The Journey Blog Archives

When I entered full-time ministry I wasn’t naïve. But I was idealistic. In our twenties, most ministers are. I believed in the goodness and sovereignty of God, the truth and promises of His Word, the salvation and power of the Gospel, the beauty of the church, the privilege of serving in ministry. I believed in these things. I believed in them then and I believe in them today, even more than I believed in them…

“You’re killing me, Smalls!” Everyone knows this wonderful quote from the classic movie, “The Sandlot.” Too often, I say this.  But not with a smile.  Let me explain. I'm sitting in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport waiting for my next flight. How many times in my life have I sat in these gate areas waiting for “the next flight?” As I stood in the aisle of the plane waiting to disembark from “the previous flight” earlier today,…

The Historic Opportunity In our rapidly changing world, the church faces many challenges external and internal.  These challenges affect doctrine, daily living and ministry. But seen through the eyes of faith, these same challenges offer the church unprecedented opportunities for internal renewal and a great external move to present Jesus Christ to our world and to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28.19-20). To make the most of these historic opportunities, the church needs innovative, bold, and…

Introduction “One of the common denominators apparent among those who lived well, led well, and finished well, was that they had people – mentors, teachers, advisors, counselors, guides, friends – who had the love, patience, and courage to walk alongside them through various seasons, along the journey. They were the ones who noticed, not from a distance, but up close in order to see what was really taking place, to ask a timely question, to…

More pastors should preach like a supermodel. I know that sounds like a provocative statement, but let me explain. I do not mean that pastors should try to look stylish on stage. Nor do I intend to encourage pastors to master clever communication techniques or include ornate props in their preaching. Unfortunately, we have too many preachers who focus on wearing expensive clothes, speaking eloquently, and allocating substantial portions of the budget to sermon props.…

During our family’s two decades as missionaries to Europe, we lived for a time in Tours, France, deep in the heart of the beautiful Loire Valley. My duties required that I attend meetings in Belgium’s capital city of Brussels regularly.   On one such trip north, I needed to visit the local “Bigg’s,” a Belgian equivalent of Walmart at the time. Walking to “la caisse” (the checkout) after making my selections, I saw a bargain…

Matthew 28:16-20 "16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,…

Almost five years ago, I began cycling again. Like most people, I rode a bike as a child, but this was something different altogether. I wasn’t chasing nostalgia, but health. I needed to move my body and clear my mind, and the original “freedom machine” was the perfect vehicle for the job. Little did I know that the unremarkable Eurobike I ordered off Amazon for $350 would become more than a tool for exercise. It would quietly reshape my physical health, and…

Two weeks ago, in Part One of this two-part look at church trends to anticipate in 2026, I presented nine negative trends of the year to come. You can read that article here. In this article, we turn our attention to a more encouraging subject: nine welcome trends. “Revival is Christ. . . Revival is when God intervenes with His people at a particular moment to manifest decisively the presence of His Son in three…

Born in the late ‘50s, I’ve seen my share of trends. Cars, clothes, and cultural icons, I’ve seen them all. And having lived in the French-speaking region of Europe, I’ve even seen fashion trends come to America. In their teen years, on those rare occasions when my daughters came to America, they were always studied and envied for the clothing they wore; friends and family knew they were seeing the next fashion trends. The dictionary…

We recently asked a group of young ministers to share the opportunities they see for ministers and the Church of Jesus Christ in 2026. Here’s what they told us. I. What unique opportunities do you see for young ministers in the American church/culture in 2026? 1. Younger ministers have an opportunity to operate as true shepherd leaders. Our congregations want more than psychotherapy can offer, as valuable as that resource can be. Believers want fewer…

Every December, Journey Pastoral Coaching posts Christmas wishes for ministers. These are requests we are asking God to grant to His servants. In past years, we’ve posted wishes for pastors, missionaries, and young ministers; we’ve posted the wishes of history’s pastors for the pastors of today. And we’ve posted the Christmas wishes our pastoral coach has for young ministers. You can read these wish lists below after the conclusion of this article. This year, we…

As we turn the final pages of the book on 2025, I offer my annual list of favorite reads for the year. This was another great reading year with many happy hours invested in the “Big Three” of mellow music, strong coffee, and a good book. As always, this is not a list of my favorite books published in 2025 but books read in 2025. If a book is on my “Best Of” list, I…