Smell Like Sheep
A man once told me that I smelled like sheep. At first I really didn’t know what he meant; all that could come to my mind was visions of the many smelly shepherds that I saw in India out with their flocks on back country roads. I didn’t even have to get close to those wretched men to know they...
Biblical Qualifications for Elders
We take Eldership very seriously – because the Bible takes it very seriously. Following the example we see in scripture, our church is led by a group of qualified men. Together they make decisions for the body that will honor the Lord and look out for the betterment of all the individuals involved. The plurality of leaders insures the highest...
Finding the Balance Between Rest and Work
Mornings have always been hard for me. I wake up one brain cell at a time. I’ve learned if I can start the day off right it will set the tone for how the rest of the day hums along. The last few weeks I’ve been trying to be more efficient with the first hours of each day. In order...
Leading Through Email
I will never forget the first days on a job when I realized my boss was going to manage primarily through email. It was overwhelming to say the least. Every few minutes my computer would “ding” as a new email arrived. His management style was a turn off for me. In fact, I am sure there was more than one...
Process for Writing a Post
One of the ways I am trying to avoid silly mistakes is by making sure each post goes through an assembly line process. This ensures that there are several checkpoints where small mistakes can be spotted and fixed. When I write a post, I try to follow these steps: Write. No matter how messy it is, I just try to...
Avoiding What Must be Done
I’m pretty sure if you locked me in a room for the rest of my life I would never get bored. My mind goes about a-million-miles an hour, and I have a rare talent of visiting far-off dreams without ever leaving my seat. If my mind goes that crazy locked in a room, you can only imagine how restless...
Handling Unexpected Conflict
Recently I found myself in an unexpected heated discussion. It had been awhile since I had seen this gentleman, and without a greeting or even a simple “Hello” he entered into a discussion with an attacking tone as if I had previously threatened all that was precious to him. Not only did this conversation take me by surprise, but I...
Leadership Requires Thinking Outside the Helmet
Leadership takes nerve. It demands a willingness to risk comfort, acceptance, and peace-of-mind, in order to find or create something that will impact people like nothing else ever has before. Even as a pastor, I am having to think beyond what has been done and reach deep into the caverns of my imagination for ideas inspired by God to change...
Finding Confidence in the Way I Was Created
God is a creative and commissioning God. He never lacks a strategic plan, nor the power or ingenuity to make it happen. That was clear in the creation account captured in Genesis chapter one. There is something to notice in God's creation account for those of us who struggle with confidence. Our God did three things that should cause our shrinking...
When Brokenness is a Great Strength
At times it seems that the economy of heaven is upside down. We are used to a this fight-to-win-it world which declare loudly that only the weak will fail. Yet, in God's eyes, the only way to succeed is to spend your soul at the deepest level. We are called to lose our life. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will...
5 Keys to a Great Start to Your Day
Mornings are a killer. I am not the kind of guy that usually rises with a pep-in-my-step. I wake up one braincell at a time. This is just the way that I am wired, and as much as I wish I could change it, I really can’t. So I have come up with some routines that help me get...
What Is A Life Transformed By Christ?
One of the things I loved about working at Mission Hills is that our vision is clear and concise: Transformed Lives. But as the Discipleship Pastor, my role demanded that I accurately define what it means for a life to be transformed by Christ. Our values clarify why this type of change is important, but we had never really defined what...