Saturday Lagniappe: "3 Reasons to Focus on Leadership Growth, Not Change" and More

3 Reasons to Focus on Leadership Growth, Not Change

At the start of a new year many people talk about ways in which they hope to change in the coming months. But for effective leaders the focus should not be on what they want to change, but on ways they want to grow. The difference might sound subtle, but in fact it is an important and significant difference. Read More

3 Ways a Good Assistant Helps a Leader

Renee, my assistant, was my first hire after getting to Phoenix. She has served me, my family, and our church so well that it is difficult to capture it all in one article. Brian Howard’s article on how to hire the right assistant served me well in hiring Renee, so I won’t spend time here on that topic. Rather, I want to communicate how helpful a good assistant, like Renee, actually is, and hopefully encourage you to get one as soon as you can. Here are three ways Renee has served us so well. Read More

How to Set Annual Goals with Your Church Staff

This month, I will sit down with each staff person at West Bradenton and work through a list of goals for 2017. The meetings will be mundane and unemotional, but completely necessary. Without these goals, the pathway through the year lacks clarity, like a group of people navigating a trip with unstated directions in their heads and no agreed upon route to a particular destination. That’s how horror movies begin. Read More

The Question We Must Ask About Everything

Every book, every sermon, every blog, and every new idea post must answer one question. It is the question I keep in mind as I write each of these posts and the one I used to ask when I evaluated manuscripts for publication. It’s the one I ask when a new strategy gets proposed at work. It’s the question I ask every Sunday morning at church and every time I delve into a new book or blog post. Read More

7 Writing Tips from Charles Spurgeon

Here are seven writing tips taken from his life for aspiring writers. Read More

Free Bible Reading Plans from Crossway

It’s not uncommon...for new believers and older saints alike to need some recommendations for how to structure daily time in the Bible. Read More

5 Ways to Help Teenagers Live Out God’s Purposes

The most fundamental question that teenagers in your community will ever wrestle with is, “Why am I here?” Read More

Teach Them: The Seriousness of Sin

As parents, we need to remember that the problem of sin in the heart is the most important thing young ones need to learn. That message should be worded in very simple terms for young children. Read More

5 Takeaways From Pew Research Center’s 2016 Social Media Update

Back in November, the Pew Research Center released its Social Media Update 2016 report and, yes, I am only now getting around to reading it and writing about it. Life happens. The data published in the report is interesting, but not at all surprising. Here are five key takeaways I grabbed from the data so you don’t have to dig through it if you don’t want to.... Read More