John Newton was in trouble. The battering waves and violent winds beat against the bow of his ship to the point that all hope was lost. In utter despair, John cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us!” Reflecting back, those words were the turning point for this wayward man. John grew up on the ocean. […]
A disciple-making church is constantly evaluating the effectiveness of every program, event or initiative and asking the hard questions: “What part of the strategy is this accomplishing?” “Is this really working?” “Is there a better way to be more effective?” Traditions are not bad. In fact they can be incredibly powerful. We have certain traditions […]
It was late in Jesus’ ministry. He knew that His time on earth was coming to a close. Jesus turned to His disciples and stated plainly, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is still day, night is coming when no one can work,” (John 9.4 ESV). The work Jesus […]
You were made for something more. What vision do you have for your life? How will you measure your success? While these questions are thought provoking, they are absolutely critical if you want to wring every bit of meaning and purpose out of the one life God gave you. You might say, “I want to […]
The National Science Foundation conducted an extensive research project on loneliness in America. The findings were highlighted in the “American Sociological Review.” After interviewing over 1,500 people — all face to face — researchers reported that one out of four Americans said they had “no one with whom they could talk about their personal troubles […]
Busyness can choke out your effectiveness! It was the only time I’ve ever hit my mother-in-law. She was busily preparing a special luncheon, and I could tell she was a bit nervous. Her son was bringing home the girl he planned to marry, and this was going to be their first meeting. Suddenly the doorbell […]
Once a leader knows what a disciple looks like and understands Jesus’ four-step process for making disciples and begins to actively invest his life in people, then he is ready to raise up a team of disciple makers. Ministry is not something you do in isolation; rather it is something you do in community. Far […]
Dietrich Bonhoeffer grew up in an upper middle-class German family of doctors and scientists. So when he told his parents that he wanted to study theology, they were not that excited. Dietrich later became one of the world’s foremost theologians and thinkers of the 20th century. He is not remembered as much for his public […]
Fear can hold you back, but the Spirit can make you bold. Probably the biggest excuse that keeps us from talking about Jesus is fear. We are afraid to talk to someone we don’t know. We are afraid of how they will respond. We are afraid of looking foolish or saying the wrong thing. We […]
Everyone is tempted, but how you handle temptation is very important to your walk with Jesus, and your own spiritual health. Maybe you have been fighting the same temptation for years without being able to shake it off. It’s like a broken record of temptation – sin, regret, repeat. How do you break that cycle? […]