The Calling and Role of a Pastor
The Calling and Role of a Pastor

I love being a Pastor. I’m passionate about preaching. I am humbled that God has called me to shepherd a flock of His choosing. And I especially love the fuel that fires me up – the Word of God and what it has to say about whom I am. One of my favorite passages on…

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Find Your Confidence in God’s Calling
Find Your Confidence in God’s Calling

Gideon is one of my favorite Bible heroes. In my wife’s Bible class curriculum, he’s known as “G. I. Deon!” I especially love the way he’s introduced… The way Gideon sees himself: Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. ~Judges 6:11 His further questioning of God’s choice of him shows…

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5 Reasons A Church Loses Momentum
5 Reasons A Church Loses Momentum

You have heard the statistics: Eighty-five percent (or so) of churches are plateaued or declining. So many churches that were once flourishing aren’t now. The question is “Why?” How does this happen? How does a church lose its momentum? How can we keep it from happening to us? If it has happened, how do we…

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4 Ways a Pastor Can Show Love for People
4 Ways a Pastor Can Show Love for People

Pastor, you set the tone and atmosphere in your congregation. If you want to know the warmth of your church, put the thermometer in your own mouth. I’ve visited some churches where the pastor’s lack of love is the main reason the church isn’t growing. Some pastors, by their cold demeanor and lack of personal…

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3 Ways to Be a Good Steward of Easter Weekend
3 Ways to Be a Good Steward of Easter Weekend

Preaching the gospel is always, always a holy and sacred event. Within that special hour, the Creator empowers his messenger to boldly speak forth words that raise the spiritually dead to life new. When it comes to Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday as many prefer, there is a sense in which little is actually different from the…

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How Ministry Pass Launched (Two Years Ago, Today)
How Ministry Pass Launched (Two Years Ago, Today)

Today marks the two year anniversary of Ministry Pass! We wanted to share some of the backstory of how our company started so we filmed an interview with our founder, Justin Trapp.   When we set out to launch it, we wanted to create resources that helped church leaders at churches under 300. Sure, larger…

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Mark Batterson on His Weekly Preaching Schedule
Mark Batterson on His Weekly Preaching Schedule

Welcome to video number six in our six-part series with pastor and New York Times best selling author, Mark Batterson. Missed the previous videos? Check out the links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. In this video, Mark talks about what his weekly preaching schedule looks like. Do you have a sermon prep schedule? This video…

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Mark Batterson on His Failed Church Plant (Video)
Mark Batterson on His Failed Church Plant (Video)

I recently heard author Shauna Niequist say on a podcast, “Social media lets everyone project a perfect story even though perfection doesn’t exist.” She went on to say the illusion of perfectionism is seductive for leaders. We like to only play our highlight reel. What I appreciate about Mark Batterson is how he showcases his failures as…

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The Dangers of Living Sermon-to-Sermon
The Dangers of Living Sermon-to-Sermon

How far ahead do you plan your sermons? If you said a few weeks or less, you are in the majority. Based on a recent survey we sent out to ministers, 79% of pastors plan their sermons two weeks or less before preaching them. Did you know there is a powerful parallel affecting a majority of…

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21 Tips & Hacks For Your Sabbatical
21 Tips & Hacks For Your Sabbatical

This past May, I took a month long sabbatical. It was a huge blessing for me and my family. I wrote about some of the biggest benefits a few days ago here. Before I went on my sabbatical, I connected with other leaders who had already been on one to get their tips and advice…

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3 Huge Benefits of Taking a Sabbatical
3 Huge Benefits of Taking a Sabbatical

I just returned from a sabbatical recently, and wanted to share some insights I gained from the experience. I will admit, a sabbatical has been something I daydreamed about, but never believed it would actually happen. Somewhere inside, I thought sabbaticals were only for super successful leaders. But the more I learn about successful leaders, the more…

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