Jesus was a do-something preacher. He didn’t want people to just listen to what he said. He wanted them to do something as a result of what he taught them. He said, “Anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matthew 7:26 GNT). Other New Testament preachers expected the same. John the Baptist said, “Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives” (Matthew 3:8 NCV). And the apostle Paul instructed Titus to “[tell] believers to live the kind of life that goes along with accurate teachings” (Titus 2:1 GW ..read more

In more than 50 years of ministry, I’ve encountered many fears that threaten to derail what God wants to do through his followers. But there’s one fear that stands out among all the rest: the fear of commitment.  It’s what keeps the men and women in your church from joining a small group, sharing their faith, and participating in a mission trip. For many pastors, it’s what keeps us from taking new ministry assignments that God is clearly calling us toward.  But none of us can grow without making commitments and pushing past the excuses that hold us back. Every time you make a commi ..read more

One common challenge faced by leaders, including pastors and church leaders, is the fear of embarrassment—especially when met with hard questions or situations where we might not have all the answers. We’re afraid we’ll look dumb in front of those we lead.  Some of the greatest leaders in history have struggled with this. Consider Moses’ burning bush interaction with God. When God called Moses to lead the people out of Egyptian slavery, the first question Moses asked God was about his own identity: “Who am I to . . . lead your people?” (Exodus 3:11 CEV). But notice the second question ..read more

Faith is an interesting substance. You don’t get it by sitting in a Bible study group. You don’t get it by just talking about it. You don’t get it by just thinking, hoping, or wishing.  Faith is like a muscle. You develop it more by using it more. The more you use a muscle, the stronger it gets. The more you use the little faith you have, the more it gets stretched. The more it gets stretched, the more God blesses your life.   Just ask Joshua.  Joshua 1 tells the story of his installment as the leader of Israel. God had given Joshua the impos ..read more

Every pastor makes mistakes; every pastor has defeats. Mistakes are a part of life. Sadly, so is sin. Not even a pastor can escape Romans 3:23: “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (CEV). None of us are perfect. The difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders isn’t that the successful people don’t fail. The difference is that successful leaders learn from their failures. I heard a story years ago about a young man who asked an executive, “What is the secret of success?” “The secret of success is the right decisions,” the executive responded.  “How do you ..read more

Commitment is key to accomplishing anything in ministry. Without commitment, you won’t finish anything. You probably know many people in your church who struggle to commit. They jump from one relationship to another, one career to another, or one church to another. They never seem to give God time to work in their lives, and they always have a Plan B; they’re ready to bolt when life gets complicated. It’s a frustrating experience for leaders. But, pastor, are you doing the same thing? Are you watching your ministry flounder because you’re regularly shuffling through new priorities? That pa ..read more

By Jeni Baker, Global Co-Executive Director of CR As a recovering Co-Dependent and an Adult Child of Family Dysfunction, a big part of my recovery was learning that my emotions don’t make me a burden. When I share my feelings, people won’t think that I’m not worth it and leave me. I’m lovable even if I’m feeling bad, or low, or having a hard time. Just shy of a year into this Covid pandemic, I was writing a gratitude list about this past year, and something occurred to me. I spent the first 5-6 months of the pandemic angry. Like really angry, bitter, and resentful. But as I look back on all ..read more

Recently, a storm was moving through the Pacific Northwest that knocked out our power in the middle of the night. I was immediately aware of all the new risks to our household. Our phones lacked the power to provide the charge they needed for the next day. Our gas furnace would work, but the fans would not move the warm air. I wondered if the power would return quickly enough that our frozen food would stay frozen. Worse than all of those, I was aware that our security system would no longer keep me notified if anything happened to our house. As I sat in silence, I truly understood the defin ..read more

Confidence is important for all leaders, but it’s particularly important for leaders pursuing God’s mission in the world. Why is confidence so important for biblical leadership?= Because doubt is the opposite of faith, and the Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).  Too often, the enemy gets us to question the goals God has given us for our ministry. We start asking, “Is this really God’s will? What if I’m wrong?” But we can’t afford to doubt what God is calling us to do.  A few years back, I saw a Peanuts cartoon that illustrates this perfect ..read more

Has God given you what feels like an impossible assignment? Maybe he is leading your church to reach a new community or meet an additional need. Maybe you’re in the middle of starting a new church among people who desperately need to hear about Jesus. You’re not the first person God has given an impossible task. Take Joshua, for example. In Deuteronomy 7:1, Moses told the Israelites about the land that Joshua would lead them to possess after Moses died. Seven nations inhabited the land. All of them were stronger than Israel.  It must have looked impossible to Joshua. But God made a promi ..read more