Youth Ministry and Winging It. . . .
A youth worker posted this yesterday in a youth min group we are both part of on Facebook. . . “Visited a church while out of town this weekend. The Pastor expressed how glad he was that the Holy Spirit…
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Friday Fodder. . . Truth Or No Truth? What Are You Teaching? . . .
The contrast I encountered this morning was overwhelming and discouraging. On the one hand, I read today’s entry in J.I. Packer’s daily devotional Knowing God Through The Year. Then, shortly thereafter, I logged on to Facebook and a post from a…
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Willow Creek. . . Be Soberly Reminded. . .
There are lessons to be learned here. This is not a time to simply shake our heads in disapproval. Disapproval is certainly warranted and necessary. But disapproval must be cloaked in a healthy and realistic understanding that, yes, there but…
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Friday Fodder. . . An Old Word To The Young. . .
Someone once wisely told me that “leaders are readers and readers are leaders.” I believe it. The wisest and most effective leaders I know are women and men who read regularly, passionately, and widely. In this age filled with technological…
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Pornography And Kids. . .
One of the most difficult and humbling things I get to do is talk to kids about the cultural scourge of pornography. That’s what I’ll be doing tomorrow morning with a group of 300 kids at a camp in Massachusetts.…
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Friday Fodder. . . I Love You Enough To Tell You The Truth. . .
One of the most difficult aspects of life in the Body of Christ. . . yet one of the most necessary for our flourishing. . . is loving confrontation. We all need it. When I am derailed or on a…
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Friday Fodder. . . Something To Think About. . .
My head tends to be a jumble of stuff. It’s a changing mixture that combines things I’ve read, seen, and heard in a mix that I continually pray prompts thinking, being, and ministering in ways that bring glory to God…
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Mike Trout, Youth Ministry, And The Marketing Of Self. . . .
Televised sports found its way onto my agenda last night, with me engaging in a flip-fest between the MLB All-Star Game, the Tour De France, and Cornhole (yes. . . Cornhole! . . . televised now as a sport on…
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A Letter to Senior Pastors. . . .
Dear Pastor, I’ve asked your youthworker and your students’ parents to forward this letter on to you. It’s about the kids in your congregation and the powerful role that you play as their pastor in their spiritual nurture. I know…
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Friday Fodder. . . Something To Think About. . .
My head tends to be a jumble of stuff. It’s a changing mixture that combines things I’ve read, seen, and heard in a mix that I continually pray prompts thinking, being, and ministering in ways that bring glory to God…
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Teens and Anxiety. . . Some Helpful Words. . .
Ever feel like this? . . . Apparently anxiety was a problem way back when Time Magazine ran this cover in 1961. The covered featured the now-familiar Edvard Munch painting known as “The Scream.” Interestingly enough, Munch painted this way…
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Friday Fodder. . . Something To Ponder. . .
My head tends to be a jumble of stuff. It’s a changing mixture that combines things I’ve read, seen, and heard in a mix that I continually pray prompts thinking, being, and ministering in ways that bring glory to God…
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