Category Archive

“I had to learn how to trust the Lord. My faith muscles grew. Just like, you’re exercising your muscles and they may be sore for a while, but they become stronger with exercise.” — William R. “Bill” Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003) was an American evangelist and Christian leader. His influence spanned the last half of the … Read More

Student pastors have a unique opportunity to raise up missionaries from within their student ministries. During the 2019 Student Pastor Summit at Midwestern Seminary, I had the opportunity to address a room chock-full of student pastors on the topic of how to help students take their first steps toward missions. Student pastors must be intentionally taking steps to identify and … Read More

One Sunday not too long ago, at one of our Journey early services, we had zero first-time guests. I’m confessing this to you in hopes that you will avoid making a similar mistake and take action today in evaluating your own Assimilation system. It is very rare for us to have zero anything! We always have first-time guests, new believers, … Read More

For 8 years now I’ve been leading a workshop around the 8 systems of a healthy church. Over the years we’ve seen this event grow to 200+ pastors, three days of training, and special speakers and bonuses like we never imagined in the early days. This year is going to be better than ever — but I must warn you, … Read More

As I began my own journey toward health, I found myself particularly interested in the life of Moses. Moses was the leader of over a million people. He lived a life of vision and momentum, leaving a legacy that still lives on thousands of years after his death. He was a guy intent on walking in the fullness of life … Read More

Your life and your ministry will be defined by how well you follow your Lord. But what does it look like, practically speaking, to put Jesus first in your life and yourself second? Well, here’s what it doesn’t look like: It doesn’t look like giving yourself a green light to do whatever pleases you rather than meeting the needs of … Read More

“But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.” —Luke 22:26 (NLT)  

“Show me a church or a Christian organization that emphasizes prayer, and I’ll show you a ministry where people are excited about Jesus Christ and are witnessing for Him.” — William R. “Bill” Bright (October 19, 1921 – July 19, 2003) was an American evangelist and Christian leader. His influence spanned the last half of the 20th century and extended … Read More

The work of ministry leadership is perilous. There are countless pitfalls along the pathway of honoring the Lord and tending His sheep. We are under constant attack from a supernaturally powerful enemy. We’re at war with our own sinful nature, tempted by the world and its shiny offerings. We battle discouragement from failures, negative feedback, and our own fragility. These … Read More

When I was just starting in ministry, one of my most respected mentors said something to me that I’ve never forgotten. As I was venting to him about feeling like a one-man show in my young church, he put his arm around me and said, “Nelson, remember, every member in your church is a minister. You are not in this alone … Read More