Archive for the ‘church’ Category
I’ve been reflecting on the resurrection this week. I like the idea of resurrection! Something dies, and then is miraculously raised to life in less than three (or sometimes four) days! There are times when I’ve lost someone or lost something (a friend, a dream, a ministry, a job) and […]
Read More...Last month I turned 45—that was a shift (I’m now closer to 50 than 40) This week, my life is about to change again. Drastically. On Saturday I’ll serve my last day as a denominational overseer, and then, on Sunday morning, I will be installed, and preach, at the church […]
Read More...The other day, in one conversation, I was told about two churches. I discovered that one of the churches uses the word “intentional” quite a bit, and I learned that it has the courage and focus to back that word up. Everything they do, it seems, is about intentionally reaching […]
Read More...If you are a pastor, or you are learning to be one, there are different ways of going about your assignment: Pharisee: You are a religious professional. It’s clear that you have your job down pat. You know how to dress, how to act, and what to say to draw […]
Read More...The other day I was catching up with my Bible reading plan after having fallen behind in the Old Testament a bit (that never happens to you, right?). The realization that I had missed a good portion of Zachariah made me decide to just set aside some time to sit […]
Read More...At the Greater Los Angeles District pastors conference on October 10, 2013, I spoke to our leaders about what kind of shepherd, and church, will be able to discover the next big thing that God has for them. Let me apologize: The audio quality is a bit rough—there are a […]
Read More...The local church is… People define the local church in many ways. Even in the New Testament, although there are some ecclesiological imperatives, there also seems to be much room for unique structures and creative styles from city to city, and from church to church. Here are a handful of […]
Read More...In the last decades, the church has seemed to become increasingly concerned about being relevant. But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Like missionaries, we want to understand our culture and communicate the message of the Gospel in a language they understand. But what does being relevant really […]
Read More...“In the beginning God created…” (Gen 1:1 NIV) The very first thing we learn about God in the Bible is that He is creative—and for the first 26 verses we see God at work masterfully creating an unfathomable cosmos, life-sustaining systems, invisible atoms and everything else imaginable (and unimaginable). Then, […]
Read More...The other day I took a look at the details of my job description and was intimidated. I started to wonder if I could actually ever accomplish all the conditions set out for me—then I began to think about the other 13 District Supervisors who are called to the same […]
Read More...Not too long ago I had a friend visiting me in my city, Los Angeles. As I excitedly drove him down the freeways and through the streets, pointing out all the things I loved, he mentioned that some of it reminded him of traveling in underdeveloped countries. The statement threw […]
Read More...Perhaps you’ve heard, or even used, the maxim that a large ship takes a long time to turn around but a small boat can be turned on a dime. Often this is used concerning organizations: The thinking is that small operations can withstand quick change and large ones need lots […]
Read More...King Josiah had a major mess on his hands. He had inherited leadership over a nation that was in spiritual shambles, had no clear vision, and was distracted by all kinds of things that took the place of God. A major shift needed to happen (2 Kings 22-23). Twenty-six year […]
Read More...While on vacation in Portland, Oregon a few weeks ago, a friend and I spent a Sunday visiting ten churches. I realize how potentially dysfunctional it is for me to do that on vacation, since visiting churches is part of my job—but the fact is, I passionately love the local church, […]
Read More...Here is some sage advice I received this morning from a pastoral mentor in the faith: “Remind the churches you oversee to to obedient and subject to the rulers and authorities, and to be prepared to do whatever is good, to slander nobody (even—especially—those they disagree with), to be peaceable, […]
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