In Mark 9:14-29, Christ’s disciples encounter a boy who has been plagued with demons. As a result, the boy was blind and mute. He frequently was thrown to the ground in violent fits. He would foam and the mouth and grind down his teeth. The demons would even cause him to fall into water and …
Category Archives: Church
Saluting Our Soldiers With the Gospel
I have never served in the military. However, I have the utmost respect and gratitude for those who put their lives on the line for our nation’s freedom. We owe a great debt to our veterans and active-duty servicemen and women. Brandon, my best friend growing up, is one example. After the September 11, 2001 …
What is the Age-Requirement For Preaching?
It’s a strange question, isn’t it? In everything else in life, we put age requirements on areas of great responsibility (driving, voting, military service, etc). However, this pattern doesn’t seem to apply in the church. When a seven-year-old professes a “call” to preach in front of his local congregation, nobody questions it -as if a …
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11 Signs of a Monster Pastor
In a previous post, I wrote about “monster churches” in reference to congregations that chew up and spit out pastors on a regular basis. Monster churches are highly dysfunctional and rarely fruitful. The congregation, however, is not always the problem. Just as monster churches are a factory of discord, monster pastors take trouble with them …
15 Questions to Ask Before Starting Small Groups
This conversation takes place in countless homes every week: Bill: Honey, are we going to small group again tonight? Joan: I know it feels like a waste of time some weeks, but I feel like we need to stay committed. Bill: I understand what you mean, but the lack of focus week after week drives …
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How to Kill a Ministry Idea
Few things are as difficult for churches as laying a ministry to rest. Just take a look at the weekly calendar for most churches. Nobody wants to admit defeat. Sometimes a ministry has been fruitful for decades and has simply run its course. What an opportunity to rejoice (at a ministry funeral). Other ministries may …
Keeping Small Groups Out of the Ministry Junk Yard
It was exciting news. My friend’s eyes lit up as he shared the exciting changes in the church he recently began pastoring. One of the neatest transitions the congregation had made was to begin small group meetings. Small group ministry has been around for decades now. However, it is still a relatively new concept to …
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Have You Created a Monster?
Fact: Some congregations chew up pastors and spit them out every 2-3 years. I don’t have a Barna Study or Pew Research Poll to verify that assertion. But I don’t think verification is necessary. We’ve all seen the tragedy of “Monster Churches.” What leads me to believe it is the church’s fault? Before I get …
Stop Raising Mules
I’m not a country boy. There, I admitted it. However, I do live in Arkansas, which means I get a few “country boy points” by default. For instance, I know that horses reproduce horses. I also know that donkeys reproduce donkeys. And, for bonus points, I know that a horse and a donkey together produce …
It has been a Great Escape
Over the past few days I have had the privilege of spending time with student ministers on the Great Escape Student Ministers’ Cruise. The conference/cruise is an event produced by DiscipleGuide, the ministry I have the privilege of leading. This year’s conference speaker has been Ed Stetzer, head of research for Lifeway. Here are a …