Your body needs regular exercise to stay in shape. Your mind needs to be stretched and challenged to stay sharp. For leaders to grow, regular workouts are necessary. Pastors lead within a dynamic environment—the church. You may not think of your church as “dynamic,” but it is. A church of fifty people means at least fifty opinions exist on any given decision. Even the most entrenched congregations provide ample opportunities for leadership exercises. The church may not want to change, Read more [...]
Our church is committed to Wednesday evening programming. I know the Bible does not mandate midweek programming. I realize the Wednesday timeslot has its origin in the historical “Three to Thrive” movement of the early twentieth century (come to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night). Since we don’t have a Sunday evening service, we are no longer in the three to thrive pattern; we’re satisfied with two will do. For years, I wrote three separate messages for Read more [...]
Every pastor has critics. It’s an inevitable part of leadership. Some criticism is constructive. Even when it’s not constructive, you can almost always learn something. Other criticism is just a visceral reaction. A personal attack was not intended; someone just said something in the heat of the moment. Some criticism is malicious and sinful. Other times, people are using criticism in a self-serving way. If you don’t want to expend the energy to filter criticism appropriately, Read more [...]
https://www.speakcdn.com/assets/2079/180211_hh_adopted_and_blended.mp3 I’m preaching a six-week series called “Healthy Homes.” There are many different types of homes that make up the church body, and we want all of them to be healthy. This sermon covers the topic of adoption. None of us have a right to grace, but adoption is available to all. Family is God’s idea, and adoption is part of His plan. Adopted children are a reflection of the gospel. Blended homes demonstrate Read more [...]
Dayton Hartman joins the show to discuss his new book: Lies Pastors Believe. He discusses how we can elevate ourselves, subvert the gospel, and undermine the church. This episode is brought to you by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and LifeWay Pastors. Subscribe: iTunes ● Google Play Follow us on Twitter: @estchurch, @jowiki, @micahfries, and @samrainer. Read more [...]
The church is not a destination point for crowds. The church is a vehicle engineered by God to send people into neighborhoods and to the nations. On Sunday West Bradenton launched a campaign to become a neighborhood church for the nations. Check out the video and see where God is taking us! We want to launch a movement. Far too few churches in our nation focus on the needs of the immediate communities around them. We want to inspire other congregations to become Read more [...]
It’s you. You’re the reason—hidden in plain sight. I’m writing to you, lead pastor. The hidden reason churches nail worship is because the lead pastor leads out in worship. Most churches will only worship to the level of the lead pastor. If you’re the stoic stander, then your church will be full of Sunday morning totems. If you raise your hands, then people in the church will follow your lead. When lead pastors immerse themselves in worship, churches do the same. Stop blaming Read more [...]
I once attempted to use an example from accounting in my sermon. No one understood me, and the accountants in the church said I mixed up my terms. Apparently, debits and credits are not as straightforward as I thought, which is why—I guess—that accountants have jobs. Sermon illustrations are tricky. You try to be funny, but you’re corny. You try to be inspirational, but you’re cheesy. You try to be serious, and you have a booger in your nose. Sermon illustrations are the flavoring Read more [...]
http://www.westbradenton.org/assets/2079/180121_hh_widows_and_orphans.mp3 I’m preaching a six-week series called “Healthy Homes.” There are many different types of homes that make up the church body, and we want all of them to be healthy. This sermon covers the topic of widows, widowers, and orphans. God has a special concern for the care and protection of the most vulnerable. The way you live reflects what you believe. Your persistence has more power from a place of Read more [...]
Statistics never tell the whole story, but they can validate a story exists. A chart detailing a decline in worship attendance cannot explain why the church is dying, but it does reveal the decline is actually occurring. During a recent church consultation, we interviewed a long-time member who refused to believe the church was declining. Even when we showed her a chart of their own numbers, she said, “You must have the wrong numbers.” If facts are our friends, then stats are our teachers. Read more [...]