Take Fear Captive. Rise Up, Warrior!
When we set out to do something for the Lord, it can seem daunting, especially when the people around us “know better” and yet have chosen to normalize compromise. When I think of the Minor Prophets podcast or Remnant Radio podcast and what they’ve been able to accomplish in the last few years and in particular, the last few days, I’m shocked and in the best way. They lovingly, with sound doctrine, sounded the alarm on yet another abuse in a Christian church that was swept under the rug. They aren’t posting for clickbait or fame; you can tell that they simply want the Body of Christ to be healthy. They did such a great job that the leader they called out, repented today, and even…
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What's The Problem?
I read once that a senior leader’s first job is to address the problems - to acknowledge them. Most people are afraid to “say the quiet part out loud.” Leaders, however, are not rude, but are willing to acknowledge the problems that need addressed…
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The City Is Waiting
Are you hearing God speak to you about what He wants to do in you? Understand this... Satan is happy with you playing it safe and taking it easy. As long as you aren't moving forward to take that risk and do what God is asking you to do, Satan is content. But what if you did take that leap of faith? Start that business, open your home for a small group, start writing that book…
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What If ...
We are called to work with God to bring about beauty in this world. Sometimes that’s through praying for someone who is sick. Sometimes it’s building something beautiful people can enjoy. Sometimes it’s writing a song. Sometimes it’s sending a text to encourage someone. Sometimes it’s just welcoming someone at our church. We are called to bear the image of Jesus and the Holy Spirit makes that possible!…
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Now That's Grace
Christmas is about remembering not just how Jesus came but why Jesus came. Jesus humbled Himself “not considering Himself equal with God” but humbled Himself to be born a baby. He …
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ADDITION TO MULTIPLICATION
If you don’t define jobs and job expectations, inspire and equip people to do those jobs, and consistently celebrate their efforts and performance, you will never move from addition to multiplication.
Fifteen years later, when I felt God telling us to multiply churches, the same principles held true. We had to start defining what each role did, inspire new leaders to take on those roles through mentoring and even online training. This …
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Great Leaders Give Credit and Take Responsibility
When CEO of BP took the podium after their largest oil spill, he wasn’t ready for the storm that was soon to follow. He said …”
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Buried Treasure
Selah, Elli, Eva, and Eden, my four little girls could hardly contain their excitement! I
had taken a wooden microphone box and placed all kinds of treasures in it! Chocolate. Suckers.
Stickers. It was filled with treasures! I had taken a compass and drawn a course on a map that led
through the woods behind our house, over the creek and straight to a buried treasure.
When I told them about this buried treasure and handed them the map along with the
compass, they lit up in anticipation! “Where is it?…”
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What is Success?
In Genesis 37:3-36, we see Joseph receive a promise from God in the form of a dream. In two different dreams, he sees his brothers bowing down to him. He shared this with his brother and let’s just say that they weren’t too thrilled about his “revelation.” What happened next was not in his plans for the “success story” he envisioned!
Sonship is what our hearts must be after, not what the world (or our wicked hearts) promote. As leaders, we can be deceived into thinking that other things are the endgame: wealth, position, power, or affluence. We can even think a certain quality of stage, sound, and lighting is the goal, but it’s not! Many pastors I speak with imply that this is the goal. These things only serve as helpful tools used by a son to serve. “Success” in the eyes of people is not the final destination for a godly leader. Sonship is. And it’s accessible to us (see John 1:12). It’s where it all begins and it’s where it all ends. In the Kingdom of God, success is simply this: Faithful obedience to God’s voice. Not the outcome of that obedience. Not what happens after that first step of obedience. The obedience itself is the measure! Joseph learned this first hand when he… {read more}
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Bored People Do Dumb Things
Before David was appointed King, his character tests included the opportunity to kill Saul, his King and father-in-law, the man who was trying to kill him! He passed the test and chose not to harm him, letting God sort out the details of revenge. Once David was appointed King, the character tests had just begun. A renowned mathematician and theologian, once wrote, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” - Blaise Pascal
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Instead (one word to change your entire life)
A woman from our church called me a while back; in the privacy of that phone call, she voiced how rough their marriage was and how they just don’t get along and constantly argue.
I told her what I’ve told so many women “I know your husband isn’t perfect. No man is. But your husband carries the weight of leading your family, providing for you, protecting you and he probably doesn’t know if he’s doing a good job. When is the last time you greeted him after work with arms around him, smiling, saying “You know what? I think you’re doing a great job leading this family. I appreciate how hard you work and I see the weight that you carry to provide for us and I love how you’d do anything to protect us.” She began crying and could barely speak. After she collected herself, she said “Pastor Jordan, I’ve never said anything like that to him.” I said “That’s why he’s irritable. He thinks he’s failing. If you don’t tell him he’s succeeding, he will assume he’s failing. If your husband hears from you that he’s doing a good job, and he sees that you genuinely respect him, not just once, but occasionally compliment him and don’t be demeaning towards him, he will move mountains for you! He will fight armies for you! Men need to hear it…” {READ MORE}
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In The Place of Suffering
I was at Camp Daniel teaching songwriters about songwriting and the music industry and it was so cool to hear this story from Tony, Daniel’s father. Tony did not want his son to have a rare disease causing him to suffer, struggle to breathe or be bound to a wheelchair. But Daniel and Daniels’ parents didn’t turn anger towards God. They didn’t just wait until God delivered them from their situation. They asked… {read more}
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Implosion Coming?
David imploded. He slept with the wife of one of his generals then in shame and fear, had the general killed in battle. Psalm 51 is a public declaration of the egregious sin and repentance. Could it have been stopped? Something to think about. Saul, on the other hand, live a life of implosion. Time after time, he would throw spears in a fit of rage, accuse friends and family of conspiracy, even threaten …
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Lessons from Megatron and Saul
Saul was unable to lead his family, his army, and his nation because he did not have a trusting relationship with them. As a result of his poor relationships with others, Saul attempted to maintain his authority by control. When this was unsuccessful, he became angry or should I say “more angry!” He lost his direction as a leader and died with his sons shamefully in a losing battle. Anger can get the best of many men and that happens when they don’t take their disappointments to the Lord in prayer. Sadly that anger can have lasting effects on those they love most.
All of us as husbands have been given authority in our families. How do we use this authority? Do we attempt to lead through our depth of relationship…
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Peace Thieves
Lie: You need to do more.
Truth: You may need to do less in your schedule; you may need to rest more.
Not creating margin in your schedule can lead to a lot of stress and lack of peace. Margin leaves time to breath. Some of you are simply over-scheduled.
Lie: You don’t have time to rest.
Truth: God designed a sabbath - a day of rest and worship to remind you that it is HE who has done a great work for you. God told Abraham “I will make you a blessing …” God told Peter “I will make you a fisher of men…” Take time every single Sunday at the beginning of the week reminds us that it is GOD who is at work in our lives, GOD who made us in ...
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American PRIDE Comes Before The Fall
On June 25, 1962 We started with taking prayer out of school because they said it disrespected other religions.
On June 27, 1963 They disallowed the Bible from public readings because they said it disrespected other religions.
On July 1, 2017 they made gay marriage legal because they said it was a human right.
On June 14, 2021 They seemingly reclassified pedophiles as MAPs when they hung up the 'Progress Pride Flag' which includes 'Minor Attracted Persons' in it from…
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An Artist? No. Not me.
God has truly made us. He made us. We are His art, the product of His craftsmanship. This simple truth should dispel all lies of shame and disparaging victim mentality. When Genesis 1:27 really starts to settle in, that God breathed the God-breath into us and made us in His likeness in order to replicate HIS LIKENESS on the earth, we find ourselves in a posture of incredible gratitude. The sense of wonder overtakes as we discover our divine purpose to extend Eden and cultivate the ways of God in the world around us!
If Eugene Peterson is right…{read more}
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Church - Institution or Family?
Constantine, who was a Roman soldier, won victory in battle and became the Roman Emperor and contributed his success to the Christian God and immediately institutionalized Christianity. It became the religion on the Roman Empire.
Which you’d think that’d be good right? Institutionalize Christianity. Mandate faith.
No. It forced people to elevate man and the Arch Bishops and the Priests and “The Church” became a place where you went to get married, a place where you dedicate your child, a place and not a movement, an institution comprised of buildings and hierarchy instead of a family of God, children of God caring for one another. All across America today, we still have buildings where you…
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