Here is a great article from Ed Stetzer about what it means to be a courageous leader. ********** Courageous Leaders, Bullies and Weasels by Ed Stetzer The other day, I talked about arrogant pastors — a problem that is all too common. As I had both expected and feared, there was quite a response across various forms of social media. People quickly identified with the issue. I've been thinking more about the issue of character. Even this morning, we see what the lack of courageous character can do as we watch government leaders fail to take action and the "sequester" takes effect. True leadership demands character. In ministry, that character has to be courageous character. My experience is that it is not celebrated enough and, to be honest, is sometimes lacking in ministry. Abraham Lincoln said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character,…
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As a preacher and communicator, I am a big proponent of knowing who you are speaking to. As John Stott reminded us, we who preach live in "two worlds" -- the world of the Bible and our own world. Fred Craddock taught us that good preaching flows out of a preacher who knows his God and his people. Therefore, I try to craft my messages with my audience in mind. I think through different life situations and scenarios. Before I head for the stage, I usually look around and remind myself who is in the room. But I never know everybody. This was brought home to me once again this past Sunday. After our first service, a young lady and her mother stopped to thank me for the service. As they spoke, the young lady began crying -- and I mean really crying. Like sobbing. The mother apologized and then…
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We are launching a new series at Mountainview this weekend. It's called "Onward" and it will walk us through the entire book of Philippians. Written by the Apostle Paul while in prison, Philippians is both a very personal and pastoral letter. In this short book we get a glimpse into Paul's friendships and we hear his loving concern for them. Many commentators often draw attention to the theme of joy that runs throughout the book. Depending on how you parse it, the word joy or one of its companions appears nineteen times in four chapters. As you know, whenever a writer repeats a word or phrase that many times -- it must be important to him or her. For Paul, the joy of the Lord is a very real and present part of life, even when he is writing from a prison cell. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I…
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Many coffee shops thrive as a "third place." People gather to meet with one another, hold meetings, share stories and tears, all over a cup of (hopefully) good coffee. The idea behind a "third place" is simple: After home and work, people need a third place to go -- a place to socialize and reconnect. People need to feel a sense of community. Coffee shops like Starbucks and Peets have built a strong reputation as a "third place." Which makes this morning's observation a little ironic. I'm sitting in one of the aforementioned third places and it's filled with people. The only thing most of them seem connected to is the Internet. If they are socializing, it is on Facebook. To be fair, some of them are on their phones. Not talking on their phones but on their phones nonetheless. What is it about a coffee shop that draws together…
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Marshall Shelley is the editor of Leadership Journal, one of my favorite journals. I can remember as a young pastor getting excited about receiving my quarterly edition in the mail. Of course, I only read LJ for the cartoons -- which were some of the best. In addition to his work as editor of LJ, Shelley has also written and edited several books. One that I just read is "Growing Your Church Through Evangelism and Outreach." Here is a quote that resonated with me: "Faith has three essential aspects: the inner life of devotion, the outer life of service, and the intellectual life of rationality. The third area needs lifting, too; all three legs of the stool are essential. We must teach people to pray, to serve, and to think. Jesus said not only, 'Take my yoke upon you' but also 'Learn of me.'" Pray. Serve. Think. All three are…
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