I don't know about you, but I want to be part of leading a ministry that's on the move. I want to be part of leading a ministry that's being used by God to change the world around me. So, what do you do when it seems like your ministry isn't going anywhere? What do you do when your ministry hits a plateau? For many of us, we probably pull out our notes from the last conference we went to or maybe we pick up a book on church growth. Before you do that though, I want to suggest you first ask yourself 3 questions that might help you … [Read more...]
Is Jesus Really All You Need?
“All you need is Jesus.” Ever heard that phrase? In the evangelical world that I consider myself a part of, this phrase is constantly proclaimed as the very essence of the Christian faith. All I need is my personal relationship with Jesus. Everything else may be helpful, but not necessary to live out my Christian faith. I know I have preached the same message. I've offered that message as counsel. I've even lived this message in my Christian faith. But is that all that there is to it? I don’t think so. Radical … [Read more...]
Why Does the Holy Spirit Give Us Gifts?
My kids love getting gifts. (I guess that whole “blessed is the giver” thing hasn’t caught on yet.) My son likes Legos®, light sabers, and baseball bats. He could care less about getting clothes. In a big stack of presents, he’ll open a package of socks, nod politely, and then quickly throw them aside in search of a new action figure. But my little girl? Well, clothes are an entirely different story with her. She’ll open her socks and squeal with glee. She doesn’t see clothes as a necessary evil that has to be dealt with every … [Read more...]