If you knew the end of the world was near, how would you respond? We live in turbulent times. Some expert opinions say this level of upheaval will only increase until the 2030’s. For many, it feels much like the end of the world. This is why we should take comfort in what Jesus said about the end. In Mark 13, Jesus prepares his disciples for the last days – a time of great upheaval both inside and outside of the church. But He gives them two very clear words on how they should respond. These words are critical for us as we navigate these times. In today’s episode, we will explore these words from Mark 13. Wherever you are today, I pray Jesus breathes into your lungs new perspective, peace, and purpose for your life and future!

We all come across stones in our lives. Stones are anything, big or small, that we unexpectedly encounter on our journey. We can either stumble over these stones, or we can embrace them as gifts of grace. In Mark 12, Jesus shares the parable of the tenants. In one particular verse, He quotes from the Psalms: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes (v.10-11)  The stone is Jesus. He was rejected and unseen by the religious authorities. He was an obstacle to some but an open door to many. Like Jesus, most of the stones in our lives can transform us if we are willing to change the way we see. Listen to today’s podcast to learn more.

Many church leaders live under an illusion… They believe that in order to see deep change in their people, all they need to do is stay relevant, preach more passionately, and launch the latest, cutting-edge ministry initiatives. The truth is – there is one thing that must first be addressed. It’s the invisible force that can make or break your church. That is – your church culture. When your church culture is healthy, it will bring life and vitality to everything you do. When it is unhealthy and dysfunctional, it will sabotage the best efforts of you and your team. But what DOES a healthy church culture look like? In today’s episode, I cast a 6-part vision for a church culture that will accelerate your ability to make deeply changed disciples of Jesus.

As leaders, we are often celebrated for our gifts, strengths, and successes. We feel the internal and external pressure to be charismatic leaders who are winsome and influential! But the leaders celebrated in Scripture are well known for other reasons – They embraced their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This was the case for Jesus, Paul, David, Peter, Jeremiah, Elijah and many more. They did not lead as superheroes but embraced the limitations of their humanity. When we are unable to accept our own vulnerabilities, we create a culture where others do not feel safe to be vulnerable. Over time, our churches become filled with people who are encouraged to pretend to be something they are not. In today’s episode, we cover the next mark of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. Listen along to learn how to actually lead out of weakness and vulnerability.

Many leaders today are unknowingly crippled by this truth… The blessings and sins of your family—going back three to four generations—profoundly impacts who you are today.  Unaware that their past impacts their present, many leaders bury or minimize the family history that lives inside them and settle for a constricted Christian life in which they are stuck spiritually and emotionally. In order to become free and thrive in the new family of Jesus, we must acknowledge how we’ve been deeply shaped by our family of origin. In today’s episode, we discuss this next mark of emotionally healthy discipleship and why developing a “Genogram” will help us become mature disciples of Jesus.

How would you describe a spiritually mature person? Maybe these words and phrases come to mind – spiritually gifted, wise, prophetic, influential, charismatic, rooted in Scripture, prayerful, discerning, serving the poor, etc. These are all great (and necessary) qualities! But the Bible teaches there is one thing that surpasses them all – LOVE. In fact, 1 Cor. 13 tells us that it’s possible to excel in all of these areas and still not have love. When we measure maturity with anything but the quality of our love, we are left with absolutely nothing. But how exactly do we make love the measure of our spiritual maturity? In today’s podcast, we cover this next mark of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship.