How Healthy is Your Leadership? Take this short and free quiz to find out. // https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadership-assessment/ —————————- The quality of the people who surround you will determine the success of your leadership. Because there is undeniable loneliness in leadership, it is ever more important that we evaluate our relationships on a regular basis. Sadly, far too many pastors and leaders choose to go it alone, or surround themselves with foolish counsel (in the form of wrong relationships) That’s why in today’s podcast, I explore the five types of relationships ..read more

FREE EMOTIONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT: In 15 Minutes, Discover How Emotionally Mature You Are // https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/mature —————————- In this episode, we explore a topic that’s as old as leadership itself: the loneliness that often accompanies the role of leadership. From the slowness of change to the weight of difficult decisions, from the sting of criticism to the ache of betrayal, leadership can often feel like a solitary journey. But we can take heart because all throughout the Scriptures leaders have grappled with this very same loneliness. And yet, loneliness can becom ..read more

FREE E-BOOK: 8 Practices of Emotionally Healthy Preaching & Teaching Learn the essential practices to deliver sermons with depth and power. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/preaching —————————- Leadership is a crucible through which God is changing YOU into a new kind of person. Throughout your leadership journey, you will be taken through a series of fires or tests from God that exists to purify you from the inside out.   In today’s podcast, I share about the many tests you WILL encounter if you haven’t already. If you are not prepared for these tests, you will stumble and ..read more

A course won’t change your church. Neither will a book, a podcast, or a sermon series. So the question is, how do people truly change? This is a question every pastor and leader needs to answer. Over the years of my pastoral ministry and even today, one thing I’ve noticed is how often we UNDERESTIMATE the personal time, presence, and intentionality it takes to disciple people into transformation in Jesus. True change is slow because it is relational. Change does not happen on an assembly line. Over the past several weeks on the podcast, I’ve shared with you the importance of reclaiming a spac ..read more

As leaders, we know that PRAYER is the heartbeat of life in Christ. But often, our vision of prayer can become lop-sided, leading to a heavy weight on our shoulders. For my first 17 years as a Christian, I had a one-dimensional view of prayer. I thought prayer was a tool I was supposed to use to make God’s kingdom come. So I would devote 6-8 hours a week in prayer meetings, interceding for revival and believing that unless I prayed, God wouldn’t come. I thought that was what Jesus called us to. But over time I learned to see something different in the prayer life of Jesus. The gospel of ..read more

Leaders in a digital age face a unique pressure to always be in front. Our social media platforms entice us to be seen, to be recognized, and to be liked. Underneath this is a lie that to be hidden is to be forgotten, and to be unknown is to be unloved. This is why one of the greatest temptations leaders face is self-promotion. Even Jesus faced this very temptation in the wilderness, yet rightly perceived it as a deadly trap from the evil one. Like Jesus, we must resist the many ways we are tempted to elevate our name and ministries into prominence. Is all self-promotion really si ..read more

In 2024, church leaders will be sifted left and right. Mature from immature. Wise from foolish. Substantial from surface level. This I know – the most effective leaders (and the ones worth following) will draw a line in the sand and put a full stop to accepting a rushed, cluttered, and constricted life. They will reject speed, crowds, and noise in favor of a graceful, unrushed way of life. I call this lifestyle “spaciousness”. It’s one of the secret weapons of true spiritual mothers and fathers of the faith. On today’s podcast, I explore the theme of spaciousness, making applications for how ..read more

Leaders in 2024 are facing pressures and challenges greater than any other in my lifetime. Elections, wars, rumors of wars, economic pressure, global instability, scandals, artificial intelligence, etc. This may seem overwhelming, but there is a unique opportunity before us. As leaders, this will require the decision to radically re-align ourselves to God’s purposes and plans in the world today. On today’s podcast, I share some personal reflections on what I believe “radical realignment” looks like and then offer 3 specific invitations from God in this season. The post The Radical Decisi ..read more

As we approach 2024, there couldn’t be a better time to revisit your discipleship strategy. Here’s why… In North America, we are ramping up towards another election year. For most Americans, this has become a time of increased anxiety, stress, and relational volatility. As a culture, we lack the tools to have difficult conversations (especially political ones) without resorting to blaming, name-calling, avoiding, and “dirty fighting.” Sadly, we do this in the church as well. For the first 17 years of my Christian walk, this was all I ever knew. I simply mirrored what I learned from my family ..read more

We’re in the thick of the holiday season – a time full of joy, yet jam-packed with people, parties, and productions. This season has a dizzying effect on everyone – but especially leaders. One temptation is to put a smile on our face while skimming over the frustrations, disappointments, and other inner workings of our souls. We have people and situations that are bothering us at a core level, but rather than leaning into difficult and heartfelt conversations, we choose instead to avoid them. When we do this, we step out of integrity. This was how I operated for years as a pastor. I had peopl ..read more