A Better Way to Handle Abuse
Sexual abuse in the church does not have to end in broken lives, agonizing lawsuits and divided congregations. As illustrated by the real-life abuse case described later in this post, when people follow God’s ways and words, these terrible incidents can result in healing, justice and healthier churches. When victims of abuse first come forward, […]
Getting Wind Under Your Wings
After four weeks of nonstop travel last month, I was running out of energy. As a result I was unusually apathetic as I walked into the conference center for one of my recent presentations. Not a good attitude for teaching relational wisdom. So I began to pray. “Lord, I feel lousy this morning. I’m tired, […]
Forgive Like Edison, or Better Yet, Jesus
Thomas Edison never claimed to be a Christian, but he did a better job of demonstrating forgiveness than many believers do. When Edison and his staff were developing the incandescent light bulb, it took twenty-four hours to manufacture a single bulb. One day he handed a new bulb to a young errand boy and asked […]
Celebrating 30 Years Together
Corlette and I are in Jackson, Wyoming, today celebrating 30 years of marriage. We took this “selfie” at the end of a hike around Jenny Lake, one of the most beautiful places in Teton National Park … almost as beautiful as my bride! Later this morning we plan to raft ten miles of the Snake […]
Inside Out
Do you sometimes find it difficult to understand your emotions … much less those of your teenager, spouse, coworkers or friends? Well, Disney and Pixar have just given you a vehicle to explore this issue at a whole new level. Their newest film, Inside Out, provides an entertaining and thought-provoking way to begin a discussion […]
I Believe in You!
My heart is glad every time I receive an email or phone call from my dear friend, Mart Green. It’s partly because he’s always praising God for how he’s moving in Mart’s family, church, business, or the ministries he loves to serve. But it’s also because Mart ends every email and phone call with these […]
Blending Hard Skills and Soft Skills in Europe
Paul is the pastor of a church and a professor at a seminary in Central Europe … yet he is struggling to forgive a former elder who turned on him three years ago (all names are changed). Anna works with refugee teenagers who pass through her country on the way to Western Europe; she wants […]
Battleground Europe
I’m sending this post from Wisla, Poland, where Chip Zimmer and I are teaching at the European Leadership Forum. ELF has gathered 700 evangelical leaders from around Europe to provide them with a week of fellowship, encouragement, and training to inspire and equip them “to renew the biblical church and re-evangelize Europe.” This is no […]
Wired to Worry, Equipped to Preach
A friend may be writing a letter to me that I might not like. Although we’ve talked repeatedly, there are tensions between us that are still not resolved. Yesterday another acquaintance said my friend is composing a letter to me. He gave no details, just “He’s writing something for you.” Oh boy, what does that […]
Your Amazing Brain
When a pastor steps into a pulpit, he usually has two general goals in mind: to change the way people think and to change the way they behave. The pivotal human organ for both goals is the brain. And yet most pastors—as well as most of the people in the pews—haven’t spent five minutes in […]