Strategy
Pastors Need Healthy Boundaries
There’s a phrase in endurance sports called “burning matches.” For every racer, there’s one average pace that gets you to the finish line fastest. And every time you increase your speed above that pace (perhaps to catch one competitor or drop another) you “burn a match.” Burning matches is part of racing, but a smart…
Read MoreRevival in the Pulpit
There was a season in human history where public speaking fell on hard times, not for lack of talent, but specifically because of the negative consequences of what happens when highly talented speakers who possess low moral character end up with too much influence. In ancient Greece, there was a group known as Sophists who…
Read MoreThe Invitation Still Works
Billy Graham, Jim Elliot, and John Piper are just a few Wheaton alumni who have made a significant imprint on today’s American Church. As I explored the campus for the first time, I was excited to see where the likes of these men had their hearts and minds shaped for ministry. The occasion of my…
Read MoreDo Eastern District Pastors Still Believe In Prayer?
A few weeks ago, some of our Eastern District pastors and I spent a day with Pastor Jim Cymbala at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. There were other pastors who joined us who were not EFCA pastors. We had a good time of fellowship and spent the day mostly talking about whatever the pastors wanted to bring up to Pastor…
Read MoreBill Riedel And The Call To Minister To “Them”
Christian leaders are people who walk with Jesus and invite others to join them in that walk. The most effective Christian leaders refuse to become lazy or apathetic, and they accept the challenge to bring along incredibly different and unquestionably fallen people with them because they know this is what Jesus wants. Some leaders have…
Read MoreCome Apart Before You Come Apart
I’ve been a pastor for the last 38 years. At times, I have been in the groove of blessing, feeling like I am right where I’m supposed to be, walking in the light of God at work transforming lives. At other times, I have been in the dark, dry desert, wondering why I ever thought being a pastor…
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