Kickoff
For sports fans, the beginning and ending of the various sports’ schedules marks the seasons as much as any calendar. In my world, it will still be baseball season until early November, but for many, football now takes centerstage from a sports perspective. As we look towards the new season, it is wise to plan (Pr. 6:6-11). But remember to trust the God of the universe to make firm the ground beneath your feet (Ps. 37:23)!
When Design Lost its Soul
Look around today. Buildings rise like sterile glass monoliths, stripped of character. Cars glide by like indistinguishable pods, designed less to inspire and more to conform. What was once a craft infused with artistry has, in many ways, given way to a sterile minimalism. This isn’t the natural evolution of design, it’s the intentional subtraction of beauty. And in removing these flourishes, we’ve also chipped away at the joy of living among things that inspire.
Military Parade in Beijing
This week, pray that world leaders would abandon a course of gathering authority unto themselves and instead embrace a humility that seeks broad counsel.
In a similar way, let’s you and I commit to carefully considering the trusted counsel of godly friends as we endeavor to follow Jesus through life’s tricky decisions.
Dare to Be Stupid
Every person has moments of stupidity. Poor choices are made. How you respond in the midst of the poor decisions, bad communication, and mistakes will tell you whether you are learning or closed minded. No one has to stay stupid. Growth and maturity are possible. Make the choice to be better.
The Crazy Out There
You need a plan for fixing your eyes on Jesus rather than the crazy out there. This is not a call to ignorance, as Jesus himself rebuked the religious leaders for failing to discern the signs of their day. But the crazy out there is not the object of your affection or attention. The object of your affection and attention must be Jesus, the lover of your soul.
The Hidden Cost of Inactivity: Why Waiting Too Long to Decide Is Still a Decision
Most church leaders don’t set out to avoid decisions. In fact, we’re making them all the time — about staff, budgets, calendars, volunteers, and ministries. But there’s a particular kind of indecision that quietly drains the health and momentum of a church: the failure to act when the moment is ripe.
Warring Lions
There are two lions, and each is powerful. But the through line of this epic storyline is two-fold: 1) The first lion is of no consequence in the presence of the second triumphant Lion, and 2) The second Lion lives in you!
It is no wonder Proverbs 28:1 calls the righteous, “bold as a lion!” You, as one of the righteous, should be bold as a lion even as you are pursued by a dangerous enemy, and the reason for your boldness is because the Lion of Judah walks with you!
Spend Your Time Where It Multiplies: Leading with Intentional Investment
Time is one of your most limited resources as a church leader — and one of the easiest to spend poorly. Not because you don’t care, but because you do. When we talk about stewardship in the church, we usually mean money. But your time may be the most valuable thing you steward. How you spend it signals what you value. Who you spend it with signals what you prioritize.
Part IV: Steward Yourself — The Leader’s Most Overlooked Responsibility
Your church can’t run on an empty tank — and neither can you. Healthy leadership flows from a healthy leader. If you burn out physically, emotionally, or spiritually, it will ripple through your team and congregation. So there is one more stewardship investment we can’t afford to overlook — and it’s the one leaders tend to neglect most: Steward Yourself.
Shooting Sprees
Let’s together make a daily decision to be agents of love and healing in our world.
Walking with Rabbi Jesus
It is perhaps a great tragedy to read the Scriptures without acknowledging or having a basic understanding of the Jewish culture in which Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again. Take time to learn what the world surrounding Jesus was like and what these statements would mean to the people. It will deepen your time and enrich your life.
Part III: Steward the Systems — How Structure Protects the Mission
Vision gives direction. People carry the vision forward. But without healthy systems in place, even the clearest vision and most committed people will eventually slow down, stall out, or burn out. That’s why the third stewardship investment is Steward the Systems.
Not Unanimous
More economic winds. You almost certainly have no control over what the Fed decides to do about interest rates. You do, however, have a great deal of responsibility to wisely steward the resources entrusted to you.
Starving Hostages
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues to wage, outcry over the ensuing humanitarian collateral damage is growing.
Part II: Steward the People — Why the Right Relationships Deserve Your Best Time
Vision alone won’t move the mission forward. Vision needs carriers — people who believe it, own it, and run with it. That brings us to the second stewardship investment: Steward the People.
Jobs Lost
It is a very stressful thing to lose a job. It is a stressful thing to live in fear of losing your job and your means for provision. But, as a Jesus follower, you are reminded that God cares for the “birds of the air,” but deems you “much more valuable than they” (Matt 6:26). You are invited to give Him your anxiety and to trust Him to provide (1 Pet. 5:7).
The Four Stewardship Investments Every Church Leader Must Make
Stewardship isn’t just about finances. It’s about your vision, your people, your systems, and even your own health. Neglect any one of them, and the cost will eventually show up in your church’s momentum, unity, and mission.
Let’s start with the first investment: Steward the Vision.
Can Church Sanctuary Status Shield Illegal Immigrants from Arrest?
Any encounter with ICE within the context of immigration and border enforcement exposes churches and, more particularly, church personnel to the risk that they will be charged with a crime if they continue to provide sanctuary to illegal aliens, particularly aliens who ICE seeks. For churches that intend to continue such a policy, the Trump Administration’s decision to rescind the Biden Administration's rules raises a flood of questions that place such behavior in harm’s way.
Trade Deals
The economic winds will at times blow in your favor, and in others they will be a stiff headwind. But if your hope is in the eternal, you can chart a steady course in all conditions!
Fixing the Issue of Church Political Speech
For decades, there has been a fierce debate about the constitutionality and general legality of the Johnson Amendment. This little-known amendment has been used to restrict the First Amendment rights of churches and faith-based organizations for more than 60 years. But the mission of the church demands that it be encouraged to speak truthfully to America’s postmodern generation. How should the church respond?