- 05/22/2013
10 of My Worst Sermon Gaffes, Goofs and Illustrations
When you preach for a living, mistakes are bound to be made. Sometimes it's a sermon idea. It looks good on paper but when it passes from paper to preaching something get's twisted. Or perhaps it's an illustration that you think is going to work really well but it crashes at takeoff. Or maybe it's a gaffe you made that you wish you could retract.
4 comments - 05/11/2013
Dear Youth Leader
You may be thinking about giving up. You may be wondering if it's worth the small paychecks and big headaches. You may be considering hanging up your paintball gun and canceling your subscription to Group Magazine. Don't. It is worth it.
- 05/08/2013
10 things I Miss About Being a Pastor
For ten years of my life I was a preaching pastor at a church I helped plant with my good buddy Rick Long (Grace Church of Arvada.) This weekend I've been preaching all three services at my old stomping grounds and it's got me reminiscing. With this in mind here are 10 things I miss about being a pastor:
3 comments - 04/26/2013
10 Reasons Why Youth Leaders Should Get in Shape
In my late teens and early twenties I was in pretty good shape. By the time I was 23 years of age I had been roofing for eight years and did a lot of the "grunt" work of carrying shingles up ladders and tearing off old roofs. I was the go to guy for all things manual labor. In addition I played basketball on weekends and lived a very active lifestyle as a part time middle school youth leader. Then something strange happened…I got into ministry full-time.
36 comments - 04/20/2013
What a Dead Missionary Can Teach Us About Radical Youth Ministry
So what does all of this have to do with your youth ministry? What lessons can Hudson Taylor teach the average youth leader about youth ministry? There are at least 3 lessons he can teach those of us trying to reach the unreached people group called teenagers today:
- 04/20/2013
The Ultimate Terrorist
It's easy to forget that there is another terrorist behind the human terrorist who actually lit the fuse. This terrorist, the ultimate terrorist, is Satan himself. We as believers can fight back.
- 04/16/2013
21 Ways to Share the Gospel
1. Take someone to church with you, go to lunch afterward and ask them how they felt about the sermon (then dive in!) 2. Write someone a letter that gently segues to the gospel. Ask them what they thought about the letter later.
14 comments - 04/06/2013
7 Reminders for Reaching the Lost in a Culture That Doesn't Get Jesus
I love Acts 17. In this chapter the Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into how to effectively and creatively reach those who have no point of reference for the message of Jesus. Paul did his homework.
43 comments - 03/18/2013
5 Ways to Get Your Teens Engaged in Spiritual Disciplines
We need to demystify prayer, Bible reading and meditation for teenagers. Too many times when we speak of spiritual disciplines in a non-specific way, teenagers have visions of monks and monasteries.
13 comments - 03/16/2013
How to Spot a Legalist
Legalists are tricky creatures. They slither in the side doors of churches, sign up to lead Bible studies and fill the minds of once joyous believers with rules and requirements of what it "really means" to become a Christian.
56 comments - 03/02/2013
7 Lessons I've Learned About Getting and Keeping the Attention of Teenagers
God has blessed me with the privilege of speaking to groups of teenagers for the last twenty five years or so. From small youth groups to medium sized camps to arenas full of students I have known the thrill and terror of trying to get and keep the attention of adrenalin-filled, twitchy teenagers.
25 comments - 02/08/2013
Pose Downs, Speedos and the Wrong Church Growth Numbers
When it comes to ministry there are show muscles and there are go muscles. Show muscles range from church attendance, budget size and number of baptisms. Go muscles have more to do with spiritual growth
13 comments - 01/26/2013
Why Mormons Do Better Youth Ministry Than We Do
In light of the skyrocketing popularity of Mormonism in the United States helped along by the Broadway Musical, "The Book of Mormon", Mitt Romney and your nice Mormon neighbors I thought it would be good to recycle this five year old article I wrote. The thesis? Mormons do better youth ministry than the average Protestant church! Read on and see if you agree with me…
786 comments - 01/09/2013
What Brand of Duct Tape Keeps You Quiet About Jesus?
Their are 3 brands of "duct tape" that keep Christians quiet about Jesus. These types of tape seek to seal our mouths shut about the good news of Jesus. The "Um, I'm not sure" Duct Tape - for the most part, church leaders are not doing enough gospel training.
- 01/02/2013
5 Reasons I'm Excited About Youth Ministry in 2013
People often ask me what I think about the future of youth ministry. My response usually surprises them. I am VERY excited about the future of youth ministry. As a matter of fact 2013 could be youth ministry's break out year.
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