Passive aggression. It’s the plague of relationships. And you can find it in all its glory on social media. I loathe passive-aggression. I’m careful not to do it. When aimed toward me (we all know when it’s meant for us), I refuse to give it any mental or emotional calories. Another post on how to…
“People never stop writing books. Too much studying will wear out your body“, declares the wisdom writer, Solomon. Apply that loosely to technology and social media and we’re on to something. Every other day I check about four media outlets to read up on personal growth, healthy habits, time-management, and productivity. I receive daily emails…
Sons want to capture their dad’s awe. Daughters want to capture their dad’s attention. John Elderidge, in his little booklet, You Have What It Takes: What Every Father Needs To Know, states it this way: “Little boys look to their dads to answer the question: ‘Do I have what it takes? Am I a man?’ Little…
Your buttons got pushed. Or punched. You’re offended, and hurt. You’re irked at best, reeling at worst. Because it’s personal. But think about it: To take things personally is to make yourself a victim. It places you under someone’s control. And then bitterness takes root and poisons your peace and joy. You have to rise…
Disappointing people is part of the deal in life. We can disappoint others by poor attitudes, bad decisions, and ill behaviors. But I’m not talking about that kind of disappointment. I’m talking of disappointing people because… …you didn’t live up to their expectations. …you didn’t give them what they wanted. …you said no. …you went…
I look to hire people not with just a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but a “suffering degree.” In interviews, I ask candidates to share where they’ve suffered, how they navigated it, and who they are now as a result. I care more about the suffering degree than the others. Having all the degrees is a…
Beware. Beware of imagining yourself at the center of drama. Beware of emotions getting the best of you. Beware of grudges. Beware of taking anything personally. Beware of dwelling upon words and actions of others and arriving at conclusions without evidence for those conclusions. Beware of ingratitude. Beware of not believing the best of others…
The time will come when we must confront someone(s) with truth to protect them from themselves and/or protect others from them. But truth must always involve love. And love must always involve truth. If you have truth but not love, they will hear nothing you say, only the way you say it. If you have…
I think all leaders, especially pastors, live with low-grade guilt. I know I do. I’ve searched in vain for a fellow pastor who has written on this sort of thing. So I figured I’d take a swing at it. I have low-grade guilt because I want to always be there for all people—especially all the…
September 27, 2014 marked my fifth year anniversary as the lead pastor of Grace Community Church! I was reflecting on lessons I have learned over the last five years; I came up with around 27! But in the spirit of the fifth year anniversary, I narrowed them down to five. These are in no special…
Coming off the fourth of July damage, I figured this might be timely. If you were like me, you took in extra, a lot of extra, sugary, fatty, starchy, meaty goodness over the holiday and weekend. Time for a fresh start! If you have not read my About page regarding why fitness is important to me, check…
“Don’t tell your God how big your crisis is, tell your crisis how big your God is.” In Scripture, you will often find the Psalmist going through a crisis of the soul. He cries out, “I will go to the altar of my God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you…O God, my God” (Psalm 43:4). That’s the…
In his book, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, & Fairy Tale, Frederick Bueckner tells the story of a crazy Monk holding a stick in his hand before an eager searcher of Truth and asks “What have I got in my hand”? The Truth-seeker says, “It’s a stick.” The Monk hits the man…
I received this question today through email: “Any advice for a person just starting seminary?” I thought my response might make for a helpful post. I am a graduate of Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY, 2003. I’m not sure how many of you out there are considering seminary but maybe it will be an encouragement to…
Change is part of the deal. You cannot control its timing. Take a deep breath and embrace it. If you do not, you will find yourself questioning God, pouting with God, and working against God. Be more of a rubber band than a rod. A rubber band is flexible. It stretches and adjusts to the…