In the ground-breaking vision of the Beatitudes, Jesus laid out an upside-down picture of life in the kingdom of God. But if we’re honest, it was so counter-cultural, that when taken at face value, the Beatitudes are not particularly desirable! (especially for leaders) Many leaders today believe that if we’re going to get things done and be successful, we must “take the bull by the horns”. We are told that strength and power win in the economy of leadership. So when Jesus boldly announces “Blessed are the Meek”, it’s no wonder that many of us shrug our shoulders and keep plowing ahead. In today’s podcast, I share a sermon that explores the depth underneath Jesus’ words as he invited us into a life marked by meekness. With you on the journey, Pete

Today on the podcast, I share a part of an interview I did earlier this year with the Canadian Church Leaders Network. It this conversation we explored several unique angles including my advice to young pastors, how pain was the catalyst for Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, and why we must draw from multiple streams of Christianity. In one moment of the interview, I shared my perspective on the charismatic/pentecostal stream of Christianity (which is my background). I expanded upon what I see as one of God’s purposes for pouring out His Spirit – giving us the power to die. Pete P.S. For the full interview on the Canadian Church Leaders Podcast, watch the Youtube video here.

For too many years, I thought being a peacemaker was simply being a nice person. Because of this illusion, I spiritualized my conflict avoidance and created a culture in my church where everyone pretended things were ok. This is the definition of false peace. In the most recent podcast episode, I introduced the explosive idea that true peacemaking actually comes by disrupting false peace. The truth is – Jesus’ kingdom cannot be built on lies or pretending that something wrong is right. This is why our definition of the work of peacemaking must be flipped upside down. In the second part of this series, we explore how Jesus disrupted false peace by cleansing the temple. If you’re a people-pleaser, this is a critical message for our day! Pete

I spent my early years avoiding conflict. Becoming a Christian only allowed me to put a spiritual veneer on conflict avoidance. I would quote verses like “Blessed are the peacemakers” to justify my immaturity. As I would later find, this is one of the most wrongly interpreted passages of Scriptures. True peacemaking, when understood correctly, actually comes through disrupting false peace. This is a critical shift we must make in our theology and practice in order to bring true peace in our tumultuous times. In today’s podcast, I share a sermon that goes deeper into this new understanding. I assure you…it changes everything.

Many pastors have been professionally educated and extensively trained. We’ve been to seminary. We’ve taken online courses. We read books and spend countless hours keeping up with the latest podcasts. The problem is – we are facing a massive discipleship crisis. I’ve found that much of our training doesn’t help get at the root of this problem. Deep change requires a new kind of training. In today’s episode, I cast a biblical vision for why training is not a “one and done” experience but a lifestyle we are called to. I finish by sharing about the exciting new additions to our Leader’s Training Vault – our online hub to learn how to create a disciple-making culture in your entire church!

Have you ever stopped to consider what season you are in? Spring, summer, fall, or winter? Many of us are expected to lead as if there is only one season – SPRING GROWTH! We push ourselves to produce measurable fruit and feel ashamed if our churches do not appear to be flourishing. But the truth is (especially as we come out of the pandemic era) much of the church is in a WINTER season. For many, there is nothing visible or spectacular above the surface of our lives or churches. But the gift of winter is that it’s a time designed for our roots to go very deep. When we ignore the reality of our season, not only do we constantly feel like we’re missing it, but we are unable to receive the unique gifts of God. In fact, as I share in today’s episode, I believe I am in a FALL season. That’s why I’m making some. Read more.