My wife will tell you that I’m a “fidgety” listener at church (she’s VERY right!). I don’t sit still very long, and I sometimes don’t listen as closely as I should. So, I write these words to…

My wife will tell you that I’m a “fidgety” listener at church (she’s VERY right!). I don’t sit still very long, and I sometimes don’t listen as closely as I should. So, I write these words to…

Despite what some may teach, God’s plan does not always bring health and wealth. Sometimes it includes unexpected and unexplained pain and heartache.

Almost every church has cliques. What do we do to avoid them?

Almost every church has cliques. What do we do to avoid them?

I’ve seen some churches that are, in fact, doing discipleship well. Here are some of the characteristics of those churches.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been encouraging you to consider investing in the next generation through mentoring. I pray you’ve taken my words to heart and have begun to seek the Lord’s guidance...

I preach in a lot of churches. Sometimes the portion of worship prior to the sermon is superb, and sometimes it’s not so good. I admit that my assessment is entirely subjective, but here’s what mak…

Years ago on a personal retreat, I read a book called The Will of God.[1] It was during a time of questioning my calling and evaluating my own walk with the Lord, and I was considering next steps. …

It seems to me that I could write these books for pastors today:

Several years ago, I completed a study and wrote a book about church membership classes. Since that time, I’ve continued to watch and listen as more and more churches develop a membership class.

Several years ago, I completed a study and wrote a book about church membership classes. Since that time, I’ve continued to watch and listen as more and more churches develop a membership class.

I’ve seen some churches that are, in fact, doing discipleship well. Here are some of the characteristics of those churches.

You, like I, probably already have your week planned. It’s likely to be busy, I suspect. In the midst of the busyness, I invite you to join me in thinking about these things we must not take for gr…

Today, I’m inviting pastors and church leaders to check out the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, a center I’m privileged to lead at Southeastern Seminary. The purpose of th…

Today, I’m inviting pastors and church leaders to check out the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, a center I’m privileged to lead at Southeastern Seminary. The purpose of th…

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been tackling the topic of mentoring as a strategy for discipleship. My goal in this post, after speaking with some of my sisters in Christ, is to challenge older...

This month’s Reader’s Digest includes a cover article entitled, “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” Among that advice are such words as, “Learn how to nap,” and “Your actions speak so loudly I can’t hear…

Today I write to church members who have ongoing, perhaps hidden sin in their lives. My hunch is that may be more members than I imagine in many churches, and I want to challenge us to fight agains…

Almost 45 years ago, I began pastoring my first church. I remember planning worship services, typing the order of worship, and praying the worship would go well. Since then, I’ve realized how littl…