Few things will motivate an organization to take action more than having a court order it to pay someone $1.6 million for lack of security and emergency plans. An interesting lawsuit was just settled in Maryland and it would be wise for all churches to view this very closely because, even though it wasn’t a church named in the lawsuit, it very well could have been. … read more
There has never been a time where the forces against the church are so strong or so well organized as now. We live in a world that is rapidly moving away from the knowledge of God. In America for example, the generation growing up now has less basic understanding of spiritual matters than any prior generation. With statistics showing that more people are being born again and discipled … read more
I had been praying about ways to get the people of our church activated in the growth and development of the church and to stir a fire in them for evangelism. When I presented this to my staff at a weekly staff meeting, we came up with the idea of a Pack The House Sunday we titled, “April 29 are you ready.” We committed finances to the campaign and bought a couple of billboards and several hundred small political-type signs you see in people’s yards and on the highways right-of-way. … read more
Let’s stop the hypnotism, the guilt manipulation and the high-pressure gimmicks. It’s time to reclaim our lost credibility. Normally I’d rather go to the dentist for a root canal than watch a telethon. But while channel surfing a few nights ago I tuned into PBS and discovered that Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, was hosting a fundraiser for the network. Seated at a piano, she was offering a 5-CD collection of classic rhythm and blues hits in exchange for a donation to public television. … read more
Humor Section (cont) A couple had two sons, ages 8 and 10, who were very mischievous. These two were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any […]
The dictionary defines counseling as the active exchange of opinions or ideas, or the process of advising or giving guidance solicited from a knowledgeable person. The field of counseling today has a very mixed history. Counseling has been taking place for thousands of years. We know in ancient times from biblical history counseling was conducted by spiritual and religious leaders. … read more
The human mind is a wonderful and fascinating gift from God. While the brain is the physical organ that houses and enables the mind to operate in the body, it is through a network called the central nervous system that the mind is able to make sense of the world. The central nervous system is an intricate network of communication that transmits, receives, and interprets billions of chemical and electrical signals, which are continuously flowing between the mind and the physical world around us. … read more
Over the past few years, we have seen a trend in the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) performing more audits and generally becoming much tougher in terms of its enforcement efforts—i.e. more audits, IRS notices, penalties, etc. Given the massive U.S. national debt, we fully expect this trend to continue into the future. One area where we have seen tougher enforcement, and expect to see ongoing tough standards, is in the area of documentation of charitable contributions.. … read more
A destitute woman. A sick and desperate mother. A prodigal son; these were the kind of people Jesus exercised continual compassion toward. After demonstrating his great compassion in every synagogue and village of Israel, Jesus did something else. He made it clear that he was calling His followers to live with this same compassion, bringing wholeness to every community in the world. … read more
One of the hardest things for any person to do is to open oneself to the opinions, criticism and feedback of others regarding their life, their products, their projects, ideas and their creations. As a pastor, minister, ministry CEO and church leader, many of the realities within the church are there because of you, your influence, your creativity, your sweat, your hard work, your time and sacrifice. You birthed these ideas, events and services into life. … read more
Today, many Christians (and ministers) are experiencing identity issues for one reason or another. They don’t know who they are, they don’t know what to do, nor do they know where they belong. The past haunts them, the present is scary, and the future appears bleak and dismal. In 2002 Universal Pictures released a movie called The Bourne Identity, an American action thriller spy film starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, an amnesiac attempting to discover his true identity amidst a clandestine conspiracy within the Central Intelligence Agency. … read more
As we have already learned, it is important to build your launch team with people who are leaders, godly, smart, talented, and exemplify great soundness and character. If you have to fudge in any of the areas, never fudge on character or their ability to lead others. Every church-planter’s top priority should be to build a great team of leaders around them. In this chapter I will show you what ingredients every great team has. … read more
When you were growing up, what was a big deal in your home? What was most important? What messages were emphasized, repeated and harped on? These may not be what your parents really believed were most important in life, but it’s what they talked about the most, or what they celebrated, or what they argued most about, or what got someone in trouble. Now that you’re grown, do you think those things really are the most important things in life? … read more
I am convinced that Matthew must have been a “southerner.” All you have to do is read Matthew chapter 1 to prove he was concerned with genealogy. We southerners are acutely aware of “WHO ARE YOUR PEOPLE?” In small communities, which in our case involves our county, we must be clear on the genealogy factor. You must assume that everyone is related by birth, by marriage or that everyone just plain old knows each other by associations. … read more
A few years ago, I was sitting in the bleachers at my daughter’s basketball game and the Lord asked me this question—right in the middle of a basketball game! He asked, “How deep do you want to go?” I knew what He meant. I knew God was asking me if I wanted to go “deeper” in Him. … read more
The [name of church] Church, in the exercise of its religious and charitable purposes, has established a benevolence fund to assist persons in financial need. The church welcomes contributions to the fund. Donors are free to suggest beneficiaries of the fund or of their contributions to the fund. However, such suggestions shall be deemed advisory rather than mandatory in nature. The administration of the fund, including all disbursements, is subject to the exclusive control and discretion of the church board. … read more
My faith was tested like never before in June of 2008 when I received a diagnosis of stage 4 kidney cancer. When watching movies or sports events, most people have a natural tendency to root for the underdog. We love a close competition where a far under qualified competitor defies all odds to hold his own (or even win) against a much greater power. … read more
A purpose is a reason for being. Everything God does has a purpose. Everything God has made has a reason for existing. There are specific purposes Jesus intended for His church to accomplish. Knowing those purposes is important for every believer. The law of purpose states that unless you know the purpose of a thing, you will be likely to either neglect, misuse, or abuse it. The reason some Christians neglect the local church is because they really don’t understand its purpose in their lives. … read more
Being called to serve the people Jesus died for is a great privilege that carries with it tremendous responsibility. Knowing this, Paul in his letters to Timothy, provided instruction to guide him in fulfilling his ministry and living an exemplary life before God and man. A major point of emphasis was for Timothy to be an example of believers in six areas of concern. … read more
One of the most provocative, profound and heart-hitting statements used in Scripture about the Holy Spirit is “baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 11:15-17 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. … read more
When Tony first asked us to write a few things about the friendship/accountability Mike, Dan and myself have enjoyed over three decades, it really made me think about the difference this relationship has made in my life. John Ruskin once wrote, “When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package.” … read more
Note from Tony: I’ve known these three men for many years, and I’ve known of their close friendship which has brought much strength and support into each of their lives. I asked Pastor Mike if he would write an overview about the whole issue of “accountability,” and then asked each of them if they’d write about what this group means to each of them personally. … read more
Like many of you, when my wife and I began preparations for ministry in Bible school, we had no idea of the challenges and pitfalls that awaited us in our attempt to fulfill the call upon our lives. The value and importance of close relationships with other ministers really wasn’t a matter of concern or ‘recognized need’ as we sought to have meaningful and fruitful ministry in the world Jesus was sending us to. We soon found out how important those relationships were about to be. … read more
The spiritual principle of authority is God’s plan to protect our lives…everyone needs to be accountable to someone. The human element tends to isolate us, cause us to hide our issues, our attitudes, let alone our sins. Everyone needs someone in their lives, someone close to them that has the freedom to ask us about what’s going on behind the scene of our life. … read more
The Apostle Paul encouraged the Philippian Church in holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain (Philippians 2:16. NKJV). Notice that Paul told them to “hold” fast; not to “run” fast. … read more
