After years of ministry, I have learned that ministry is rarely as complicated as we sometimes make it. We talk about programs, calendars, strategies, attendance, budgets, buildings, and events—and all of those things have their place. But when you strip ministry down to its foundation, you find something much simpler. Ministry is about people. And…

“Because your successes have made you feel worthy and entitled, you are tempted to grant yourself a lifestyle and luxuries that few of the people you have been called to serve will ever be able to have.” Paul Tripp I’ve been thinking lately about how easily success can become a danger in leadership. We usually…

“He [Jesus] works on us in all sorts of ways. Through nature, through our own bodies, through books, and sometimes through experiences which seem (at the time) anti-Christian…But above all, He works on us through each other. Men are mirrors, or ‘carriers’ of Christ to other men.” C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity Evangelism is more than…

Adolfo Quezada’s Loving Yourself for God’s Sake offers a needed reminder in a culture where the phrase “love yourself” can mean almost anything. Rather than promoting self-centeredness or self-indulgence, Quezada points readers to a healthier, more biblical understanding of self-love—one rooted in God’s love and purposes for our lives. One strength of this book is its challenge…

Turning to The Baptist Faith and Message, which partly defines the Southern Baptist belief in the Scriptures as, “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any…

I was listening to a worship podcast this week. The guest speaker in her prayer made this statement. “Lord, Make Me Like a Chalkboard So You Can Write Your Will on My Life.” That phrase captured my heart. So, here are a few of my thoughts on this idea.  ___________________________________________________________________________ There is something beautifully simple about…

A few weeks ago, Caroline and I spent a few days down in New Orleans. As we were playing cards down in the lobby of the hotel, Caroline struck up a conversation with some ladies at an adjacent table. The ladies talked everything from life up north- they were from Delaware- to the heat and…

Book Review: The Redeemed Man  I picked up The Redeemed Man not really wanting to read another book about Christian manhood. However, I saw that Clint Pressley, former SBC president, read and recommended it. So, I thought I would give it a read.  The Redeemed Man by Joel Beeke, Richard Phillips, and Paul Smalley is a timely and biblical…