The first Christmas wasn't just a peaceful night. It was preceded and then filled with inspired poetry and song from everyday people whose lives changed forever. The gentle strains of those early Christmas songs set the tone for a new way of living. Isaiah sang his song into a world of chaos and cruelty, grieving …
The enemy of every church has a favorite strategy, and it’s surprisingly simple: divide and conquer. Internal division creates a potentially fatal vulnerability to our common enemy.
“The great divide in North American Christianity today lies in the same place as it did in the New Testament.”
Summer can stress pastors, but churches can support their well-being by protecting family time, offering practical care, and encouraging renewal.
Not long ago I sat with a pastor friend, watching his shoulders slump as he confessed, "I'm pouring out, but nothing's pouring in." His words struck a chord with me. How many of us find ourselves in this place – responsible for the spiritual growth of others while our own souls are parched and weary? …
Continue reading When Your Well Runs Dry: Finding Life for Yourself (then Others)
Pastors can shape church memories and futures positively with reflective, identity-affirming, and hopeful final messages grounded in Scripture.
One of my "fathers in the Lord" used to say that every believer needs a spiritual elder, and every pastor needs a pastor. He lived that out, showing me every day that Jesus was real and that He loved me with words and actions that continue to color my walk with the Lord to this …
Note: This essay was originally titled “The Associational Mission Strategist as Spiritual Thermostat” and was presented by the author at the Century Associations Network breakfast as part of the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (June 11-12, 2023) – New Orleans, Louisiana. Click here to obtain a PDF copy of this …
February 11-14, 2023 It began with a phone call from a friend on Thursday afternoon. He had heard that a spiritual awakening was underway at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. In February 1970, Asbury was the epicenter of a campus revival that impacted hundreds of college and seminary campuses across North America. After reaching out …
First penned twenty years ago for Lifeway.com. the story and message below captured a moment in my life when the act of thanking God became a deeply personal and profound act of faith. I have never viewed my problems in the same way, as each has become a fresh opportunity to trust Him... and to …
EquippingSaints.com 