Help! I’m Lonely: Good News for Lonely Leaders
I once heard Tim Keller say, “Wise leaders know that leaders are lonely, and they escape the trap of self-pity about it.” True, but Keller’s talk provided no answer to my immediate question, which was, “Yes. But how?!” I dare not trust myself to attempt to round off a Tim Keller sermon. But I will […]
Revitalized Churches Embrace Spiritual Parenting
When my son was young, I hadn’t yet learned to be the father I wanted to be. I was wrapped up in all of “my” things, and my tunnel vision didn’t allow me to always see other things that should have been important. I was focused on growing a student ministry, growing as a leader, […]
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 […]
‘Make Every Effort’: Intentional Relationships in a Culture of Laziness
If given the choice, many people would opt for living in a do-less, get-more world. With the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, it can be tempting for a student to want to submit a single sentence to a chatbot—and let AI create the essay. Ever since COVID, it’s been tempting for some to want to […]
Doctrinal Misalignment: A Relational Approach
*Editor’s Note: This article is a helpful illustration of how two people can confront doctrinal misalignment in a relational way. The specific scenario deals with the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Please note that within RENEW.org there is a spectrum of views regarding the miraculous gifts, and there is not an official RENEW.org position. […]
A Cooperative Church
Have you ever seen a gospel lesson mirrored in everyday life? I had one of those moments hit on New Year’s. I grew up in a family that loved to play games when we gathered. At the end of the day, the game itself didn’t really matter. We could drum up competitive spirit for just […]
6 Books on Friendship
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather, it is one of those things which give value to survival.” —C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves I am of the opinion that, of the many good gifts God has given for our enjoyment and enrichment, friendship is one of the most precious. As […]
What We Learn from Job’s Three Friends
The story of Job, from the Old Testament, is well known. He is the man who lost everything—family, wealth, health—and yet did not lose his faith in God. While in the midst of Job’s suffering, Job’s three friends came to pay him a visit. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar […]
