For fifteen years I served in a church staff position. I was surprised when God called me to the pastorate. Early in my ministry I had no desire to be the Senior Pastor…but God changed my heart and the direction of my ministry. I count myself a blessed man for having served as both a staff member and a pastor. Both churches I’ve pastored have been multiple staff situations. The church I presently serve has a ministerial staff of seventeen plus support staff, school staff, and others. Continue reading “The Seven Deadly Sins of a Pastor (Part 1)” →

I’m writing this sitting in the hospital. We are an hour and a half from home. It’s quiet. But it’s not peaceful. Terri had full knee replacement surgery on Tuesday, and we’ve been here ever since. The pain is intense. The therapy is intense and painful, but it has to be done. The last thing you want after a joint replacement is for the joint to freeze and lock up. Continue reading “A Room with No View” →

Let me begin by saying that I pastor the greatest church on the planet. It’s not a perfect church, no way. It’s not a great church because we make movies—that has nothing to do with it. It’s a great church made up of some great people who have learned to pray, seek the Lord for revival, preserve the unity of the saints, and follow hard after God. I’m sure we have a few knuckleheads, but they usually don’t raise their heads around me. Continue reading “Pastor Appreciation” →

Today I am excited to be participating in The Rite of Passage blog tour. You can view more details here.

I know Jim McBride on multiple levels. I first got to know him as his pastor. Jim and his family were new in town and visited Sherwood. He was the new manager for the Coca-Cola Plant in Albany, and it didn’t take long for me to discover this man was a leader. Continue reading ““Rite of Passage” Blog Tour” →

Some folks seem clueless. I mean, folks who shouldn’t be clueless. Folks who should know better. Educated folks. Seemingly intelligent people. But apparently the comedian Ron White is right, “You can’t fix stupid.” Some folks don’t like the word stupid. They call it the “S” word. Regardless of the word you use, people are stupid, fools, idiots, or knuckleheads. Take your pick. Find one that works for you. The Lord God of the universe found nothing wrong with using the word “fool” in contrast to those who are wise. Continue reading “What Does It Take?” →