Church Leaders

09/02/2024

Hard work, persistence, and diligence in ministry are important. But so is a well ordered life. In fact, the latter is a prerequisite for the former. Pastors, here are five signs you may be overcommitted.

09/02/2024

"And it hurts when all that friendliness leads only to friendlessness."

I’ve lost count of the number of Christians who’ve told me they either stopped attending church or left their church to join another one because they couldn’t make any friends there.

09/02/2024

The pain of rejection and unfulfilled expectations can cast long shadows over a man’s life, leaving deep wounds of anger and resentment and ultimately limiting his ability to develop into the man God designed him to be.

As Christians, we’re called to a higher standard as men, one that challenges us—NO, it commands us—to embrace the transformative power of biblical forgiveness.

09/02/2024

"Without the Holy Spirit’s power, it’s all smoke and mirrors."

To pursue holiness is to pursue Jesus himself, and to be confident in him alone. Apart from this, there is no such thing as ministry success in God’s economy, or Spirit filled worship.

09/02/2024

"And the reason tends to be the same, in church after church, around the world: They don't want to change."

What if I gave you a list of 10 things that any church could do that would bring almost immediate renewal and growth?

09/02/2024

"The church is declining while the community is growing."

I did not have to look far to find over 20 current examples of a dysfunctional church. In my quest, I found six recurring themes.

09/02/2024

“I didn't know it, but I had literally walked into the middle of a spiritual awakening. And it wasn't until later I realized, 'Oh wow, that was an actual revival.' In fact, it was the last great spiritual awakening in America." -Greg Laurie

"This movie is a gift. It's a gift to the church...I mean, just the fact that the movie is in the theaters is a great conversation starter.”

09/02/2024

For pastors, Sunday can be the most draining day of the week. Here are five key stakes you can make while trying to put your best foot forward.

The very day we want to be at our best requires more from us than any other day. As a result, we can easily make one or more of the five biggest mistakes pastors make on Sundays.

09/01/2024

Practicing Christians would do well to ask themselves these things.

There are several questions that fake Christians won't be able to answer. According to Tim Keller, these are questions that focus on hallmarks of a growing relationship with God.

09/01/2024

We can't overestimate the importance of the first point!

Is evangelism a thing of the past for the American church? It makes one wonder when 51% of churchgoers are unfamiliar with the term “The Great Commission,” according to a new study from Barna. But according to Outreach Magazine’s “100 Fastest Growing Churches” report, evangelism is alive a...

09/01/2024

"Discover the hard truths behind the top 5 lies Christians believe—like why God is more concerned with our holiness than our happiness."

There are hundreds of lies Christians believe, either collectively or individually. I chose these five lies Christians believe because I have personally seen them infiltrate the church, the lives of my friends and family and my own life.

09/01/2024

"Have you ever seen anyone win a religious argument? The only reason a crowd gathers is simply to watch a good fight, never mind who wins."

There's a big difference between drawing a crowd and preaching a sermon. The church is desperate for life-giving preachers who urge us to take the yoke of discipleship.

09/01/2024

"We’ve all been there. We pray. We wait. We wait. And then we wonder: 'What did I do wrong?'"

We’ve all been there. We pray. We wait. We wait. And then we wonder: “What did I do wrong?” Sometimes the problem isn’t on your end. It might just not be God’s timing or God’s will… But sometimes it is.

09/01/2024

“I don’t like being at odds with people that I love so much, those that have been my peers, my co-laborers in the gospel. I hate that. I hate it. But there are times when leaders do have to say to other leaders, ‘Wait, this doesn’t seem in step with the gospel.’”

Author and Bible teacher Beth Moore says that challenging other church leaders can be grief-inducing and painful, but Scripture shows us that there are times to do so.

09/01/2024

One of the most common questions I’m asked is about family relationships in Heaven.

09/01/2024

Do we not understand the gospel? In Christ, there are no “good people” or “bad people,” “people who have it together” or “dysfunctional people.”

Before God, we are all sinners. And there is only one kind of sinner. There are not successful, high-capacity sinners and unpromising, down-and-out sinners.

09/01/2024

In this episode of the "Transforming the Church" podcast, we're diving deep into the core of Christianity: love.

09/01/2024

There are differences between those who believe in Jesus and those who actually obey his commands.

What is a believer? Well, a believer is someone who merely believes in Jesus, whereas a Christian actually follows His commands.

09/01/2024

There are at least four situations when it is good for a church to prefer you leave.

The saddest stories I hear from parents raising a child with a disability don’t involve schools, insurance companies or hospitals. The saddest story is when such a family must leave a church.

09/01/2024

Here are five things I wish I could go back and tell 22-year-old me before entering ministry.

Here are five things I wish I could go back and tell 22-year-old me before entering ministry. I hope it’s an encouragement and challenge to you!

09/01/2024

Is it more important to have great music, or for the entire congregation to sing songs of praise to God?

Worship music and church worship bands have won the Sunday morning song battle – there’s no question about that.

09/01/2024

Matt Chandler opens up about overcoming controversy: A journey of grace, healing, and renewed commitment to ministry. Discover his profound reflections and the path forward.

Matt Chandler, Part 1: How the 2022 Controversy Has Impacted His Life and Ministry. “You preach grace and the mercy of Christ to this group of people for two decades and then they give it back to you."

09/01/2024

Leaders from Pew Research Center, Barna Group, Lifeway Research, and Gallup join “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” for a special “Faithlytics” episode about the state of Christianity in the U.S.
https://i.mtr.cool/ozxtpwxscl

09/01/2024

In a recent Twitter survey, I asked respondents to share with me a singular event that impressed them in a church worship service. Here are the results.

Most of the respondents said they were “delighted” or “surprised,” and that the one event made guests return to the church.

09/01/2024

Some tips to help your church worship at the next level.

I have a hard time calling these my Top 10 worship leading tips since at various times other tips not mentioned here could be extremely important, but these were the ones that I tend to rely on frequently.

09/01/2024

"Not only do worship songs differ from pop songs, I find that pop songwriting techniques often work against congregational singing."

Most worship songs we sing these days follow some form of pop songwriting ethic. Church pop songs, really.

09/01/2024

"Here are some ways to pray for the ones who will lead the worship music at your church this weekend."

Here are some ways to pray over the ones who will lead the worship music at your church this weekend. Take 15 minutes today and lift them up to God

09/01/2024

Let me share with you a passage from Peter’s second letter that changed my life forever. Following Jesus no longer seems like an impossibility. Now it feels like I’m not on my own, but the Holy Spirit empowers me to do it!

Following Jesus no longer seems like an impossibility. Now it feels like God is empowering me to do it!

09/01/2024

Evangelist Ray Comfort believes there is one clear reason why people find the Christian faith of Steph Curry to be acceptable while finding the Christian faith of Tim Tebow to be polarizing.

09/01/2024

A Texas father went viral after posting a video of himself singing to his two and a half month old baby boy who was born four months premature.