Jan 19, 2017 | Career, character, Fear, Productivity, Uncategorized, Work
A bulletproof vest helps absorb the impact of bullets and shrapnel. Its purpose is to keep these kinds of ammo from penetrating a person’s body. These vests don’t guarantee survival when we’re getting shot at, but greatly increase our chances coming...
Jan 12, 2017 | Calling, Career, Growth, Leadership
I ran across this verse of Scripture in 1 Corinthians a few days ago: “I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow.” The Corinthian church had been arguing over who was a better leader—Paul or Apollos. Paul responded: “You have it all wrong.” He and...
Jan 5, 2017 | Calling, discouragement, Fear, Leadership, Quitting, Stress
What can you do when you’re a pastor and have lost your passion? When your calling seems fuzzy, difficult, perplexing, and you wonder: “God, why did You lead me to this church?” Most pastors wrestle with these thoughts occasionally. A couple of difficult...
Dec 29, 2016 | character, Gossip, Leadership, Relationships
Friendly fire describes what happens when a military person accidentally fires on a fellow soldier. One of the most well-known of these incidents happened to Pat Tillman. He was a football player in the NFL who enlisted in the U.S. army in response to 9/11. Tillman...
Dec 22, 2016 | Calling, Difficult people, Fear, Leadership
In last week’s blog, Leadership & Difficult People we stated that longevity in ministry requires pastors to occasionally make tough people-decisions. Dealing with dividers, boundary-crashers, triangulators (fancy term for gossips), square pegs in round holes,...