Category: Church Leadership

Encouragement for leaders

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Best Five Church Leadership Forward Look Journal Wisdom

Five Books for a Changed Life Pt. 3

pile of books
Choosing a good book is a social thing. Get help from your friends.

Recent reads with insightful content and powerful personal impact

Time to continue our series on life-changing books.  Looking for suggestions as to what to read?  This is the third post in my five-part series about some of the most impactful books that I have recently read.  I’m passing along some suggestions for your reading list or book-giving list.   The books are of different kinds, but all of them will motivate positive change in your life and in your Christian discipleship as they have done in mine.    

  • Maxwell, John C. The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential. Center Street, 2012.
  • Weissenbacher, Alan. The Brain Change Program: 6 Steps to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life. Broad Street, 2024.
  • Groeschel, Craig. Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life. Zondervan, 2017.
  • Caine, Christine. You Are Not Finished Yet: Discovering Your Purpose in the Midst of Life’s Interruptions. Thomas Nelson, 2023.
  • Geisler, Norman L., and Frank Turek. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Crossway, 2004.

Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life.

This is another eminently practical book that helps motivate us and gives us practical insights into how to navigate life.  Craig Groeschel and his wife Amy founded Life-Church which has grown into a large network of churches.  He is the author of several New York Times best-selling books, including, Winning the War in Your Mind; Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life;  Lead Like It Matters;  and The Benefit of Doubt. 

Divine Direction begins by helping us to get in touch with the story that we all hope to write – but not just from our perspective!  We are to seek in prayer to sense what God wants for us.  Then once we have our direction in mind, the rest of the book helps us with very simple and practical tips about the choices that will help us get there.

 How to begin

“If you want to take aim at the story you want to tell, you have to make small, life changing choices and then act on them daily. The best decision you can make is always the next one” (Page 14). “It’s the small choices no one sees that result in the big impact everyone wants” (Page 15).

In an unusual move, typical of the simple thrust of the book, each chapter title is a single word, an action verb.  The first chapter is “Start.”   “After you have a sense of what God wants you to want, where do you begin? What discipline do you need to start practicing to head toward where God wants you to get?” (Page 40).

Chapter two is a surprise with the title “Stop.”  In order to get something happening that is not currently, we will need to make room in our lives.  So, we need to ask another necessary question which we often neglect. “Based on what God wants you to want, what does God want you to stop?” (Page 64).

How to keep going

Yet, on the way to any goal, there are setbacks and times when one feels like there is no progress.  “If you are tempted to walk away, make sure to seek God, because you never know what he might do if you have the courage to stay.”(Page 87).  Chapter three titled “Stay” closes with the amazing story of Bobby Gruenewald, inventor of YouVersion App.   Bobby started and sold two technology companies before he graduated from college.  He started volunteering at his church in his mid-twenties and they put him on staff.   His pastor labeled his work as “extraordinary,” but Bobby felt he wasn’t making a difference and was tempted to quit.  But he persevered in God’s work and became the inventor of YouVersion Bible App which the church sponsored.  

Chapter four titled “Go” is the motivational chapter we expected at the beginning.  But even so, it has some surprising nuggets of wisdom.  “Even if you don’t feel like anything is different right at this moment, it’s always a good idea to keep your heart prepared for change.  Because it happens to us all: a new step of faith, a new venture, a new opportunity” (p. 96).  Or this memo, “To step into your destiny, you might have to step away from your security” (p. 97).

Why keep going?

Chapter 5 called “Serve” is a great reminder of our ultimate mission.  “We forget that we are not made to be spiritual consumers.  God has called us to be spiritual contributors.  And the church does not exist for us.  We are the church, and we exist for the world” (p. 128).  That kind of thinking is why Rev. Groeschel’s church is changing the world!

Connection with others is the topic of chapter six.  “When you decide to connect with people, you change the story you will tell one day” (p. 150).   Other people influence us and we influence them as well.  “Everyone needs a friend who makes them better” (p. 153).

All this sounds great, but we are often fearful and hold back.  We know what is needed but sense that the journey will be too much for us.  In chapter 7 called “Trust” our author agrees that sometimes life will be more than we can handle, but he points the way in our dilemma.  It is in exactly such times that we must trust in God to help us through.  God still whispers to us as He did to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9,10).

I highly recommend this book 

It is filled with touching life stories to help us understand.  And its advice is eminently practical.  It is clear the author lives the message of the book and so is well qualified to help us on our journeys.  The writing is succinct and easy to read too.       

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Best Five Church Leadership Journal Wisdom

Five Books for a Changed Life

15-Laws-of-Growth-John-Maxwell
15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell is among his top three best books

Recent reads with insightful content and powerful personal impact

In today’s world where we have so many choices, sometimes it’s good to have someone else help narrow the options.  In that spirit, I’m passing along recommendations for your reading list or your Christmas book-giving from some of the most impactful books that I have recently read. They are of different kinds, but all of them will motivate positive change in your life and in your Christian discipleship as they have done in mine.  I plan five articles in this series with each post briefly reviewing one. 

  • Maxwell, John C. The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential. Center Street, 2012.
  • Weissenbacher, Alan. The Brain Change Program: 6 Steps to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life. Broad Street, 2024.
  • Groeschel, Craig. Divine Direction: 7 Decisions That Will Change Your Life. Zondervan, 2017.
  • Caine, Christine. You Are Not Finished Yet: Discovering Your Purpose in the Midst of Life’s Interruptions. Thomas Nelson, 2023.
  • Geisler, Norman L., and Frank Turek. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. Crossway, 2004.

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Recently I discovered on my shelf a John Maxwell book that I had not read. So, I began almost immediately, and, as usual with leadership expert Dr. Maxwell, I was richly rewarded for my efforts.  The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth follows the general schema of his more famous book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Thomas Nelson, 1998 by discussing one great principle in each chapter.  Some laws he covers, like the first, The Law of Intentionality, seem obvious but are definitely foundational ideas of which we need to be reminded. Maxwell says, “Change is inevitable. growth is optional.”  His overall goal is to motivate us to have a plan for our personal and professional growth which we attend to daily.  “Growth doesn’t just happen. You must be intentional about it.”

Some laws Dr. Maxwell gives us are not so obvious, like the third one.  Yet, upon reflection, they are also key.   The Law of the Mirror says, “You must see value in yourself to add value to yourself!”  Here he reminds us that negative self-talk, which comes so easily in our angry times, unwittingly undermines our self-image.  By contrast, he encourages us to learn that practicing small daily disciplines builds morale (p. 45). 

A law that I find easy to neglect is the Law of Reflection.  “Experience is not the best teacher.  Evaluated experience is!”  I learned that I should press pause more often and take time to reflect so that the lessons of experience are not wasted. 

Many of the Laws of Growth are genuinely challenging.  How about the Law of Consistency?  “Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing.”   One seminal thought reminded me of the theme of his book Today Matters: Warner, 2004. “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.”

We all need some good coaching about handling our failures too.   With his characteristic humor, Maxwell says in his chapter on the Law of Pain, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn” (p. 132).   

The Law of Trade-offs helps us to be realistic about many of the decisions we face.  I remember hearing John Maxwell say in person, “You have to give up to go up!”   In this chapter this idea is applied, “You have to give up to grow up.”  “The difference between where we are and where we want to be is created by the changes we are willing to make in our lives” (p. 179).  I think most of us are uncomfortable with this truth, but looking back in my own life, I can see how true it is. 

Finally, one of the most important chapters expounds on The Law of the Ladder.  The analogy is that building our life is like ascending a ladder where the rungs represent our character.  The higher we ascend, the stronger the supporting structure, our character, must be to support us.  If our character is flawed, it is like being up too high on too flimsy a ladder.  Eventually the climber falls.  “Before you can do, you must be…Continual growth and lasting success are the result of aligning the inside and the outside of our lives” (p. 146).   

I highly recommend this book. 

I have read many Maxwell books, and this is one of the top three on my list.  It’s one of those books you will wish you had read years ago.  So now’s the time!

Categories
Church Leadership Journal Meditations Wisdom

The Purpose of Lent

Palm Sunday week collage
Palm Sunday week symbols

Did you ever wonder what is the purpose of Lent? Maybe, like me, you didn’t grow up with a Lenten emphasis. In the country Wesleyan Church of my childhood, I don’t remember the church routine changing until Palm Sunday. But over my years as a pastor I began to appreciate more and more the power of the traditional Christian observance of Lent to strengthen our discipleship and deepen our spiritual journey. Now in retirement years, I am still finding Lent to be very meaningful and for multiple reasons.

Lenten Cross

A reminder to focus on Jesus

Above all, Lent is a time for worship and adoration of Jesus. There are certainly all kinds of helpful topics to explore in church services and personal Bible study, but in order to keep the perspective that we need to address these other issues well, we must first keep the admonition to “fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Heb. 3:1, 12:2). Whatever methods we choose to observe the Lenten season, they will only be a real success for us if they help us to look up to God, to “draw near” to God who has promised in the midst of our seeking to draw near to us (James 4:8)! So the first question in our plans is not “How will I deny myself?” Rather the first measure for evaluating our Lenten observances is, “How do they help me/us to worship Jesus, to obey the Father’s voice, “This is my beloved Son! Listen to him” (Mark 9:7 ESV)!

Confessing our sins is healthy renewal

A Time of Repentance

There is a haunting verse in the Bible that says, “In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin” (Ps 36:2 NIV). That verse makes me uncomfortable and I am afraid it speaks of us much of the time. We quickly condemn sins we see in others while ignoring our own or excusing ourselves. But perhaps my spiritual discomfort is healthy, akin to the kind of discomfort caused by strong exercise. Remember that Jesus admonished us to “First take the plank out of your own eye! (Matt. 7:5 NIV). The good news is that observing Lent gives us space to do the hard work of confronting ourselves where we need it. To move closer to a Holy God is to become more aware of our unholiness and to find in our hearts a Spirit-birthed desire for transformation. To witness again the commitment of Jesus in his journey to the cross for our sakes is to hate our own wavering, and to renew our own commitments to following Him. In our interactions with the world around us, our Christianity loses its edge, it becomes desensitized and dulled by the assault of temptations. But Lent gives us an opportunity to hone our edge again as the Rock of Our Salvation shapes our minds and spirits with his own.

Be prepared

An aid in preparing for the difficult times

Lent provides space to to delve into difficult yet important and relevant topics that we might tend to avoid if it were not for the annual call to wrestle anew with Jesus’ journey to the cross, his betrayal, his time in Gethsemane, etc. For example, recently my pastor’s Lenten message explored how we can react when God seems absent in our struggles, the thought that is voiced in Psalm 22:1 which Jesus quoted from the cross. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We all like “feel good,” “Blessed Assurance” messages, and we need them frequently, but unless we also mull over and digest the sobering lessons of Lent, we may find ourselves ill-prepared for real life with its trials, disappointments, and injustices. But Lent has a way of reminding us that life is often not ideal and then helping us deal with that brokenness.

self control illustrated

An annual nudge toward greater self-control

I have also always appreciated the Lenten emphasis on self-discipline. I confess that I perennially need more of that. Though traditionally associated with fasting, I find that the scope of Lenten discipline is best broadened so the Holy Spirit can guide us as churches and individuals into the alterations of habits that will be most beneficial for us. Sometimes the goal will be a temporary one enduring just for the season; other times the idea of our Lenten discipline will be to use the season’s impetus to jumpstart us to a new level. I offer ten quick suggestions of various disciplines I have found helpful over the years while celebrating Lent. I include them to spark your own thinking.

  • Read a book that challenges my spiritual growth
  • Volunteer to help in a ministry of the church or do a community service, perhaps visit someone in a nursing home
  • Contribute to a disaster/poverty relief organization
  • Abstain from food for a meal or a few meals and spend that time in prayer
  • Add fifteen to thirty minutes to my daily devotional time
  • Keep track of calories
  • Attend additional church services such as on Good Friday and/or Easter Sunrise
  • Abstain from or limit online time and/or apps
  • Join a small group at church for growth, service, and/or study
  • Set Lenten goals for my exercise regimen

Do not seek God as if He were far off in an ivory castle. He is found in the middle of the events of your everyday life. Look past the obstacles and find Him.

Fenelon, The Seeking Heart, p. 15

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Church Leadership Journal Joy Notes Meditations Wisdom

Easter Service at Copper Hill Church

Contagious Victory
Jesus' Victory is Contagious in our lives.

Jesus’ Victory is Contagious was the theme

Watch the service

I was privileged to be asked along with my wife to speak at and lead the Easter celebration at Copper Hill church this past Sunday. Pulpit supply there has been week-to-week lately and it was great joy when supervising pastor Rev. Gene Ott called and asked if I would return for the first time since I retired to lead on Easter. So I am including a link to the service above.

By special permission, JoAnne gathered a choir and arranged an Easter hymn titled, “That Easter Day” for us. It was a compilation of familiar hymn melodies with less familiar but beautiful Easter hymn words. JoAnne brought her harp and played “Rejoice, the Lord is King” and also brought the idle church keyboard back to life. Her piano students, Morgan and Malia Gabbidon, treated us to an inspiring piano duet of “Come Thou Almighty King.”

My message for the day titled “Contagious Victory” reminded us that God has blessed us to be able as Christians to appropriate Jesus’ victory to our own lives. Because he was victorious, we can in his strength overcome the challenges that we face as well. My text was,

In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:37 NIV

The cross of Jesus appeared to be the victory of hate and envy.  But in the light of Easter, it became evident that on the cross, God’s Love had spoken an unconquerable word of loving forgiveness which would echo around the world and down through the ages.  The word “love” itself has been forever redefined by Jesus’ giving of himself.  The very concept of servant-leadership was created and exemplified in Jesus.   The love of Jesus continues to be contagious and to speak a better word as it is spread around the world through disciples like you and me!

Jesus’ great Easter Victory is the victory of wholeness over brokenness and of righteousness over sin in our daily lives.  I observed that victory in Jesus is really a very practical thing.  As early as the writings of Moses, the Bible encourages us to follow God’s ways, “that it may go well” with us.  That connection is found seven times in Deuteronomy (Deut. 4:40; 5:16; 6:3; 6:18; 12:25; 19:13; 22:7; Jer. 7:23; Eph. 6:3).  Walking in Jesus’ ways, listening to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit as we choose our daily lifestyle, leads to a different way of living. We still have troubles, we still make mistakes, but even in them, we make better choices because those choices are influenced by Holy Scripture and its values.   The fact is that God’s ways are more wholesome ways that generally lead to life and health.  The long-term salutary effects of our Christian walk are then one very important way that we become more than conquerors through him who loved us. And… the victory that Jesus won becomes contagious in our lives.

Jesus’ victory over death is contagious for us as well. When we stand by the casket of our loved ones, it seems like death has won again.  But the eyes of faith see differently.  The Bible says that Christians do not grieve as others do (1 Thess. 4:13). Why?  Because they can see a glimpse of the possibilities introduced by Jesus’ Day of Resurrection! 

It is written: “I believed; therefore, I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 NIV

The joyful conclusion is that because the resurrection power of Easter morning is also at work in us (Ephesians 1:19,20), Jesus can turn the brokenness of our lives into a fountain of grace! His victory is indeed contagious!

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Church Leadership Forward Look Journal

Thinking Ahead

This is a powerful article for today. The questions near the end could be used to help the thinking of every church leader and church council/board/session. We are coming to a major transition period when the current restrictions end. It is an unprecedented opportunity for positive adaptation to the true needs of our culture.

outreachmagazine.com/interviews/54136-the-future-is-now.html

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Church Leadership Forward Look Journal Joy Notes

Appointed for a Seventh Year

Photo by Danica Tanjutco on Unsplash
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Church Leadership Journal Joy Notes Who Am I Wisdom

The Privilege of Mentoring

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Church Leadership Journal

Why churches need to focus younger

Dan Reiland is a wise and experienced pastoral leader. In this article, he articulates well something that I have said for years. Churches must focus on the children and youth. If we cater mostly to the current generation, we risk accelerating the aging of our church. If we focus on the children, we renew our church.
Wisdom from Reiland

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Church Leadership Forward Look Journal News Commentary Wisdom

Great article on the current state of the United Methodist church

Here is a link to one of the best articles I have seen analyzing the historical and current situation in the United Methodist church. It is well worth reading. Chaplain Philips has both the wisdom of a long time United Methodist and the slight detachment and broad perspective provided by his years in the military chaplaincy.

Dr. Bob Philips article

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Church Leadership Journal

A great article on why churches often stay small

I just read a great
Carey Nieuwhof article
that deals with one of the persistent issues for small churches that average less than 200 in attendance. This includes most of the churches in America. Even a cursory glance at the relatively flat statistical history of most such churches will cause the curious reviewer to ask the probing question, “Why do they usually stay small?” Sometimes there are obvious physical barriers such as the size of the building or a shortage of parking, but most of the time such external factors are not adequate to explain the struggles small congregations have. In this article, Nieuwhof puts his finger on a some other key issues that are so relevant. In my experience as a pastor, I can say that I would affirm this list of issues that hinder the growth of small churches. Overcoming these becomes as much part of the strategy for growth as adding methods of outreach or staffing a nursery or improving parking.