Saturday Lagniappe: "Check the Mirror, Pastor – After Five Years, Your Church Looks Like You" and Much More

Check the Mirror, Pastor – After Five Years, Your Church Looks Like You

Like it or not, most churches follow Jesus the way their pastor follows Jesus. The smaller or newer the church, the more it’s true. Read More

4 Ways to Discover and Capitalize On Your Church’s Unique Voice

If you're copying another church, you’re not being the church God called you to be. And the kingdom of God is poorer for not having your voice in it. Read More

What Will the Church Do When the Freaks and Weirdos Show Up?

The Bible is thick with commands to welcome the stranger. But just how strange are we willing to welcome? Read More

Fifteen Church Facility Issues

Listed here are fifteen facility issues I and my consulting teams have seen recurrently in churches, including established churches and church plants. Read More

4 Eye-Opening Lessons for the Church

In the first few verses of John 9, Jesus comes across a man born blind … born blind so “that the works of God might be displayed in him” (v. 3). He spits on the ground, forms mud, rubs it on his eyes, and tells him to go wash it off in the Pool of Siloam. After doing so, the man is healed.

5 Ways to Increase Volunteer Training Attendance

Your training meetings are important, but a better approach is to ask the question: What can I do as a leader to make the invitation more appealing? Read More

The drama that unfolds in the rest of the chapter is eye opening, not least of all for the four lessons it has for the local church. Read More

Are We Living in the Last Days?

We have to be careful not to be guilty of what Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for—what I call the Red Sky Syndrome. If you recall, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they had an ability to predict the weather. They could look at the sky, and if it was red at night, they would say, “Sailor’s delight.” And if it was red in the morning, they would say, “Sailors take warning.” But they missed the signs of the times, and they missed the first advent of Christ. They missed the coming of the Messiah right in their midst in spite of the fact that a host of biblical prophecies heralded the appearance of Jesus on the scene—and Jesus rebuked them for it. Read More

10 Things You Should Know about the Immutability of God

Some see the concept of immutability as a threat to the biblical portrait of God who appears in some sense to change. Others are equally concerned that a careless tampering with this attribute of God will reduce him to a fickle, unfaithful, and ultimately unworthy object of our affection and worship. It is imperative, therefore, that we proceed cautiously, and yet with conviction, in articulating these ten truths about divine immutability. Read More

Conflict Resolution – How Leaders Create Healthy Culture

We all value great relationships. When we disagree, things don’t feel so great. But conflict is to be expected. It’s a normal part of relationships and organizations. Here are some guidelines that can help us resolve conflict in a constructive way . . . and ultimately create a healthy organizational culture. Read More

7 Pitfalls to Avoid in Preaching

Given the complexities of preaching, there are a number of pitfalls all preachers (especially aspiring ones) risk falling into. Here are seven I’ve noticed over the years. Read More

How do you respond to encouraging words about your sermon?

“Great job…good sermon…that really spoke to me.” The list of phrases a pastor may hear as church members exit the church goes on. Inevitably, whether the sermon was good or not, these quick comments will be spoken to us with varying levels of sincerity and it is important that we know how to respond in a God-honoring way. Here are 4 suggestions. Read More

Don’t Say God Is Silent with Your Bible Closed

God is always ready to speak into our lives. We simply need to listen, tuning our ears and hearts to what he is saying in the book he inspired. When we open the Bible, we find more than 750,000 words breathed out by God himself for us. Read More

Six Reasons Why Church Members Choose One Worship Service Over Another

My church has four services on Sunday: 8am traditional, 9:30am contemporary, 10:30am en Español, and 11:00am blended. I preach the three services in English, and our Hispanic pastor preaches the service in Spanish. With four services on a Sunday morning, why do people choose one service over another? I’ll give you six reasons from the perspective of my church. However, I believe these reasons apply to many churches offering multiple services. Read More

My Six Principles for Starting a College Ministry

Starting a college ministry from scratch was by far the hardest thing I’d ever done. I had no clue as to how successful the ministry would be, however, there were a few key principles that I had developed prior to launching. I have found these six principles to be very helpful for myself and others who are starting new collegiate ministries. Read More

Life-Change Stories: 8 Photography Tips

"Photos can be used to demonstrate the life-changing power of Christ. Try to capture that power photographically." Read More

A Solution to Political Depression

What if we stayed centered on what we know best? Read More

Churches take new security measures in face of terror threats

Members of the church were gathered under the main archway when the car passed slowly by, its occupant allegedly yelling "Allahu Akbar!" over a bullhorn. Read More