The Grace of Easter

This weekend, billions of people around the world will celebrate this one event in history—Jesus’ death and resurrection! So what is the significance of Easter? Easter shows us what God is really like. The Bible tells us that “God is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8). The Apostle Peter…

Finding Time To Be Bored

It is difficult to find time to be bored. We now can fill our lives with so much stuff. One of the biggest culprits is our electronic devices. When I was young, I remember standing in a long line for an event with nothing to do – except talk with someone or stare at the…

You Need a Coach!

I happen to believe that every one of us needs a coach. No pastor or church leader should go it alone. One survey said that 90% of pastors feel unprepared for their current challenges.   LET’S TALK… I wrote a post a while back that shared how I have benefited from coaching. Here are a…

Humility

Are you humble? That’s a trick question! If you say “Yes”, you probably are not; and you probably are not if you say “No”.  Humility is illusive. Once we think we have it, we lose it. Yet, when it comes to being humble in the Bible, we are to “humble ourselves” (1 Peter 5:6; James…

Bad Behavior

As pastors and leaders, people notice what we do more than what we say. The old saying is true, “most things are caught, not taught.” Recently James Albright posted an article entitled Unproductive Behavior of Leaders. He begins by warning us NOT to apply this list to others but to examine our own behaviors. As…

Margins

Do you have margins in your life? Richard Swenson defines margins as “the space between our load and our limits.” We all need a buffer, a place where we can recharge our batteries, and a space where we can focus on what matters most. LET’S TALK I like the analogy of a cup. If the…

I’ve Got This, God

By Linda Myers I have a frightening verse underlined in my Bible. When the people of Gibeon heard how Joshua had conquered Jericho and Ai, they came up with a ruse. A delegation of men went to Joshua saying they had come from a distant country and asked that a treaty be made between them…

Reasons Why We Aren’t Reaching Secular People

It is a different time for the Church in America. While other parts of the world, such as Asia and Africa, are experiencing rapid growth in the church, we are seeing a steady decline. And just to be clear, that drop was going on long before COVID. Our Evangelical Church has a rich past of…

R-Rated Prayer

Is God too pure to listen when his children suffer violence? By Wayne Schock As Christians, we are often aware that polite conversation excludes certain words and even whole topics, especially when young people or children are present. But how serious can I be about talking with God, when there are topics that I choose…

Sowing in Prayer

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” -John Maxwell This year, the Pacific Conference’s emphasis is one word – IMPACT. Christ wants His Church to have an impact. We are called to be the salt and light to…

Break Down Every Idol

There is a beautiful phrase of surrender from an old hymn. It goes like this: “Break down every idol, cast out every foe. Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” I believe that every one of us grapples with idols. An idol is anything we trust or love more than God. Who…

Leaders Who Last

We all want to be a leader who lasts. We want to be able to say along with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Sadly, too many of us burn out, bail out, or fall out. LET’S TALK Recently I…