Thursday's Catch: "The Best Strategy for Long-Term Church Growth" and More

The Best Strategy for Long-Term Church Growth

The best long-term strategy for church growth is not church growth. Read More

What God can Do With the Blank Page

I don’t have three things that every pastor of a rural church needs to remember. In this article, you won’t find six helpful hints that will revitalize your small group ministry. All I have is a confession, a blank page and the wise words of a seven-year-old. Read More

What Tolkien Did So Well, What We Do So Poorly

Over the past few weeks I have been reading through The Lord of the Rings, slowly meandering my way through Middle Earth for the umpteenth time. Every time I read the books, I find myself drawn to something different, some new demonstration of Tolkien’s brilliance. Read More

You’re Not Always a Great Leader (and That’s OK)

In reality, average doesn’t always mean mediocre, and ordinary doesn’t always mean you’re second-rate. Read More

Preach What You Practice – Why Rehearsing Is Essential To Great Sermon Delivery

Every time we preach we have an opportunity to fulfill our God-given calling to impact lives with the truth of God’s Word and the hope of the gospel. But the effectiveness of our preaching is impacted by a host of variables we cannot control, including distractions in the room. But there is something we can control, and that is how well we prepare. Read More

Prayer Isn't Magic

The way some people talk about prayer owes more to New Age spirituality and witchcraft than biblical Christianity. I don’t want to name any names, but I recall when I was a teenager being taught about “spiritual warfare” in ways I cannot seem to find supported in the Bible. Sometimes God and Satan were cast as warring opposites, a kind of yin and yang balancing each other out, even while squaring off. Which side will win in the battle over your soul and the fate of the universe? Well, whichever side you support, of course. Read More