August 19, 2013, began like any other Monday at Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago. As usual, I handled routine administrative tasks and worked on my sermon for the evening service at our soup kitchen ministry. The church employees were in the office working and chatting. No one knew it would become a day marked by tragedy. At 5:00 p.m., we welcomed 150 people from the streets for our first service. For our second service at 5:45 p.m., we had approximately 100 people in the pews waiting for … [Read more...]
God becomes man
“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity – a hope of pardon, a hope of peace with God, the hope of glory – because at the Father’s will Jesus became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later, He might hang on a cross.” – J. I. Packer Lights are up, presents under the tree, and Christmas songs on the streets. Yes, it is that time of year. Christmas is a wonderful time, isn’t it? We as Christians must remember what this month is all about! Too often … [Read more...]
What if you’re working with a toxic leader?
As a bright-eyed 19-year-old college student, I immediately found a church to get involved in within my new college town. However, when I applied for a position at this church, I had no idea there was a history of high turnover that had become a regular part of this inner-city church. I also didn’t know the church had a reputation for being a spiritually abusive church, primarily through the leader’s manipulative control tactics. What made the situation more difficult was the pastor was … [Read more...]
Can we love without being vulnerable?
As a pastor of a local church in Missouri, I remember the advice I first received when I entered full-time ministry. A pastor from another church approached me and said, “Well, you have to remember one thing: Don’t become friends with those you minister to. Staff are employees and you just want to keep a professional relationship.” This left me in a dilemma. Though his advice made practical sense, I couldn’t reconcile what he said with the Bible’s call to “love one another” (John … [Read more...]
Can we love Jesus, but not the church?
“I love Jesus, but not the church.” This is what someone recently told me, and it left me puzzled. The person continued, “Can’t I watch a sermon online in my living room? I’ll never leave Jesus, but I’m done with the church.” Is it possible to have Jesus without the church? What role does the local church play in personal transformation? Can one grow spiritually without participation in the local church? In conversations like this one, I sense grave confusion concerning the doctrine of … [Read more...]
Five steps to conflict resolution
Conflict at cost is visible everywhere. In light of this, Christians are to be the salt and the light of Jesus by promoting the gospel of peace by not only believing the gospel but living the gospel. Conflict is unavoidable, as people are bound by their sinful nature. Conflict is not necessarily bad but often it is dealt with poorly and destroys relationships. Studies show conflict is seen everywhere in pastoral ministry. Within the last five years, research states that the number of … [Read more...]
Discipleship equals more than words
Who are your prayer warriors? Who are those few people that you can pick up a phone and ask for prayer? I had an opportunity to teach children for a Sunday school, and I asked the same question. When I asked these little children, interestingly, the top two came out as the following: 1. Mama; 2. Grandma. As I look back, it is personally true in my own life! I think of my mother, who had a huge spiritual impact upon my life. So much of who I am today is in answer to her prayers for me. Her … [Read more...]
How not to worship
What is worship? I so often get asked this question. We often use that word of singing. But is worship simply singing? Is worship the music in the background? Or is it something we do only Sunday morning? Yes, that is a form of worship or part of it. However, worship is so much more than just singing on Sunday morning. Here are a few thoughts on how we ought NOT to worship in church. 1. “I worshiped God because somehow, when I raised my hands, God blessed me!” Now, don’t get me … [Read more...]
Three things I wish I knew before becoming a pastor
My first year of ministry was insane. I was 20, single, and was still in Bible college. I had taken a homiletics class and was thinking, “This is awesome!” But I butchered my first sermon big time. Now, I have been in ministry for 10 years, and some may get the idea that it has been an easy-breezy journey that led to the place I am today. But that was not the case. As each year went by, ministry did get better, but the first year was a real struggle. There were many hurdles I needed to … [Read more...]
Don’t ditch the church
Too often, people try to accomplish the task of discipleship apart from the local church. I believe this is impossible because God’s work of personal transformation is intended to take place within the community of God’s people. Discipleship doesn’t happen apart from the context of the local church because God has chosen the local church as His instrument to fulfill the Great Commission. There is no such thing as a solo discipleship. In the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul says that … [Read more...]
Five ways to cultivate a culture of discipleship
American churches are in crisis. Nearly 4,000 churches close every year in North America. Ed Stetzer estimates that 70 percent to 80 percent of all evangelical churches in the U.S. have either stopped growing or are in decline! We are in a crisis of discipleship. I believe with all my heart, a return to transformational leadership and biblical disciple-making will enact a 21st- century Reformation. If disciple-making is our focus, then it ought to be one of our highest priories in every … [Read more...]
Three marks of true biblical manhood
America is in a crisis. I weep so often as I look around and see the staggering confusion of masculinity and manhood identity crisis. As we look at sociological data and statistics, analysts often point out the root problem in the failure of men. In our fatherless culture, many guys struggle with their identity as men to live as faithful husbands and responsible fathers; as a result, they feel alienated from God. While the world seems increasingly confused about matters as basic as … [Read more...]