Because of my current sermon series on manhood, I have been reading numerous articles and books on the topic of men’s ministry. Here are some random thoughts I am trying to process.

“Men follow men, and not programs.” – Don Wilson

“Women want a relationship, men want adventure.” – Don Wilson

“My second biggest takeaway for men: Don’t watch pornography.” – Anne Kennedy

“The old advice to men who feel neglected and are dissatisfied is ‘Man Up’… and that is not helpful. We need to show men how to man up.” – Roger Olson

“I would tell men in a membership class: If you join the Church, you will be betrayed. And your betrayer will be a fellow Church member… most will be small, but after each, you will be tempted to quit … remember almost everyone in the Bible was betrayed.” – David Murrow

“As I surveyed the lineage of Godly men, I honestly wondered how many saints of old would feel discomfort with the feminization, not only of our society but also in some of our Churches.
Would we emasculate men of old? Would we chide Abraham for wandering, Jacob for wrestling, Joshua for fighting, Elijah for mocking, Noah for madness, Job for arrogance, David for incivility, Nehemiah for violence, Nathan for high-handedness, John the Baptist for name calling, Paul for divisiveness, and the Son of God for brandishing a whip and a turning over tables at the temple?
Have we chosen the conveniences of niceness over the discomforts of godliness? I fear someday lying comfortably beneath the inscription, ‘Here lies a father, husband, churchgoer – just a really nice guy.’
‘Nice’ says nothing of spine, of edge, of valor, and thus, it can say little of righteousness or purpose. Nice requires no courage, no conviction, and no willingness to make enemies with the wicked. Jesus warns against palatability: Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26)” – Greg Morse

When you attended worship yesterday, what did you think you would encounter?

Did you think it would be boring, outdated, and irrelevant?

Did you expect people to be mean, distant, and judgmental?

Did you expect the songs and sermons to be a blessing to your life?

Did you look forward to seeing people and sharing your life with them?

Here is what I know about people. What you discovered during your time of worship at Church was precisely what you expected you would find.

Things are rarely different than our expectations because we find exactly what we are looking for.

Twelve men go in to explore the Promised Land on behalf of Israel. They were given a specific set of questions to answer and then report back to Moses. They travel in and gather information, but when they return, they do not just report the facts; they provide their interpretation of the situation.

Ten of them say that the people are big and strong and the Israelites will look like bugs in their eyes. They will be seen as tiny intrusions that need to be squished.

Only two men believe that God can handle the armies and give them the land. One is named Joshua, and the other is Caleb. Joshua will lead the people after Moses, and we know a great deal about his life. Caleb, we know much less, but an essential description of him emerges as the story unfolds. “Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it” (Numbers 14:24). He is described as a man who followed God “wholeheartedly.” He is also described in this manner in Numbers 32:11 and 12, Deuteronomy 1:16, and Joshua 14:14.

One characteristic of a believer that God desires is that they follow him “wholeheartedly.” That means they have a complete and total commitment to him.

The opposite is a divided heart. Psalm 86 has a title over it that says, “A Prayer of David.” In this prayer, he asks God to change his heart. “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)

Behind these passages is a single idea: We are to give ourselves entirely to the Lord and his will. One goal of a believer is to spend their life removing the distractions that keep them from total devotion to God. Instead of being pulled in multiple directions, every day is given to a singular task: living a life that is pleasing to God.

“Lord, help me to have an undivided heart so that I might follow you wholeheartedly.”

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.