Blog
I've been hearing from increasing numbers of people who are experiencing higher-than-normal levels of frustration. Some are frustrated by what they see happening in the nations. Others are frustrated at the lack of momentum they see taking place in our political...
I’m thinking about friends who have lost a soul mate and are feeling the harsh pain of separation. For you, I write these words to soothe your hurting soul with a promise - a reunion is coming. _____________ TOGETHER FOREVER IN HIS PRESENCE In this time of sorrowed...
In the last few years, a word has entered our vocabulary with increasing regularity. That word is triggered. These are words that trigger an emotional response in someone. If you have noticed, people are being triggered by a whole host of subjects that a generation...
At my age and length of service in God’s Kingdom, I am now what some people would call a spiritual father. In most gatherings, I am one of the older pastors in the room. As we age, wisdom can increasingly be present and in operation in our lives if we have allowed God...
Last night I had the most vivid dream. I was at a conference center in a beautiful forest setting and all the pathways leading through the forest were carpeted. As people were walking along these pathways, I found myself kneeling down on all fours and running my...
This week a longtime friend died suddenly. He suffered a massive heart attack and was taken to a hospital. He never recovered from the trauma of that event and eventually died a few days ago. His death shocked many of us who knew this vibrant,...
Recently, in a moment of personal brokenness the Lord spoke a word to me that changed everything. He said, In the place of your greatest shame and condemnation your most significant act of spiritual warfare is choosing to believe I still love you. This...
People are standing at a crossroads. They are standing at the intersections of life needing to make a decision about their future direction. In these significant moments we need to know God is directing our steps. When I have faced these kinds of intersections,...
As a young pastor, I listened a lot. I listened to the many voices of leaders who went before me. There were times in those early years when I would ask a simple question and receive a profound answer. In my first year of pastoring, I asked Jerry...
About 20 years ago, I began asking myself four questions. I also asked the same questions of our church staff during our quarterly planning sessions. The questions helped us engage a process of evaluation where we could leave behind what needed to be left behind and...
In just a few weeks my new book, A Good Place, will be released. A Good Place is about walking with hope through the transitions of life and ministry. The book is not about building a transition plan - it is about the journey of our hearts and how we can...
We are entering a season where those who have experienced injustice are about to receive supernatural restoration. Throughout history the justice of God has brought restoration to his people who have suffered injustice at the hands of the enemy. This is not a...
Earlier this week the Lord spoke to me. He said, “The prayers of some of my people are beginning to sound like a preparation for a funeral – not a proclamation of life.” This word came just hours before our pastoral staff visited the home of a dear man in our church...
Recently I was teaching in a training school for emerging leaders in California. During a question and answer session someone asked me, “What are you seeing for the year 2014?” I responded to the question by saying that at the end of each year I would normally...
Some couples don’t like to talk about death with their spouse, but Jan and I are comfortable with such a conversation. Unless we both enter eternity together – one of us will remain behind. That is a reality of life. In 1999, we moved to Southern Oregon. Our first...