Discussion Questions: 1. How does E.K. Strawser’s perspective on discipleship align with your own understanding? 2. How do you define discipleship in your own context? How does it align or differ from Strawser’s definition? 3. What role do you believe mission plays in discipleship? How can discipleship without mission be limited or incomplete? 4.…
Discussion Questions: 1. How does commodifying individuals in society and in the church go against the principles of valuing people beyond their societal roles and consumption patterns? 2. In what ways do you see the dangers of reducing people to their purposes and activities in today’s culture? 3. How do you think fame intersects…
One of the hardest things about being a pastor is the feeling that what you’re doing isn’t making a difference. You put the work in week in and week out–and for what? People don’t seem to be growing in their faith. Younger generations are disappearing from your church. And you can’t, for the life of…
Discussion Questions: 1. How have stories influenced your own spiritual formation and growth? 2. Are there any stories or narratives that you have accepted without critically examining them? How might this impact your faith? 3. How can the church create space for sharing and hearing each other’s stories? Why is this important for spiritual…
Discussion Questions: 1. How does the concept of being the “wrong person” for the job resonate with you in your own life or leadership roles? 2. Do you agree that salvation is about becoming the person God meant us to be? Why or why not? 3. What are some common interferences that prevent us…
Shalom is one of my favorite words. What is Shalom? The simple meaning of shalom is “peace.” But shalom is so much more than a mere absence of violence or hostility. It’s about much more than a couple of friends or a couple of nations getting along with each other. Shalom has to with…
TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Overworked preacher seeks rest, struggles with burnout in ministry. 00:04:19 Book inversion: Prevent burnout in ministry, become high capacity leader. 00:08:51 Control isolates; false sense of reality. 00:14:37 Control linked to childhood affects leadership negatively. 00:18:37 Avoid entanglements that dampen your flame. 00:23:21 Depend on Lord, choose right people, seek freedom. 00:26:01…
TIMESTAMPS: [00:05:41] Scot McKnight grew up in a Baptist dispensationalist church but lost interest in eschatology after college. He became intrigued again during his Ph.D. studies on Jewish apocalyptic literature. [00:08:07] Scot McKnight discusses how he came to view the book of Revelation as part of the Jewish world at the time and not…
One of my favorite things to do with a team of leaders is “dwelling in Scripture.” This is a simple lectio divina exercise that works great with groups. How “Dwelling in Scripture” works What I love about the practice of dwelling in scripture is that it requires absolutely zero preparation. So often, we who…
When I think about toxic influences, I think about “toxic assets.” I learned this term during the recession of 2008. The assets refer to mortgage loans. As the housing market collapsed the value of the properties fell below the value of the loans. Suddenly, these loans became liabilities because the houses that secured the loans…