A sermon series on leadership. Is it possible? Absolutely. Is it necessary? No doubt. Popular blogger, leader, and author, Brian Dodd has a new book out and we’re excited to release a sermon series based on his book, Timeless. Not only do we highly recommend you grab the book for you and your team, but we…
Ministry Pass is excited to announce that we are offering our very first internship role. We are looking to add a passionate and motivated student to our growing team. This summer internship is paid and will provide a fun learning experience in media production and design. Ministry Pass is a media resource tool that serves…
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Jealousy. Envy. We all feel it. We look at people in our field of work, we look at other parents, other athletes and wish we had what they had. We want someone else’s career, their platform, notoriety, success. But do we? Why is that such a big deal? The longer I think about this and…
What is the Christian faith? To answer that question, many pastors and theologians have turned to the book of Romans. In it, Paul lays out our desperate need for restoration, Christ’s sufficiency, and what life following Christ should look like. This is why we’re excited about our new sermon series, Romans: Discovering the Foundation of Our…
I have had the privilege of leading a church of 220-250 partners through two three-year capital campaigns which raised over 1.2 million dollars for the sake of major building renovations and improvements. Privilege… Privilege? Depending on the day, that may or may not be the word I would use to describe this experience. Some days…
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Jesus spoke these words in Mark 1:15 as he was beginning his ministry. Jesus’ arrival was the breaking in of the kingdom of God and as followers of His, we are a part of that kingdom. We…
We’ve all done it. We’ve all spent time on it. We’ve all made the mistake. As a preacher, you spend time in preparation. If you plan ahead, the weeks coming into a message are filled with preparation and reading scripture and commentaries. The week of the message you’re fine-tuning each word and relearning the text….
Our world can sometimes make us think that everything is falling apart. But God’s word gives us hope. It tells us that God is in control, that He does have a plan, and that there is hope in the midst of the difficulties of this world. The book of Ephesians is a powerful letter that Paul wrote…
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There is an explosion happening to how people consume content. Many people’s commutes, exercise sessions, and grass mowing is accompanied by audio in the form of podcasts. As an avid podcast listener and on-and-off-again podcaster, I know the power of podcasting. But what used to be something people were unfamiliar with has now become a thing…
In the beginning, God created. Later, He created man in His own image. He saw that His creation was good. God is an artist, a creator, a painter, a writer, a poet. He creates. And as His creation – in His image – we are creators, too. But does that mean we can enjoy the arts? Does that mean…
Most churches have some kind of First Impressions team. You may not call it first impressions, you may call it guest services or greeting, but most churches have some type of team or process for greeting people when they enter the building on a Sunday morning. I don’t know if I’ve ever come across a…
If you were put on the “hot seat” and your congregation was encouraged to ask you tough questions on tough issues, what do you think they would ask? Here’s the thing: there are a lot of difficult subjects that can often times go unaddressed by the Church. But all that can stop now. Most of…
Ministry is a full plate. And sometimes it can be overwhelming. Counseling session here. Sermon prep there. Develop some leaders here. Board meeting there. Future planning here. Staff coaching there. Volunteer coaching here. The list, as you know, can go on and on. If you feel like you struggle to get the most out of…
What do you think is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in all of Christianity today? In my experience, it has been ecclesiology – the Church. With this misunderstanding, we are missing out on the beauty of the local church. That’s why we’re excited about this new series, We Are the Church. This three-week series has…
This is the second in my short series of articles about leading change in our churches. In my first post, I talked about how brokenness and boldness are always connected. You can be broken without being bold, but you can never be bold without being broken. Boldness without brokenness is arrogance. Arrogance never builds God’s…
Marriage done God’s way is beautiful. It’s not built on romantic love alone, but on a foundation of following God and His will. Marriage requires work. But when both husband and wife work together, their marriage will thrive instead of simply survive. This is why we’re excited to bring you a new marriage sermon series…
You know the drill. You set a goal. A really big one. One that will stretch you, challenge you. It’s hard. Really hard. When we stretch ourselves, often we believe that we will succeed. We see a goal: losing weight, a promotion, saving money, starting a business or a church, and we think, “I can…
Awe and wonder. When was the last time you experienced them? What do you think would be the answer for your congregants? It’s easy for everyday life to snuff out opportunities for awe and moments of wonder. But we worship the all-involved God who is at work in the world. God’s world is a world…
Evernote is a go-to tool for a lot of preachers. While it isn’t without fault, the app is a great way to capture bits of information and store them until we need them. On top of that, it’s a great place to write, brainstorm, and even preach directly from. Different preachers use Evernote differently. From…
In many circles, the book of Revelation is one of the most ignored books of the Bible. And yet, it could be one of the most relevant to our day and time. Cultural Christianity is becoming less and less common, but along with that has come the rise of “the nones” and some who are…
If you’re anything like me, you need to focus. There are times when you need to hunker down and get things done. Yet, your mind wanders. You daydream or think about what will happen later today or tomorrow. It could be a conversation, a meeting or a vacation you can’t wait to start. Your lack…
Sometimes the most surprising of stories and circumstances can teach us the most about life following God. Scripture is packed full of small and unknown stories that pack a big punch. This is why we’re excited about this new series, Stories They Don’t Tell You in Sunday School. This four-week series looks at little known or…
Leadership is difficult. Leadership isn’t for the faint of heart or the person who wants to have everyone like them all of the time. It requires a solid backbone and a solid sense of security and confidence. Leading in a church may be the most difficult. Depending on church structure, leading at a church could…
The last thing that tends to be sanctified is a person’s bank account. You’ve heard the various versions of that statement. But from experience, we can see that to be true. Stewardship and generosity are difficult things for people to wrap their minds around, especially when they are neck-deep in debt and are already living…
Target left bunch, Philly special. That’s the name of the play that the Philadelphia Eagles ran near the end of the first half in Super Bowl LII. It’s the play that shocked the New England Patriots, not to mention the rest of the world. It was fourth down. Eagles coach, Doug Pederson, decided to go…
One of the biggest difficulties in genuinely following Jesus is reaching reconciliation with others. As pastors and church leaders, we know that helping our people do this is something we must do. But what happens when two people call your church home and they work together? What happens when one is the boss and the other the…
How do you know if you are preaching effectively? We need a little more than the pleasantries of worshippers as they shake hands with us after worship. Anyone can say, “Nice sermon.” Here are 8 signs your sermons are making an impact. Your listeners remember the message One way to know if your sermons are…
Before any major event, we prepare ourselves in anticipation. We get our minds, our hearts, and our bodies ready for whatever lies ahead. The season of Lent is a lot like that. As pastors and church leaders, we have the opportunity to prepare our people for Easter and that’s why we love this new series, Empty…
What is leadership? We all have a word image that pops into our minds when we hear that word. Maybe it’s someone you’ve admired from a distance that, when you think of a leader, you think of them. Maybe that someone who comes to your mind is a mentor you had in the ministry. Someone…
I have the privilege of preaching nearly every Sunday, and I have also had the privilege of being in the room when all four of my children were born. Stick with me … because there is a correlation. My wife was amazing (or crazy!) and chose “Natural Childbirth.” Four kids. Only four Advils. While each…
You want to reach the unchurched. At least I hope you do. Isn’t that why we got into this ministry gig in the first place? To love and reach people with the gospel? If that’s not what it’s about, then let’s just get out now. There have to be easier ways to make a living,…
Jesus talked about it. He talked about it a lot. In fact, he talked about it more than he talked about heaven and hell combined. What is the “it” that Jesus always seemed to be talking about? Money. A lot of preachers want to take the exact opposite approach, though. While Jesus talked about money…
As pastors and communicators, we’ve all heard the “Good job” and the “I needed that,” after a message. In fact, when we don’t hear it, it kind of makes us wonder if we just got on the stage and repeated the words, “Blah, blah, blah” over and over again. We’ve all received those rather generic…
Every preacher should always be growing, learning, and working on their craft. That’s the conviction I operate from. It’s why I’m always reading a book on preaching. It’s why I’m always deconstructing my own processes, methods, and routines. It’s why I listen to great communicators proclaim the good news of Jesus. But beyond the typical…
At some point, we are tempted to quit something. It might be a job, a church plant, a team, a diet or workout plan, a book, a degree program or even a difficult marriage. Why? Because we’re human, and when things get difficult, many of us want to pack up and go home. When You’re…
Leadership isn’t only about reacting to what happens, but it’s, more importantly, about anticipating what will likely happen. But how do we do that? Even more, how do we as church leaders avoid the allure of the pendulum swing when it comes to ministry strategy? How do we navigate a rapidly changing world that will…
Fresh Ideas to Connect Christmas with Life
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Powerful and Relevant Illustrations Connect Christmas with Life
Inspiration to Breathe New Life to the Traditions of Christmas
