Lean in.

He walked into the temple. He walked up to the well. He walked into the house. He walked into the garden. He showed up to the wedding. He walked into the crowd. He washed their feet. Sometimes it’s tempting to keep our distance from the mess, but it’s hard to love people when we are…

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3 Ways to Maximize Your Sabbatical

by Peter Johnson You may remember that I took a forced sabbatical due to a slip and fall accident that resulted in several weeks in a dark, quiet room to allow my broken rib and concussion to heal. After a number of medical tests it was confirmed that aside from being clumsy I am pretty healthy. …

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You’re not enough. And that’s okay!

Have you ever had one of those days in ministry where you’ve had someone, or multitudes of people, come to you and tell you what the church needs more of… More discipleship. More teaching. More prayer. More evangelism. More peace. More prophecy. More pastoral care. It’s one thing after the next. Everyone is telling you…

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More Failure, Please

“I’m just tired of hearing all these success stories. For once I just want to hear somebody get up and say it’s not working.” A pastor friend of mine said that to me when we were talking on the phone one day. I believe we live in the greatest country in the world, but let’s…

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7 STEPS TO AVOID BURNOUT

What should a pastor do when feeling tired, burned out, under-appreciated or even under attack? 1. Don’t isolate yourself. Solitude is a spiritual discipline and is healthy. Isolation is not. Make friends with someone not associated with the church. Someone from another church, a friend from seminary days, or even someone in town who is…

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WHEN ENVY IS GOOD

I’m sitting in a leadership conference that I needed far worse than I care to admit. I’ve had my heart stirred, my faith encouraged, my mind challenged and my calling clarified. In reference to the last part, my calling, it’s less about being a District Superintendent and more to do with being a leader in the…

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