whose Churches Will Thrive Post-Covid

    The topic of COVID or the pandemic often brings feelings of gloom and despair. Indeed, the year 2020 will be, in many ways, a year we will choose to forget. It has been difficult for many people and many organizations. But during this trying season, I have been devouring news and studies of churches and […]

  • Pastor’s Message: ‘Open or Die, Fight or Fade Away’

    “If you don’t stay closed, we will close you.” Comments like these are commonplace, especially in liberal states like mine (California). Like most American churches, we closed our doors when President Trump first issued the order early in 2020. We were very willing to submit to the governing authorities and protect our community—that is, until […]

  • It’s time for our churches to turn back to God

    Churches have often served as the moral compass for the nation—to confront, challenge, encourage, and exhort. And this is precisely where I’d like to focus this article. It’s time for us to turn back to absolute truth and away from relativism—back to Christ and away from the broad road that leads to destruction. We must […]

  • When the vision stops for pastors

    Not every church leader will face a vision-crushing blow. But they exist. They hurt like a heavy-weight sucker punch. You didn’t see it coming, and it was hard like an Acme anvil. Church leaders (especially us pastors) can overreact. We can cry wolf when it’s just sheep around. There are cases, however, when one event […]

  • The issues that come from just attending small group

    Small groups are essential to the health of a church. In a small group, we can experience all six purposes of the church: worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, prayer, and fellowship. RELATEDAs a pastor here’s 11 things I learned the hard way On the other hand, our church consulting teams have also experienced numerous problems when […]

  • So Will People Come Back to Church once the Coronavirus is Over?

    That’s a question I’ve been asked over and over again recently, and it’s important. We’ve all heard that business will never be the same as more and more people are sent home to work remotely (which I think will be a good thing). And that’s why thinking ahead and asking questions about how this challenge […]

  • As a pastor here’s 11 things I learned the hard way

    On April 1, 1981, I began full-time ministry. Since then, I’ve thought a lot about my early days as a pastor – both the good and the bad. Here are 11 things I learned the hard way as a pastor: 1. I really didn’t know how to exegete and preach the Word. I thought I […]

  • Why you need to treat church differently to a restaurant

    I have pretty clear memories of my first visit to a cafeteria. I was five years old, and my parents wanted our family to experience a Morrison’s Cafeteria in Montgomery, Alabama. It was amazing. I saw untold numbers of dishes of meats, vegetables, salads, fruits and, of course, desserts. I had never seen anything like […]