ShepherdLeader.com

I don’t consider myself a great model for praying…and I don’t tend to write “How to…� blogs. But here goes. I’ve settled on a go-to pattern for praying that is absolutely biblical. It’s a two-step movement that keeps my praying from becoming a laundry list or, worse, treating God lik...

As you probably know, I’ve had a lot of education. I finished my last degree at age 40, having attended six different post-secondary institutions. I qualify, among other things, as an “academic.� One of the values I hear espoused broadly in academia is “intellectual honesty.� Here in the W...

When you run into something in Scripture that you know is hyperbole – like “pluck your eye out� – you have some interpretive choices to make. One is to write it off as a figure of speech: “We know he didn’t really mean that.� Another option is to take them as literally as possible, whi...

Prayer is of course more than asking for stuff. It would be a gross distortion of our relationship with God to reduce prayer to petitions. Yet for some reasons we don’t wonder nearly as much about the mechanics of praise as we do about effective “prayer requests.� The Bible has given us lots o...

Having just completed a major building project at the seminary, I am freshly aware of all that went into the construction, most of which is covered up. Visitors in our David M. Rogers Hall of Mission will see the painted walls, the global and artistic elements on display, and the engaging interactio...

While reading Psalm 145 recently I couldn't help but notice how often the psalmist was talking about talking. The talking is about God's glory and majesty. The typical statements of praise are peppered with comments about how everyone and everything God made will give Him praise. "One generatio...

The cross and resurrection of Christ stand at the center of redemptive history and they are at the crux of God’s work on our behalf. Easter brought us forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ. It is the key to our “Exodus.� We are officially free from sin and now set free to be righteous (Ro...

Succession It is a nice coincidence that “succession� is built out of the word “success.� I understand that “succeed’ can mean both “follow� and “prosper� – and that the former is the connection with “succession.� But I can’t help but notice how important succession is t...

Jesus came to the world in the most innocent, dependent and vulnerable form imaginable - a baby. He was God Almighty in disguise. A clever disguise. A shrewd rouse. He was coming as a warrior king to reclaim His people from spiritual bondage, to set them free from their cunning captor. He would be g...

Although the biblical Sabbath is a literal day of the week set aside to cease from work, when we think of Sabbath rest, images of a relaxed Sunday afternoon or a quiet personal retreat may also come to mind. The writer of Hebrews describes a Christian's observance of Sabbath to be something less foc...

For a number of years my wife and I worked in ministry settings that were explicitly and overtly "Christian." We served in churches and mission organizations that made no apology for bearing witness to Christ. It was clear in every piece of communication. Then we became resident managers o...

Our family has a tradition of going to see a new movie release on Christmas after we’ve admired each thoughtful gift and savored our favorite treats. This year we were anxious to see the new film version of Les Miserables, a story we have so thoroughly enjoyed when performed as a musical (see the ...

Only our duty The major biblical metaphors for leadership assume responsibility “for� and responsibility “to.� Son, steward, servant and shepherd all convey an intermediary role between God and His people. We are responsible to Him for others. These are all metaphors about work that we do fo...

John 13 is undoubtedly the primary passage that comes to mind when Christians hear the term "servant leader." Ironically, the phrase was made famous in the 1970s by a business writer, Robert Greenleaf. He was not writing on biblical leadership, but rather describing effective leadership th...

The Christmas holiday is a catalyst for believers to remember the gospel story, beginning with the details of the nativity. God took on human flesh to become the Savior of the world. The greatest mystery of all is stunningly simple. This season brings choice opportunities for evangelical pulpits to ...