blog Archives - Page 2 of 18 - Newbreed Training

God as a Tragic Redeemer

C.S. Lewis once described God as a “tragic redeemer.” By this he meant that God takes even the worst tragedies of human life and turns them toward redemption. He works good out of what was meant for harm. The cross itself is the ultimate example: humanity’s rejection of Jesus became the very means of salvation…

Radical Advice: How Not to Destroy an Acts 8 Moment

“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…

You are a Cog in the Machine

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,…

Struggling with Awe for Jesus While Knowing He’s My Friend

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 Writing You Ain’t Lasting

“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…

Funding Your Church Plant: Why Your Financial Model Matters

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…

Three Practical Reasons to Hold Some Small Group Meetings Online

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…

The Power and Danger of Rules

A friend recently asked me to state, in one word, what I thought could kill a movement. As I reflected on that, my mind went to Acts chapter 15, where the Jerusalem Council met and struck down the whole issue of circumcision. This isn’t about circumcision, but it is about rules. That was my one…

What Kind of Leader Starts a Movement?

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from What Actually Starts Movements by Emanuel Prinz, used with permission. This book is a significant new resource for leaders pursuing disciple-making movements. You can purchase the book here. There is a kind of person the Lord of the Harvest looks on with favor and uses to start…

Leading Change Without Overdoing It

A friend recently gave me reason to pause. He was talking about a tendency many of us have as leaders—to over-strategize. Sometimes, in our passion for progress, we fail to wait for our people to catch up. Instead of walking in the light we already have, we chase after new light, new revelations, new ideas.…