Give the Gift of Relationship
The holiday season often presents two challenging questions: First, “What meaningful gift can I give to the special people in my life this Christmas?” Second, “Is there a way that our family can improve its ability to deal with the relational challenges of the holidays … as well as those of everyday life in the […]
Politics as Ministry
The 2016 elections are finally over … and now the healing must begin. At the national level, we’ve already heard conciliatory statements from President Obama, Secretary Clinton and President-Elect Trump. Let us pray that their gracious words are matched by their actions in the weeks and months ahead. As powerful as these leaders are, they […]
Men Lay Down Emotional Cards One at a Time
Don’t miss the special webinar invitation at the end of this blog! I ran into Jim while standing in line at Starbucks. We’d known each other for years, so it was only natural to ask, “How are you today?” I normally hear an upbeat, “I’m OK,” when I ask this question. Jim spoke those exact words, […]
100 Scholarships & 30 Custom Courses
I need your help giving away 100 full scholarships to our new online course. I would also appreciate your input as we develop 30 new Life Application Modules. Here’s the deal … 100 Full Scholarships If you know a church or ministry leader who is likely to be interested in test driving our new Discovering Relational Wisdom 2.0 course, please […]
Gotta Love (and Help) Millennials
One of the catchiest videos I’ve ever seen is entitled, “Gotta Love Millennials.” Sung to the old Beatles tune, Obladi-Oblada, its opening stanza provides a humorous picture of a stereotypical Millennial: There he sits inside your local coffee shop Sporting a man bun and facial hair Somehow he believes although he has no job That […]
31 Marks of a Relational Leader
Last May I had the privilege of delivering a plenary address to 700 Christian leaders from throughout Europe. The video of this address was just released on the web by the Forum of Christian Leaders, along with an outline detailing the 31 marks of a relational leader. If you are in a leadership position of […]
Anything That Humbles Me Is Good for Me
Last week I had the privilege of hiking in the Montana wilderness with Rankin Wilbourne, a dear friend and pastor from southern California. As we shared about the challenges, blessings and setbacks we’ve both experienced in our personal lives and ministries, Rankin said something I will never forget: “I’ve discovered that anything that humbles me is […]
Three Ways to Multiply Kindness
This true story from an airline pilot about a fallen soldier’s journey home illustrates a fundamental fact about human nature: since we are all made in the image of God, we are designed to be kind to one another. Here is what the pilot wrote. My lead flight attendant came to me and said, “We […]
Public Confession Is Counterintuitive
Whenever we’ve done something wrong, our natural instinct is to conceal, deny or minimize our guilt. This dynamic began with Adam and Eve and is painfully evident in the current race for the White House. Sadly, it is also displayed in many churches, where both pastors and parishioners often give in to the tendency to […]
A Biker with Amazing Relational Skills
Mom’s Night Out (not to be confused with Bad Moms) provides some superb examples of relational wisdom … especially by a big, tattooed biker. The movie involves three mothers who decide they need a night away from their kids. In order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a bag, they […]