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When I first became a Christian in my twenties, I worked with a guy who challenged me about the credibility of Christianity. His point was that no one—outside of your own self—could really know for sure what truth was. He was immersed in the teachings of a philosopher named Jiddu Krishnamurti. As a 14-year-old boy in India, Krishnamurti was taken in by the Theosophical Society in the early 1900’s. They believed he was the coming World Teacher—the reincarnation of Christ in th

“No one in my master’s house is more important than I am.” ~Joseph (Genesis 39:9a CEV). It seems the fall of prominent Christian leaders has become a weekly news item. In so many words, personal integrity becomes the tagline of each story. Compared to the more visible, celebrated pastors who stumble, most of us will never have that span of spiritual influence. But I can guarantee you have someone watching you to see if your Christianity is real or not. And by “real” I mean

In the decades that I’ve been following Jesus, I’ve met numbers of people who have questioned how they’ve spent their time after wrestling with a personal crisis. Sometimes a desire for real meaning is awakened, a new hunger for purpose. Among the remarkable stories of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers was a woman who somehow survived the collapse all the way from the 50th floor. Although some people suffer from survivor guilt, she became immersed in

Discipleship is one of the most difficult challenges most pastors and church leaders face. And while it is the central simple thing Jesus commanded us to do, simple doesn't always equal easy. The grid below (download a free pdf here) was an attempt we made with our leadership team years ago to identify the typical stages of spiritual development. Of course it's generalized and simplistic, but it was helpful for us to identify the various phases a person goes through in pursui

How long has it been since the people in your church, ministry, or organization were challenged with something bigger than themselves? When was the last time they sensed a need to sacrifice for the greater good? If people don’t have anything worth dying for (at least in the figurative sense of personal sacrifice), they really don’t have anything worth living for. When was the last time your people sensed that they were involved in something that was transforming lives for the