While I’ve been writing these posts with preachers in mind, I’ve had several readers tell me that they see them applying to other situations as well. Thanks for the great feedback. When we have the opportunity to leave a job, church, or relationship for another one, it’s easy to believe that changing circumstances will make […]
I Didn’t Sign Up For This!
When I went to work with the Garnett Church in 2003, I believed I was stepping into a ministry with tremendous upside. After being there for less than a year, I found myself in a mess I hadn’t signed up for. A key staff member, someone who was crucial to my effectiveness there, resigned unexpectedly. […]
April 8, 2011 by 10 Comments
Before You Go: Leave Your Ideal Church Behind
A friend sent me this note in response to my last post. I share it with his permission. If I’d have practiced this principle two wife’s ago I wouldn’t have had two previous wives. But, if I hadn’t screwed up in my relationships then I wouldn’t have developed to be ready for “———” who I […]
April 4, 2011 by 9 Comments
Why I’m Glad My Wife and I Have Different Senses of Humor
In a fit of fatigue induced delirium, I had some fun the other day on Twitter while hoping to catch a flight in the Atlanta airport. In case you missed it, here’s how it went down: 9:46 AM: Stuck in the Atlanta airport. 5 chances to get home today. 0 for 2 so far. #buddypasstravel […]
March 23, 2011 by 4 Comments
Advice to Churches Working with Young Preachers
I’ve been hired as a young preacher twice, at ages 23 and 29. I made tons of young preacher mistakes and the churches I worked with had to put up with a lot from me. I’ve given advice to young preachers in the past and I’ll do it again in a future post. In this […]
March 14, 2011 by 13 Comments
Working with Young Preachers
This past weekend I had the privilege of spending some time with a young preacher working with a church in Southern California. I was impressed by his sincerity, humility, and total lack of cynicism. He has a tremendous future as a minister of the gospel. I hope the church he’s serving recognizes this and takes […]
March 9, 2011 by 8 Comments
Why Jesus? (Part Five in the Preacher Geek Series)
I’ve been getting great feedback on the Preacher Geek posts so I’ll keep sharing one a week. My goal with these posts is to give preachers some ideas for upcoming sermon series. Some of these ideas are based on things I’ve done in the past and some are from my “someday” file. If someone grabbed […]
January 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Thin Places (Part Four in the Preacher Geek Series)
Here’s an idea for a teaching series I’ve had ever since I read a book on Celtic Spirituality that talked about “Thin Places.” Thin Places are sites where heaven and earth intermingle. The veil between them is thin. The Celts had a number of thin places that they considered to be holy ground. The idea […]
January 24, 2011 by 5 Comments
One Reason Your Jokes Bomb
The speaker steps to the podium and begins. “Good Evening. It’s great to be here tonight. By here, I mean up here on this stage. I have sat where you all are sitting many times and wondered what it would like to stand up here and look out at such a crowd. Now that I’m […]
January 20, 2011 by 4 Comments
Preaching on Work (Part 3 of the Preacher Geek Series)
If you want to preach some material that your church probably hasn’t heard before, do a series on the theology of work. In fact, I can almost guarantee you’ll be stepping into frontier territory with your first sermon. Most Christians have never been encouraged to think about their work–what they spend 40 to 60 hours […]
January 17, 2011 by 3 Comments
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons