Category Archives: spiritual formation

Only the Slow Will Reach the World

Instead of highlighting The Fastest Growing Churches, I recommend we highlight The Slowest Churches, i.e. those that help us most to slow down and pay attention to God, ourselves, and others. When our churches continually remind our people that “only one thing is needful,” we strategically position them to be a gift to the world (Luke 10:42). Here are 5 reasons why I believe this is true: Going slow makes possible… The doing of God’s best plans. I love the story, told in Wayne Mueller’s Sabbath, of a USA international agency in the 1990’s and their frenzied plan to address needs of a famine in equatorial Africa. In failing to be quiet, listen to the people, and study the soil, they developed a short-term solution that actually worsened the problem in the long term. We too are dangerous when we move at high speed. The receiving of Scripture in our hearts. According to Jesus,. Read more.

Jesus May Be in Your Heart but is Gratitude in Your Bones?

The command to give thanks is one of the more difficult spiritual practices to integrate consistently into our daily lives. Why? Part of the reason is that most of our families and cultures are strong on complaining, criticism, and fault-finding. Yet few are strong in expressing thanks. So when Scripture highlights that the sins of our families goes back three to four generations, we forget this applies to being grateful as well. The first U.S.A. Thanksgiving celebration was born out of a time of great hardship and sorrow. On September 16, 1620, 102 passengers sailed for religious freedom and a better way of life on the Mayflower, landing in Massachusetts. By spring, nearly half of the original group had died. Nonetheless, these Pilgrims held a feast of thanksgiving to praise God after their first harvest in 1621. How were they able to give thanks to God as the source of all goodness in the. Read more.

Why Church History Matters for Discipleship Today

I love our evangelical stream in Christian history and would not be here writing or leading without it. Yet our emphasis on activity, now joined by the speed of change around us, has resulted in Christ-followers and churches without much depth. We need to learn about slowing down for loving union with Christ in a way that is powerful enough to transform us – and the people we serve. This requires we travel into different territory outside our tradition as evangelicals/Protestants and learn from church history and other Christians very different than ourselves. Let me invite you to download this free e-book on why church history matters for a discipleship that deeply changes lives in our churches today. It represents the fruit of over twenty years of study and thought. And I pray that the powerful truths on these pages will profoundly change your life and leadership as they have changed mine. Warmly, Pete. Read more.

Why Do So Many Leaders Finish Poorly? – EH Leader Podcast

70% of the leaders in the Bible did not finish well. Many contemporary leaders don’t finish well either. The question is why? I begin this podcast by looking at Saul, the first king of Israel. He is charismatic, gifted, and intelligent. He is a leader of tens of thousands. However, his walk with God gradually deteriorates into jealousy, stubbornness, and a hardness of heart. And he finishes very poorly. People Who Finish Well: 1. Develop a deep, inner life with God over time. Whether they are going through good times or bad, successes or failures, victories or defeats, they remain steady, cultivating a secret history with God in Scripture, community, solitude, worship, prayer, etc. 2. Have 10-15 mentors over their lifetime. They consistently seek out mentors for different areas of their life and ministry. They invest the necessary time, energy, and money required, learning from mentors, coaches, therapists, spiritual directors, or more experienced leaders.. Read more.

The Biggest Announcement in Our 21-Year History

The Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Leader’s Kit Biblical – Historic – Transformative – Experiential – Practical – Missional Get trained to lead the Courses. FREE with your Leader’s Kit purchase. Dear Friends of EHS, I am thrilled to share with you the most significant release in our 21-year history of bringing Emotionally Healthy Spirituality to the church around the world – The EH Discipleship Courses Leader’s Kit. It is a revolutionary answer to the massive problem of superficial discipleship in our churches. BIBLICAL Grounding people deeply in Scripture HISTORIC Exposing people to the riches and history of the global church TRANSFORMATIVE Deeply changing people and churches EXPERIENTIAL Going beyond simply reading truth to actually doing it PRACTICAL Teaching proven skills for emotionally mature relationships MISSIONAL Making mature disciples who make disciples To bring these Courses to your church requires training. For this reason, we have created a high-quality, live. Read more.

Growing Older in the New Family of Jesus, Part 1 & 2

When I was in my mid-fifties (I am now 61), I began to struggle with aging. This intensified as I transitioned out of my role as Senior Pastor at New Life. I became aware that a number of negative scripts around getting older from the culture and my family of origin lived inside me. So I set out to “get discipled” in aging. I studied Scripture, read books, and met with 3 older mentors whom I respected. The fruit of what I learned is found in these two podcasts below. Growing Older in the New Family of Jesus – Part 1 Growing Older in the New Family of Jesus – Part 2 This is a significant discipleship issue, not only for those of us who are over fifty, but for younger pastors who are leading churches. In the year 2020, 1 in 6 Americans will be over 65. By 2030, that number will climb. Read more.

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