“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44, NIV). Jesus’ words confront our natural instincts when faced with hostility, persecution, and violence. The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk forces us to wrestle with this teaching in personal and practical ways. What compounds this tragedy is how some celebrated Kirk’s death-reactions…

This article originally appeared on Dave Blok’s Substack. Adapted with permission. “I feel like a cog in a machine.” That’s what I blurted out in my very first ministry position out of college. I was 22, the energetic and overly dramatic middle school youth director, confessing my angst to the Senior Pastor. His reply? “Well,…

I don’t know about you, but I struggle sometimes with praying to Jesus. He’s my friend but also commands awe and deserves deep reverence. I think we’ve humanized Jesus so much that my prayer life is becoming difficult. Jesus himself said we should ask things of the Father in his name, and that’s stuck with…

“If you ain’t reading, you ain’t leading.” Those were the wise words of Roy Hicks Jr., a friend I considered an older brother. Just two years older than me, Roy led a youth group before I did, planted a church before I did, and pioneered church multiplication before I did. He always forged the path…

Discover why choosing the right financial model is crucial for church planting. This article explores how a missionary support model, focused on long-term sustainability and reaching the unchurched can better align with your church’s mission and growth.  Planting a church is a spiritual endeavor, but it’s also an economic one. The financial model you choose…

Back during the pandemic we heard a lot of complaining about “Zoom fatigue.” People were forced to work from home and meet online and they didn’t like it-as opposed to very different feelings today. After we got back into church buildings most of us reverted to old patterns often overlooking the power we gained through…