Lessons From Lausanne
Over the course of the last week, I’ve joined more than 4200 representatives from 198 nations to listen to dozens upon dozens upon many more dozens of speakers address many of the most challenging issues of our age. Here are a few lessons I learned along the way: 1....
Where Not to Save Money: Shark Diving
On one of the first mornings at Lausanne, we ate breakfast in the hotel cafe and struck up a conversation with a chap named Andy from the U.K. He is delightful and we discussed ministry, his writing, and life. Though we ate breakfast each morning in the same cafe, we...
Is the Church Naive?
I'm always fascinated by the church in Europe, because I believe they hold rich insights into where the church in America is heading. I recently shared dinner with a witty professor and vicar from England. I asked him the following: Knowing that the United States is...
The Penthouse Trailer Park: Welcome to Capetown
Leif and I made our way safely to Capetown in a blur of time zones that leave us looking outside and wondering what time it is and whether or not it even matters. We’re staying at The Granddaddy Hotel—a mod hotel in downtown a few blocks from where the Lausanne World...
The Wonder of Petoskey Stones
My friend, Rebecca, from Michigan recently introduced me to Petoskey stones: a combination of rock and fossil (fossilized coral) that formed through glaciation. She explains that sheets of ice plucked stones from the bedrock, ground off the jagged edges, and left them...
When Doors Open and Doors Shut
My friend, Leonard Sweet, once noted that 79% of all Yale ministry graduates from 1702-1779 served one congregation all of their lives. The statistics highlights an earlier era where people served in the same ministry or job for their entire life. This was not only...
The Fine Art of Practicing What You Preach
E.M. Bounds once wrote: "The preacher's sharpest and strongest preaching should be to himself. His most difficult, delicate, laborious, and thorough work must be with himself... It is not great talents nor great learning nor great preachers that God needs, but men...
The Benefits of Creative Conflict
Nancy Ortberg once noted that “conflict is the only way to intimacy.” While I’m not convinced it’s the “only” way to intimacy, I do believe that when handled well conflict can create increase respect, spark creativity, and give birth to a better project, idea, or...
What Reading Level Is Your Bible? The Answer Might Surprise You
Did you know that the translation of your Bible has a reading level? In other words, some translations are moreth difficulteth to readeth. 🙂 Here's a list of translations and their suggested reading level: King James Version (KJV): 12th grade Revised Standard Version...
What Does Color Communicate? More than You Imagine!
When we think of communication, we often think of words. But communication is so much more including tone, loudness, facial expressions, body motion, speed, repetition, and images. Colors are also used to communicate. When it comes to color, you may be more influenced...
