Sep 15, 2016 | Calling, discouragement, Fear, friendship, Relationships, Uncategorized
A famous proverb begins: “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but…” Perhaps no words ring truer for pastors than these. There’s a second part to that proverb… but I’ll share it with you in a bit. When I was a pastor—especially during my years as a lead pastor—the...
Sep 8, 2016 | Calling, Career, discouragement, Fear, Leadership, Uncategorized, Work
The word “health” gets tossed around a lot regarding pastors. The question is: what does health look like for a pastor? I reached out to a few good friends and asked for their definition. Here are their responses: “The ability to breathe in and out. Many pastors only...
Aug 18, 2016 | Calling, Career, Depression, discouragement, Fear, Leadership, Stress, Uncategorized, Work
Two days ago I posted this on FB: “It should deeply trouble us that more than 50% of pastors leave the ministry within their first five years.” One of my pastor friends replied to the post: “What’s the top 5-8 reasons? What 1-2 insights (advice) would you give to...
Jun 17, 2016 | Calling, Career, Fear, Leadership, Productivity, systems, Work
Our church is undergoing a huge renovation project. Carpet, tile, woodwork, paint, signs, bathrooms, etc. While observing the transformation, it occurred to me: we pastors hire skilled people to lay carpet, hang drywall, plumb, and much more in our church. We engage...
Apr 21, 2016 | Calling, Career, Fear, Leadership, Productivity, Rest, Uncategorized, Work
Coming alongside leaders and joining them on their journey is one of the greatest privileges in life. The longer I work with leaders, the more I realize the majority of them struggle with one thing more than any other. And it’s not what you think. It’s not fame or...
Apr 7, 2016 | Calling, Career, Contentment, discouragement, Fear, Uncategorized
Do you ever struggle with the Big D? The Bible is full of stories about men and women who battled periodically with it. The big D is not Montezuma’s revenge. It is discouragement. When you read the Scriptures, you learn pretty quickly even when you have an...
