elementals: quick reads to sharpen your leadership edge.

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Divine DNA...and You

Over the last few decades, there’s been a shift in evangelicalism in particular from the hyper-individualistic message of “personal...

The Evolution of Language

The other day I happened to notice a poster about a Big New Blockbuster Movie coming out. The top line on the poster read: “Only in...

Dogpaddling with Dolphins

I’ve been on both sides of a lead pastor transition. Years before serving in the lead pastor role at our church, everyone on...

The Secret of Servant Leadership

Of the four essential elements that every leader must exercise—Integrity, Passion, Servanthood, and Imagination—Servanthood seems like it...

A Continuum of Transformation

In a previous post titled Helping People to Become Inviters, I talked about giving the people in our churches more resources for becoming...

The Problem With Traditionalism

The owner of a Chevron station in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle got tired of plastering advertising deals on his sign. Instead,...

Changing the “Routine Paradigm”

At one time I had my Christian life neatly prioritized. It was: first, God. Second, family. And third, work…specifically, my work as a...

Spiritual Warfare and Ministry

Church ministry is hard because people are complicated. But there’s more to it than just that. Over the years, my wife and I hosted a...

Top 5 Things Pastors Should Stop Pretending To Be

I believe that a pastor’s main duty is making sure the mission of the local church is carried out, which is primarily guiding...

What Do Leaders Pray?

How do leaders pray? Or more specifically, what do leaders pray? If our ultimate leader in this Kingdom movement is Jesus, how and what...

Are You More Important Than You Think?

“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...

Are Leaders Born or Made?

Some years back I had lunch with a young man who had immigrated to America at fifteen to escape an abusive father and a broken family...

Leading Through Personal Difficulty

David’s army had just won a military victory over a coup led by his own son Absalom, killed in the battle. David turned what should have...

The Worship Challenge

Here’s a question I’ve wondered about: in heaven, would I feel any of the restrained feelings I have here about expressing worship? Even...