Eight years after planting New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, I was exhausted. The pressure of preaching and teaching weekly messages, along with the rest of my leadership responsibilities, left me depleted. Although our ministry was growing, I often felt like I was gaining the world but losing my own soul. This crisis launched me on a profound inward journey that ultimately led to a whole new way of doing both discipleship and leadership – including the fundamentals of preaching and teaching. What I lacked, and what so many of us still lack today, is a way to teach and preach for Jesus that properly flows out of a deep inner life with him. What I discovered is that there is a way to engage in this weighty work of speaking for Jesus that is light and easy rather than heavy and hard, that strengthens rather than diminishes our relationship with him, and that. Read more.

Does the end of the year feel like a complete whirlwind? For most pastors and leaders Christmas activities dominate the month of December and then we only get a week’s break before launching into a new year! In January, pastors face the difficult task of vision-casting, goal-setting, and steering the direction of the church for the next 12 months. Too often, our planning is driven by: Expectations from others (i.e. board, supervisors, people we serve) Internal pressure to be a great leader or to create momentum. The “shoulds” of everything that feels important. (i.e. “We should be doing more of this…”) All of these things can feel like a tremendous weight, under which many pastors buckle over time. But planning doesn’t have to feel this way. In today’s episode, I want to show you a radical new approach to planning. I’ll show you how I plan for the season ahead in a way that produces joy,. Read more.

Does the way you spend time with Jesus actually transform your life? Back in June, I released the first part of today’s topic, making a case that leaders must dramatically change the way we approach our devotional life with Jesus. Many evangelicals start their day with a “quiet time”. However, most leaders would agree that this practice does very little to sustain us amidst the mounting pressures and challenges of our day. In today’s podcast, I recommend a new way forward. I’ll share with you four keys that will breathe life back into your devotions.