Recently, I received an article from Dan Reiland, The Pastor’s Coach who discussed dealing with difficult people. If we have been involved in any type of leadership, you have dealt with difficult people. They make projects hard to launch, continue or complete. Many times, the leadership team must turn their focus and some of their … Continue reading
Today, is a day that we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. life in America. His legacy is vast and wide in his leadership in the struggle of civil rights. The moment that best highlights this movement is the “I Have a Dream” speech given in Washington, DC. Here is link to the speech on … Continue reading
If you read my blog regularly, you know that I have gone from a large metro area to a small historic and mostly rural area. My morning problems commuting to work used to be traffic, merging lanes, rubbernecking, wrecks and slow drivers. Now driving back and forth my biggest problems are the flashing lights, slow … Continue reading
The following is the top ten Christian Books per Amazon as of November 2014. There are a few up and coming books as additions including fiction writer Jana Karon and books by Mark Batterson, Steve Harvey and others. Each book is linked for a traditional book, but will also show the Kindle price and link. … Continue reading
I recently read an article by Thom Rainer who had done some research on the top discouragements for Pastors and Church Staff. I thought this would go well with prior articles of challenges and encouragements for pastors (see the Recent Related Post links below). Although there are many challenges and discouragements for pastors from pay, … Continue reading
I love this time of season when the leaves go from a green to a radiant display of fall colors. It visual displays the change of the seasons from summer to fall. I know that one of the most difficult things in life can be change. This change could be a new project, to a … Continue reading
Recently, we have been considering the concept of “If At First You Don’t Succeed. . .” In this post, we will consider the idea of what is success? For many in America, success is defined in material terms; but for other cultures, success may be based on traditions and practices passed down to the next … Continue reading
I must admit that sometimes it is a struggle to continue. When one does not reach the goal, all ideas are tried and still it remains unaccomplished. Now what do you do? If it is a personal goal, I guess you could not continue the project. But if it is related to work, then you … Continue reading
We have heard this saying since we were small children, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” In fact this saying was popularized by William Edward Hickson, a philanthropist, who focused on elementary education in British, Dutch and German schools. According to the Oxford’s Dictionary of Quotations, the full “proverb” is: ‘Tis … Continue reading
Sometime our lives become so busy we forget about the reason why we followed Christ, or why we should begin to follow him today. Like many things in life, it is good to go back and re-experience them or be reminded why we fell in love, enjoyed or became a part of something. There are … Continue reading
I think the concept of holiness is as important today, as in years past. Let’s consider the importance of holiness in our everyday lives. Prior generations have embraced a concept of a holy life by determining appearances like hair length and certain types of jewelry or a certain ceremony or worship activity to set … Continue reading
I thought that it was important to share on the concept of brokenness. The Biblical concept of brokenness is something all Christians will experience. Whether is due to situations in our lives, an unfulfilled expectation, a death, the end of a relationship, maybe an unanswered prayer. No matter the cause, God uses brokenness to allow … Continue reading
I have recently written an article 10 Suggestions to Help Overcome Pornography. This focused on Pastors, Christians and every man and their battle against porn. I have written a second article that focuses on resources and links for both men and women. Please feel free to review the suggested resources below: … Continue reading
It almost seems ridiculous to mention that a Pastor needs to take time off, but my personal experience tells me otherwise. I was leading a small congregation of 30 – 35 people with a limited budget. With God’s help, I was doing the best I could with what I had. I would preach numerous weeks in … Continue reading
One of the key factors to life of a Pastor or anyone is emotional health. Vanderbloemen Search Group, an organization that helps church assess potential pastoral candidates says that emotional health is the key factor to a pastor’s success. Their factors are great for assessing pastors and to assist anyone else in considering their own … Continue reading
As Pastors and Ministers, we have had opportunities to experience the highs of ministry and being used by God to bring healing in many situations. Unfortunately, on the flip side, many pastors have difficulty fighting through the challenges of ministry. The expectation is that the pastor would never reach the depths of depression, but persevere … Continue reading
I had just stepped down from being a senior leader in a ministry a few years ago and needed a break. After a couple of months, God opened the door at a local church for my wife and me to become quickly involved in. The Pastor was very pleased at our participation. As I got … Continue reading
Many Christians have trouble understanding the difference between mercy and grace. Sometimes we assume that they are basically the same thing or that we need one and not the other. I am working on a writing project and resting this week and thought this re-post would be very appropriate. “We tend to think of mercy and grace as the … Continue reading