I is for Identity Theft by Judi Tillett

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Young children belong to God. At their conception in the womb they belong to Him. They are to be taught that truth and to grow up as His “offspring” into all the covenant passion and purpose of God. So the demonic thief’s first point of attack is to steal their identification. He who was Lucifer is first and foremost an identity thief. He was ejected from heaven as he thought to steal the identity of the One True and Only God. He pressed Jesus for His identity, and he presses against and pursues the identity of God’s people and especially His children today … read more

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If Superheroes Could Preach by Jim Herring

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Summer is here and it is the time for blockbuster movies. Every summer there are always a few superhero movies: Superman, Batman, Superman vs. Batman, Captain America, Iron man, Captain America vs. Iron man, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, and the X-men. Most of the time these movies do very well at the box office. Why? Because we are intrigued with superheroes. Why are we attracted to and fascinated by these heroes? … read more

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Thoughts on Addiction and Recovery by Virgil Stokes

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Funny how thoughts come back to you. I remember sitting at a bar back in 1975. I was having a boozy conversation with another inebriate. For some reason, I remember proudly declaring, “I’m an alcoholic!” then laughing uproariously while ordering another drink. I was a drunk and I knew it, but it was four more years before I did anything useful about the problem. In the meantime, I lost my job, ruined any number of relationships, and deteriorated physically … read more

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It’s All Yours by Lisa Cooke

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I could tell there was something the Holy Spirit wanted to say through me to a brother who is actively believing for healing from a particular disease, but I didn’t know what it was until I stood directly in front of him. The next thing I knew, these words were coming out of my mouth: “It’s all yours.” That’s all I said to him but he understood exactly what I meant. To “get what he is so ready to give” reminds us of the attitude that the Godhead has toward us. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are of the same frame of mind with an eternal willingness to give mercy and help. … read more

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God’s Claim and Call on Our Lives

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Mankind seems hell-bent on rebelling against God and His authority. Psalm 2:2-3 (NLT) paints a vivid picture of man’s insurgent and seditious attitude toward God’s rule: “The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one. ‘Let us break their chains,’ they cry, ‘and free ourselves from slavery to God.’” … read more 

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Standards for Those Who Serve

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It seems harder and harder to find “qualified” people (according to the standards in 1 Timothy and Titus) to serve in leadership and helps positions in the church. Do pastors ever modify their standards in order to get people involved serving, even in entry-level types of positions? What kinds of character and lifestyle standards do other pastors and churches communicate for those who are going to be involved in serving?

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What is the 10/40 Window? by Scott Behrman

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What would it be like if you lived in a country, a city or a village that had no Christians?  No Bible study? Not one single church? Not a single Christian witness? Sue and I are focusing on church planting movements with “unreached people groups.” If the command given by Jesus is to make disciples of all nations (or ethnic groups), then common sense would tell us our job is to find those nations (ethnic groups) that have not been discipled (taught to be followers of Christ). … read more

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Church Culture or Kingdom Culture? by Rodney Lloyd

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Sunday is not Game Day – everyday is Game Day!!! When we make “Sunday church” and “having church” the focus, it is backward. Sunday is important, but not most important. When we have a build up to Sunday, making our greatest efforts all week to having a “good service”, without trying to, we feed the idea that Christianity is about Sunday. But doing this is treating Sunday as the last day of the week; but Sunday is the first day of the week! Sunday is “impact and launch” day. … read more

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Building a Youth Ministry from the Ground Up by Dennis Steeger

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If you believe your church is missing something and youth ministry might be the something your church is missing, know that you are not alone. Many pastors are striving to find answers to the very same question, “How do I create a youth ministry?” … read more

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The Five Loaves and Two Fish Life by Lisa Cooke

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Do you ever feel like the little boy in the midst of the huge crowd from John 6:9, offering Jesus your “five loaves and two fish”? You know in your heart that what you are giving up for the sake of others is not enough in natural measurements of sufficiency. Yet you feel compelled to give what you have, in eager, or possibly nervous anticipation of what Jesus will do with what you hand over to Him. …read more

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The Purpose of Pentecost

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If a Spirit-filled believer can only quote one verse from that wonderful chapter, it is probably verse four, which reads: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” As wonderful as that passage is, is what is described in that verse really the main purpose of Pentecost? We could also ask, “Was their speaking in tongues—in this particular situation—an end in itself, or was it a means to an end? …read more

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Staffing Questions

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When is it best to add to your staff by promoting from within, and when is it best to go outside and bring someone in? If I do need to hire from without, what are the best channels and avenues through which to seek a qualified staff member? Finally, in bringing someone in from the outside, how do you help that new staff member learn and adapt to the culture of the church?

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When God Puts You on Hold by Marvin Yoder

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I’m sure many of you have had the experience of making a phone call and then being put on hold for a while. You wait and wait until eventually even the nice music doesn’t seem to be soothing anymore. You wonder what is going on. You resist getting frustrated. Can anyone relate? Have you ever been excited about what is in your heart, but at the same time felt boxed in, trapped, on hold, or on a plateau in life? Welcome to the crowd! … read more

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To Serve or to Be Served by Tim Davidson

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Being an effective leader in the church is different from the military or business world. In the military, a private has many people telling him what to do. As he receives promotion, he gains rank and soon begins to tell the ones below him what to do. Jesus says, “It shall not be so among you.” He explains that in the world, Gentile leaders exercise dominion over those who are in the ranks. … read more

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The Christian Triple Double by Jim Herring

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Regardless of your position in life, you can choose to serve others. If you are married, you can definitely focus on serving your spouse. If you are a parent, you can focus on serving your children. If you work, you can focus on serving your company or employer. … read more

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Righteousness and Peace Kiss Each Other by Lisa Cooke

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Peace. That wonderful quality of calm and serenity that can be so difficult to maintain in the turbulent days of our lives, is linked with righteousness, not with circumstances. This is good news for those of us who seek for the peace of God to rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). We may not be experiencing peaceful feelings due to outward conditions or events, but we have been graced with the possibility of an internal state of peace which can remain unaffected by what goes on around it. …read more

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Sit a Spell

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Even if the Lord were only interested in our labor, He is wise enough to know that we do more work and better work when we’re rested and strong. But the Lord is not just interested in what we can do for Him. He offers us rest because He cares about us. Some of the old-time preachers were known to say, “I’d rather burn out than rust out.” Wisdom teaches us that we don’t have to do either.  … read more

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Easter Evaluation

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I would love to hear feedback about how other churches do their Easter weekend services. What do they do that’s special, different? How many churches add extra services for that weekend? What kind of special advertising or marketing is done? How do pastors get the congregation involved in inviting guests? Are pastors generally pleased with the results they see on Easter weekend? Are there any strategies that churches have to get Easter visitors to come back on a regular basis? Based on your experience from this and previous Easter weekends, what do you plan to do different next year?

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Around the World with Matt & Lizzy by Julie Beemer

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While working at the International school in Nigeria, I met the children of various Embassies, United Nations and European Union officials, and even the Nigerian President’s children. Though many of these parents were not Christian, their children were being educated to lead the next generations. Many had attended school in several different countries, spoke up to five different languages and were being groomed for similar careers as their parents. … read more

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Come to Jesus for Rest by Greg Mohr

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Several years ago my wife and I went through what the Bible calls an “evil day” (Ephesians 6:13). The challenge with our “evil day” is it lasted almost two years. The church my wife and I served as pastor went through an involuntary church plant, otherwise known as a church split. …read more

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Unity, Not Uniformity by Lisa Cooke

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Marriage is the unique opportunity for two people to become one flesh, as Mark 10:7 puts it, quoting Genesis 2:24. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Becoming one flesh is a lifelong process between two individuals, particularly for two independent individuals. …read more

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Ready! Aim! Fire!

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Of the phrase, “Ready! Aim! Fire!” Brian Stolle writes, “This legendarily accepted process of operations works universally whether shooting a gun, a bow and arrow, playing golf, or leading a team to achieve an objective. Prepare or ready yourself for the intended action; take aim on the objective and goals; and then fire, or execute.”  … read more

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Beyond the Pulpit

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We all know that pastors regularly teach and minister to others from the pulpit. How do I, as a pastor, more effectively mentor, coach, instruct, and disciple others when I’m outside of the pulpit? I’ve heard of others who regularly use all kinds of occasions as “teaching moments” when working with staff, leaders, volunteers, and others. What does this look like, how can I become better at this, and how do other pastors better “grow” others outside of the pulpit?

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The Hidden Power Behind Worship by Philip Renner

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Every worship leader will go through this at one time or another, but I have good news: If you continue to seek God and you are persistent, you will eventually come out of that condition and begin to sense His presence and anointing even stronger than before! …read more

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Reaching Unchurched People Groups by Stan Mathias

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Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible says in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” In this verse, the word “nations” in the original Greek language means “Ethne.” This is where we get the English word “ethnic,” or “ethnic group.” …read more

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