“Incremental steps are the key in moving from an unhealthy lifestyle to one that will serve you and those around you well. Don’t think you have to undergo a sudden extreme makeover in order to get where you need to be. Rather, focus on minor improvements every day, every week, every month. Over time, you’ll be amazed at the cumulative effect … Read More
Pastor Study: Struggling with Finances? You’re Not Alone! (Part 1 of 3)
Surviving the recent tax season can be stressful and it reminds us just how well, or how poorly, we have done in managing our finances. We don’t want to just struggle to make ends meet while in full-time ministry. We want to look at what the average pastor is doing in regards to their finances — and choose to do … Read More
Why Preaching Must Be Simple
Today’s guest post comes to us from Will Graham for EvangelicalFocus.com. One of the greatest temptations for preachers is to speak high and haughty words in the pulpit that unlearned folk are unable to understand. Flowery words and lofty concepts may astonish the congregation’s mind but they don’t feed their needy souls. Paul may have been an academic giant; but … Read More
Keys to Worship Planning: Test-drive Your Sunday Message
“You can’t cooperate with God to help the people he has entrusted to you become more like his Son without a strong, grounded plan for your teaching. Since the message is so important, I strongly encourage you to do a message run-through every week. In the same way that the worship team rehearses every week, so should you. You … Read More
Kick Chronic Stress (Thursdays are for Health)
“Chronic stress is as detrimental to your physical health as deep-fried foods, couch sitting and lack of sleep. It raises cortisol levels in your blood, which leads to a weakened immune system and a wide range of chronic physical conditions.” If you want to live a healthy life, you have to make sure your heart and mind are at peace … Read More
Examining the “Spiritual but Not Religious” Group
Today’s guest post comes to us from Barna Group. “I’m spiritual but not religious.” You’ve heard it—maybe even said it—before. But what does it actually mean? Can you be one without the other? Once synonymous, “religious” and “spiritual” have now come to describe seemingly distinct (but sometimes overlapping) domains of human activity. The twin cultural trends of deinstitutionalization and individualism … Read More
R.A. Torrey on Outreach
“There are two ways of reaching people. One way is to invite them to come to you, the other way is to go to them.” – R.A. Torrey, 19th Century Evangelist, Founder of BIOLA
Keys to Worship Planning: Reframing Secular Songs
“In addition to singing songs during the service, you can incorporate music into your service in another way. I have a theory that if you take a secular song and reframe it around a theological idea, that idea will lodge in people’s minds on an even deeper level. Recently, I taught on the Ephesians passage about husbands respecting their … Read More
Resting for Health (Thursdays are for Health)
“How much sleep did you get last night? Did you take a Sabbath last week or did you feel like you couldn’t afford to? Rest is critically important to keeping you and me healthy now and in years to come, but we always tend to think we can get by with a little less of it. Lack of sleep leads … Read More