God often takes us places we didn't plan to go. As I got into my rental car in Louisville, Kentucky, to head out to The Groups Conference in Mattoon, Illinois, where I was speaking last weekend, I set the route...
Tag: trials
Leader's Heart-Overflow, Spiritual Life
Get the BLANK Out of Leadership!
How does the way others think about you—or what they've said about you—affect your ministry? How does the way you think about yourself, perhaps based on those tapes that keep playing in your head of what others have said to...
Spiritual Life
What to Do With Not Enough _____ (Money, Ability, Compassion, Faith …)
What do you do when you don't have enough? Not enough money to pay the bills. Not enough skills or experience for the job you want. Not enough patience or compassion to deal with, much less love, that person in...
Leader's Heart-Overflow, Spiritual Life
Is It Well with YOUR Soul?
As a shepherd leader, you are undoubtedly concerned about those you lead. You care about their souls. You pay attention to their spiritual conditions and want to lead them deeper with God. At least I hope so. Being in a...
Spiritual Life
Kim Davis: What Would Jesus Do?
Like you, I'm reading and listening to people who don't understand why a Rowan County, Kentucky, clerk is refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples based on her religious beliefs. This is a clash of worldviews. Some see their...
Discipling, Ministry Leaders
Is Your Small Group (or Church) Ready to Go Underground?
What will happen to the church and to small groups if (or when) it becomes illegal for Christian ministers to publicly hold up biblical values? What if your testimony became "hate speech"? These are the questions Francis Chan addresses in...
Small Group Leaders
7 Ways Your Small Group Can Celebrate the Incarnation: #3: Love Those Who Are Struggling
This is Day 3 of my 7 ideas your group, class, or family can use to celebrate Christmas. See #1 HERE. #2Remember the folks in your circles who struggle this time of year. Many people—inside your group and among your group members’...
Spiritual Life
The Bible’s 12 Steps to Overcome Depression
I know so many people who deal with the debilitating effects of depression. Family members. Friends. I also have gone through several seasons of depression in my life. Now, I don't want to oversimplify depression and its effects. I've seen...
Spiritual Life
The Lord Is on Our Side
The Lord is on our side. I came across these six little words as I read Psalm 124 this morning. These words are so vital to our lives that the writer, David, asked the people to repeat them. I took...
Curriculum
REVIEW: Let Hope In by Pete Wilson
Hope. Someone—perhaps everyone—in your small group needs it, especially now. When I watch the news each day, I see tons of people who need it. When I talk to the men in my small group, each one needs it for...