11 Ways to Bring Your Best to the Table

What you and I should bring to the table every day is our best. There are some people who can solve a crisis in a moment that others couldn’t solve in a millenium. There are some people who are constantly…

Is Christianity Becoming Extinct?

This study profiled by CNN last week suggests religion might be extinct in Canada within 100 years. More and more people are affiliating themselves with the category called “unaffiliated”, which I think is the technical term for ‘no thanks’ when…

Five Questions about Confession

Confession is a lost art.  Blame?  Not so much. I find that there’s a link between how well I confess and how often I blame others and justify myself.  Avoiding confession allows me to think the fault lies with someone…

Nothing is Actually Free

Years ago, one of my best friends told me “Nothing is actually free.”  We were talking about a free lunch I won.  He said, “Sure, it’s free to you. But somebody paid for it.” Never forgotten that.  And it’s completely…

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Squandering

I love social media. I love life online.  But I’m worried about what it might be doing the souls of some leaders. Does closely following the lives of other leaders threaten to erode the unique footprint of your leadership? Let…

Seven Things That Won't Fuel Your Passion

The longer you’re in leadership, the more aware you become of what really fuels passion over the long haul.  The question that drives me (a lot) these days is this:  How do you stay passionate over a long period of…

How No Leads to Yes

The longer I’m in leadership, the more I realize so much hangs on the ability to say no.   I don’t like saying no.  It’s hard to say no to your kids, to people you like.  Honestly, it’s even hard…

Does God Trust You?

 “But not with my servant Moses.  Of all my house, he is the one I trust.”  (Numbers 12.7). That’s God speaking, by the way. Most of us spend a lot of time trying to figure out whether we think God…

Crisis Reveals Character

I almost got into a fight yesterday. Not bad for a pastor on a Sunday night. The details aren’t that important, but let me just say it involved a hockey rink and another dad who started to act out toward…

Valuing the People Around You

If you want to attract and keep great people around you, value them. As I watch my own patterns, I realize this truth – I gravitate to where I feel valued most.  My guess is you do too. Probably your…