Thursday's Catch: "4 Reasons The Potential Of The Church Is Stronger Than Ever" and Much More

4 Reasons The Potential Of The Church Is Stronger Than Ever

Reach and impact are more important than size, but we can never let that become an excuse for lack of zeal or drifting into a comfort zone. Life change has always been the true measure. The Church is changing, but its potential is greater than ever. How we think and lead will impact our outcomes. Read More

Differences in Large Church vs. Small Church Revitalization - Revitalize & Replant #029

Large churches are obviously different than small churches, but what are those specific differences as it relates to church revitalization? Today, Thom Rainer and Jonathan Howe cover that and more. Listen Now

7 Things The Church Can Learn from Disney World

I grew up going to Disney World quite often, and my family is filled with Disney fanatics. My family and I are going there soon, and we are going to have a blast. Of course, I have a hard time not looking at things from the perspective of leading a local church, and even going to Disney World is no different. Boiling down what I learn when I go there, I see seven key things churches can learn from Disney World.... Listen Now

When Did Evangelicals Start Observing Lent?

According to a 2016 survey by LifeWay Research, fewer than one in three American evangelicals (28%) observe the Christian season of Lent. (Keep in mind that LifeWay defines “evangelical” more narrowly than other organizations.) While that figure is far behind the Roman Catholic equivalent (60%), it’s actually a bit higher than the overall numbers for Americans (20%) and Protestants in general (24%). Read More

What Is Lent and How Should I Observe It?

I walked through my first Lent in 2004. I had been raised and later ministered in a church that didn’t observe Lent. This was all new to me. Read More

Your God Is Too Small

Most Americans want a God who is only a slightly bigger, slightly smarter version of us. But the God of the Bible is something altogether different. And here’s the irony: Only a God like that is capable of sustaining our faith, igniting our passions, and giving us the confidence that we need to face suffering and the hardships of the world. Read More

5 Quick Ways Turn A Situation Around When It Blows Up In Your Face

Let me walk you through the lightning-fast leadership pivots my team and I went through. My hope is they’ll help you the next time your best-laid plans blow up in your face. Read More

3 Leadership Cop Outs That Sound Spiritual, But Aren’t

I often hear from people who say “We don’t any need more ideas/strategies/conferences/skills…all we need to do is ________,” and then they fill in the blank with something that sounds spiritual. Maybe you have people like that at your church, or someone like that on your team. It’s amazing how common this perspective is. Read More

10 Point Sermon Checklist

Peter Grainger offers a 10 point sermon checklist that may help you strengthen your preaching. Read More

The Importance of the Simmer Day in Sermon Preparation

I have come to realize that I need margin in my sermon preparation process. I need a day after the message is written when I can put it away, not look at it, and not think about it consciously. Read More

But Contemporary Worship Brings People to Jesus! ... Right?

For one thing, music doesn’t bring people to Jesus. Jesus does that work admirably enough through the Holy Spirit, certainly better than a brush with David Crowder’s beard. But there’s an even deeper flaw in our thinking. Worship is not an evangelistic tool. Read More

The Golden Rule of Church Technology

While modern technology is a powerful tool, it can also make things more complicated. Technology is always changing. Entire books could be written on the best use of technology in preaching, but they would be outdated within a year. Read More

I Have Forgotten How to Read

For a long time Michael Harris convinced himself that a childhood spent immersed in old-fashioned books would insulate him from our new media climate – that he could keep on reading in the old way because his mind was formed in pre-internet days. He was wrong. Read More

This is a disturbing development. It also may help explain why I am reading less.

Evangelicals from Max Lucado to Pat Robertson Urge Action on Gun Safety

Influential Christians want to see bans on certain weapons as well as better mental health resources. Read More

Will arming teachers prevent the death of students from shooting? Or will it just create a false sense of security? There will be the ongoing risk of "collateral damage" - stray bullets from a shootout between teachers and a shooter killing or wounding students. Shooters, denied one target, are likely to shift to another -- school buses transporting students, sporting events involving students, groups of students on field trips, individual students on their way to and from school. They are likely to take advantage of any target of opportunity. The factors behind school shootings are complex. They include a culture that glorifies violence and portrays violence as a reasonable solution to problems and video games that simulate acts of violence and reinforce this culture.