Are You Measuring What God Measures in Your Life and Ministry?

Last week in my post: How Leaders Keep from Tapping Out, Burning Out or Being Disqualified, I shared with you some of the things that Hugh Halter and I have been learning about being leaders who stay in the game for the long haul.

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We looked at the first part of our Journeymen Oath #2: “I Commit to Move at God’s Pace and Measure what God Measures.”

And we saw how important it was to move at a sustainable pace, following Jesus’ teachings on the pattern and the promises from his parables that lead to explosive and sustainable kingdom growth. Small is big, slow is fast and multiplication wins. Now let’s finish up this “oath” and look at metrics and measurements. (more…)

Community on Mission Works in Any Context

“It won’t work in my context.” I’ve heard this everywhere — urban, suburban, rural. And honestly? I’ve probably thought it myself. We look at the gaps, the distances, the busyness of real life and quietly wonder if maybe community only works somewhere else. Turns out, everyone thinks that. And it turns out… everyone is wrong.

In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to dig into whether missional community is actually possible in your context — wherever that is. We’ll look at what Jesus modeled, why healthy families and missional communities share surprising DNA, and how to figure out what your specific community actually needs to thrive.

In This Episode You’ll Learn: 

  • Why Jesus always made disciples in community—not solo
  • The surprising overlap between healthy families and missional life
  • What every context has in common (it’s not what you think)
  • How to read the DNA of your specific community and context

Get started here…

Diverse group of adults gathered around a table outdoors, collaborating on a community project and sharing a common mission.

Please check out this new episode.

The Best Parenting Advice I Ever Got

When it comes to parenting, everyone seems to have advice to give out. Especially on how you should raise your kids. But not their’s so much… I want to pass on a nugget that has proven to be some of the best advice my wife, Tina, and I ever received.

Our kids were a little younger at the time, probably around 3, 5 and 7 years old. And like a lot of parents, we had at least one (all) of our kids who was pretty strong-willed. We were increasingly having to deal with actions and attitudes that required discipline, and some days it seemed like we were running our own little detention center.

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Behind Every Conflict Is a Gospel Story

Most of us hear the word “conflict” and immediately want to avoid it. But not all conflict is the same — and the kind you keep running from might be the exact thing that would heal your relationship. The problem is we’re wired to avoid the good kind and let the bad kind fester quietly.

In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to break down the two types of conflict, show you why one of them is actually essential for healthy relationships and community, and give you real steps for addressing the conflict you’ve been walking around for too long.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

  • The clear difference between the two kinds of conflict and how to tell which one you’re in
  • Why we’re wired to avoid the good type of conflict and quietly adjust to the bad
  • How conflict creates one of the best environments for discipleship you’ll ever find
  • Real steps for addressing a conflict in your life and community

Get started here…

Two women engaged in a difficult but thoughtful conversation, illustrating conflict, understanding, and the potential for reconciliation.

Please check out this new episode.

Be The Church

If you’re a Christian who has grown up “going to church” most Sundays, do you find yourself asking, “Is this all there is?” Maybe instead of just going to church it’s time to BE the Church!

Please read on.

I spent my first few years as a pastor at a really large church near Chicago. I will be forever grateful to the staff I worked with during those years.

My life, character, and theology were shaped in profound ways during that time, and yet I still wondered, was this all there was? Is this what Jesus meant by his Kingdom had now come onto this earth?

Get a free copy of my super-popular eBook, Be The Church, now.

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Baptism and Your True Identity

Most of us think of baptism as a one-time event — something that happened to us, not something we actually live from. But there’s another baptism happening constantly, one almost none of us notice. The culture around us is forming our identity every single day — shaping what we believe about our worth, our value, and what we’re for.

In this episode of the Everyday Disciple Podcast, we’re going to talk with author and pastor Eric Peterson about the staggering power of Christian baptism — what it was really declaring over your life, and how living from that identity changes everything about how you show up every single day.

In This Episode You’ll Learn: 

  • How culture is constantly “baptizing” us into a DO=BE identity – exhausting us
  • Why Christian baptism is a declaration about who you already are
  • How the Church has lost the full power and significance of what baptism is about
  • A simple daily practice to help you live from your trinitarian identity

Get started here…

Group of neighbors and family members unloading boxes from cars together, illustrating community, service, and mission-focused living.

Please check out this new episode.

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