My Cup Overflows
“My cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5c, NIV). These three simple words come from one of the most popular psalms in the Bible, Psalm 23. These words have given me so much life and encouragement during my first full-time ministry experience this past summer. On the days when I was exhausted, these were the words I came […]
Pastoral Burnout: Getting Below the Surface
Author’s note: This is my second article dealing with pastoral burnout. Recent Barna research revealed that 33% of ministers had given serious thought to quitting. My own research for a graduate studies project showed 63% of those surveyed had given or were giving serious thought to quitting the ministry. In the first article, I wrote […]
Why Is the Bible So Hard to Understand? 3 Reasons
Why is the Bible so hard to understand? Here are some key takeaways from this article: The Bible can be hard to understand because we don’t take time to see what it says. We need to learn the skills of “observation.” The Bible can be hard to understand because we don’t take time to figure […]
4 Reasons to Pray that Go Beyond My Physical Needs
We usually think of prayer as asking things of God or at least talking to Him, thanking Him and praising Him. However, let me suggest that prayer is first of all listening to God. 1. We pray to listen to God. In prayer, God has our attention. We don’t have to ask for His attention; […]
Sabbath Won’t Just Happen
It feels impossible to find time to meet. Check your calendar for openings, notify me of availability, and see what might look good in the next few weeks. Six months later we are in the same place. Sync schedules, pivot to Google Calendars, and submit a Doodle poll. Nothing. Our calendars have less empty space […]
Is Tithing in the Bible? Q&A with Bobby Harrington
Is tithing in the Bible? What does the Bible teach about tithing? In this Q&A article, pastor, author, and Renew.org point leader Bobby Harrington explores what tithing is, why Christians give, and why it’s important to support the local church. Q: What is tithing? Tithing means “a tenth part” (Genesis 14; Hebrews 7:2-4). We tithe […]
Practicing the Presence: Being Present with God and People in a Busy World
“I’m busy!” Those words are uttered so frequently that we do not even notice them anymore. Our culture wears those words like a badge of honor. “I’m busy” unfortunately doesn’t just describe our calendars. It can also describe our hearts. This is as true for ministers as it is for anyone. As I mentioned in […]
Church Is Boring? 3 Times It Actually Is
When someone says or thinks that church is boring, what is it exactly that they are bored by? Here are three times a church gathering actually is boring—to us and, I want to suggest, to God as well. Smiling through small talk can be boring. In a commercial, a young woman walks up to the […]
