Conversations in the Dark

Conversations in the Dark

I avoided it for years. Early in ministry, I began to take two-or-three-day retreats for prayer, journaling, and recalibrating my relationship with God. In the constant blur of local church ministry, they became a spiritual oasis that refreshed my soul. At the time,...
The Secret Way to Growth Most Churches are Missing

The Secret Way to Growth Most Churches are Missing

“My mandate is joy,” says Pastor Jerry Eze. “God specifically said to me that I have a mandate that everyone who walks through our door must have joy.” Pastor Jerry Eze Pastor Jerry is so serious about joy, in 2013 he planted a church in Abuja, Nigeria called Streams...
Does Heaven Have a Network Outage?

Does Heaven Have a Network Outage?

We had one more thing to talk about when she left. “No problem,” I thought. “I’ll call her on her way to work.” On any other day, that’d be an easy fix. But that morning, it was impossible. ATT’s sudden and unexplained network outage shut down all incoming and...
Who Have You Been With Lately?

Who Have You Been With Lately?

Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. -Jesus, John 15:4 (NRSV) Abiding. It sounds like a good thing, Certainly, Jesus thought it was important, but is it even...