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March 2015

March 24, 2015

Church Scars

There's an ugly secret about the church: the church has hurt a lot of people....

March 23, 2015

10 Things the Church Puts Ahead of Reaching People

You would think the Great Commission is clear enough: Go into all the world and...

March 21, 2015

1Voice (Persecution Sunday)

As part of our series The Jesus You Never Knew, we took a Sunday to...

March 19, 2015

'Church' Shouldn't Be in the Bible

It's a conspiracy theory a thousand years in the making. When you think of a...

March 18, 2015

The Thing the Church Can Do Infinitely Better Than Society

Churches are always competing with society. We're in a battle for the hearts and minds...

March 16, 2015

Why the Persecuted Church Matters

When I woke up yesterday morning, the headline screaming at me on CNN was a...

March 12, 2015

Our Prayers Are All Wrong

Traveling mercies. Hedges of protection. Guardian angels. I invoked them all and they were all...

March 02, 2015

Dodgeballs and Slinkies

Growing up church sanctuaries were hallowed, untouchable places. From the stained glass to the pews...

February 2015

February 27, 2015

Hope Story: Convicts and Lesbians

Last Thursday was a great reminder for me of what the gospel is supposed to...

February 26, 2015

50 People Behind a Baptism

How many people does it take to come together behind one baptism? How many people...

February 17, 2015

The Only Time I've Apologized to Someone After Baptizing Them

This past Sunday I had a pretty good idea of what it would feel like...

February 13, 2015

Hope Story: Andy & Mia

Andy doesn't strive for the spotlight. He doesn't like to get on stage, never one...

February 12, 2015

Tim Tebow Stole* My Idea

Okay, so he didn't really steal from me. He probably stole the idea from the...

February 10, 2015

A Really Awkward Way to Introduce Yourself to the New Couple at Church

I had it all planned out. John and Jennifer* were a new couple who had...

February 05, 2015

Why We Boarded Up the Baptistry in Our Church

"Does your church still baptize people?" That was a well meaning question that came from...

January 2015

January 31, 2015

The Comparison Trap

We've all experienced it. We're feeling good about ourselves, our looks, our lot in life....

January 27, 2015

What if 'The Pony' Came to Church?

Here's an uncomfortable question I posed to our church: how would we react if the...

January 26, 2015

Is Your Church the Pro Bowl or the Super Bowl?

Last night was the NFL Pro Bowl, not that you watched it. I didn't. I'm...

January 21, 2015

The First and Most Important Thing We Talk About at Every Staff Meeting

No, it's not Bible or prayer. Although those are two very spiritual answers, the primary...

January 13, 2015

The (Real) Reason Ohio State Won the Championship Last Night

What Ohio State did was beyond impressive over the past two weeks. They won a...

January 08, 2015

"Jesus Can Do Anything!" (The Pivotal Difference When Teaching Children the Bible)

"Jesus can do anything!" Those absolutely precious words were the sum total of what my...

January 07, 2015

Growing a Church Isn't as Mysterious as You Think

As a professional church leader, growing a church is one the things I (am supposed...

January 01, 2015

Two Things You'll Need to Truly Change in 2015

This is the day of resolutions: I'm going to lose weight! I'm going to eat...

December 2014

December 29, 2014

Hooray! We Ruined Church! (Repost 2014 Favorites)

We ruined church for someone, and we're excited about it. A few days ago I...

December 22, 2014

My Thoughts on Perry Noble's Ten Convictions

Recently Perry Noble (pastor of an exploding church in South Carolina) wrote a semi-controversial blog...

December 15, 2014

Pawn Shop Evangelism

Yesterday at the end of church services I met a new young couple. Been in...

December 04, 2014

Creating Contagious Communities of Hope

Hope is the most valuable commodity in the world today. If you have hope, you...

December 03, 2014

Creating Contagious Communities

The battlecry of Mt Vernon Church is creating contagious communities of hope. Over the past...

December 02, 2014

Creating Communities

The unifying vision of Mt Vernon Church is creating contagious communities of hope. Yesterday I talked...

November 2014

November 20, 2014

Married People #5 – Practice Your Promise

Here is the fifth and final installment of our Married People series. Enjoy!