Before I launch into my confession-vomit, a few qualifiers… I love my church… I’d attend even if I didn’t work there (I know not every church staff member can say that with a straight face). I love and respect my pastor and my boss—my bullet-point confessions are not a veiled critique.…
In addition to all the extra tasks and events during the Christmas season, it’s also one of the busiest times in ministry. There are Advent services, volunteer opportunities, meetings, social events, and parties. Plus it’s almost January, so we’re making sure summer camps and mission trips are booked.…
Join Rick for the ninth episode of the series IN HIS IMAGE. Today author Jeff White is on the podcast to talk about “Authenticity.” His new “story Bible for adults” called Eyewitness is just out—Jeff’s challenge was to tell the stories of the Bible from a raw, first-person perspective.…
Join Rick for the 10th episode of the series IN HIS IMAGE. We all long to be noticed and enjoyed and appreciated for who we really are—to be pursued by a Lover who will sacrifice to be with us. Today we explore the way Jesus moves toward us in our life, captured best by the word “Pursuit.”…
Join Rick for the 11th episode of the series IN HIS IMAGE. When you hear the cares and concerns of others, do you enter into their reality, or do you keep your distance (however subtly)? When a conniving Pharisee asks Jesus about the “most important” commandment, Jesus tells him what he already knows—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”—but then adds a second “equally important” commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”…
The other day a youth pastor friend asked me a question that pinpoints a major shift that’s changing his ministry landscape: “How do I get my kids to care about worship? Nothing seems to be working.” My friend isn’t alone. The “worship problem” is quickly spreading, and deepening, in youth ministry.…
Join Rick for the 1st episode of the new series PRESENT CONCERNS—we’ll be exploring the issues and challenges that make up the wallpaper of our life today, connecting them directly back to how Jesus dealt with similar issues. In this kickoff episode we’ll explore—“Division.”…
Join Rick and Becky for the 5th episode of the new series PRESENT CONCERNS—we’ll discover how Jesus upends the “default” way we respond to the challenges and issues we’re facing in this strangest of seasons. In this episode we’ll dive into—“Good Humor.”…
Join Rick for the 2nd episode of the new series PRESENT CONCERNS—we’ll be exploring the issues and challenges we’re facing in this strangest of seasons, connecting them directly to how Jesus dealt with similar issues. In this episode, we’ll explore—“Fear.” It’s our everyday fears, not the spectacular supernatural fears of Halloween or horror movies, that are most compelling and most relevant to our relationship with Jesus.…
Join Rick for the 8th episode of the new series PRESENT CONCERNS—we’ll explore the challenges that darken our soul’s landscape and discover how Jesus works our ugly into beauty. In this episode we’ll explore… “Exhaustion.” Exhaustion can make us cowards; and exhaustion can lead us to the courage we need most.…
