"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. The Soul and Free Will Philosophers don't take into account corrupted human nature when they talk…
Thriving Youth Groups
Jeanne Mayo wrote Thriving Youth Groups to record her process for establishing a friendship culture in the various Youth Ministries she has run in her career. She believes that building a culture of friendship is the key to growing a youth ministry. Students will not come back to the Youth Group if they are not accepted…
Sustainable Youth Ministry
Mark DeVries points out that many youth ministries fail because they are not built in a sustainable way. Churches often look for superstar youth pastors to solve all their problems. But quickly the church will overload the superstar with expectations and responsibilities, leading to a gifted and promising young pastor burning out. So what can…
Blogging the Institutes | 1.15.6 | Philosophers on the Soul
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. Philosophers on the Soul Many ancient philosophers did not believe in the immortality of the soul.…
Blogging the Institutes | 1.15.5 | Refuting False Teaching on the Soul
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. Refuting False Teaching on the Soul Before I go further, I need to refute the false…
Blogging the Institutes | 1.15.4 | Reflecting God’s Glory
"Blogging the Institutes" is my on-going attempt to paraphrase John Calvin's work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. You can find out more about the series in the Introduction. For all the posts in this series, check out the Master List. Reflecting God's Glory We won't have a complete understanding of the image of God until we…
The Power of Purpose
What are you doing with your life? Just about everyone wants a meaningful life, even though it can feel meaningless, pointless, and absurd at times. Humanity's desire for meaning reveals the power of purpose. Once you know why you're on this speck of dust hurtling through the universe, your life will take off in a…
Pastor as Monk (Sort of)
Cal Newport has a solid older blog post on the concept of "Monk Mode Mornings." Essentially, going monk mode in the morning means spending the morning doing deep work and scheduling any other meetings/people time in the afternoons. Applying the monk mode to pastors would mean focusing on your sermon prep and writing during the…
Overcoming Problems in Pastoral Productivity
No one is keeping track of when you clock into work or clock out. No boss is holding you accountable for how you spend your time. Sound like a fantasy world? Think again. It's the schedule of a pastor. The schedule of a pastor is almost infinitely flexible with no one really checking up on…
There’s Nothing to Fear
The Hurt Locker tells the story of various soldiers serving overseas, but it particularly focuses on those who disarm explosive devices. As you can imagine, trying to disarm bombs either before they explode or so that they don't explode is one of the most nerve-racking jobs in the military. The movie shows how such stress affects…
Raising Lazarus 