I recently read an interview with a popular Christian musician. In it, he said some things that sent commentators into a frenzy. It was nothing overly provocative, as he stated that he was writing songs with less Bible and more modern language to reach non-Christians with the message of Jesus. The primary concern was that some of his music is being used as worship music in certain Church settings. The people of God need more Bible and not less.

As I read the article, I couldn’t help but think, ‘This guy is barely thirty years old.’ He is a songwriter whose music has become popular, but he claims no formal theological training. He is learning and growing (as best I can tell), while trying to produce songs that people like. He is young and inexperienced in life, faith, and the Church.

Why do I make this excuse for him? Because I was once a preacher in my early thirties. And when I revisit my old sermons, writings, and lesson materials, I am embarrassed.

In the years between then and now, I have probably read more than 250 books, spoken to hundreds of Christians, attended classes with professors, listened to podcasts and videos from some of the world’s most excellent teachers, and, most importantly, read the Bible more than 20 times. I believe I have grown significantly as a Christian and leader since those days.

One piece of wisdom I have learned over the years is to show an enormous amount of grace to those who are younger than me and to respect those who are older than me. Sometimes, people’s greatest error is that they are young and naïve, but I know that with perseverance, wisdom will come with age.   

I have been preaching for over 32 years and writing for about 20 years.

Listening to old sermons and reading old posts can be a painful experience.

Every year, I learn new things about my craft, myself, Jesus, and others. These lessons, no matter how small, make an impact on the things I communicate.

For example, over the past year, I have kept reminding myself to ensure that every sermon is not only informative but also helpful to the people who listen. I also keep telling myself to be more positive in what I say. In old sermons, I feel like I’m telling people about God without telling them how to know Him. I think I often sound angry and impersonal in what I preach. So, I am adjusting to improve my content and delivery.

One truth that all Christians must embrace is the call to continue learning, growing, and changing in the way we do ministry, especially in the way we do ministry. If you have been teaching children for years, there are still things to learn to improve your teaching. If you lead small groups, there are ways to improve that will lead to greater connection. If you are a greeter, there are ways you can be more personable and welcoming. Whatever ministry you do, there are steps you can take to improve and have more significant results for the kingdom of God.

Apathy and acceptance are the keys to mediocre ministry. Perhaps it is time to relight the fire in your soul so that other souls may know Jesus.

They were angry and mean to me. I could not recall anything I had specifically done to generate this attitude toward me. In fact, if you asked them on Sunday morning, “How are you today?” I am sure they would have responded with, “I’m fine.”

They were clearly not fine.

Was it because of me, or was I merely the recipient because of my proximity?

What happens when the hurt we’ve buried deep starts to seep out into our actions, our attitudes, and our relationships?

Internal wounds, whether they come from betrayal, disappointment, grief, or shame, don’t stay hidden forever. Left unaddressed, they begin to manifest in subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) ways: a short temper, isolating ourselves, cynicism, or even physical symptoms. One wise Christian told me, “We often externally manifest our internal hurts.”

As followers of Jesus, we must address the pains we feel deep inside if we wish to have genuine relationships and authentic community. Instead of ignoring our pain, we can bring it into the light. Talk to God honestly. Invite wise, godly friends or a counselor into the process. As we allow God to heal what’s going on inside, we’ll begin to see new life bear fruit on the outside.

Letting your hurt be visible isn’t a sign of weakness; it can be the beginning of healing, transformation, and a testimony of God’s grace at work.

It might surprise you, but I do not make a dime off this blog. In fact, it cost me about $100 to have it. Domain names, WordPress accounts, and all digital things have a price tag. 

I want you to know this because we live in a world where many people are earning money from their online work. Videos, Reels, and YouTube can generate income for content creators. For some writers, payment for magazine articles and book deals come with their articles. Also, podcasters can attract sponsors and generate revenue by promoting specific products or services.

On the other hand, I get nothing out of this except for the joy I receive from writing. I also hope that someone, somewhere, will grow as a follower of Jesus because of something that I wrote.

Every year, approximately 10,000 people visit my blog, and today, you are one of them. I hope you are blessed by something on my site because all this is my gift to the world in the name of Jesus.   

If you scroll through social media for very long, you will notice something curious. While there are thousands of pictures of kids and hundreds of pictures of mom, and many including her friends, there is often a shortage of photos of dad.

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day, and if I had one piece of advice to give all dads, it would simply be, “Get in the pictures.”

My encouragement is for fathers to be fully present in their wives’ and kids’ and families’ lives. Connect with those in your life who love you and need your presence. Let them spend time with you and take pictures of you without limitation.

One day, your children will not care about the fish you caught, the animals you hunted, the items you owned, the sites you visited, or the cool things you collected. They care about you. And one day, you will be gone. Make sure they have memories of you, along with hundreds of little digital reminders of the time you spent together.

As Christian leaders, it’s tempting to wear a mask of strength at all times. I need to possess all answers, unshakable faith, and unwavering resolve.

At its heart, vulnerability is honesty. It’s the courage to say, “I don’t have it all figured out,” and the faith to trust God with our imperfections. When leaders admit their struggles, doubts, and past or present failures, it doesn’t diminish their influence; it deepens it. It builds trust, fosters authenticity, and creates space for others to be real about their own journeys.

Being vulnerable as a leader won’t make everyone comfortable, but it will make you relatable, and more importantly, it will make you real. And in a world of filtered lives and curated personas, that kind of leadership speaks volumes.

I know that title might have caused some of you to quit reading already. However, I NEED to write this so that everyone thinks clearly about it.

Your favorite nonprofit organization is feeling the impact of the changing economy just like you are personally. Inflation affects everyone and everything. This might be your favorite charity, ministry, mission, or Church community.

Let me give you one example. Insurance costs might just be the thing that kills the group you love the most. In the Church I lead, costs for insurance have tripled in the last five years, and we had to search to ensure we were getting the best deal. We recognize that there is a high likelihood that costs will increase significantly again next year and potentially every year into the foreseeable future. The rising costs of materials and labor, along with the hurricanes, floods, and fires, are driving prices through the roof. On one of my online minister’s groups, almost weekly, someone asks about insurance because it is killing their Church.

The same applies to utility costs, supply costs, repairs, staff, and other expenses. The rise in living costs also affects the price of ministry. That means the $50 you gave each month in 2020 has about half the impact it did.

For the Church I lead, we are trying to adjust our spending, but we can’t keep up with the rising costs despite having some generous givers. I am aware that other groups and organizations are struggling, and the future appears bleak. As the average Christian, you need to be mindful that this is going on behind the scenes with every Christian group you know.

I was flipping through an old notebook for blog ideas. In one of my notes, I described an automobile accident that left one person dead. The reason I put that little comment in my book was because I knew the family.

Now that several years have passed, I can see things with greater clarity. There was a wife left behind who completely changed her appearance, as well as her friends and overall lifestyle (and I am not sure if it was for the better). There were two kids left behind as well. The girl grew up without a father, and as a result, she was left searching for male attention. The boy was missing the role model he desperately needed, which led to numerous poor decisions. His mom and dad were never the same; bitter and hurting are the appropriate words. His friends and community felt a hole in their lives from all that they had lost.

In total, I would guess that the loss of this one life resulted in a complete redirection of five lives, along with having a long-term impact on another ten.

Why do I tell you this story? Because there will be days in your life where you feel like you are not significant. You may think you are not making a difference to anyone. You might feel like you are less than important, and no one would care if you were absent from their lives.

I want you to know it is simply not true.

There is a group of people close to you whose lives would be completely changed for the worse if you were not a part of it. They would be different people without you. Your life matters. Sure, it might only be to a handful of people, but to those who care about you, you are irreplaceable.

Two small gardens sit behind our house, tucked into the corners of our patio design. For years, my wife and I filled them with practical things like radishes, onions, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes. This year, we decided to try something different. Instead of vegetables, we scattered four little bags of wildflower seeds across the soil.

My wife planted them when it first got warm about two months, or eight weeks, or 56 days ago. Last night, I looked out, and both gardens were filled with plants, but not a single flower. A few buds are starting to form, hinting at what’s coming, but we’re still at least two weeks away from our first blooms.

Working for God feels a lot like gardening. We prepare the ground, plant seeds, pull weeds, and water when needed. And then we wait. We can’t force anyone to follow Jesus or rush someone into spiritual maturity. All we can do is plant seeds of faith, tend them carefully, and create the best possible environment for growth.

I know those flowers will bloom eventually. Our back porch will become the beautiful space we envisioned. I can’t tell you exactly when, but I live with the confidence that it will happen.

I also know that some of the people our church is walking alongside will one day choose to follow Jesus and become everything God created them to be. And I sure hope I get to see it when they do. I know it will be a thing of beauty to behold.

To inspire people to act in accordance with God’s word?

That is a legitimate question that plagues me every week.

The story is set in the Old West. A new preacher went to a town renowned for its logging industry. As he walked around town, he saw something troubling. Logs were coming down the river headed to the mill with the stamp on the end of who should get the money. The locals would grab the logs out of the river, cut the existing brand off the end, and then rebrand them again so that they would get credit.

The preacher wrote and delivered a sermon that week on “Loving your neighbor as yourself.” His congregation told him, “Nice sermon,” but that week, they continued in their dishonest practice. The following week, he was bolder and preached, “Thou shalt not steal.” Again, the response was positive, but no one stopped their practice of taking logs. In the third week, he delivered a sermon entitled, “Don’t cut the end off logs that don’t belong to you.”

I get his frustration. Last week, I preached about following God’s will for your life. As I looked around the room, some people need to be baptized, others who need to stop drinking alcohol to excess, some who need to serve, and still others who need to get married and stop cohabitating. While people told me they enjoyed the sermon, no one appears to have taken any action as a result.

I am glad you enjoyed listening to the sermon, but the actual test of my work is not your approval but rather your transformation into Christlikeness.