Are We Building God’s Kingdom or Our Own?

I entered the ministry with the same ambitions many young pastors do. I sincerely wanted to reach people for Jesus, but I was also pretty interested in making a big name for myself. I wanted a large church, and I was pretty sure God was into that, too, because it seemed like a win-win for both of us.

Addicted to Outrage: Four Ways to Walk a Better Path

Today, everywhere you look you see “treats”—supermarkets filled with fresh cakes and pies, every convenience store displaying an array of snack cakes, honey buns, and donuts. What was once a rare “treat” has become a dietary staple for too many of us, with increased waistlines as evidence.

How to pray for a nation in time of crisis

When a nation is in crisis we can either see what God sees for the nation, and align our hearts and thoughts with Him, or we can be overwhelmed by circumstances and allow offense and cynicism to take control of our heart. We can see how God sees and have faith, or we can see evil and tragedy without discernment - and lose faith. There is no in-between place for the heart of a Christian.

How do we respond to such a crisis? Does the word of God have anything relevant to say about such a crisis?

The Never-Ending Need of Multiplying Leaders

Pastors of growing churches know all too well the old adage of there being two sides to every coin. The excitement and energy of a growing congregation comes brings with it new needs and a constant demand of more people to help carry out the ministry.

Missionary Identity

As Christians, I believe we should always be more driven by our missionary identity than we are by our national identity, our political identity, our environmental identity, our social identity, or even our church identity.

Loving Your Community

Several years ago, I talked with a local sheriff about the pressing needs he saw in our community. While he was grateful for the church groups who came through the jail to offer Bible studies and prayer meetings with his prisoners, he said it would make an even greater impact to “stand at the back door and meet the inmates when they are released.”