The Top 10 Rules for a Fair Church Fight
Seems like church hurt is at an all-time high. As representatives of Jesus, we’ve got to get a better grip on what we say and how we say it. Our words to one another should “always be full of grace and seasoned with salt.” – Colossians 4:6 So here are The Top 10 Rules for…
Read MoreUnity Is a Big Deal to Jesus
I’ve been thinking about unity a lot lately. One day before Jesus would be crucified, He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed that we would be one, just as Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus prayed that we would be brought into perfect unity (John 17:20-23). Wow. It’s staggering to me that…
Read MoreYou Need a Guide
The black-clad Bedouin, standing in front of her trailside tea shop, was annoyingly insistent: “You need a guide! You need a guide! You need a guide!” She must have repeated herself at least a dozen times. The three of us kept on replying, “La shukran! (no thank-you) We don’t need a guide!” The trail up…
Read MoreMessaging the Kingdom
Jesus’ first sermon (Mark 1:15) had three points: The time is fulfilled The Kingdom is near Repent and believe Jesus was obsessed with the Kingdom. He talked about it more than anything else. He told his followers, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for that is why I was…
Read MoreListen for the Blessing
Most of us talk too much! As an extrovert, that seems to be my life story. Sigh! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked God to set a guard over my mouth! Peter, a disciple of Jesus, had this problem as well. Gotta love Peter, right? He was constantly putting his foot in…
Read MorePraising God in Advance Restores Your Faith and Brings Peace
I remember that night so well. Swatting unwelcome mosquitoes, I knelt and prayed in the African hospital next to my 18-month-old daughter’s crib. Bethany was sick, very sick. The doctors at the hospital felt baffled and unsure of what to do next. I felt panicked and uncertain that prayer would help. Steve felt anxious and…
Read MoreNot a Likable Guy
He was not a very likable guy. He’d been lame for 38 years, but when Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, the lame man didn’t say “Yes, please!” or even “Can you help me?” Instead, he griped about not having any friends to put him in the pool when the angel stirred…
Read MoreSteve’s Top 10 Big Leadership Learnings
Who you are is who you are ‘in Christ.’ The most important thing about you is that you are in Christ and Christ is in you. As a leader, it’s’ tempting to put your sense of identity and worth in what you do for God or in how well you do it. Big mistake. You…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Wall?
Climbing walls aren’t for me. I have height fright and no desire to see how high I can climb. I think, “Why? Why, on earth would I torture myself like that?” I have had similar feelings when facing a new challenge. Perhaps you’re similar. You look at a new challenge and you’re filled with hesitancy.…
Read MoreListen before You Lead
Mother Teresa has always intrigued me because of her godly servant leadership. She was a tiny but powerful woman who didn’t use manipulation, money, or magnetism to influence people. Instead, Mother Teresa was known as a humble listener. You would think that would have hurt her leadership. I mean – to influence people, don’t you…
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