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…
“Consumerism and the Church: Reclaiming the Gospel From Our Most Powerful Religion” is written by Joe Terrell, content manager at CareyNieuwhof.com. Joe’s writings for Medium, Relevant, Carey Nieuwhof, and his personal…
BEGINNER’S GUIDE: SHARING YOUR FAITH IN JESUS Christianity is known as a missionary religion. This means that a fundamental part of our faith in Christ is to tell others about…
Dear Roger, I am 62 years old and facing retirement. I’ve tried to carefully manage my funds with Social Security, IRAs, mutual funds, savings, and some investments in the stock…
Dear Roger, I have often wondered what you believe about the Bible and how it influenced your life and ministry. Could you give me a short summary of just a…
Carey Nieuwhof interviews Dave Adamson, who led social and online ministry for several megachurches including North Point. Dave talks about why some churches should stop live streaming their services, the…
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…
When I say the word “church” what do you think of? Most Americans probably think of a single building that they might attend or drive by on the way to…
“And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negev…
“After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, ‘Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?’ The Lord said,…
It’s that time of year, when transitions happen: seasons close and new seasons begin. Maybe you’re a student who just headed off to college. Maybe you got a new job.…
Paul’s divinely empowered role in the administration of God’s plan forms a paradigm for the ministry of all believers, as God is made known to the cosmos through the church.…
The anointing of the Holy Spirit enables the believer to minister with God’s power. It allows us to discern truth from error. www.ocbf.org
Dear Roger, I’m a new Christian, and I got invited to a Bible study. Everyone in the circle prayed a nice prayer, but when it came to my…
From the time I was 21, I felt desperate to serve God. I remember praying fervently for him to use me: Here I am Lord, send me, and then I left the…
My youth group was great, but I had never seen a youth event like this. Teens spilled out from the Youth Center into the lawn. Big-eyed, I wormed my way…
I want to talk today about you. There are a lot of questions about what kind of unique witness should the church have at a time like this—how do you…
There are three test areas to evaluate if we’re personally doing church right – are we growing in knowledge, love, and service? How do the following verses reinforce the importance…
“Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” Proverbs 18:24. MSG I hired Gary Shrader over the telephone. I was 26. Gary was 24, green and…
A Unique Take on the Good Samaritan. Excellent illustrations!
By now you’ve realized that the Coronavirus pandemic is not an interruption nearly as much as it’s a disruption. And as you move more deeply through this crisis, the question…
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…
Countless American families hastily evacuated their homes due to fires, floods or hurricanes. The stories of their frantic retreats are remarkably similar. They rescue two things as they rush out…
Do you ever get that sinking feeling of not quite measuring up at the mention of the Proverbs 31 woman? Me too. I remember when I first read this chapter…
Dear Roger, For several reasons I’m looking for a new church home. I’m looking for guidelines to help me in my search. If I were to ask you, “What…
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…
Any church leader who’s been in ministry for more than a few months has heard different variations of it: “I’m looking for a church that meets my needs.” “What are…
“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…
Binding Satan Without A Rope Have you ever heard someone pray, “Satan, I bind you?” Or perhaps you may have uttered such a thing yourself? I’ve heard many people use…
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…
“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…
God has great plans to refocus and renew your ministry in retirement years.
Hi, Roger, Recently two of my young friends have raised questions about the creation story. One, a young lady, had been deeply hurt when another gal at a Casas evening…
The Brazilians taught me the beauty of a blessing. Here is a scene repeated in Brazil thousands of times daily. It’s early morning. Time for young Marcos to leave for…
Andrea and I grew up in homes that had very different views on eating. Andrea’s family had a value of healthy living. My (Doug’s) family came from a carefree and…
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…
As we celebrate Easter, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I want to offer up five significant thoughts about what the resurrection of Jesus Christ provides to us. The resurrection of…
During a home Bible study I attended recently, someone asked the question, “How do I know what God has given me to use for his kingdom?” There were a lot of answers around the…
There’s been much hand-wringing over ISIS’s success in recruiting young men from the West to join their holy war. Contrary to the stereotype of the poor, disadvantaged youth acting out…
Is she a collection of body parts? Is she made of plastic? Or is she a whole person with a soul, full of all the things that make a person…
“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…
In this study of 1 Peter, Peter promises that we have everything we need for life and godliness. God wants to replace ordinary living for an extraordinary adventure with Him.…
For decades Kathy and I have profited immensely from the pastoral wisdom of the converted slave trader John Newton. As an 18th century Anglican minister, Newton was a good preacher,…
Behind the smoke and ash, behind the shattered glass, a groan in Ferguson remains. Whether justice was served or injustice actually occurred, the perception of injustice surfaced a real and present pain. On…
Adam, Esther, David, Solomon and Peter were all summoned by God to do seemingly impossible things. God’s call can be an exciting, life-giving task that fills you with energy and…
Internet Pornography: A Ministry Leader’s Handbook —This free e-book, written by pastors and counselors, helps ministers who struggle with pornography understand the importance of confession and accountability. It addresses why…
Jesus teaches us that we are to serve Him boldly, without reservation. We can learn to take our eyes off of ourselves and our limitations and positively focus on Him.…
One day we will know just how much God has blessed us. God has made us to be His hands and feet-to touch the hurting and feed the poor. We…
Easter is the joyful climax of the liturgical year. You can’t top Jesus jumping out of the grave, stomping Satan’s ugly head and forgiving our filthy sins. The whole Bible…
In many local elementary schools, every few weeks the “Lost and Found” box is emptied out and the contents are scattered down the length of the main hall. Coats, mittens,…
Dear Roger, Recently I was having my morning devotionals when I came across Matthew 6:16-18 and noticed that Jesus twice said to His disciples, “When you fast.” He didn’t say,…
Jesus launched his public ministry in Nazareth, a very small, very poor community. The people who lived in Nazareth knew what need really was.. We are facing life
In my books I offer a lot of advice for attracting men to church. Among these are the obvious “spiritual” suggestions: preach better sermons, do a better job loving people,…
Getting old to the glory of God means resolutely resisting the typical American dream of retirement. It means being so satisfied with all that God promises to be for us…
Hundreds of ministers have admitted that when they get the phone call with the sobbing, furious, or panicked person on the other line, they do not know what to say. …
The value of women is discussed from the scriptural, cultural, historical, traditional and contemporary lenses. Women blessed, encouraged and helped Jesus throughout His ministry. They accompanied Him on His ministry…
Craig Groeschel discusses the schemes of Satan to separate the older and younger generations in Christian ministry. Older generations are encouraged to invest in the younger generation, and fight a…
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…
When Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him there. A leader of the synagogue, named Jairus, came there,…
One of my pastor-mentors said, “When sex is good, it’s great. But when sex in bad, it’s still pretty good!” A good observation, but the Bible has more to say…
Easter Sunday is the pastors’ Superbowl Sunday. Countless kiddies hyped up on Cadbury chocolate marshmallow bunnies and shocking pink peeps are forced to wear itchy petticoats, stiff, squeaky new shoes…
How do you know when it’s time to make a big decision in your life? How do you know when circumstances squeeze you into a corner and force you to…
We serve others well when we have Christ’s heart, when we humble ourselves and become caringly and intimately involved and invested in their lives.
The Christian leader that builds his role on Christ-centered bedrock is blessed with a sound foundation for setting priorities and is more faithfully followed because those he leads know the…
Jesus commends the Ephesian church for its strengths, offers correction for its problems and encourages members to re-kindle their first love, the Lord Jesus. In the struggle to live passionate…
2 Corinthians 1 deals with the defense of the apostle Paul for his blameless conduct and his confidence. God affirms him in his stability, commission, security and guarantee of salvation.
Only by having a proper view of God can we comprehend the reason for suffering. Suffering allows us to comfort others, to learn our own insufficiencies and God’s sufficiency. When…
Session Two describes Jesus’ preparation for ministry during the “silent years,” His early ministry and the Messianic secret. During these years, Christ’s mission and vision is crystallized.
Pastor’s wives are often great givers-serving everyone else-but poor receivers. The key to avoiding burnout in ministry is learning to receive from God and others.
“Authenticity” is a buzzword frequently used by emerging church leaders. However,”being real” as a ministry couple just isn’t that easy. Roger and Julie Barrier discuss the unrealistic expectations that cause…
When Jesus is tempted by Satan, He reveals much of His identity and our position with Him as children of God. We are transformed by His love.