Pastor Blogs – ChurchLeaders

What Does It Mean That God Is Just To Forgive?

Mike Leake — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 12:01:22 +0000

God is just. God is righteous in forgiving a penitent sinner. It is consistent with His character, and it is the right thing to do. It is also right for God to cleanse the one who asks for cleansing.

10 Things That Happen When a Pastor Commits Adultery

Joe McKeever — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 11:01:00 +0000

A pastor commits adultery and it becomes public knowledge. This becomes a sad, sad day for everyone who knows him.

Developing a Kingdom Mindset

Chuck Warnock — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:01:00 +0000

This brief look at the an encounter between Peter and Jesus might give us some clues about developing a kingdom mindset.

Porn: The Subtle Anesthesia

Ethan Renoe — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 06:01:25 +0000

The Catechism states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, but most of the time, if I’m honest, there has been little to no enjoyment of Him. In fact, in the midst of my porn addiction, there was often no enjoyment of anything at all.

7 Traits of an Insecure Leader

Ron Edmondson — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 21:01:00 +0000

Insecurity can be disguised, but it can't be hidden.

5 Mirages That Will Lead You Straight Into Having an Affair

Mark Atteberry — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:03:00 +0000

Heed these dire warnings before falling off the cliff of a sexual sin.

Election: Calvinism or Arminianism? Or a 3rd Option?

Derwin Gray — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 23:34:00 +0000

How we view God will be the deciding factor in how we view people. The doctrine of election is a secondary issue, but the implications of how we incorporate this doctrine into our lives will be the fuel that launches us on mission with Jesus. In this blog, I will present the classic Calvinist view […]

I Became an iPad Pastor and It’s Been Great (So Far)

Charles Stone — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 07:36:22 +0000

I’m a pastor, and I bought an iPad recently. If you are a pastor, could an iPad help you become more effective? Maybe. Maybe not. Although I’m only a little over a week into owning mine, and it has exceeded all my expectations.

Top Issues Church Planters Face: Insights from Exponential and Ed Stetzer

Ed Stetzer — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:47:00 +0000

Discover the key challenges church planters face, from leadership and financial viability to team building and personal health. Get expert insights and practical advice to help new churches thrive. Read more to learn how to navigate church planting successfully.

No One Has Scored At Least 10/15 In This Tricky Jesus Test

Rochelle Dorsey — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 12:00:23 +0000

100 college students were given this 15-question tricky Jesus test and no one got at least 10/15 correctly. Can you?

15 Good Friday Leadership Lessons

Brian Dodd — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Discussing the implications of Good Friday and the price Jesus paid for our sins is one of those times. However timidly, here are 15 Good Friday leadership lessons.

Sabbath: How to Take a Day Off

Brady Boyd — Sat, 06 Mar 2021 12:50:00 +0000

Brady Boyd: Let’s be honest, most of us do not know how to take a day off without feeling guilty.

Is God Proud of You?

Sammy Adebiyi — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 19:00:00 +0000

Is God proud of me? If you're like me, it's SO hard to believe, but I promise you it's true. It has to be because of the cross.

To Every Pastor Who Is Ready to Give Up

Brandon Cox — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 06:59:00 +0000

Because pastoral burnout and discouragement have reached epidemic levels. There are all kinds of factors behind this, but regardless of the causes, my heart breaks every time I talk to another discouraged pastor.

Should We Be Tenderhearted?

Desiring God — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 22:55:00 +0000

The longer I live the more complexities I see in living. They’re not as paralyzing as they used to be. I pray more for a spiritual nose to sniff out the path between precipices. Take tender-heartedness, for example. I think one of the most practical and important passages in the whole Bible is Ephesians 4:31-32. […]

10 Campus Constants for a Multi-Site Church

Tony Morgan — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 19:17:00 +0000

This question popped up again from another pastor, so I thought I’d share this resource in case others wanted it. At West Ridge Church, we are currently one church in three locations. To protect that vision for one church, we’ve embraced ten constants to keep us all pulling in the same direction. Borrowing from a […]

New Discipleship Research: Selflessness Leads to Spiritual Maturity

Ed Stetzer — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:26:00 +0000

Throughout the year, we have been releasing new research in support of Transformational Discipleship. This latest research is on “Serving God and Others”– one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of believers who are progressing in spiritual maturity. Service doesn’t just happen in a church. It must be modeled and […]

Communicating WHY in a What, When World

Tim Peters — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 16:48:00 +0000

Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why shares a very simple concept; no one cares what you’re doing until they understand why you’re doing it. As leaders, we understand that people won’t follow us unless we effectively communicate the why. But people these days are busy. Hectic schedules and frantic lives have caused people to […]

Be Stressed Out and Do Not Sin

Desiring God — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 14:48:00 +0000

I love the Book of Psalms. As authoritative models of prayer and worship, we return to them often for help (When we don’t know how to pray as we ought, the Spirit intercedes for us . . . and read some Psalms). And in my experience, it’s the easiest book to short-circuit meaning for application. […]

What is Calvary Chapel & Why Should You Care?

Ed Stetzer — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 14:51:00 +0000

Right now, I am about to pack up and leave Southern California. I am a small part of a larger conference called ReEngage, a symbolic name encouraging the Calvary Chapel movement to be planting at a higher level. You can find more information about ReEngage here. Before I leave, I thought I might post some reflections on Calvary […]

Is it Accurate and Loving to Point Out that Mormonism is not Biblical Christianity?

Randy Alcorn — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 14:05:00 +0000

The presidential candidacies of Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have raised again the “Mormon question.” A pastor’s comment about Mormonism being a cult generated a tornado of media reaction. We all know and love Mormon friends and neighbors, and don’t want to appear negative or judgmental. Ironically, national media comments and columns abound which show […]

The Story of Solomon’s Wisdom

Jason Hood — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 14:24:00 +0000

The story of Solomon’s wisdom doesn’t start with 1 Kings 3 and his request for wisdom. We tend to see Solomon as a young king in his early teens, seeking wisdom because he doesn’t know the first thing about ruling (see 1 Kgs 3:7). But Solomon was at least in his twenties when he began […]

Pastors, Devote Yourselves to the Word and Prayer (Part 1)

Desiring God — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 11:21:00 +0000

by Tim Kerr In his profoundly helpful book Wisdom Words, Pastor Harold Burchett teaches us that praying is a lot like breathing. In order to have the strength to continue breathing, one needs to breathe. So also, the strength to pray comes from praying. Now if personal prayer is breathing for oneself, then intercession is […]

Spurgeon on God’s Power in Our Lives

Randy Alcorn — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 13:21:00 +0000

I’ve said before that one of my delights is exploring the vast reservoir of sermons by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I came across one today called “The Mighty Arm.” In this portion of the message, which is about one fifth of the whole, he talks about the power of God available to us as Christians, which […]

How to Have Stunningly Clear Vision for your Church

Will Mancini — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 13:19:00 +0000

I believe that every gospel-centered church should have a stunningly unique vision. Now it’s possible for church teams everywhere to have access to a guided process to discover, develop and deliver a clear vision. The Church Unique Vision Kit is available and I am enjoying the stories from across the country. Here is a new […]

Cru Who? Lessons to Learn from the Name Change at Campus Crusade

Ed Stetzer — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 18:07:00 +0000

Suddenly, name changes are in the news– everywhere. Name changes are a big deal and I have been thinking about how to weigh in on the Campus Crusade controversy. So, I wrote this post a week ago to reflect on the Campus Crusade name change. Since many people are now discussing a potential name change […]

Two Postures: Faith and Fear

Jason Hood — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 12:56:00 +0000

“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he […]

Monday is for Missiology: Some Thoughts on Contextualization

Ed Stetzer — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 12:44:00 +0000

“How can they hear?” might be the most appropriate question related to contextualizing gospel communication. Those who would respond to the gospel must have some basic understanding of what they are being asked to consider. Understanding something of the environment in which the original action took place and how the gospel impacts the conditions of […]

Why So Many Church Leaders Are Like Miley Cyrus

Scott Williams — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 16:59:00 +0000

One thing that I always try to do is draw leadership and life parallels to almost any and everything.

Two False Assumptions We Can’t Make!

Perry Noble — Sun, 16 Aug 2020 11:57:00 +0000

#1 – That People Know They Can Come to Church In my personal conversations with unchurched people, there are SO MANY of them who think they cannot come to church…they think their lives are so messed up that the church would reject them (and…some of them actually have stories of that happening.) They don’t know!!! […]

Francis Chan on the Sovereignty of God

Desiring God — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 15:57:00 +0000

Theology Refresh is a new podcast for pastors hosted by David Mathis, executive assistant to John Piper since 2006 and editor or contributer to a number of books, including recent release, Don’t Call It a Comeback. The aim of the podcast, in David’s words, “is to sharpen and refresh spiritual leaders on key aspects of […]

Journal As a Pathway to Joy

David Mathis — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 18:40:00 +0000

Maybe you’ve never thought of journaling as a spiritual discipline. It’s seemed like something only for the most narcissistic of introverts, or cute for adolescent girls, but impractical for adults. What, me? Journal? I’m much too occupied with today and tomorrow to give any more time to yesterday. You might be right. Maybe your idea of journaling […]

Leadership and Laughter

Greg Atkinson — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 18:03:00 +0000

Last night I was doing my regular Thursday night thing – watching the comedy shows back to back on NBC (like I have for years). I was reflecting on how good and healthy it was to laugh and unwind. Then I was reminded of some of the best leadership advice someone ever gave me: Don’t take yourself […]

My First Sermon As the New Pastor

David Swanson — Sat, 18 Jul 2020 18:14:00 +0000

I was recently installed as the pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville. As a church planter, I’ve functioned as the pastor, but the church decided this was an appropriate time to affirm their call to be their pastor. It was a special service, and I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and this church’s commitments to following […]

We Shall See God: Spurgeon’s Devotional Thoughts on Heaven

Randy Alcorn — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 23:24:00 +0000

We Shall See God: Charles Spurgeon’s Devotional Thoughts about Heaven, compiled by Randy Alcorn, with additional comments Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached to perhaps ten million people in his lifetime, often speaking ten times a week at various locations, including congregations his own church had planted. He wrote out his sermons fully before preaching but brought […]

How to Set Goals That Come to Pass

Frank Viola — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 17:46:00 +0000

Awhile back, I started a new practice of goal setting. Because my life is completely intermixed with my walk with the Lord, my goals are also prayer requests. They also contain my dreams. So for me, goals = prayer requests = dreams. They are all the same. The practice of goal setting has been so […]

James MacDonald’s Lost Vision For the Body of Christ?

David Fitch — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 19:47:00 +0000

One should be careful in criticizing another pastor, especially one in the neighborhood (we both serve in the Northwest suburbs). So I am engaging James MacDonald – not criticizing him – because he invites engagement in his post provocatively titled Congregational Form of Government is From Satan. This post caused a good bloga-stir last week. […]

Aren’t We Supposed to Pray in Jesus’ Name?

Mark Roberts — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 14:49:00 +0000

[A]nd forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation. Luke 11:4 For those of us who are used to saying the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ model prayer in Luke 4 ends abruptly and too soon. “And don’t let us yield to temptation” is the final […]

On Teaching a D.Min Seminar and Blogging

David Fitch — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 16:27:00 +0000

I’m teaching a D.Min seminar this week which means I haven’t had much time for blogging. Being in this seminar has produced several clarifying thoughts and issues within the missional church for me. There was also a gathering of missional church people in Hyde Park last Saturday that produced some important clarifying conversations. As a […]

John Maxwell on the Hardest Thing in Leadership

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 23 May 2020 18:00:00 +0000

Ron Edmondson asks John Maxwell ten important leadership questions.

How to Avoid Spiritual Bankruptcy

Frank Viola — Thu, 14 May 2020 19:28:00 +0000

I’ve been following the Lord for a little over 30 years now. And as I’ve watched the passing parade, some of the most zealous, devout, committed Christians that I knew in their 20s and 30s are now atheists in their 40s. They filed Chapter 7 on their Christian life. Each of them shared one of […]

Is The Eye Of The Needle A Gate?

Sherman Haywood Cox II — Wed, 13 May 2020 09:59:00 +0000

Jesus said: “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). Many read this text and simply can’t believe what it says on the face of it. It seems to imply that rich folks cannot be saved. […]

Sermon: When The Bread Was Broken

Chuck Warnock — Mon, 11 May 2020 15:45:00 +0000

When The Bread Was Broken Luke 24:13-35 NIV/84 3 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and […]

6 Reasons to Know Your Ministry Context

Will Mancini — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 02:00:00 +0000

Our strategy for evangelism must be connected to our awareness of context.

It’s Good to Please People; It’s Bad to Please People.

Desiring God — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:00:00 +0000

by John Piper Life is not simple. So language is not simple. Different situations in life call for different ways of living. The language that describes those differences can be very confusing. For example Paul says he tries to please people and he doesn’t try to please people. (Same Greek word for “please” both times.) […]

6 Stakeholders in Your Ministry

Will Mancini — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 01:45:00 +0000

Will Mancini identifies the various stakeholders that might be involved in your ministry.

Without Faith

Milan Ford — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 05:26:00 +0000

The conversation began around 11:30pm. And it ended around 4:15am. About a year or so ago, I decided to stay up late and share with my wife about something rather unusual that was going on inside me. While I could not adequately describe to her what it was, I told her that it felt like […]

What To Know If Your Hard Work And Effort Are Unappreciated

Brian Dodd — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 18:51:00 +0000

Are you frustrated currently? Are you giving everything you’ve got to your family, your career, your craft, or your community and no one seems to appreciate it? No one seems to care. We’ve all been there. This week I was reminded of one of life’s great lessons – If you are performing with excellence and delivering […]

Be Born Pregnant: Viral Churches, Part 7

Ed Stetzer — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 14:00:00 +0000

I’ve been in a series of articles about how Christians, by thinking differently, can see a Church Multiplication Movement here in the West–those parts of the developed world where the church has slowed in its growth and multiplication. Over the context of several posts, I’ve discussed things that we should and should not do in […]

An Audience of One

Frank Viola — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 19:18:00 +0000

“How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” ~ John 5:44 Charles Spurgeon once said that the jewels of the Christian are his/her afflictions. I’d add that those jewels are rarely seen by human eyes. The word “blessing” […]