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There are many pastors who refuse to set any kind of goal at all. “How can you put a goal on what God wants to do?” they will say. They may even get biblical and say something like, “Neither Jesus nor Paul ever set goals!” But I disagree. I think Jesus and Paul both set clear, huge, audacious goals….

We have been introducing the five myths that are stalling disciple-making movements. Week 1: The 5 Ministry Myths  Week 2: The Engagement Myth The EXPERTISE MYTH: Ministry Excellence = Excellent Ministry    Are your staff and key leaders exhausted? Does it feel like they are the only ones executing ministry while the congregation seems to be content…

What is the big need that motivates to make disciples? As I have reflected on what motivates me in ministry and more specifically in disciple making, I seem to be obsessively concerned with the lack of solid foundations in most self-professed believers in Christ. I have used two images for many years to capture this…

I have heard people say that the way you spell LOVE is T-I-M-E. Regardless of where anyone falls on the economic spectrum, we can all agree that time is a commodity. Whereas money seems to be the currency for which we strive in our day-to-day economies, in God’s economy, the currency of time is ultimately what…

As I talk to pastors I am constantly reminded that one of the greatest needs in the church is more and better leadership. More Pastors tell me they need more leaders more than they need money, buildings, and programs. They know leadership is important but rarely do they know how to get more leaders. If…

I made it home from a premarital session with a couple getting ready to begin their lives together in marriage. We had spent the last several weeks going over many different concepts, strategies, personality profiles, and anything else that will equip them for a successful marriage. One goal of these counseling sessions is to help…

In recent years many of us in church leadership have begun paying attention to what is happening in Disciple Making Movements (DMM).  If you are unfamiliar with DMM, let me give you the definition that Discipleship.org has developed.  A Disciple Making Movement may take a few years to be established, but once it, the following…

“God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 That could be a drop the mic statement. But that wouldn’t make much of a column. So, let’s spend some time digging into what it means, and doesn’t mean, for a disciple of Jesus to be humble. John Dickson, in his book, Humilitas, defines…

Did you know? That the color red does NOT make bulls angry. Bats aren’t blind. If you shave your hair, it doesn’t come back thicker. Dogs can see more than black and white. If you touch a baby bird with your bare hands, its mother won’t reject it. And cracking your knuckles won’t give you…

Jim Thomas (Director of Training with The Bonhoeffer Project, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia, educator, and all-around good guy) wrote an excellent article in this series called The Death of Pride. All the accolades piled here are to test Jim’s character. We all know that … Pride is at the root…

Culture is a river. Think about it, both cultures and rivers move towards a specific destination. Whether it’s intentional or not, both impact everything in their path. Both automatically move everything in the same direction. And both are constantly change course in a way that expedites the ultimate aim . The similarities between rivers and cultures don’t end there….

A ministry team needs to be comprised of people who are faithfully making disciples using your preferred tools. Not everyone whom you disciple will reproduce in others. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it is reality. Growing the seed of God’s Word In Matthew 13, Jesus told us this would be the case. In the…