As a big fan of Major League Baseball and Christianity, I like to keep my ears open to hearing of Christian ballplayers. It’s not that their statistics are going to be any different or that they run faster or slower. I watch them to see how they live.
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There’s a sense of newness one can quickly surmise about Matt Chandler: a new urgency to preach the gospel in the aftermath of a victorious but very difficult bout with cancer; a back-to-the-roots commitment to planting healthy churches following his recent appointment as president of Acts 29 Network; and a rising influence as a young church leader.
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It’s here — the bracket of glory, or the bracket of destruction. While we’re watching the games and reviewing our brackets, there are a few leadership lessons to learn from all the madness.
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“Listening” online can be similar and yet very different from audible conversations. For years, we have been told that we need to listen twice as much as we talk since God gave us two ears and only one mouth. I have trained many consultants in the art of listening with their ears and eyes. Non-verbal communication is generally an even more telling indicator of emotion. That is why face-to-face communication is generally more productive than any other kind.
Read More >Pastors are unusually dependent on “the well.” All people are to one degree or another, but pastors are more dependent on “the well” than others — in part because they participate first-hand in helping replenish the wells of others. When we dry up, the results are felt by others.
Read More >If I asked you to tell me about your 2014, you’d likely tell me about the highlights — vacations you took, job changes, big things in the lives of your kids, and other things that stand out in your mind. But, that’s not what made the biggest difference in your life in 2014. Here’s what actually made the biggest difference: You ate. You slept. You drank water. That’s why you’re alive. That’s what sustained you and allowed all of the other things to happen. When any of those slipped, so did the rest of life. Try to enjoy your vacation without food, drink or sleep. Try to have breakthroughs at work or be a sunshiny presence at home. Eat, drink, sleep. Do those three things well and the rest of life happens. Fail to do them and life is worse — or life ends.
Read More >Whether toddlers or 20-year employees, the reality is that conflict is inevitable. It’s not if, but how, you deal with it that defines you. There are four kinds of conflict-resolving people: The Wimp, The Driver, The Accommodator and The Winner.
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Being hurried through the day is in deep contrast to the example of Jesus, who never seemed to be in a hurry. Jesus not only refused to be hurried, but prayer and solitude was a regular part of his daily routine. Jesus told his disciples, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” (Mark 6:31-32). This practice of solitude was a practice of many in the early church. Not only did monks and hermits practice solitude, but the Rules of St. Benedict of prayer, work, study, hospitality and renewal were embraced by both clergy and the common people.
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I use the term “statesman” not in a truly political sense, though I do believe pastors should be the most active “ambassadors” for Christ in their churches. Pastors are statesmen in that they must realize they always represent their churches. That hat never comes off.
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As iServe pastor, Mari Beth Poor oversees the “on the mountain” ministries that enhance the overall experience of people attending Sunday worship services at Mountaintop Community Church. These include guest services, student ministries, children’s ministry, and worship and media. She also leads the church’s “off the mountain” community efforts and global outreach.
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