What Makes a Great Leader?
Dear Roger, I was just commissioned as a pastor here in Nigeria. I want to become a better leader for my congregation. What should a church leader be like? Thank…
Dear Roger, I was just commissioned as a pastor here in Nigeria. I want to become a better leader for my congregation. What should a church leader be like? Thank…
The illicit thirst for power, destructive in its ramifications, brings about fitting retribution from God. Of all the narratives in the book of Judges, Yahweh’s presence is felt the least…
Godless leadership leads to godlessness in society that invites the discipline of God. Othniel is the perfect model of a judge; Ehud is deceptive; Barak is fearful; Gideon is skeptical…
The Australian Coat of Arms depicts a very insightful image—and one that I hold dear since I was born and raised in Australia. There are two animals portrayed holding up…
Who is in the driver’s seat? Who is the master of your life? Jesus says you have a driver’s seat. It will shape your decisions and reactions in life. John Ortberg speaks…
In this message, we’re digging into a subject that hits close to home for many people. In fact, it’s one of the biggest reasons people leave the church. We’re talking…
As a leader, you probably think your people are the biggest obstacle to change in your church or organization. Ready for a surprise? Sometimes the biggest obstacle to change is you.…
Message 1: Encountering God’s Person SUGGESTED PASSAGE: EXODUS 3:1-14 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the…
Time is measured in MINUTES, but life is measured in MOMENTS. You don’t FIND TIME, you have to MAKE TIME. How? For starters, curse the barren fig trees. These are…
Although last year didn’t exactly usher in the post-pandemic era, it’s more likely that 2022 will. While no one can say exactly what the future holds, here are 12 trends…
Self-awareness is one of the keys to emotional intelligence. It’s also a key to growth. With that in mind, some recent research by the Barna Group through their Barna Cities initiative shows…
Let me guess. You keep thinking it’s going to get better, only to discover…it hasn’t. As I’ve been catching up personally with leaders over the last while, I sense a…
Paul, the apostle, probably gave us the most pragmatic model for making a successful transition in leadership. He penned thirteen New Testament epistles for the sole purpose of helping the…
The prophet Elisha had some pretty big shoes to fill. Elijah, his “father in the faith,” had called fire down from heaven and single-handedly slaughtered the prophets of Baal. Soon…
Passing the baton is an art. Whether it’s the synchronicity of an Olympic relay team, the power transfer from one regime to the next, or the transition of CEO leadership…
So, you probably want people to like you and your leadership. Who doesn’t? If we’re honest with each other, most of us in leadership prefer to be be liked (rather…
Dr. Thabite Anywabile, author for the Gospel Coalition, wrote twelve practical ways to love those who disagree with us: Options for church unity are wider than we admit. After all,…
You probably already have some regrets. Not only as a leader, but as a husband, dad and friend too. Leadership is so complicated that sometimes it’s hard to know what…
Dear Roger, I served as the treasurer of our church for almost 20 years. Not long ago, some money turned up missing, and I was blamed. The humiliation and…
When leading through uncertainty, you must display your humanity. You have to be vulnerable, transparent, real. The people who are looking to you need to experience your empathy because they…
Covid has been like a mission trip for the analog church. We thought we were going on a short-term trip to a place that felt foreign. We got there, and…
The world needs leaders, especially during times of uncertainty. But not just any leaders. King Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by God in a drastic way, but learned from his suffering to…
Leading Through Rapid, Unexpected Change No surprise here, but you are leading through unprecedented global change. Just stop for a minute. Re-read that first line. Unprecedented global change. If it…
I want to go out on a limb, I want to expose the secret society that has long held sway over churches around the world. I want to talk about…
Who are the most influential leaders in your life? What made them such great leaders? I fear that our cultural understanding of leadership is going further and further astray from…
International church and business consultant Tom Lutz discusses the importance of recognizing your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and allowing them to shape your ministry.
Leadership would be so much easier, the saying goes, if it wasn’t for people. And topping off the list of difficult people to work with or lead is toxic people. The hard…
Are you an effective leader? If not, have you ever wondered why? As a leader, there are things you do every day. Some help—others, not so much. I’ve found that…
You probably have a love/hate relationship with apologies. You appreciate it deeply when others apologize to you. But you find it difficult to apologize to others. And let me guess,…
Proverbs 2:11: “Discretion will watch over you, understanding and discernment will guard you.” Lysa Terkeurst gives ten simple guidelines to help you navigate your decisions wisely: Personal 1.…
Dishonesty begins when you avoid conflict and intimacy. Dishonesty is based on the fear of revealing your weaknesses. Be authentic and give grace. Allow others to extend grace and acceptance…
Dear Roger, I am seeking reassurance that I have not committed the unpardonable sin. I don’t think I really believe that I’ve committed it, but I want to make sure,…
Here’s a challenging question: Why do you want your church to grow? Your motivation for wanting your church to grow is pivotal for a number of significant reasons. First, if you’re…
It’s a challenge you face as a church leader: what do you do with people who only occasionally attend church? Like at Easter or Christmas or special occasions? But infrequent…
Dear Roger, What about reincarnation? Please support with Bible passage. From, James Dear James, Reincarnation is foreign to the Bible. In fact, the Bible teaches just the opposite.…
Joy is triumphant elation in the face of great loss. Joy is not getting what you want, it’s appreciating what you already have. You are God’s workmanship! Preached…
Dear Roger, I’m a new Christian and I’d like to know more about spiritual gifts. Our pastor preached once on spiritual gifts, and then he went on to something else. How…
Social media is changing you and me in more profound ways than any of us imagine. Like a growing number of people, I’m increasingly concerned with how addictive tech has…
No matter how long you’ve been in leadership, it still hurts when people leave your church. It’s somewhat easy to understand people leaving when things are going poorly— when there’s…
The pattern of servant leadership didn’t originate in the New Testament. It was woven into the fabric of creation, all the way back to the original relationship the Lord designed…
You can’t really appreciate the mercy of God if you don’t understand the wrath of God. And if you don’t have a handle on the justice of God, then you…
Most church leaders I know would love to see their church grow. Similarly, most leaders I’ve met want their church to grow for what we might call the ‘right’ reasons:…
Character has always been important, but it seems like it’s never been as important as it is now. There have been far too many stories of church leaders, business leaders,…
I wonder if out of reverence for Jesus being divine, we sometimes dismiss his disciple-making practices and think, Well, that’s because it’s Jesus; he’s God. Of course he’s the best people-developer…
“Sometimes, when I consider what tremendous consequences come from small things, I am tempted to think…there are no small things.” — Barton The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred when it…
So…if you had to describe yourself, would you say you’re an optimist, a pessimist, or as pessimists like to say in social settings to be polite, a realist? For the…
Dear Roger, Our church just went through an awful split. I’ve heard about the ugliness of church fights but I never dreamed I’d actually be in one. Many of what…
On more than one occasion, I’ve sat with people and listened as they described in detail how their lives are falling apart around them. As the tragedies unfold, I start…
How do you recognize a great leader when you see one? Jon Acuff describes his day with Dan Cathy from Chick-Fil-A: “Jon, do you want to camp out in a…
Michael Sherrard shares his powerful insights into worldview, Christians, and politics. Here are his valuable insights: IS JUDGEMENT UPON US? I’ve heard it said that God judges a nation by…
QUESTION: I have been a Christian for over 30 years and I am confused with the teaching about the trinity. Do I have to believe that Jesus is God to…
You’d think that being in church leadership would ensure you’re not tempted to fall into the same temptations as, say, leaders in the marketplace. As nice as that line of…
Why does your pastor need your help? If he were really competent, would he need his church members to do ministry for him or with him? Moses was crushing it.…
Ever feel like your work is never finished? You can’t quite stop working at home. You wake up most mornings feeling like you’re just stepping back onto the treadmill that…
According to American business historian Robert Sobel, the British government created a civil-service job in 1803 which called for a man to stand on the white cliffs of Dover with…
In Barna’s most recent research on The State of Pastors, a comprehensive, whole-life assessment of U.S. pastors, commissioned by Pepperdine University, we examine how many pastors are at risk of burnout, relational…
“Forty-two percent of the women in our church were sexually abused, inappropriately touched, fondled or molested before the age of sixteen!” I couldn’t believe my ears! Steve and I…
Lead pastors spend a lot time in the front row of the church participating in worship services. In fact, if you’re a church leader reading this you know the double…
Recently, I had a phone call with a young leader convinced he was no longer qualified to lead because he’d messed up in a way that pretty much every man…
So many leaders face the conundrum of the chicken and the egg when it comes to church growth. There’s an 85% chance you’re facing it right now because 85% of…
“I don’t know.” Often, when we don’t know something, we make stuff up. When we don’t know the answer to a question, we attempt to answer it anyway. Instead, we…
Who are the key influencers in your life? Feedback is a gift, so I want to hear what people are thinking and feeling about my organization and my leadership. I…
Can a wife be both strong and submissive? A tough question….Here’s my story. I’ll be brutally honest. My Dad wanted a son to take over his business. He had two…
I sat across the room from the couple, trying to slow down my mind and open my heart to the criticism they were leveling at me. They had been offended…
So maybe you wonder why your church isn’t growing, or why it’s not growing faster. You’re not alone. The vast majority of churches are plateaued or declining because they can’t…
So here’s a question that sounds a little far-fetched, but hear me out. It’s really not. Would you: Read your kids bedtime stories most night? Have a regular date night…
“So, what would you tell your 25-year-old self?” I get that question all the time from young leaders. It’s a great question. There are so many things I would do…
We often trade what we’ve decided and what we know is most important for a bowl of stew. What’s true of Esau is true of you. You have no idea…
What do you know about yourself? Well, probably more than anyone, right? And yet every one of us gets surprised when from time to time, our spouse points out…
So you’re a bit of a control freak. And you’re a leader. That’s not surprising. People who like control seem to have a natural ability to get into leadership positions.…
“Small wins have an influence disproportionate to the accomplishments of the victories themselves.” -Charles Duhigg It seems our brains aren’t very good at distinguishing big successes from small successes.…
Time is a precious commodity. If traded on the commodities market, its value would be incalculable. But alas, time cannot be bought or sold. And while the length of our…
Jon Acuff is an insightful author and speaker who gets to the heart of a leadership issue with sharp wit and penetrating insight. Read his words, laugh and learn. (This…
We need balance in our ministries. We need to be focused on our mission while at the same time constantly searching for ways to improve our methods. True Christianity is…
We all have them. Actually, worship wars started with Gregorian chant. Some monks got bent out of shape over the newer, fancier plainchant. Pastor Carey Nieuwhof has some sagely advice…
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” —Dale…
You may be fighting a losing battle. First-time guests to your church make up their minds whether they’re coming back or not in the first ten minutes of their visit. …
How do you keep those first-time visitors coming? Every single Sunday, the goal of our services at North Point is the same: to create an experience so engaging that folks…
When you’re a church leader, you feel a lot of pressure. Almost every leader feels the pressure to do more when the key to effectively accomplishing your mission is often…
Donald Trump is elected President of the United States. So what should evangelical Christians do now? No matter what our differences politically or religiously, surely we can all agree that some citizens…
Church leaders, times are changing, but the real question is how quickly and how deeply? In fact, unless you’re under 25, the world into which you’re born doesn’t really exist…
In 1066, one of history’s most decisive battles was fought. William, Duke of Normandy, dared to invade England. He confidently approached his formidable opponent with his secret weapon, an invention…
How you can pray for deployed military personnel? We hear people say, “Pray for our Troops!” But what do we pray for? What, specifically, are their needs? Here are insights…
Is God calling you to serve Him in ministry? First of all, it’s a big YES. God draws lost people to himself to save them, and his desire is that…
“Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.”-Hermann Hesse Do you ever track conversations? I do. Sometimes I wish I didn’t, because I find…
Church health is the result of balance. Balance occurs when a church has a strategy and a structure to fulfill the five New Testament purposes for the church: worship, evangelism,…
Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity.—Hitchens A woman checked into the hospital to have a tonsillectomy, and the surgical team erroneously removed a portion of her foot. How…
Great teams are led by people confident enough to recruit people better than themselves.—Warren Bennis A favorite toy among Russian children, the matryoshka doll is a series of wooden…
The role of leadership is to leverage the tension to the benefit of the organization. That’s your assignment as a leader. You’ve got to learn through your personality, your position…
Do you know the power of “Same?” Many of us are looking to set new goals, make new changes, and seek new results. However, the key to the changes we…
This year I was exposed to a lot of new ideas, concepts, and principles, primarily from the 52 books I read. Here are five concepts/principles that significantly affected me. 1.…
Children swarm the stage as Francis Chan teaches about the Creator and His creation in a humorous, profound and engaging way. He teaches about the fullness of the God-man residing…
Do you get sucked down the rabbit hole of Twitter? You know what I’m talking about, I’m sure. You mindlessly open the apps, start scrolling and suddenly you look up…
Have you ever known someone who tends to say everything he thinks? There is no filter between thoughts and speech. It is a flawed type of communication that reasons, “If…
Peter teaches that we are a “People Belonging to God.” The Greek word is best translated “possession.” We are God’s treasured possession. If you can view yourself as God’s treasure, you…
There is a species of fish – the Japanese carp, known as the Koi – that will grow in size only in proportion to the size of the body of…
When we ask the question about what draws others to us, we might first want to determine why we’re asking the question. This magnetism is not about popularity, attractiveness or…
Criticism sticks. Compliments slide right off our backs like water off a puffin. (Ducks have had their day.) It’s a sticky substance, like great wads of gum that will bond…
Sometimes, when I consider what tremendous consequences come from small things, I am tempted to think…there are no small things. — Barton The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred when it broke…
“I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Ps. 119:11 Developing an intentionally Biblical world-view requires an intentional study of God’s Word, aimed…
“I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Ps. 119:11 Developing an intentionally Biblical world-view requires an intentional study of God’s Word, aimed…
Jesus was a master at developing leaders. He not only taught the twelve to lead, He taught them how to mentor leaders themselves. For example: James, the teacher; John, the…
How can we create a healthy culture and proper values in our churches? These are notes by Tim Schrader from the Catalyst Leadership Conference: Groeschel teaches: • Every organization has…
The book of Titus was written to a church living in moral and doctrinal confusion. Paul charged Titus to set things in order by teaching sound doctrine and instructing his…
Paul wrote to Titus as a servant of God, appointed by grace, with a clear purpose in mind: to see people come to faith and grow in the faith to…
An elder, according to Paul, should be a man of integrity, loyal to his wife and wise as a father. He should be humble, generous, holy and disciplined. From truthforlife.org.…
Are you at a loss for words when you hear the words, “Pray for me?” Your automatic answer: “Sure.” But what if the request has nothing to do with God’s…
We collected troubled teenage girls like stray puppies. As pastor and wife, we always wanted our home to be a safe haven. After all, we had raised two daughters and…
I am the quintessential questioner. My questioning does not stop at my faith. I’ve lobbed many questions God’s way. I’ve questioned and expressed doubts about my Christian faith, about the…
Where are the men? Why Do Men Hate Going to Church? Why men matter Quick facts Info for Women Info for Pastors Our churches can create a “male-friendly” atmosphere that…
The summer before my eighth-grade year I made friends with a guy named Larry. He was new to town, so I encouraged him to go out for our school football…
We are to be bridge-builders to the world and learn to relate to those over us, next to us, and under us (in our care.) Submit yourselves to one another.…
Nehemiah, the king’s waiter turned national leader, mobilized the Jews and rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem. He was a leader of power, passion, and limitless faith. We can also be…
We totally underestimate the power of Jesus. What often happens when you hear the name “Jesus”? Is He namby-pamby or the God of the Universe? I’m so bugged by the…
My youngest daughter Bronwyn has always pushed the envelope, sticking her hairy toe across any line drawn before her. Bronwyn, or “White Breast” was a Welsh heroine in her father’s…
Eli, Samuel and David were godly men who were terrible fathers. Myths that growing up in a spiritual leader’s home will produce godly offspring include going to church produces spirituality,…
Every father has a soft spot for his daughter. It doesn’t matter if she is three or thirty-three. The Schull girls are especially cherished by their pop. As a Dad…
What are the things that slow you up in life? You know, the gum that sticks to the bottom of your shoe, the spare tire you grew over the holidays…Do…
Dear Roger, What is in a name? Since I married and took on my (then) husband’s name that it really never fit me and that in some way it is…
Christmastime… that peaceful, everybody-gets-along time of year, right? Not necessarily. Harmony in relationships can be challenging year round, but as activities increase with holiday celebrations and we encounter more people,…
Paul teaches us to be as focused as athletes with our eyes on the prize. What is our goal as believers? To greet, extend friendship, serve and share our story…
Malachi warns the levitical priests to repent of their sins and respond to the discipline of God. If not, the judgment of God will rest on Israel’s spiritual leaders.
Nebuchadnezzar demonstrates amazing leadership skills, but loses his kingdom for a time. Eventually, he listens to the wisdom of Daniel and repents. Leadership is a stewardship gift given for a…
Nehemiah learns to lead in the midst of opposition without reacting unwisely or impulsively. He does not allow his enemies to divert his focus from God’s will.
We are often on a spiritual journey before we realize it. Consider Joseph who goes from prisoner to Pharoah’s royal advisor in Egypt. Be quick to give credit to others…
В течении этого интервью, вы услышите свидетельство пастора Арзи о том, как он пришёл к Христу из мусульманской культуры и как он чувствовал призыв Бога к служению. Он расскажет о…
As pastors and leaders, we must know ourselves well, understand our audience (congregation) and determine what success would look like. Pastors can learn much through studying basic business principles of…
Implementing change in your church is an art. An effective communication plan is needed, every level of leadership must take ownership in implementing change, and the effectiveness of change should…
A great leader has a clear vision, an awareness of the needs of the people he leads and a clear communication plan for implementing change. The goal is to bring…
The book of 1 Peter deals with the issue of the discipline of suffering. In chapter five, Peter teaches the importance of good leadership and followship in the church. He…
Nationally-known church and business consultant Tom Lutz discusses the importance of prioritizing relationships, responsibilities and roles. We must allocate our resources wisely and learn to delegate successfully.
Nationally-known business and church consultant Tom Lutz teaches that great leaders innovate, develop, inspire trust, think long-range and make wise choices. Great managers administer, maintain, control resources and develop systems…
Nationally-known church and business consultant discusses the role of a manager: to supervise people and to obtain and allocate resources. The supervising manager knows how to recruit, organize, utilize, develop,…