READING: Acts 9-10

Saul’s conversion was miraculous, to say the least. A bright light stuck him down as he made his way to persecute believers. A voice grabbed his attention: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? . . . I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts...

 Our guest blogger today is Trevor Forbis, a student at theCollege at Southeastern where he is pursuing a B.A in philosophy. Trevor is my research assistant, and I want you to hear his thoughts from the perspective of a server. He is a member ofRestoration Church in Wake Forest, NC while...

READING: Acts 7-8

It’s easy to assume that the book of Acts is filled with dramatic stories of spiritual warfare and demonic defeat, but that’s not the focus of the book. The book is about the power of the Spirit of God and the corresponding defeat of the...

I’ve written posts that describe some of the negatives our church consulting teams and“spies” have found in churches. The goal of this post is to show some of the positives we’ve seen in different churches.

1. Greeters at every door. It doesn’t happen often, but...

READING: Acts 4-6

It’s one of those texts in the Bible that seem to be quite an understatement: “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events” (Acts 5:11). I read those words, and I want to say in a righteous...

Acts 4:31  "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." 

The same Spirit who filled the first believers fills you today. The Word hasn't changed, either. Speak it boldly in His power.  

READING: Acts 1-3

Let me get right to the point today: we face a powerful enemy, but God Himself lives in us — and thus, we need not fear anything or anyone other than God.  

It’s an incredible part of the gospel story, actually. Jesus told His disciples to wait in...

If you want to get ready for church this weekend, here's my challenge to you:

1. Set aside 30 minutes sometime before you go to church. 
2. Ask the Lord during that time to show you EVERY ounce of sin in your life. 
3. Listen quietly, and confess each sin as the Holy Spirit brings it to light. 
4. At...

READING: John 19-21

Jesus really is amazing. I know we Christians say we believe that truth, but I’m not sure we adequately consider who He is. 

In just today’s reading, He’s the crucified One who is still concerned about His mother’s well-being (John 19:25-27)....

Ministry is difficult at times. Sometimes, in fact, it’s hard enough that we who lead just want to put our head on a pillow, cover ourselves in a blanket, and escape. Here are three of those times, followed by a time when we shouldwant to sleep.

1. We sleep when the opposition seems overwhelming....

READING: John 16-18

While evidences of demons (e.g., exorcisms) aren’t prominent in the Gospel of John, Satan was the ever-present enemy seeking to devour the Son of God and His followers. He was the “prince of this world” who would be condemned (John 16:11)...

Over my 20 years of teaching, I’ve talked with a lot of “PK’s” who struggled at some point in their Christian walk. When I’ve asked them why they think they struggled, here’s are some of the reasons they’ve told me:

1. They’re weren’t (and...

READING: John 13-15

Jesus’ hour had come “to leave this world and go to the Father” (John 13:1). It must surely have appeared that the devil was winning. He “had prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus” (John 13:2). W...

I think it’s important that church leaders recall and re-affirm their call at least annually. In fact, I encourage you to take a 1-2 day annual retreat for this purpose. Here’s why that’s important for me:

1. It reminds me of God’s work in my life. My call to preach the Word was...

READING: John 11-12

From this point on, the Gospel of John moves rapidly toward the death of Jesus. Indeed, the death and the resurrection of Lazarus were not only another sign Jesus gave in this Gospel, but they were also a foreshadowing of what was to come for Jesus....

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I typically focus on church health and the Great Commission. I leave most political and cultural issues to others much more qualified than I to address them. On this important election day, however, here are thoughts that give me...

READING: John 9-10

I find it striking that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day accused him of being demon possessed. It’s striking not only because they were obviously wrong, but also because they did not recognize their own blindness to the truth. Those leaders who were...

As a layperson or a church staff member, it’s likely you’ve left a church at some point – or will leave a church in the future. When that happens, I hope you’ll remember the points of this post.

1. People will remember how you leave. They’ll forget even the most miraculous...

READING: John 7-8

Though the scriptures are always sufficiently clear for what we need to know, sometimes they are so clear that ignoring their teaching is nothing less than foolish. Today’s reading is one of those examples. 

Conflict between Jesus and the religious...

John 7:16  "My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me."  

Let the words of Jesus be your words today. Speak not your teaching, but His alone. Somebody will follow the will of God today because of your proclamation. 

"Father, thank You for pastors who lead Your people. I pray for them as they stand before Your church this weekend, just a couple of days before our national election. Grant them 'Holy Spirit unction' to proclaim the Word, never wavering to the right or left. Let Your Word drip from their...

READING: John 5-6

It was another of Jesus’ signs in the Gospel of John.  In fact, it was the fifth of seven signs in this book. Jesus had changed water into wine, healed an official’s son, healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, and fed the 5000 on the mountain. Now, He was...

Take a look at these resources to help you this week:

3 Common Fears of Every Young Leader by

I love young leaders, and I really appreciate Ron Edmondson’s commitment to train them. His points are always on target...

READING: John 3-4

It’s one of the best signs I know that the enemy’s winning in somebody’s life. 

It’s living in the darkness and choosing to stay away from the light, as John described the people of Jesus’ day: “Light has come into the...

Yesterday, I posted oncharacteristics of defeated pastors. Maybe you’re a church lay leader or a pastor, and you’re one of those leaders who really dreads going to church this Sunday. I hope these suggested steps will help you to go anyway:

1. Confess your struggles to God. There’s...