Focus Grasshopper

Let’s face it, if you’re artistic, you most likely have a wondering mind. Focusing on a task requires silence, caffeine and absolutely zero distractions. Unfortunately, in the middle of church office life, this scenario is pretty difficult to come by. So what do you do? Here are a few things that have helped me over [...]

Movement

In life and ministry, everything is about movement. It’s about the pursuit of God…the thrill of chasing after Him with all we are. It’s about forward motion and momentum. We’ve all seen it. People, churches and ministries that are thriving, changing lives and changing perspectives one day and fading into spiritual obscurity the next. I’ve [...]

Following God

Let’s face it…following God isn’t always the easiest thing. It’s not so much that it’s hard to go where He’s asking as much as it is difficult to navigate the path through the muck and mire of life. God says; “I need you over here” and we say; “sure…after I fix this failure, right that [...]

Let’s Try This Box On For Size

So what is this preoccupation the church seems to have with “the box” anyhow? We’re “out of the box”, you’re “stuck in the box”, they’re “all boxed in”. I don’t get it. Even if you’d call yourself an “out of the box” thinker, aren’t you simply getting out of one box and moving your thought [...]

Taking Inventory

Before I was in ministry full-time, I was in inventory control. It wasn’t always the most glamorous job on the planet, but it paid the bills and provided for my family. Every year, we would have a giant inventory count. Everyone would work overtime, grab a scanner and count everything twice. This was a huge [...]

Beyond the Peaks and Valleys

Let’s face it…ministry is a struggle. Just when you seem to crest the latest hill you’ve had to climb, there, in the distance, stands Mt. Everest ready for you to conquer next. At times, the never ending run of peaks and valleys becomes overwhelming and deflating. I think it’s important however, to identify why these [...]

I.Q. vs. E.Q.

I was talking to my neighbor the other night and he made an interesting observation. He said so many people have a great I.Q (intelligence quotient), but lack any assemblance of an E.Q. (emotional quotient). This got me thinking.  Does more intelligence mean less emotion? Do emotional people struggle to think logically? Is there a [...]

Frustration

Let’s face it, when it comes to frustration, ministry is no different than the rest of life. Things get under your skin, someone says the wrong thing, misunderstandings happen, circumstances become less than ideal…frustration is inevitable. The challenge is in how we handle those frustrations. There’s nothing wrong with being frustrated, but there is something [...]

Lukewarm

My friend Darren just posted some powerful descriptions of a lukewarm life, from Frances Chan’s book; “Crazy Love” - Check it out: (warning…some of these might sting a bit) * Lukewarm People attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go. * Lukewarm People give [...]

Full When You’re Empty

Have you ever tried to do ministry empty? I have. Have you ever taken the stage to lead worship or teach with a dwindling spirit? I have. It’s amazing how quickly life and even ministry can drain us and make our service an uphill climb. What I’ve found over the years, is that this is one [...]