Dr. Henry Cloud spoke at the Summit about three kinds of people in this world: the wise, the foolish, and the evil.  While a little (or lot) of each exists in each of us, some make a career out of it. The key question is: what do you do when presented with the light of truth? The wise are thankful for the light.  The light helps them improve.  The light points out weak spots.  When you confront a wise person, they are likely to say, "Thank you." The foolish try to adjust the light.  They adjust the truth.  Or put this way: the fool tries to change the truth rather than change themselves.  My favorite line?  When feedback is given and the first reflex is to find an excuse -- that person is squinting into the light. The evil?  Some people simply have destruction in their hearts and want to…

Using 2 Kings 3:9-20 as his text, church planter Steven Furtick spoke of how Elisha prepared for God's provision: he dug ditches.  Then God filled them with water. "If you want to see the land filled with water, dig some ditches." As pastors, we are prone to look at the success of other churches and look for the secret formula.  What is the ONE THING we can beg, borrow, or steal that will unlock our growth? We see their success and forget that they spent much effort digging ditches.  They prayed, prepared, and did their home work.  And God blessed their ditch digging.

How do you capture in a blog post Seth Godin's presentation at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit?  You don't.  You share snippets. Most companies are content to produce average products for average people to buy. Tribes have multiplied. Karl Marx -- Groucho's younger brother. The first guy who put an urinal in a museum was an artist; the second guy was a plumber. There is no map for an artist. If all you can offer is being the "local" church, you're replaceable. Just because the tide is out doesn't mean there is less water in the ocean.  It's just moving around. Carrots at the end of the farmer's market ... either you give them away or they rot.

How to describe the Reverend Brenda Salter McNeil?  How about ... oh my! She spoke powerfully on Acts 1:8 ... "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  Each of us has a Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria in our lives and influence. Jerusalem is home base. It's our family, our neighborhood.  It's where the people are like us.  When serving in Jerusalem, it takes courage to confront those who are most like us. Judea is the place that is close to home but isn't home.  The ways of Judea are similar to home but different.  It's like we're from the same place but speak a different language.  This is where ministry gets more complex. Samaria.  Samaria is the place we try to avoid. It's the…

Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, NJ, spoke on day one of the Willow Creek Leadership Summit.  As he discussed legacy, he referenced the lights in a night sky.  Many of those stars we see in the sky have actually died yet their light still shines.  How?  They were so far away that the light beams haven't arrived yet. What a great metaphor for leaving a legacy! May your light continue to shine long after you die.