A faithful shepherd will pace himself for the long haul given the nature of the work. Pastors are not pounding out “products,” but doing heart work. And heart work can be messy, unpredictable, and slow to change.   The Tortoise wins. I remember hearing Aesop’s famous fable The Hare & the Tortoise as a little boy and... Continue Reading

Both an individualistic and institutional approach to Christianity misunderstand the Christian life. Conversion is an individual experience that’s intended to become a congregational reality. It’s simply impossible to conceptualize New Testament Christianity apart from the local church.   Have you ever heard someone say, “I am into Jesus, but not the church”? My first encounter with... Continue Reading

The seeker movement seemed to assume that we strong people had received our portion of grace and now we needed to starve ourselves in order to feed others. I liked the theory until I discovered that I wasn’t as strong as I thought. It turns out that the gap between me and my unchurched neighbour... Continue Reading

In this short article may I make one plea: Deacons, stay humble enough to want to learn how to do your ministry in more effective ways. Keep asking of yourself, and of your team, “How can we do this better, how can we do mercy so we actually lead people to Christ and bring them... Continue Reading

“God’s grace is at work in certain men to produce a certain kind of life. Identifying a called man is primarily about observing grace already at work in a man’s life. The grace shining through a man is an indicator that he is called. Can anyone live up to the qualifications of pastoral ministry? Yes,... Continue Reading

“When a person claims an experience—especially if they want me to act on it—they expect me to trust them, their honesty, their infallibility. This is an unreasonable expectation, which demands authentication. That’s why Jesus enabled his apostles to do miracles; their supernatural power provided credibility when they made claims of supernatural authority.”   Previously I... Continue Reading

The gospel is indeed revolutionary. Your church plant may indeed breathe new life into your chosen community. But it’s highly likely you aren’t “bringing the gospel” to any given area, especially if there are other churches already there. They may not be as new or as fresh or as cool or as exciting or as whatever as... Continue Reading

Jesus is the true worshiper whose entire life was an offering of worship to the Father. We draw near to God on the sole basis of Jesus’ perfect offering of Himself. Jesus went before us (6:19–20), constituting all believers into His priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). In worshiping the Father, Jesus identifies Himself with believers (Heb.... Continue Reading

There is a great responsibility here on those of us who are church leaders. We are not called to be involved in party politics but we are called, as under-shepherds of the Great Shepherd, to protect, warn and care for the flock of God. But we seem more concerned about preserving and protecting our position.... Continue Reading

Be prepared for disappointment, failure and brokenness, for that is the only path that leads to resiliency and steadfastness. Always remember that Christ is the Head of the Church, and not men, and He knows what He is doing.   It you are not positively sure God has called you to ministry, get out! You... Continue Reading