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4 Must-Read Articles for This Week

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The Most Sane Kind of Insanity – Michael Kelley

The basic definition of insanity is “the derangement of mind.” But there’s also another definition, one that applies when the word insanity isn’t used in a clinical sense but as a more casual description. That’s this: Extreme foolishness; folly. That’s how we typically use the word. We use it when we see something that doesn’t make sense according to our paradigm. We use it to describe someone’s workout regimen; we use it when we observe when someone goes to bed or when or how early they getup in the morning; we use it when we hear about someone trying to get downtown at 4:45 pm on a Tuesday.

7 Ways Christian Men Can Respect Woman – LifeWay Men

The Bible honors women and condemns anything that would harm or injure women, whether physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual. God has called men to be the protectors and defenders of women. In our sexualized culture, the minds of Christian men are being assaulted with lust-inducing images from advertisements on television to Internet pornography. Temptation does not have an expiration date, so Christian men of all ages and backgrounds are affected by the world’s sexual objectification of women.

How to Build Community in a New City – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

There’s a lot that goes into moving to a new city. You’re house hunting in areas you aren’t familiar with, hauling all of your belongings in a U-Haul, trying to figure out which grocery store keeps the zucchini noodles in stock, and wondering when you’ll ever find a new dentist. But one of the hardest things about a new move isn’t finding a grocery store or a dentist, but finding community.

Ten Reasons I am Optimistic about Churches in 2019 –  LifeWay Leadership

Despite the tough reality many congregations face today, I remain an obnoxious optimist as we move into 2019. Just yesterday, I received an email about a church that I thought was headed for closure. Through a series of God-blessed events, the church has turned the corner and will remain a presence in the community.

5 Ways to Grow Your Leadership Team’s Heart for Your Church’s Mission – Eric Geiger

Every leader needs a compass in their head. The mission answers “Question Zero”: “What are we ultimately supposed to be doing?” It makes the overall direction of the church unquestionable and points everyone in that direction. The mission is a golden thread that weaves through every activity of the church. It brings greater meaning to the most menial functions of ministry.

Church Leadership

Best Bible Studies in the New Year

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What’s a better New Year’s resolution than spending more time in God’s word?

We can’t think of one, but we can think of countless reasons why making Bible study a priority in 2019 is one of the best decisions you’ll make.

Whether we like it or not, we can’t change anything about 2018. The days turned to months, and these past 12 months may have filled our days with not only joy and success but also pain and difficulty.

Yet, here we are on a fresh page. We can start off strong by keeping Christ central. Good news? You can saturate yourself and your group in the ultimate Good News through these studies:

Foundations: New Testament by Robby and Kandi Gallaty with Gus Hernandez and Tim Lafleur

In Foundations: New Testament, Robby and Kandi Gallaty lead individuals through the 27 divinely inspired books of the New Testament in one year, while still offering the flexibility of reading only five days each week. The HEAR journaling method will allow individuals to read and respond to God’s Word as they highlight, explain, apply, and respond to passages throughout the yearlong plan.

Pathways by Tony Evans

The story of Esther appears to be a series of coincidences that deliver the Jews from certain death. However, God selected Esther for a particular purpose at a particular time in the history of His chosen people. These resources will help you discover the power of God’s providence in the midst of your personal pain, fear, gain, loss, and love. You’ll see that God has a purpose for your life, and He uses every action and event that occurs in it to make that purpose a reality.

Gospel Foundations

The Bible is not a collection of scattered stories and books. From cover to cover, the Bible is the story of God’s plan to redeem sinners through Jesus—the gospel. Gospel Foundations tells that story. From the creators of The Gospel Project, this six-volume resource is comprehensive in scope yet concise enough to be completed in just one year. Each seven-session volume includes videos to help your group engage in discussion with a clear understanding of how each text fits into the storyline of Scripture.  Get a free preview of the study here!

Church Leadership

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3 Half-Truths about Marriage You Might Be Believing – Michael Kelley

What image comes to mind when you hear the word “marriage”? A white dress? A ceremony? Joint tax returns? Hopefully, if you are a Christian, there are other things that come to mind as well. Things like “covenant.” “Vows.” “Sickness and health.” As Christians, we believe marriage takes on a sacredness due to the manner in which it reflects something about the gospel and Jesus’ love for the church. But in the midst of that sacredness, we can still drift in our understanding of the importance of marriage.

Stop Making Resolutions – LifeWay Men

I am not a big fan of January. It’s not necessarily because of the cloudy skies and painful cold where I live. And it’s not completely because January feels like this month-long let down after two straight months of holidays, eating and celebrations. Although those are good candidates to dislike the first month of the year, the biggest reason I have issues with January is the pressure to make resolutions. Yes, that list of aspirational goals that remind me of everything I didn’t do last year and the crippling guilt that goes along with it.

Leading Well: Reflecting on the Year and Looking Ahead as a Leader – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

As this year comes to a close, it’s easy to consider how quickly the months have flown by. It’s much easier to consider the possibilities of a new year rather than reflect on the year that’s coming to a close. Yet, as this year winds down, how about stopping for a moment and reflecting on the path you’ve just walked?

5 Important Questions to Ask Yourself When Making a Decision in Your Life – LifeWay Leadership

When you make a decision in your life, how do you know it is the right thing to do? Quick decision making often results in poor decision making. Conversely, long and drawn out decision making can paralyze your life as well as others who look to you for leadership. Is there a way to know we are making the right decisions in life?

6 of the Best Pieces of Hiring Advice I have Received – Eric Geiger

Leading a team is one of the biggest privileges a leader has. You are able to cultivate a culture through the people you place in significant roles, and you are able to serve others alongside the team you serve alongside. Leading a team is also a massive responsibility. You steward the time and energy of many others, and are accountable for how you do so. Selecting people for the team is one of the most important aspects of leading a team. Here are six statements that have impacted how I view hiring or inviting people to join a team.

Church Leadership

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For when you need a broader view:

5 Lessons in Seven Years of Serving the “Capital C” Church – Eric Geiger

Each year we serve 60,000 plus churches with some type of resource. It has been a deep honor to be in this role and it has given me a bird’s-eye view of how the Lord uses lots of churches to mature and shepherd His people. Here are five lessons I have learned or re-learned over the last seven years.

For when you wonder why opening up your space, yourself, and your life is worth it:

3 Aspects of Our Faith Hospitality Puts on Display – Michael Kelley

While there are certain acts, like making the casserole or opening your home, that are indicative of hospitality, the characteristic itself has a deeper meaning and implication than these actions. The word hospitality comes from the combination of two words: “love” and “stranger.” Literally, then, hospitality is the love of strangers.

For when you need help understanding your small group’s perspectives:

There Are Two Kinds of People in the World – LifeWay Men

If you had to divide the world into 2 categories, what would those categories be?

I’ve a list of possibilities. This is but a smattering of my list, but you get the point, and you have a list of your own. I enjoy this exercise because it forces me to boil things down to their simplest terms. I am forced to keep the main thing the main thing.

For when you need to create a culture of empowerment:

Leading Well: Drawing Boundaries as a Leader – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

There are another set of boundaries we don’t discuss as often today—guidelines and focus for our ministries. The Book of Acts doesn’t seem like a book about leaders who set up boundaries… The book is filled with admonition that boundaries seem limitless, yet good leaders do have boundaries in order to maximize their effectiveness.

For when your group leaders need training:

Train Your Bible Study Leaders for Free – LifeWay Leadership

We know that the effectiveness of a Bible study, especially in a group context, is tied to the leader. Are they prepared? Do they understand the material? Can they answer questions about it?

We also know that training group leaders is a challenging thing to do because of time constraints, scheduling conflicts, varying experience levels, and more. So the question is: Are the leaders for your church’s groups well-prepared and ready to shepherd others?

Church Leadership

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If You Have to Choose Between Clarity and Creativity – Eric Geiger

Clarity and creativity are both admirable qualities. People seek both when creating a resource, when delivering a message, when leading a team, and when designing ministry strategy. Authors, artists, songwriters, communicators, ministry leaders, and a plethora of other people desire for their work to be both clear and creative.

Stop Defending Yourself Against Jesus – Michael Kelley

It’s an incredibly difficult thing to say, “I’m sorry.”

Those two words are packed with self-humiliation, responsibility, and acceptance of our own weakness and fallacy. And, of course, that’s why it’s so difficult. Our difficulty in uttering those two words, without self-justification and explanation and blame shifting reveals just how strong our impulse of self-defense is.

Scripture and the Christian Man – LifeWay Men

We become men of God by first loving the Word by believing what it says, and putting it into practice in daily life. Obedience in the Christian life is only possible because we’ve been born again. The result of being born again is that we will love God, His Word, and His people. Daily reading the Word will result in being men of integrity, in private and in public. Duplicity in our lives will be replaced by transparency and authenticity in our home life and at Church.

Household of Faith – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

“The rules are there for a reason.” Have you heard that before? I used to work in a residence hall on a university campus and some of their rules were rather interesting. As I flipped through the policy manuals outlining student conduct, employee expectations, and other rules, I saw a curious rule. I asked, “Why is there a rule forbidding access to the subbasement of the building? Why would this rule be in the book?” The answer: It’s there for a reason. One year a couple of adventurous male students found their way into a machine room, discovered the door leading to the subbasement, and concocted a plan to dig a tunnel under the building so they could visit the female-only wing on the opposite side. Rumors swirled concerning the tunnel and the students’ subterranean exploits. Sure enough, during the inspection of their dorm rooms, some small digging tools and muddy clothes surfaced. Their tunneling expeditions were brought to an end and a new rule was put in place. I was given a similar explanation in regard to the rule concerning access to the roof, as some students who loved to climb attempted to rappel from the building. Rules are there for a reason.

5 Ways Leaders Can Grow in Self-Awareness – LifeWay Leadership

Without self-awareness, a leader is stuck. In fact, the biggest hindrance to a leader’s development is not intelligence or work ethic but a lack of self-awareness. While self-awareness helps us understand what areas of leadership need focus and development, knowing ourselves is something we struggle with. We all have blind spots, areas of struggle we are challenged to see in ourselves. So how can leaders grow in self-awareness…

Church Leadership

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2 Reasons We Ignore Our Weaknesses Instead of Addressing Them – Eric Geiger

The common leadership counsel to focus on your strengths is wise, with one important caveat. Your weaknesses must be addressed and brought to an acceptable norm or they will overshadow your strengths. Yes, focus on your strengths, but your weaknesses cannot be so overwhelming as to debilitate your leadership credibility.

Learning to Trust God Through Our Insecurities – Michael Kelley

What weaknesses or insecurities do you hold up to God as an excuse not to obey and trust? You are saying more about your faith in Him than you are own limitations. The answer to our insecurities isn’t a God who tells us we aren’t what we say we are, but who tells us who He is when we don’t believe that He is.

4 Ways to Choose Your Teammates – LifeWay Men

My question to you is: “Who do you have to help you up when you fall?”  I’m not talking about sharpening, I’m talking about supporting you, strengthening you, or even serving you, when you’re unable to serve, strengthen, and support anyone else (including yourself)?

Leading Well: 3 Tips for Leaders on Delivering an Unpopular Message Well – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

Minor prophets like Jonah, Amos, and Malachi are reminders that leaders must choose how they give difficult news and how to have courage to say the hard things. It’s easier to give good news and be people-pleasers. But the reality is there are times the Lord may challenge you to speak difficult truths and be the bearer of difficult messages.

Four Words from Jesus that Will Change the Way You Lead – LifeWay Leadership

There is no insecurity in the Son of God. He’s not like us. We subtly beg for compliments, we subversively week affirmation, we passive aggressively look for allies – but not Jesus. Jesus knows what He’s about. And He knows that what He offers is the only thing that truly satisfies.

5 Reasons Why Leaders Quit – Chris Surratt

Church Leadership

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3 Essentials in Christian Leadership Development – Eric Geiger

Effective leadership development combines training, experiences, and coaching. My first role served as the experience, and all the books I devoured (because I was overwhelmed by the role) was the training I initially received. The time in the car with Jerry was my coaching. All three were important for my development. If you want to develop others, you must utilize all three.

3 Questions for a Christian to Ask Before Having a Difficult Conversation – Michael Kelley

I find that when I have given a little consideration to the matter, it helps me to be slower to speak, quicker to listen, and slower to become angry during the middle of it. Here are three questions I’ve found helpful to think carefully about prior to having a difficult conversation.

LifeWay Men Recommends: 5 Studies for Your Summer Groups – LifeWay Men

Summer is a great time to start a new Bible study. Grab a few guys, pick a time, choose material, and get going. All you need is to decide what you will study. Here are 5 great resources that are perfect for your summer group.

Spiritual Disciplines: Evangelism – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

Evangelism begins in ordinary moments. Gospel conversations always begin with a conversation. As Christ followers, we long to be evangelistic but tend to underestimate the possibilities a simple conversation can lead to.

4 Ways Leaders Can Express Gratitude to Those They Manage – LifeWay Leadership

Max Depree once said that the best people on your team are really volunteers, no matter if you pay them or not. They are volunteers because they can utilize their skills and talent elsewhere, yet they choose to utilize them on your team. If you view everyone on your team as a volunteer, it will impact how you motivate and express gratitude to them.

Church Leadership

Top 5 Bible Studies for the Summer

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Top 5 Bible Studies for the Summer

Summer is a time for crazy and spontaneous schedules, last minute plans and activities, and children home all day every day. This will often lead to small groups deciding to take the summer off to lighten the load a little. There are a lot of great things about small groups meeting in the summer like new visitors, more topical Bible study, and more time for community. In order to make the most of your small group’s summer, we’ve rounded up a list of our top five Bible study suggestions.

Unanswered: Lasting Truth for Trending Questions

By: Jeremiah J. Johnston

Tough questions are being asked about Christianity. And most believers are ill-equipped to provide the answers our culture and communities desperately need. Many in today’s church do not know the Bible as well as they should and they struggle with their own “big questions” about the faith. Unanswered covers several challenging topics, including mental health and suicide, paranormal activity, the resurrection, how we got the Bible, suffering, and why God is sometimes silent. This study will show you how to answer, explain, and respond in a deeply winsome and attractive way, as a thoughtful ambassador of Jesus. (6 sessions)

Tell Someone: You Can Share the Good News

By: Greg Laurie

Most Christians are either afraid to share the gospel or feel that they don’t know how to do it, or both. But evangelism is simply telling two stories: Jesus’ and yours (how Jesus changed your life forever). This study helps group members identify people and places already in their daily routines, encouraging and empowering them to share the good news of Jesus Christ. This refreshing look at evangelism from one of the nation’s most prominent pastors and evangelists will help Christians—new and old alike—discover the joy of evangelism as the good news of Jesus naturally overflows into their daily lives. (6 sessions)

Making Space: Doing What Matters Most

By: Jeff Vanderstelt

Do you know what’s most important in life? Do you feel too busy to make time for those things? This Bible study helps you identify the things that matter to God and to you as a follower of Christ and apply godly wisdom to incorporate these activities into your busy life. Each week will address a topic that is important but often overlooked or wrongly engaged. This study gleans wisdom from the Book of Proverbs and from the example of Jesus to help you turn from empty and unfulfilling busyness and devote yourself to doing what matters most. (8 sessions)

Pursuing Holiness: Applications from the Book of James

By: Philip Nation

An honest evaluation of your life may leave you wanting more—not more stuff but more meaning. Pursuing Holiness can put you on the path to a maturing life in Christ. This six-session study of the Book of James equips believers to put the pursuit of a holy life not only in its proper place but also within reach. You’ll learn that endurance, humility, obedience, and prayer can be essential parts of your everyday life. Why? Because a life dedicated to Christ is a life in which holiness is the norm.

(6 sessions)

Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Your Destiny

By: Tony Evans

The biblical account of Joseph clearly demonstrates that God is at work even when life seems to be going wrong. Even today, it’s easy to wonder why God would allow calamity to happen or if He’s in control at all. Whether through uncontrollable circumstances or the pain of personal relationships, everyone has experiences unforeseen changes in life. This study helps believers navigate detours that may take you through trials, injustice, and even betrayal. You will be comforted and encouraged when you learn to rest in God’s redemptive plan and the hope found in God’s sovereign will. (6 sessions)

Group Leadership

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2 Possible Outcomes of Being Overwhelmed – Eric Geiger

I have encouraged leaders to look for seasons of being overwhelmed, to disregard the cliché, “don’t bite off more than you can chew,” and to intentionally take on more than you thought you could handle so you will be forced to learn and grow.

3 Obstacles to Living God’s Will For Your Life – Michael Kelley 

“What is God’s will for my life?” we have asked. And we should ask. We should, as Christians, care deeply about God’s will for our lives. Yet this question shouldn’t be informational in nature; when we ask the question; it shouldn’t be like we are looking into a crystal ball. We should be asking with positive intentions. We have already made up our minds that our lives do not belong to us; instead they belong to Jesus, so we have already resolved to follow Him in whatever and wherever He might lead.

What Would Happen If You Found Your Purpose? – Kris Dolberry

What would happen if you found your purpose and lived it out? How would that change things for you? Imagine waking up every morning and saying, “Good God, it’s morning!” than, “good god, it’s morning!”

Leading Well: 5 Ways Psalms and Proverbs Can Build a Leader’s Relationship with God – LifeWay Women’s Ministry 

As a leader, the poetry and wisdom books of Scripture (from Job through Song of Solomon) should be a regular part of your devotional diet. Not only do they help us relate to others, but they also help us relate to our Creator.

5LQ: Episode 242: How to Ruin Your Life with Eric Geiger – LifeWay Leadership

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger discuss Eric’s new book, How to Ruin Your Life and Starting Over When You Do.

Group Leadership

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What You Can Look Forward to on the Other Side of Being Overwhelmed – Eric Geiger

The cliché: “Don’t bite off more than you can chew” is unhelpful because it is good for a leader’s development to occasionally do so.

3 Spiritual Reasons Why You Should Take Control of Your Calendar – Michael Kelley

…taking control of your calendar isn’t just an issue of time management. Maybe there’s something deeper going on here. Maybe taking control of your calendar is actually a spiritual discipline; maybe it’s an act of discipleship.

Beyond the Pancake Breakfast – 10 Fellowship Ideas for Men’s Groups – Kris Dolberry

Everyone loves pancakes– especially when there’s bacon involved. But, when it comes to Saturday morning pancake breakfasts, most of us have been-there-done-that. So, beyond the pancakes, bacon, and dude sharing a quick devotional, here are 10 fellowship ideas for your men’s group to consider:

You Have Stayed Long Enough – LifeWay Women’s Ministry

Is there a place in your life where you have stayed long enough? Is there something that God is calling you to do that may require you putting your foot on the gas and stepping bravely into the unknown?

Maximizing Mentorship – LifeWay Leadership

Mentoring is something I believe every leader should be involved in. But it’s not easy. It requires a tremendous amount of time and energy and is a big commitment for a leader. That’s why it’s important that we learn to maximize our mentoring relationships. So here are a few things that you might find useful to help maximize your mentorship.