I study people! I especially study people in leadership positions - and I have for over four decades of ministry. In that time, I have been privileged to know many incredible Christian leaders. I have seen some who’ve been thrusted into leadership positions and have watched as a few maneuvered themselves there. Like I said: I study people. One thing…
“It’s a children’s swing-set, how difficult can it be to assemble?” Two hours later I regretted uttering those words to my wife and was looking for the instructions. Swing-sets I discovered, although similar, come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. So, what about Discipleship? Are there a set of instructions to follow? Does a commitment to discipleship come…
NOTE: I first posted this in November 2016. In light of the recent UCF’s winning season, Shaquem’s outstanding performance in the Peach Bowl and Scott Foster’s new appointment as Head Coach at Nebraska, I thought it worthy of repeating. “Nobody makes you give up; you choose to give up!” I could not dismiss the quote I heard on ESPN Game…
Set the timer for 30 seconds on your phone, your watch, or the instrument of your choosing. Press go. Then answer the following three questions: Who is the person you listen to the most? Who is the person you listen to the least? Why? The following oft-quoted Maxims may shed some light on the answers to your questions. Whether pithy…
My wife had a creative way of motivating our children when they were young. - No, it was not capital punishment. Our house was elaborately decorated with bright colored wall charts. Each contained smiley faces, check marks, smurf stickers or whatever inanimate creature du jour would motivate them to clean their rooms or take out the trash. It was a…
Who is Gen Z? How do they think? How likely are they to change the world? Are they spiritual? Can they bring the next Great Awakening? I discuss these and other topics in this podcast. Take a few minutes to listen and give me your thoughts: Podcast: Does Gen Z Have What It Take?
I always check the expiration date on the milk carton, which made it a sickening surprise when I drank the soured milk! I knew it was not polite, but my natural reflex overruled my etiquette. I like milk, but it has an expiration date. Technology is amazing, but every time I think I have the fastest computer or smartest phone,…
A burden for ministry may take you to a place of service, but only a love for Jesus will keep you there. Cultivating your personal spiritual walk is not a bullet point on your ministry training checklist; it is the source of life and ministry. Notice what Ezra (ca. 450 BC) did when he went to rebuild the temple. From…
The average tenure for teachers of the eighth-grade boys Sunday School class was two to four months. I don’t think the boys actually conspired together, contriving evil plots for the teacher’s demise. They did however possess a ‘pack instinct’ when they smelled the fresh blood of a rookie. I learned this information after I agreed to take the class. I…
Alex Haley has been credited with saying, “Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.” I have heard a dozen variations of the quote as it relates to leadership. However, all of them infer the same thing…all potential leaders need help to become leaders. Most people may be presented with…
