Writing

This blog helps pastors and church leaders foster spiritual discernment and maintain a healthy work-life balance, offering reflections and practical advice to lead with clarity and purpose rooted in a strong connection with God.

Uninformed

Today is a sermon preparation day for me. I have been hanging out in a coffee shop most of the day working on a sermon for November 30. The last Sunday in November is the first Sunday of Advent. The passage is Mark 13:24-37. It is not an easy text...

Failing to Understand

We are all familiar with the infamous story of Jesus feeding the large crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish. (Mark 6:41–44 NIV) Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves....

Control

As we continue to work through the life of David, I am finding stories of discernment. Last Sunday, we surveyed David’s fleeing from Jerusalem following his son’s (Absalom) rebellion. One aspect of the story was particularly interesting. As David...

Discernment Update

We spent most of Monday night’s meeting developing a listening strategy for our church staff discernment process. I thought I would post a description on this site. This article will also be included in our next monthly newsletter at First Baptist...

Planning with an Open Mind

We meet this evening as a church leadership team to develop a listening strategy for our discernment process in church staffing. The process began in May and has been interrupted due to hiring an interim worship pastor. Just as we were planning to...

We are Listening

My middle name is Samuel. When I was a kid I enjoyed hearing the story of the boy Samuel being called by God. The account is found in 1 Samuel. You might remember his barren mother (Hannah) begging God for a child. She promised to offer the child ...