Tim Keller wrote an influential article on what changes happen to churches when they grow called "Leadership and Size Dynamics." As a church grows larger (whether that's growing from 20 people to 50 or 200 to 500) things begins to change: Things become more complex. As an organization grows larger, it becomes more complex. You…
The Holy Spirit in Galatians
While many Christians view the book of Galatians as a profound exposition of justification by faith, Galatians also has many important things to say about the Holy Spirit. According to Paul's teaching on the Spirit in Galatians, the Holy Spirit can be thought of as God's powerful presence which brings new spiritual life and empowers…
2023 in Books
Future Church by Will Mancini (January - 2 out of 5 stars) Plays Well with Others by Eric Barker (January - 3 out of 5 stars) Emotionally Healthy Leader by Pete Scazzero (March - 5 out of 5 stars) * Re-read Replenish by Lance Witt (March - 4 out of 5 stars) *Re-read Second Thoughts:…
Reducing Overload
We all have max obligations that we can take on. What happens when we get overloaded and go above what we can do? Notes from Cal Newport’s show, 279. We have a capacity to accomplish a certain amount of things, what Newport calls "max obligations." When we go over the number of max obligations, we feel…
5 Things for Total Loop Closure
From episode 276 of Cal Newport's podcast, Deep Questions. He talks about five things needed to "close the loops" (to use David Allen's term) in your mind and have a clear head. Calendar. Digital. Sync it with phone to have it with you at all times. Appointments and meetings go on there with relevant information.…
Inverse Law of Accomplishment
From episode 276 of Cal Newport's podcast, Deep Questions. The higher the impressiveness of an accomplishment, the fewer things you can do.
Five Reasons to be Pro-Life
The pro-life position seems to be a political loser since Roe v. Wade was overturned. For example, Ohio just enshrined abortion rights into its constitution. Given the fact that running as a pro-life candidate now seems to be a liability, should Christians, especially aspiring Christian politicians in America, downplay the importance of opposing abortion in…
The Four Laws of Ministry
Most ministry in the church operates according to a few principles, or laws. These four laws of ministry have been developed from the four laws of combat, but they still hold true in my experience. In fact, anytime a ministry does not work out how we'd like, it usually can be traced back to one…
Bible Study as Conversation
What is the meaning of your best friend? Or spouse? Or child? Those are nonsensical questions, aren’t they? We don’t approach the people we love as a mathematical problem to be figured out, or a literary text to be dissected. So why do we approach the Bible in a way that often feels like we’re…
How Do You Hold Your Beliefs? (Determine Doctrinal Rank)
In 1 Corinthians 15:3, the apostle Paul declares that the gospel is "of first importance." In other words, Paul is telling his audience that the gospel is the most important thing for them to know. His words have huge implications for how the church holds its beliefs and how it does theology. For if the…
Raising Lazarus 