The financial difficulties many churches are currently facing can be traced directly back to the pastors who are leading them. If you’re a pastor of a church that’s struggling financially, you probably don’t want to hear that, but in most cases it’s true. The pastor sets the financial tone for the church. Some pastors have…
Paul Tripp’s Sex in a Broken World is a timely and extremely important book for Christians living in today’s world. Not only is the book written on a topic the Church and Christianity have largely avoided, it’s written practically and honestly. To mark the release of the book and our free sermon series based on…
A.A. Milne, the creator of the Winnie the Pooh series, wrote a short conversation between Piglet and Pooh. “I’m scared,” said Piglet. “A story will help,” said Pooh. “How?” “Don’t you know? Stories make your heart grow.” Church Leader, Look for the Stories In his simple, childlike way, Winnie the Pooh reminds us of the power…
We have a promise of a new identity as Christians. Yes, in Christ, we have been made new. But a lot of us struggle to shake off the old habits that continue to plague us. So what could it look like to get rid of those old habits and embrace the new habits that align…
A few weeks ago, my wife and son and I were waiting in a doctor’s office. Being a pediatric office, the staff obviously knew the struggle to keep a little toddler occupied while they waited to see the doctor and had placed a foosball table in the waiting room. Having only seen a foosball table…
You know your people best. You know whether or not many of them are integrating their faith and work on a consistent basis. And given that, you probably know that many of the people in your church are struggling to see how their jobs have anything to do with their faith. But, as you know,…
Have you ever been in a situation and you knew the right thing to do, but that was the last thing you wanted to do? If you’re a leader of any kind, you face enormous decisions every day. Decisions that determine the path your church will take, decisions that will alter people’s livelihoods financially. The…
Are you looking for a great summer sermon series to preach? We’ve got you covered with God on Film. This 4-week series is ideal for the summer blockbuster season. With so many big-budget movies hitting theaters this time of year, the people in your congregation and community can’t help but discuss each week’s latest theatrical release….
Do you remember where you were the first time you saw an “I love my church” t-shirt? I can’t remember the first place I saw it, but I know I loved the idea. What a great way to market the church, and express our love. We called up our t-shirt company right away and got…
Have you ever experienced seasons when God just seems to be silent and aloof? We all have. And the people in your congregation are no different. Many of them are experiencing that feeling right now. And that’s why we believe our sermon series, Silence, can be so powerful. This four-week series addresses seasons when God seems…
Leadership is messy. You don’t have to have a degree in leadership or work a long time with people to figure that out. This isn’t just within the Church, but pretty much everywhere. Ask anyone who is leading other people if they think it’s easy and neat, and they’ll tell you that it’s not. People…
One of the best things we can do for the people in our church family is to equip them to pray. If we want more people to be connected to God in their daily lives, prayer is pivotal. To help you out with planning for a prayer sermon series, we’ve compiled five of our favorite…
Over the last few days, it seems the whole world has been talking about a 14-minute sermon. This should encourage those of us who are called to preach. The next time you think sermons can’t make an impact in this world remember this week and how a passionate message about God’s love touched the hearts of…
Photo by Adam Mason Photography Video review from New York Times bestselling author and pastor, Mark Batterson. Not too long ago, we had a chance to sit down with Mark Batterson. Here is what he had to say about Ministry Pass: “Hi, I’m Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. I…
One of the most engaging and invite-friendly types of sermon series you can preach is one where you answer the questions everyone is asking in their heads. If you want people to invite their friends, if you want people to talk about the sermon with their co-workers, You Asked for It is a great sermon series…
Recently, Pope Francis released a letter to Chilean Bishops. While I think there are serious issues left in the Catholic Church that must be reconciled and restored, I thought there were some powerful statements in this letter and lessons I can learn. Read the full letter here. Here is the excerpt that jumped off the page…
Wade Bearden thought he had faith figured out. But after watching friends die, losing two jobs, and seeing his own father diagnosed with cancer, Wade found his faith failing. Somehow, along the way, he had traded an ancient, powerful Christianity for a Christianity made in the image of success and well-being. In his book and…
I’m sure you’re leveraging social media to further your ministry. If you’re not, you should be. Jesus hung out at wells because wells were the social gathering places in ancient communities. He knew He would connect with people there. Social media is today’s digital “well.” It’s where our people are, so it’s where we need…
No preacher will ever say, I don’t want another sermon illustration to add to my toolbox. Why? Because sermon illustrations show and tell. They bring flavor and color to a point of truth. Lane Sebring of PreachingDonkey.com says that you need to teach, illustrate, and apply every point you make. Most preachers have no trouble with teaching and…
People leave churches for all kinds of reasons. They might move, their kids get older, their schedules change, the church moves to locations. They also leave for theological reasons. Maybe a new pastor has a different bent on an important theological point. They may have changed the version of the Bible they preach from (not kidding…
Every youth pastor knows that middle school and high school are times of serious spiritual warfare. Everywhere students turn, they are being confronted by evil and that evil is always seeking to lure them in. We want to help. That’s why we put together our new youth sermon series, Reality: The Battle Between Good and Evil….
It feels like more and more our culture is becoming more and more divisive. Whether it is politics, religion, sexuality, race. Everyone has a take, an opinion and we shout it as loud as we can from every corner of our lives and social media. One of the saddest things for me is watching the…
Whenever we see a villain in a movie, in a book, or in real life, we rarely think, that could be me. Instead, we often let the pendulum swing the opposite way and think, that would never be me. But what if becoming the villain is easier than we really think? In our new sermon series called, Becoming…
By Scott Magdalein, founder of TrainedUp If the fuel of leadership is vision then the engine is communication. A compelling vision without great communication is like a bus full of fuel with a busted engine. It’s not going far. Humor me on this engine metaphor for a moment. If you’ve ever popped the hood of…
In Christ, we have been set free. But what does freedom in Christ mean? Does that mean we can do whatever we want? That’s what freedom is. Or is it? For many people, these questions are swirling around in their minds and hearts. And you can address them through our new series, Snapshot. This four-week series…
Have you ever asked yourself that question? It’s obvious that not all pastors are the same. We all have different gifts and different experiences that have shaped us into who we are. Sure, each one of us has similarities but we’re also unique in our own way. I think that’s one of the things that…
Have you ever encountered false teaching? Of course, you have. The apostle Paul did too and he spent a good bit of the New Testament addressing it. So what if your congregation was able to thoughtfully evaluate bad theology in a way that is consistent with the New Testament? What if your congregation was able…
It’s time to retire the old mantra, “If you want it done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” No doubt this includes ministers and pastors. We are not called to get it right and do it on our own. We are clearly called by God to equip His people for works of service. Now these…
The book of Ezra is powerful. In it, we see God do what only He can do: reclaim and redeem His people. In our sermon series, Reclaim: The Book of Ezra, you’ll be able to walk your congregation through this powerful book and apply it to their lives today. This five-week series addresses what God did…
Friendship. This is a subject that many adults don’t do well in. Many men admit that they don’t have many if any good friends and admit to being lonely. Many adults just don’t know how to do the friend thing. But being a good friend is important as followers of Christ. This is why we’re…
I believe that every leader wants to create a healthy culture in their environment, whether they are in the ministry or church world, or they come from a business background. You are no different. You want a healthy church culture. I don’t know any ministry leaders who say, “Yeah, I’m fine with an unhealthy culture…
People want community. Look no further than the host of social networks we hear about seemingly on a daily basis and you’ll see that people want to be with other people. People are searching for community and what it brings in to their life. The truth is, it’s a godly thing to want community. God…
God’s love is extravagant. He pursues those who are lost. He welcomes those who return to him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares deeply for His sheep. And when someone encounters that truth, their lives may change forever. This is why we’re excited about our sermon series, The Pursuit: God’s Steadfast Love. Using Jesus’s parables of…
On any given week of the year, thousands of people will be making the walk from their car to the entrance of a church for the very first time. For some, it will be the first time they’ve ever set foot in a church, and for others, it will be their first time trying out…
Leadership blogger and author, Brian Dodd, has partnered with Ministry Pass to provide a fantastic resource for pastors. His book, Timeless has been turned into a powerful sermon series on leadership. I got to sit down with him and talk about his heart for pastors, his book, his partnership with Ministry Pass, and why all pastors…
Over the years I have worked in a small church, a medium church, and now at a 1,500 person multi-site. As I struggled at times trying to get the thing to grow, my list of needs was long. Usually, my needs were coming from my own guessing and at times from well-intentioned people around me….
