Blog Articles and Resources for Pastors and Church Leaders
Blog Articles and Resources for Pastors and Church Leaders
Should I Necessarily draw Out a Divine Message at All from an Opportunity?
When Saul entered into the cave where David was hiding with his men (see 1 Samuel 24:1–22 ), his men interpreted the event as a divine opportunity for revenge. In fact, they referenced a prophetic word virtually claiming that God was saying to kill...
Reclaiming Irresistible Faith: Andy Stanley Invites You to Embrace the “New” that Jesus Introduced
Once upon a time, members of a Jewish cult called The Way, against all odds, captured the attention and, ultimately, the dedication of the pagan world, both inside and outside the Roman Empire. So perhaps we need to hit pause on much of what we’re...
9 ways to make Alpha (really) fun
Looking for ideas on how to make your Alpha as fun as possible? We’ve got you covered. Here are nine top tips from Dave Larlee in Texas that will keep your guests engaged, entertained and coming back for more. From his experience at All Saints...
Lead Like A Shepherd: The Secret to Leading Well
What makes leading like a shepherd so important? Why do you consider it the secret to leading well? One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years is that a leader’s ethos and attitude toward the flock he or she leads is ultimately a...
The One-Degree Rule: A Simple Plan for Raising Your Church or Ministry Evangelistic Temperature
Every follower of Jesus has an outreach temperature, whether it’s hot, cold, or somewhere in the middle. This temperature impacts the way we live and interact with those who are far from God. It is our responsibility to increase this temperature so...
A Simple, Dramatic Difference between Bible Times and Today
Most people in the biblical world had never read the Bible. This might seem like a shocking statement. It’s one of the more dramatic examples of how our lives as Christians are quite unlike the lives of biblical people. But once you give the...
8 Simple Techniques for Making Your Evangelism Stand Out
In today’s culture of spin, Christians have an opportunity to look radically different from most by refusing to spin as they seek to lead others to the gospel. It is certainly true that as apologists we seek to convince others, and there is a place...
Good News about Bible Study: Faithfulness Isn’t a Checklist
Two of the hardest things about serious Bible study are getting started and then sustaining the effort. While a word like “sustaining” naturally speaks of regularity and continuity, I’m not talking about treating Bible study like your morning...
How Can Christians Reach Muslims? 2 Insights from Nabeel Qureshi
There is a simple reason I never listened to street preachers : they didn’t seem to care about me. It wasn’t that they were annoying. I found their passion admirable, and I appreciated people who stood up for what they believed. Rather, it was that...
Cripple Your Small Group’s Effectiveness in 12 Easy Steps
There is an antidote to lone wolf, silo-type living, and it is “conference.” Conference, author Joanne J. Jung shows us, is a practice of focused, spiritual conversations that promote ongoing transformation. You will find out how churches can use...
A Biblical Framework for Women in Church Leadership Roles
Regardless of what your opinion may be about women filling positions of leadership in the church, Jesus spoke of several women who played important roles in spreading the gospel message. The following article is an excerpt from the new book Now...
What evidence do we have for God's existence?
One might ask, if what we believe about God determines our ultimate destiny, shouldn’t the evidence be more obvious and available? If knowing God is so important, why does he remain so hidden? Space doesn’t permit us to explore all the answers to...
3 Common Misconceptions About the book of Esther - Interview with Mike Cosper
What do you think we get wrong about the book of Esther? For most of my life, I heard two themes around the book of Esther that I now believe to be totally off-base. The first is that Esther is a story about a virtuous Jewish girl who won the heart...
2 Remarkable Actions of Jesus & Why They Matter
Jesus’ preaching about the kingdom, and his reputation as a miracle worker, raise the critical question of how he understood his identity and mission. While our limited sources do not allow us to build a psychological profile of Jesus, the implicit...
Emotionally Healthy Church - My Four Conversions
As we progress in the Christian life, we find that it is a never-ending process. We go back, breaking some destructive power of the past. Then later, on a deeper level, God has us return to the same issue on a more profound level. I have...
Stuck? 3 Productivity Traps & How To Escape Them
Many of us feel like we are not getting done what really matters to us and what we are truly capable of doing. And even when we are accomplishing things, doing so is a battle that surely must be harder than it really has to be. The goal of my book...
Free Resources
Using How (not) to Save the World with your church or small group?
Here are some tools to help:
The Small Group Tool Kit includes two mobile-friendly invitation cards, reflection cards to enhance your small group experience, and a worship song playlist curated by Hosanna Wong that can beplayed during small group meetings or personal Bible study time.
The Church Tool Kit includes a downloadable poster, bulletininsert, invitation card, and Power Point slide.
Is your church talking about anxiety, depression and mental health issues? You should be.
Shawn Johnson, lead pastor of Red Rocks Church, gives a
searingly honest portrait of anxiety and depression and shows readers how to fight back and live free. He also has put together three free tools pastors can use to help their congregation have a productive conversation around mental health, including a discussion guide, sermon notes and key Scripture verses.