4 Reasons Christians Should Speak Up Politically
This political year promises to be a hot one. Emotions and opinions are in full force. It is quite the skirmish and the temptation is to opt out to avoid criticism. I think that’s a mistake, and here are my reasons to get down and dirty in the political conversation. Laws impact people’s lives. [...]
8 Reasons NOT to be a Leader
You don’t HAVE to be a leader. Nobody is making you. Here are some reasons why you might want to simply uphold the status quo and go with the flow. Here’s my list. Leadership is work. It is much easier–at least in the short term–to take it easy. Hard work is no fun. Leadership is [...]
Trap of Tweaking
Most churches die because they are stuck in the trap of tweaking. Instead of taking bold steps to reach out, they get stuck trying to make small improvements in programs/ministries that are irrelevant to people’s lives. Incrementalism is ministry’s worst enemy: doing something small/insignificant so as to deceive yourself into believing you are making significant [...]
Give Her a Break!
I admit I kinda like it when a Bible story wrecks our Christian way of thinking. Such is the story of Rahab, the harlot. Rahab flat out lied. No question about it. That fact has tormented Bible student for years, but facts are facts. She told a big, fat lie and God didn’t seem to [...]
High-Touch Beats High-Definition
Ministry has no substitute for people. There is no replacement for a Spirit-led person. A multimedia format cannot replace the personal attention of a living, breathing human-being. No cartoon, movie, or music video will ever be able to replace a man or woman of God. Personal attention trumps multimedia. Flesh and blood trumps plug and [...]
Beware of Experts
There is no end to well-meaning people with experience who will tell you what is NOT possible. They are experts. They have respect. But because none of us can predict trends with complete accuracy, they simply do not know whether most new ideas will work or not. In their good intentions they are trying to [...]
4 Keys For Accomplishing a BIG Task
Ever had a job to do that is so big it overwhelmed you? All of us have. I remember when I first started Kidz Blitz; I was so overwhelmed by all that had to be done that I sometimes didn’t do anything. I felt crushed by the size of the task. Here are the secrets [...]
7 Ingredients for Building a Cool KidMin Team
No other ministry besides children’s ministry require as many strong workers. Kidmin lives or dies based on the strength of your team of workers. It takes people, lots of people, lots of strong people to run a first-class children’s ministry. Here are the ingredients. RECRUIT TALENT. Go after people who have the abilities you need. [...]
The Uprising
Trust me when I tell you: this conference rocks! I am partnering with my home church, Quest Community Church, in their super cool conference: The Uprising. Quest specializes in helping churches create a “loving culture of redemption.” It is a vibrant, growing church with lots to offer. Anyone in any type of ministry–kidmin, fammin, stumin, [...]
Unplugged
The greatest power shortage on earth exists not in fossil fuels but in the church. The energy crisis in the church is more serious than the energy crisis within our economy. Desperate for new ideas on church growth, we have opted for cleaver strategy over divine power. We have become like Zig Ziglar’s Indian [...]
Flounderers, Goal Setters & Track Jumpers
There are three ways I could choose to go through life. The first two are common. The last one is scarce. 1. Flounderers. This is the person who goes through life with no direction, no goals, no vision. They have no drive and no curiosity. Flounderers can’t see beyond today. They never seem to have [...]
What I’m teaching at CPC
I’m teaching two breakouts at the Children’s Pastors’ Conference. I am pumped about both of them. They are back-to-back on the same day and in the same room. Here’s the Orlando schedule. Both breakouts are in Yucatan 1. Seating is limited. EVERY attendee will get… Workshop Booklet Discount Code for Curriculum, etc. Chance to Win [...]
Raspberry Island
All of Willie’s life he wanted to get to Raspberry Island and live there. He was a beaver and more than anything else, beavers love raspberries. Willie could see the island across Mighty Stream but he couldn’t get there. The raspberries were bigger and juicier than the ones in his forest. Willie knew this because [...]
What’s the Book About?
Here’s a quick summary of what my new book, Jumping the Track, is about. BUY NOW For more information about the book, go to Jumping the Track web site
Goals Gone Bad
Long term goal setting is the best way to miss open doors. I don’t set long term goals. They say I should, but I don’t. Not because I am lazy, but because I flat out don’t believe in setting long term goals. Someone recently asked me, “Roger, where do you see yourself in five years?” [...]
The Third Choice
The Christian social justice advocates present two choices: 1. Preach only the Gospel thereby ignoring human physical needs in favor of eternal spiritual need of salvation. 2. Make a difference concerning the injustice of human suffering in a way that makes the Gospel relevant to physical life here and now. The choice—presented that way—makes the [...]
Have You Had Your Popeye Moment?
In 2005 Bill Hybels spoke at the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek on leadership. He observed that all leaders come to a defining point in their lives BEFORE they become leaders. They come to a point where they can’t take it anymore. There is something they can no longer stand. He flashed back to the [...]
Eat Your Bible
Sometimes we forget that the Word of God is not only truth, it is spiritual food. We need it not only to guide our faith/doctrine but to sustain us. It is easy to neglect reading the Bible because we get lulled into thinking of it as a divine manual rather than daily sustenance. If all [...]
Have You Upgraded to Jesus 2.0?
If your version of Jesus is one of a Jewish peasant wearing a middle eastern robe and sandals, you might want to upgrade to Jesus 2.0. True, He lived, died and was buried as a Jewish man. The Son of God took on human flesh (Philippians 2:7-8). That is historically true and foundational to our [...]
What Buzz the Horse Taught Me
In 2007 we bought a small horse farm. We then bought three geldings: Woody, Wilson and Zeb. For you city folks a gelding is a male horse who has been…shall we say…modified. I am a city boy. I didn’t know about this until we started buying horses. My wife, Tammie, educated me. Then we bought [...]
Tis Trivial
I struggled with math in college. It didn’t help that my second year calculus teacher at the University of Kentucky was a swinger from South America. This middle-aged man wore silk shirts half-buttoned and gold medallions on chains that bounced around in his chest hair while he lectured. If an attractive girl walked past the [...]
What’s so Hot About Abraham?
Why did God choose Abraham to launch the nation that would give birth to Jesus? Why Abraham (originally called “Abram”)? Why not his next door neighbor? Or the town mayor? Why him? Abraham was known for his faith but that came later. No place does it say God choose Abraham because he was a great [...]
The Immensity of the Sea
There’s more to God than we can fathom. We have not yet figured Him out. He is bigger than our doctrines, bigger than our plans, bigger than our songs. You only have to consider the universe, the earth and seas to realize His vastness defies comprehension. The greatest disservice in ministry we can do is [...]
Ministry is Messy
Ministry is a lot of things, tidy is not one of them. It messes with your plans, your family, your relationships, your time, your mind. It even messes with your faith. There is nothing about ministry that is safe, predictable or orderly. Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; But much increase comes by [...]
