There are ways to speak where each subsequent word means less. And there are ways to speak where each subsequent word means more. Society is filled with the former. God would have his people filled with the latter. Which is to say that God would have his people filled with the word of Christ, and … More Each Subsequent Word
I do not have the answer, friend. I do not think I ever will. The only thing I have to lend: my ignorance, an inkless quill. I dare not lay an empty word upon your throbbing mystery. I dare not bare a blunted sword in answer to your inquiry. But maybe presence speaks a truth, … More The Ministry of Presence
When I think of 9/11, I think of many things. I remember where I was when I first heard about the attacks—walking to my 8 o’clock class with Dr. William Varner at The Master’s College on the West Coast. I remember the striking images playing out on television. And I remember the first responders. I … More The Spirit of First Responders
“How can we pray for you?” This gracious question has echoed through our emails, texts, messages, and calls the past two weeks. With the Harvey sprint downshifting into the post-Harvey slog, here are some ways you might pray us forward in coming weeks and months. 1. Wisdom Like Solomon, we need wisdom. The task was heavy … More How to Pray for Us
BridgePoint Bible Church has been in transition for years now. Several associate pastors transitioned to other ministries. The senior pastor transitioned to an associate role. The women’s coordinator transitioned, the facilities director transitioned, and I transitioned from the professorate in Louisville to the pastorate here. “Transition” has been the buzzword around BridgePoint. And we were … More Ink from the Sky
I never thought I’d have a favorite meteorologist, but I do now. Amidst the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, many heroic servants emerged. I’d like you to meet one—the guy Houstonians fell in love with this past week. Jeff Lindner looks like the guy you don’t remember. Nothing really stands out about him, even after watching … More The Legend of Jeff Lindner
When a moral crisis engulfs a nation, that nation needs many things: collective self-restraint, urgent and wise dialogue, swift and righteous decisions, and an unbending commitment to unoppressive order and impartial justice. But as much as any of these things, if not more, a nation in moral crisis needs leaders with public moral credibility. No … More Moral Credibility, Moral Crisis, and the Leaders We Need
“Should my personality influence my ministry?” A female student recently asked this question in a discussion about counseling, but it applies to any responsibility a person might hold. Whether leading, managing, preaching, organizing, parenting, or discipling, we often wonder how our personalities should affect our Christian responsibilities. The longer we live, the more we see that … More ASKED: Should my personality influence my ministry?
Each week, it seems, I experience a class session that seems magical — filled with intellectual tension, unbridled curiosity, stimulating questions, rich spontaneity, and seemingly life-shaping learning. I inevitably walk away with my mind racing over fresh terrain and new ideas, rejoicing in my God-given role as lead learner. Of course, growth is mainly measurable over time, … More The Magical and the Mundane
The satirical Babylon Bee could and does write handfuls of articles about worship leaders. Apparently there’s a lot of material to work with. They’re mocked for their skinny jeans, their black-frame glasses, their chronological snobbery, their hipster tendencies. Or they’re knocked for their old-guard mentality, their antiquated ways, their refusal to get with the times whether … More The Sacred Teaching Task of the Christian Worship Leader
In Colonel David Hackworth’s tome of a military memoir, he sums up the leadership philosophy of Colonel Glover S. Johns from a farewell speech in the winter of 1962. Hackworth’s memoir is pagan through and through, and not a book I would recommend across the board. But his 25-year, 110-medal military career illustrates countless principles gleaned … More The Leadership Principles of Colonel Glover S. Johns
It can be hard to be productive with all the productivity tools flying around us. Everyone has a seven-step process for prioritization or an intriguing taxonomy of tasks or a S.M.A.R.T. way of doing things. I appreciate these tools and benefit from many of them, but there reaches a point where addition becomes distraction. You can spend so … More Aim Straight and Chip Away
What makes ministry effective? How are people changed? What has the greatest impact? In the annals of war, certain leaders and strategies and weapons get the most attention: the tanks and the bombers, the gold and the generals, the noble sacrifices that rightly earn chests of medals and leave loud legacies ringing out to the far … More Seven Secret Weapons in Ministry
Monday, May 2 was a strange day on the campus of Southern Seminary. Something was missing. In the weary hum of late spring, things may have felt normal, and our students and faculty and employees may not have noticed immediately. But there’s a big gaping hole in the fabric of our institutional life. Jeff Dalrymple is … More The Servant Leadership of Jeff Dalrymple
One hour ago I walked out of my final student leadership meeting after fourteen years of full-time Christian college ministry. It’s late, tomorrow’s a packed day, and I should head straight to bed. But after twenty-eight semesters of a college schedule, what’s one more reflective jaunt into the a.m.? Each year, on a Sunday night … More Passing the Torch: My Last Student Leadership Meeting
What’s a “bottleneck”? Literally, it’s the “neck or mouth of a bottle,” the place where the bottle grows most narrow. Metaphorically, it pictures “a point of congestion or blockage” or “a situation that causes delay in a process or system.” ¹ Leaders should increase the quality, efficiency, and productivity of their teams, but there are … More Seven Marks of a Bottleneck Leader
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