“…there will always be someone who has it easier, makes it further, has more opportunity, and achieves more success.” “Quit looking around at everyone else.” These were some harsh words Peter had to hear. For just a moment, he compared his assignment with someone else’s. Jesus quickly called him out: “What is that to you? As for you, follow me.1” Let’s face it, if you look around for just a moment, there will always be someone who has it easier, makes it further, has more opportunity, and achieves more success. When you take your eyes off of the task…
Keep Your Wounds From Becoming Walls
[su_quote]Ministry thrives on real relationships; so building walls of protection around yourself keeps you from building strong relationships with others. [/su_quote] A stinging pinch of truth I bet you can remember the first real backstabbing you ever received while serving in ministry. I remember my first, and I also remember some important words spoken to me by a close pastor friend shortly after… “Welcome to ministry.” Initially, I didn’t really understand what he meant. That little statement contained a bit of humor, a touch of sarcasm, and a stinging pinch of truth. Ultimately it was an important adjustment…
“Simple” Is Not a Dirty Word
[su_quote]Making the complex understandable is somewhat uncommon – not necessarily because it is impossible to do, but rather because those who instruct often do not strive hard enough to achieve it.[/su_quote] For just a moment, I was able to understand the differences between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. A teenager explained it to me. We were riding along the highway on the way to a youth camp in a packed van. He was one of those uncommonly intelligent teens; but what made him unique was his ability to take a somewhat complex concept and explain it in a way that…