Step Into Significance

When God first stirred my heart toward becoming a pastor, I had a hard time accepting it. My dreams were to play baseball and practice law, not preach! Just the thought of standing before a congregation filled me with dread. The first time I spoke publicly was at my university’s vespers service. It was only […]

I love hiking. When I pass a breathtaking landscape, my heart stirs with the urge to explore. But too often, just as my excitement begins building, I spot an unwelcome sign: No Trespassing. It’s never the sign I want to see. My heart sinks, and I drive on, disappointed. But if I owned that land, […]

I read statistics the other day that shocked me. Pew Research reported, “About four-in-ten U.S. adults say people who do not believe in God can go to heaven.” Barna Research Group stated, “48 percent of U.S. adults believe a person who is generally good, or does enough good for others, will earn a place in […]

When I was four years old, my parents surprised me with my first puppy, Pepper. Pepper quickly became my best friend. My dad often shares a story about watching me play with him. After witnessing my pure joy, he smiled and said, “I love you, buddy.” Without skipping a beat, I replied, “I love Pepper.” […]

I recently learned about bummer lambs—lambs rejected by their mothers for various reasons. Without intervention, they would die, too weak and helpless to survive alone. That’s where a good shepherd steps in. He rescues the bummer lamb, bottle-feeds it, and nurtures it, holding it close until it gains strength and matures. These lambs grow up […]

In my first year of college, I attended church every time the doors were open. I was determined to grow in my faith and knew I had a lot to learn. One week felt exceptionally rough. I was trying to decide whether to continue playing college baseball or quit to focus on the calling I […]

In 1831, after preparing to become a minister at Christ College in Cambridge, England, a young man set sail on the Beagle—a ship filled with naturalists invited to explore and study the world for five years. During his time aboard, new ideas challenged this young man’s beliefs. He was living in the Age of Enlightenment, […]

In my first year of college, I attended church every time the doors were open. I was determined to grow in my faith and knew I had a lot to learn. One week felt exceptionally rough. I was trying to decide whether to continue playing college baseball or quit to focus on the calling I […]

One summer, some of our family went paragliding. If you’ve experienced paragliding, you know how nerve-wracking it can be. Before the jump, I bombarded our guide with questions, trying desperately to calm my fears. Geoffrey, our youngest, volunteered to go first. I could hardly watch as he took off! 15 yards…10 yards…5 yards… “Stop!” our […]

One of my favorite quotes on leadership is by J. Oswald Sanders. In Spiritual Leadership, Sanders wrote, “The best leaders are those who know the way, go the way and show the way.” Most leaders have the first two down. They’re well-educated in their trade and regularly achieve at a high level. But the last […]