Search Results for: church

The “Matthew Effect” (or “Matthew Principle”) is the economic and social principle that those who begin with an advantage will often gain a greater advantage, and those with little to no advantage will often lose what advantage they may have had. For instance, those with wealth generally have disposable income which they can invest and…

A few months ago, our church hosted a community outreach event which provides shoes and socks to children in our community. Our planned strategy for this event involved one volunteer team connecting with children for sizing and selecting new shoes, while another volunteer team connected with the parents while they waited for their kids. I…

When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others. In your lives, you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Paul, Philippians 2:3-5, ICB…

“Something isn’t right here, the things we measure don’t seem to produce what we say we are chasing.” This thought just wouldn’t go away. I was sitting in a service at my church and listening to a report that served as sort of a “state of the church” to start the new year. As an operations…

Every month, my wife and I host a lunch for new people at our church. It is a time to connect with new people and make sure they see me not just as a pastor on a platform but as a person who is approachable and personable. One of my favorite portions of the gathering…

Why are we perceived as boring Christians? How did we get to the place where we systematize and professionalize following Jesus? This can’t be what he had in mind when he said in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” How did so many become career Jesus people but seldom…

Impact Discipleship Ministries published their latest book by Ken Adams and are very excited for you to read it. This article features part of the first chapter on the blog. You can purchase this book on their website here. “Luke 6:40 – “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully…

The golfer used a three wood for every shot. At the tee (par five or three) he would pull out his prized club. His next shots always required that same three-wood. When he got to the green, he reached for his putter to finish the job. One day his coach asked about his unusual style…

I grew up in the church. I love the church! It’s one of the reasons I’m a Pastor today. However, the word “discipleship” in the context I grew up in was primarily about a transfer of information. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I benefitted from someone investing the time to study God’s Word…

XJ, eXperience Jesus, is Sonlife’s new disciple-making event for high school students in partnership with Moody Bible Institute in the summer of 2023. And while XJ is new, its roots go back over 35 years. The History of SEMP When Sonlife began, it was the youth ministry training division of Moody Ministries in Chicago. Within a…

What is the most significant predictor of health, happiness, and longevity?  Is it diet, exercise, social class, I.Q., 401K, or quality of relationships? According to one of the longest research projects in the history of research projects it is the quality of your closest relationships! The official name of this research project is The Harvard Study…

A true disciple is a person who is devoted to Jesus, is developing the character and competencies of Jesus, and is deployed into the ministry of Jesus by reaching the lost and investing in a few. Jesus wanted 3D disciples. When I look at that definition of a disciple, it seems a bit overwhelming. How…