Kevin Presseault

When Biblical Isn't Enough - The Word and The Way Episode 1

2025-11-14T11:22:00.001-05:00

There’s a subtle tension in ministry and Christian leadership — one that doesn’t go away even with experience.

It’s this: Am I becoming more biblical … or just better at talking about the Bible?

We can exegete a passage perfectly and still fail to embody it.

We can preach love on Sunday and rush past a hurting volunteer on Tuesday.

Jesus said these powerful words to the religious leaders of his day:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me — yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.” John 5:39–40:

Jesus was speaking to Scripture experts. They were right about so much … and yet they missed Him.

That verse still shakes me. It's disturbs me as a leader in the church. It’s possible to love the Book and miss the Author.

Sometimes “being biblical” becomes a badge — a way to prove our orthodoxy — but it’s never meant to replace being Christlike.

Truth Without Tenderness

I remember early in ministry, a young man came to me with a confession. His marriage was on the rocks because of sinful choices he had deliberately made.

He was nervous — ashamed — but honest.

Everything in me wanted to quote verses, to correct his theology, to fix him.

And the Holy Spirit whispered, “Kevin … don’t prove your point — reveal My heart.”

So I closed my Bible for a moment … and listened.

When he finished, I said, “Thank you for trusting me.”

Only then did I open Scripture — and it landed completely differently.

Truth spoken without tenderness may be accurate — but it isn’t redemptive.

I wish I could say that I've handle every pastoral meeting that way. I haven't!

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that you can “understand all mysteries and all knowledge,” but if you don’t have love, you’re just noise.

Leaders who are only biblical can become noisy.

Leaders who are Christlike become healing.

Jesus never compromised Scripture — but He always humanized it.

The woman caught in adultery heard both words: “Neither do I condemn you” and “Go and sin no more.”

Grace and truth — inseparable. That's the ministry leadership style of Jesus.

Being Formed by the Word

When Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness,” (2 Tim 3:16) he was saying that Scripture isn’t just a tool for ministry — it’s a furnace for formation.

If I read the Word only to prepare sermons, it shapes my content.

If I read it to meet Jesus, it shapes my character.

Hebrews 4 says the Word is alive and active — not just to divide soul and spirit in others, but in us. It discerns our motives, our defensiveness, our ego.

The goal of Scripture study is transformation, not ammunition.

When the Word forms us, it flows out through our tone, our facial expressions, our emails, and yes, even our board meetings!

I often ask leaders:

“What is Jesus teaching you about your character? Where do you need more of the Gospel to touch your soul?”

That question humbles me every time I ask it of myself. For I am reminded that I am in CONSTANT need of Jesus' humility and grace in my life.

The Way of Jesus in Leadership

Philippians 2 says that Jesus emptied Himself and took the form of a servant. He didn’t cling to His rights — He chose relationship with humanity.

Imagine a church where leaders are known not for not simply their biblical accuracy, but for their gentleness, their humility, and their love.

Where meetings feel like washing feet more than drawing lines in our defense of sound doctrine.

That’s what happens when the Word and the Way collide.

Truth with grace. Conviction with compassion. Doctrine with devotion.

The early church wasn’t known for perfect theology notes — they were known for how they loved one another.

That love wasn’t sentimental — it was sacrificial.

So ask yourself today:

When people encounter you, do they experience Jesus’ truth or Jesus’ tenderness — or both?

Are you teaching Scripture to win minds, or to transform hearts? Including your own?

How is the Word shaping your tone, your reactions, your schedule, your prayers?

Reflection & Practice

Take five minutes today — no agenda — and sit with Jesus in John 5:39-40.

Read it slowly.

Ask Him: “Lord, where have I been so busy defending Your Word that I’ve forgotten to display Your heart?”

Then pray:

“Jesus, make me a leader who is as gentle as You are true. Form Your character in me so that my ministry sounds like Your voice.”

Because our goal is never just to be biblical.

It’s to be beautifully Christlike.

When Sabbatical Reveals What You Built is Broken

2025-08-14T15:57:00.006-04:00

A funny thing happens when you go away on a four-month Sabbatical.

You experience a time of rest and spiritual renewal. God speaks to you in new and fresh ways. You learn, you grow, and you lean into new rhythms of following Jesus.

And while you're gone, your church grows, hears from other preachers, hears God in new and fresh ways, and continues many of the rhythms you created in your role as pastor.

Then we all get back together and sort through all that God has done during the time of the Sabbatical.

And then BANG! That's when it happens. As the pastor, you notice something in the ministry that you REALLY, REALLY don't like. And then you kind of have to smile and laugh, because what you don't like is something that you passionately created and built into the life of the church years ago!

Maybe that doesn't sound all that funny to you. It sure does to me.

I was warned about this possibility during my Sabbatical preparation. I spoke with several pastors to learn from them about their experiences with Sabbaticals. I was particularly interested in hearing about their re-entry into the life of the church and leadership after being away for such a long time.

This issue was mentioned more than once! By small and large church pastors. Renewal has a funny way of showing us our ministries in a new light.

Now, this isn't a bad thing at all! In fact, I find this to be an incredible blessing and a source of excitement to see what God wants to do about this.

But it can be a time that kicks you in the ego!

How is it that you can be in a ministry for such a long time and not notice this?

Or what if it's an issue that is still lingering because you haven't had the boldness or courage to face it, and hoped it would just go away?

Whatever the case may be, this could, if you're not careful, be a time of missing out on what God wants to reveal and grow in your ministry.

As I'm just beginning in this, here are three things I'm making sure I do. Maybe this will help you as well.

Accept Responsibility

I don't think it's just me, but there does seem to be a growing trend across leadership spheres where individuals evade accountability and blame others instead. Organizations prioritize reputation protection over authentic admission, resulting in leaders avoiding responsibility to "control the narrative."

I wish I could say this never happens in the church world, but sadly, that's just not the case.

Too often, we find leaders when confronted with a mistake they made, just double down and fight tooth and nail to defend themselves, rather than admit any fault.

Coming back from Sabbatical, like I mentioned earlier, I've begun to notice a few things that I'm not thrilled about in our ministry. It's not bad or heretical. Nothing like that. I'm just not happy with it.

Some of it I built. Some of it I indirectly built by allowing things to continue that I could have stopped.

Here's my role in this: Accept this responsibility.

I can't blame the congregation. "Oh, if these Christians would just blah blah blah..."

I can't blame other leaders. "Oh, if I just had leaders who would blah blah blah..."

I can't blame the culture. "Oh, if we only didn't live in this day and age, blah blah blab..."

I can only look at my leadership. Why did I make the decision that I made? Was it done with the information that I had at that time? Was it done to avoid or ignore something I didn't want to deal with?

I must accept my responsibility for it. That's it. That's where transformation starts.

Next comes the tricky part...

Reject Condemnation

When you notice that you have something in your ministry that you intentionally or unintentionally created, a small voice starts to whisper in your ear.

The voice says things like, "How stupid are you?", "You're such a coward!", "A better pastor would have dealt with this sooner."

I'm sure you recognize that for the voice that it is. That is not the voice of your heavenly Father. That is the voice of the Father of lies! Our spiritual enemy wants to simply kill, steal, and destroy everything about your ministry and your relationship with God.

Condemnation can come easily to those in leadership. After all, most of us are our very worst critics!

But that's not how God wants to bring renewal and change in your ministry.

Beating ourselves up, giving in to condemnation, doesn't do anything but give the devil a victory.

It is possible, during the accept responsibility phase, you may have to seek forgiveness for something you've allowed to continue too long. You may have to renounce a lie from the enemy you have believed. You may even have to apologize for something you did. That's OK. None of that is condemnation. That Christian humility is playing out in your leadership.

And that's very sweet to experience!

Now, finally...

Start Making Changes, Slowly

Now, take a deep breath, and don't feel like anything needs to change by next Sunday.

What you've built that may now be broken took time to happen, and it will take time to seek what God wants to bring to that area of ministry.

People in the congregation may still LOVE what you now HATE. That's Ok. You had your Sabbatical to work through some things.

Start praying, listen to the Father. He knows where he wants to bring your ministry. Trust and enjoy the process of renewal in your ministry.

So...

A funny thing happens when you go on Sabbatical.

God still does what God does.

He moves and transforms people for his glory and to see more people come to know him and the saving love of Jesus!

Oh... and if you're from my church and wondering what it is about my ministry that I now no longer like...

Don't worry. I'll start changing things slowly, you'll barely notice :)

The Sabbatical is Over!

2025-06-30T16:44:00.000-04:00

It's over!

Four months of rest, reading, relaxing, praying, writing, journaling, sabbathing, fellowshipping—and everything else the Father led me into during this Sabbatical—have come to an end.

I've just stepped out of one incredible adventure and into another. Same church family. Same friends. But now with a renewed faith and fresh excitement to serve my church and city!

Last week, our family was blessed to spend seven days at a cottage on the Ottawa River, generously offered by a former elder who, nearly 19 years ago, helped send Danielle and me into pastoral ministry. It was a special time to reconnect as a family (which gets harder with adult children!) and to spend some quiet, focused time with God before reentering ministry life.

During one of those quiet moments, I made a list of the ways I sensed God working, teaching, and healing during my Sabbatical.

In the months ahead, I plan to blog in more detail about how I was challenged and the spiritual growth I experienced. For now, I want to share the list I put together that quiet morning with the Father.

June 25, 2025

What has the Father shown me these past 4 months? That's a great question! (Insert 10 minutes of silence to let the Holy Spirit tell me what the Father did).

Experience more of his presence in Sabbath and silence/stillness
Practicing the spiritual rhymes of Jesus
Joy and sensing God's presence through creativity
Deeper understanding and love for people who don't know Jesus.
Healing in struggling with an identity of significance.
Implementing and following a Rule of Life
Deeper prayer life through Daily Office (20-30 minutes of silence a day) as well as ending the day with a Prayer of Examen.
Managing and healing in the area of false expectations (what I put on myself or put on falsely from others)
Starting to write a children's picture book about Father's love and the lies of our enemy.
Strengthened faith in the blessings of God.
Freedom from nightmares.
Enjoy reading again. Seminary and ordination somehow got me to HATE reading for years!
Fostering deeper friendships and relationships.
Deepened understanding of living spiritual authority out of love and humility.
Overall strengthened faith and confidence in hearing God's voice.
Refreshed spirit.
God's provision when pursuing him first about EVERYTHING!
Healing to be more emotionally and spiritually honest with those around me.

Four months ago my hope was just to experience some rest and renewal. I had NO CLUE what the Father had in store for me! I am incredibly humbled and grateful to have had this opportunity.

(End journal entry)

I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my church family and the leadership teams of Greenbelt Church. I love you so much, and I'm so grateful you trusted the process of this Sabbatical. I'm excited for the years ahead!

Reset Leadership Retreat

2025-06-18T16:30:00.008-04:00

Last week, I returned to Ellel Ministries Canada for their Reset Leadership Retreat. This was the last event in my Sabbatical plan. My goal was to use this week away to meet with the Father and simply see what He wanted to say to me about all that I have learned and experienced over the past four months.

And he certainly did not disappoint! I'm just in amazement at the Father's faithfulness!

Back in January 2023, Danielle and I began a two-year course at Ellel called Explore. We originally signed up for Explore to care and minister to other people better. Little did we realize that God was going to personally care for us so much in this journey.

During the week at Reset, I took time to go over all my notes from each of the Explore sessions. During the very first session in January 2023, I made a small note that simply said "Trust him!". At the time, I didn't know exactly what I was reminded of to trust. Was this just to trust God in the general sense, or was it in a specific area?

By the end of the first weekend, I felt I was to intentionally trust God with the process that Danielle and I had just begun with the Explore School. We also just started to regularly practice Sabbath, to take a full 24 hours off each week. I also felt God was asking me to reduce my ministry outside of the church and our denomination association to zero.

As I prayed and reflected at Reset last week, I was able to see just how God has used the past two years, as well as my Sabbatical, to strengthen my faith, bring healing in different areas of my life, and to hear God speaking so clearly.

In January 2023, I was heading for a burnout. I could slowly feel it coming. It wasn't coming because I was working ridiculous amounts of hours. It wasn't coming because I wasn't taking care of myself.

It was coming because the quiet lies whispered by my spiritual enemy were starting to feel like truth in my spirit.

That's how spiritual warfare works. Our enemy looks at our insecurities. He looks at our hurts and disappointments. He looks at the sins we've committed and the sins done against us. He takes all that information and twists it into lies that sound perfectly true.

My Explore journey has given me such sweet time with the Holy Spirit to deep dive into the enemy's lies, to be set free from them. My Sabbatical has allowed me to rest in the truth of the Father's love and identity he has given me.

As I was praying at Reset, I asked God to give me a word or a sense of what He wanted to do with all that he has done in my life these past two and a half years.

His response was immediate and so clear! "Love them and bring them to me."

This affirmed exactly what I had been journaling about throughout my Sabbatical.

Way back in 2018, I was taking a leadership course called CREST. In it, we were encouraged to put together a life purpose, a short statement reminding us what God has created us for. I felt this statement needed to be "career neutral", in other words, it wasn't dependent on what I did for a living.

If I were a pastor, it would fit. In my role as husband, father, friend, or brother, it would fit. If I worked in any other profession or if I were sick in the hospital, the purpose statement could still be lived out. After lots of work, prayer, and going over it with Danielle, I put together:

To be a spiritual father to many, having a gospel impact in this generation for generations to come.

Fast forward back to Reset. I was going over this statement, asking God if it was still how he wanted me to think like this. That's when "Love them and bring them to me" came.

I was also reminded of two different men in the Bible: Paul and David.

Paul was a Jewish religious leader who became a follower of Jesus and spiritually mentored others in the ways of Jesus.

David was the King of Israel. He was known as a man of war. He prayed on behalf of his family and his nation.

As I'm getting more and more excited about getting back into ministry at church, I see glimpses on how God wants to guide me as a serve: I'll be a spiritual father like Paul, and I'll be a faithful warrior like David, to see the Gospel have a lasting impact in people's lives. All done through the loving healing of our Father!

I don't have all the details of this worked out... and honestly, that's not the goal. Reset was a blessed time of seeing the hand of the Father at work in my life and being reminded of this faithfulness to continue this amazing journey.

I will keep on trusting him!

Review: Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole

2025-06-09T09:40:00.148-04:00

During this Sabbatical, I've been blogging and journaling different thoughts and feelings as I've quietly listened to God's voice. In devotions, prayers, worship, readings, and other pastors' sermons, it has been humbling to see how God is bringing various things together at this stage of life and ministry.

One of the biggest works God has been doing is in my identity.

Now, as followers of Jesus, we "know" that our identity is in Christ and not in what we do... what has been so good for me is to have what I do stripped away. As I've attended churches across our city for nearly four months, I was hit with an important truth:

I'm not the guy!

I'm completely and totally anonymous! No one knows who I am. No one knows about my spiritual gifts, my talents, experiences, and abilities. No one is looking for me, learning from me, expecting something from me, thanking me, or even talking to me.

I'm anonymous.

And if I were really, really honest, deep down I'm not sure I liked it at first.

Reading Anonymous by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole at this time in my Sabbatical was God's perfect timing!

Now, I don't believe you need to be on a Sabbatical to get a lot from this book. It's for anyone who has hoped for something from God and has had to wait. That's pretty much all of us!

Britt Chole uses the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness to help us explore how God uses the hidden years to strengthen our character and our faith.

I love this quote from the book:

Anonymous seasons afford us the opportunity to establish God as our souls' true point of reference if we resist underestimating how he treasures our hiddenness and take the time to decide whose attention and acceptance really matters in our lives.

This is such a great lesson for all of us! When no one is pursuing you, there is a freedom that comes with a sense of aimlessness if we don't direct ourselves to the author and creator of our souls!

In this anonymous season, I have looked closely at who I am in Christ. In an intentional time of lack of busyness, I have been able to focus on my intimacy with my Father, my family, and with friends.

Busyness has a way of robbing us of the intimacy that we all need to strengthen and feed our spirits. It also has a way of making us feel important and that we're making a difference in the world for Jesus.

And, after pastoring for the past twenty years, I can honestly say modern Christianity celebrates performance and busyness with the same level of praise as the secular world. Men and women of God are praised for what they do, rather than the strength of their quiet, submissive character to the will of God.

And that's a dangerous place for any of us to live in!

Because the choices we make in the place of trial today are greatly the fruit of choices we have made in our yesterday.

Anonymous is a quick read, but one that will challenge you to take a look at your faith journey at a deep level to remind us that "anonymous seasons are the surprised source of enduring spiritual strength."

It's OK to not be the guy! Because your Father in heaven already sees you as a beloved child, whom he sent his son to die for, and has sealed you with the Holy Spirit. To God, I'm already the guy!

The One Goal I'm Failing In

2025-05-30T12:08:00.001-04:00

I'm just finishing the third month of my four-month sabbatical. It has been a great journey of rest and drawing closer to God, my family, and the people around me. I have greatly benefited from this and am excited to complete the journey, seeing how God uses this time to bear more fruit in my life and ministry at Greenbelt Church.

Back in November, I shared my Sabbatical plan here on the blog. While I ended up reading very different books, most of the plan has stuck. I've seen great results in all areas... except one...

My Fitness and Weight Loss Goals

I've tried multiple workout programs, apps, and routines. None have given me the results that I've seen in the past from 2020 to 2023.

The reality is, the issue isn't the routine; it's me. I need to refocus and get back to some key basics.

If you've struggled with healthy living and exercise, then maybe these are questions you need to answer as well!

1. What is your "Why?"

Why do you REALLY want to exercise? Is it simply to lose weight, look good, or feel healthier? What is your motivating factor? If you can't clearly define it, you can't clearly stick to it!

I defined my "Why?" back in 2020. Honestly, with all that has been going on for the past couple of years in life and ministry, I've let my "Why?" drift into the background. It wasn't front and center and driving me, especially for the past 3 months.

My "Why?" has to do with my passion to follow and serve the Lord. I want to be able to fully live out the call that the Father has on my life. The Bible mentions several times to "run the race".

Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight that hinders and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us."

1 Corinthians 9:24: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.".

Now, I know these verses are talking about our spiritual life in Jesus. However, there is a physical component to this that I believe is very important. In order for me to live out my spiritual life, my physical life should be healthy as well.

1 Thessalonians 5:23: "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This verse shows that God is working in our spirit, soul, and body! I want all three to be where God wants them to be.

I believe God is calling me to a new level of fruitfulness. I've had a vision for quite some time of our church blessing and having an impact on 1% of the people in our city. I dream of 100 spirit-filled, Jesus-following, Bible teaching churches, each impacting 1% for the glory of God.

For me to be ready for that, I need to be healthy: spirit, soul, and BODY!

I want to run the race that God has before me! I want to be able to live out what he calls me to do. I don't want my poor health to get in the way.

That's my "Why?"! I want to be healthy to live out God's call. It's not about simply looking good. It's not even just about being healthy. It's to live my life in a way to bring more glory to God.

What is your "Why?" You need to know it.

2. What Keeps Derailing You?

We all know that making big changes in our lives is not easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it!

Are you able to pinpoint what tends to happen after a few days or weeks into your wellness journey? Do you recognize any patterns that happen that derail you?

Do you get bored? Do you feel like it's not working? Is it too hard or too easy? Do you have trouble finding the time?

For me, it stopped being fun!

When I was working out in 2020 to 2024, I was having a blast! I loved the program I was doing. It was fun, it was goofy, it was serious. It just hit every one of my fun buttons!

Since having to move on from that program, I just haven't been having any fun exercising.

I hate the gym! I REALLY, REALLY hate the gym. I hate gym culture. It feels like a fashion show and everyone is filming themselves. I feel like an old man completely out of place in the gym.

I hate generic fitness apps all created by AI, and generic computer "how-to" videos. It lacks all personality.

Part of the fun before was using my journey to bless others. Documenting, tracking, making videos and encouraging others was a big part of the fun for me. I haven't been doing that since October.

In order to not be derailed, I'm going back to having more fun!

What about you? What is derailing you? Address it!

And finally...

3. Are your routines designed for your life?

When it comes to fitness, I think we bite off more than we can chew. We dream of going to the gym for an hour every day. Or walking 10,000 steps every morning before work.

Lots of times, people don't stick with their exercise routine, not because they are not motivated, it's because it just doesn't fit with their lifestyle.

Is the workout too long? Too many days of the week? Does it require too much setup or travel time? Is it not aligned with your energy levels or other family commitments?

These are important questions to answer.

I like things to be simple. I like clear teaching and easy instructions to follow.

So many of the fitness programs and apps I've been trying are just not simple. They expect a level of familiarity and just jump right into it. They don't guide or help me build a routine in the program. They don't take fitness levels into consideration.

And because it's not simple, it just doesn't fit with me.

Knowing this, it really helps me to focus on a routine that will work. I don't want to deal with equipment and setups, I don't want to travel, or wait around for machines to be available.

What works for your life? Have you considered that in your exercise?

How to stop Failing

I want to share a little story with you. Back in 2020, with all that was going on in the world, God used my fitness journey to keep me strong spiritually. It would have been very easy to get caught up in so many of the issues the culture was going through and be derailed spiritually. I'm so grateful to God for bringing that fitness journey and friends into my life to keep me focused.

Now, in 2025, I believe God has used my spiritual journey to get me back on track in my fitness journey. The past 3 months, I've been so blessed to focus on my relationship with God and the wellness of my soul and spirit. As I enter the final month of my Sabbatical, I believe God has done a great work to help me now get the physical part of my journey going in the direction he has for me.

It will be simple.

It will be fun.

It will be for God's glory.

I'll be documenting the journey here on the blog. I hope this will encourage you on your journey.

Review: Replenish - Leading from a Healthy Soul by Lance Witt

2025-05-23T08:33:00.000-04:00

A healthy soul. That sounds great.

But what exactly does that mean?

The answer you get to that question depends greatly on who you ask. Most Christian leaders, hopefully, will answer based on what the Bible teaches us. After all, the Bible is very clear that we need to be healthy. The Apostle Paul instructed the church in Corinth:

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Our body and spirit can be pretty contaminated from everything our toxic culture throws at us. Our soul can also be toxic from the sin that lurks deep within our own hearts. Yes, even us Christian leaders and Pastors. An honest look at our hearts should QUICKLY tell us we all have work to do in this area of our lives. Sadly, most of us give priority to the wrong things and put our own spiritual health as a lower priority in our schedule.

Lance Witt's book, Replenish - Leading from a Healthy Soul, was given to Danielle and me during our week-long retreat put on by Focus on the Family. I had started reading it right away, coming home from the retreat. But it put it away... It's not a large book. It actually just felt very overwhelming!

The book is broken down into forty-one short chapters, each covering a different topic, with the goal of:

Prioritize matters of the soul
develop healthy spiritual practices
address problems that lead to burnout
create a healthy rhythm in your life
craft a healthy leadership culture
develop better systems in your church
move toward an unhurried life

This just felt like way too much to attempt to implement all of this.

I came back to this book after my trip to Istanbul. The Father used my time away to show me specific areas of my soul that he wanted to work on. He brought me back to this book to explore it more closely.

The goal isn't to implement forty-one topics into our lives. The goal is the realize that all of us, every single person who lives on planet Earth, has holes in our souls. Whether from wounds, insecurities, sins, or just the stresses of life, all of us need healthy spiritual rhythms to keep our souls healthy.

Will suggests a three-part strategy in the book: Realize, Repair, and Refill.

Realize is about taking the necessary time to have honest reflection with our heavenly Father and ourselves about the issues that are a threat to our soul.

Repair is where we have a hole identified, we allow God to change us and bring healing into that area. This is where we start taking steps to have a healthier soul.

Refill is how we refill our soul bucket now that the holes in it are being repaired. Each of us feels refilled in different ways. We develop new habits that can sustain a lifetime of spiritual health.

There is something in this book for everyone. The beauty of it is that each chapter is short but points to additional resources to dive deeper into topics that really speak to you. I've done this from several of the work I'm doing in my own spiritual journey.

Replenish - Leading from a Healthy Soul is a great book for every follower of Jesus to use as a starting point into the Father building healthier souls in his church!

70% of Pastors Don't Have One

2025-05-22T11:45:00.000-04:00

Over the past decade, several sources have commented on the state of pastors and their relationships.

The conclusion they come to is that 70% of pastors do not have a close friend, a confidante, or a mentor.

While none of the research directly quotes a 70% number, they still paint a sad reality for pastors and Christian leaders.

Lifeway Research has conducted surveys that emphasize pastoral loneliness. In 2021, their survey found that 55% of pastors feel frequent loneliness and report having no one they can confide in about deep personal or ministry struggles.

Barna Group studies consistently show that pastors struggle with relational health, especially younger pastors. A 2022 study found that 40% of pastors considered quitting. Isolation was the leading cause for this consideration, significantly higher than dealing with the 2020-2021 pandemic lockdowns.

Pastors constantly teach and preach about how spiritual growth and Christ-likeness are developed in the context of meaningful relationships. I say that almost weekly!

But these numbers would indicate that we pastors are relying completely on ourselves for our spiritual growth. We are going it alone!

Professor, writer, and theologian Henri Nouwen once wrote,

"Most Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships."

The Problem

This lack in Christian leadership has been a passion of mine to see changed, in my own life and ministry, the life of my church, and in the leaders around me.

And while it has been a passion, it has been a slow journey of seeing the Christian leadership culture shift to putting more of a focus on our relational health and spiritual vitality.

I know exactly where to go and whom to reach out to if I want to learn and grow in ministry topics such as:

Mission, vision, and values in my ministry
Going to multiple services
Church planting
Improving as a preacher and communicator
How to structure a team and run a board meeting
Hiring and firing staff
Fundraising and increasing giving
Ministry systems and structures

For each of those topics, I could pick up the phone right now and easily call a colleague and get guidance.

To be quite honest, for nearly most of my 19 years of pastoral ministry, I never knew who to talk to if I wanted help or support in:

A deeper intimacy with Christ
Hearing and discerning the Holy Spirit more clearly
Knowing the power of the resurrection in my life
Being equipped in spiritual warfare
Enjoy Sabbath rest
Strengthening spiritual gifts in myself and others
Dying to the desires of self

While the first list is important and needs to happen to run a church, ministry will only thrive and bear spiritual fruit that will last when our pastors and leaders, through meaningful relationships, are open and honest with the second list.

The Solution

I have spent the better part of the first 15 years of my pastoral leadership building relationships around the function of ministry. I have great people in my life in those areas and I'm very thankful for them.

In 2020 I intentionally shifted my thoughts to find and create relationships around intimacy. It is definitely slower. Since it has been harder to find people to learn from in those areas, I want to do what I can to BE one of those leaders for others.

If you'd like more spiritually intimate relationships I most likely will have to take the first step. I did. While everything in my flesh cried out for someone to reach out to me, to be seen, to be noticed, I had to do the first step.

I started simple. I started with the relationships I already had. One at a time.

Four years ago I made a tiny shift in my staff meetings. Instead of just starting with prayer, or a leadership book, or an informal "how are you" time, I started the meeting asking:

What has the Father been revealing to you about himself this week?

This wasn't a trick question. I wasn't trying to trap them as the "boss" that they are doing quiet times during the week. This came from a heart deeply desiring FOR THEM more intimacy with God. It came from a heart desperate to hear that the Father is at work in the people I love and serve with.

For the first few weeks not all that much was shared. Over time the discussions became more and more meaningful. I learned a lot from hearing what God was revealing to these amazing leaders I spend so much time with.

I began to do this in other meetings as well. Association meetings, pastoral gatherings, leadership training. I open myself up by being vulnerable, modeling an openness that we used to share in our friendships before we became leaders.

Another small step I took was to intentionally meet leaders outside my normal tribe. It can be uncomfortable stepping out this way, but trust me, it is so worth it! Over the past three years I have met some wonderful people with a deep love for the Lord and experience him in ways that I don't. I love listening to them and learning from them. I excited about seeing our relationships grow more and more.

It is Worth It!

In one of my pastoral leadership courses in seminary, the professor told us point blank to NEVER become close friends with people in our church. We are called to shepherd God's people and we must be seen as leaders and those who have meet with Jesus.

Deep in my spirit I knew this was wrong.

I get why this would be taught. Pastoral ministry can be hard. People you care about and invest your life in will hurt you. I've stopped counting the number of people I was close with who have left our church without ever saying a word to me.

Jesus' ministry was built on intimate friendship!

John 15:15 – "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."

I LOVE THAT! What I hear from my Father, I make known to you. What YOU hear from the Father, I want you to make that known to me.

Let's not be a part of the 70%.

My Trip to Istanbul!

2025-05-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

April has, traditionally, been a hectic month for our family.

When the kids were little, summer activities would begin and juggling between here, there, and everywhere was a normal routine.

Even though our children are all grown, this April still proved to be a hectic month. Both Danielle and I celebrated birthdays. We went out of town for Easter - the first time in 15 years! And I travelled to Istanbul.

The trip was such a blessing. I was able to experience firsthand the work that my daughter is doing. I was so encouraged by her passion and love for all the people there.

I'm still processing all that I witnessed there and how that is affecting my view of the local church in Canada and the role we play in our society.

But while I process, let me share a little of what I did during my week.

My trip included a 23-hour layover in London, England. I have never been to London before. I've only seen its rich history on television or in pictures at my grandparents' house. Using ChatGPT, I planned out a full day to see as much as possible. I was able to plan out all my transportation using the tube (subway system), trains, and on foot! I walked about 30,000 steps that day :)

I was very pleased with how easy it was to get around! I was a little concerned that I would have spent the majority of my day just waiting around. I did geek out a little when one of my stops happened to be named BOND Street :)

I visited Parliament and saw Big Ben. I did a tour of Westminster Abbey. I popped over to Buckingham Palace. I relaxed in St. James Park. And I finished off the day with a pint and fish and chips.

Westminster Abbey was INCREDIBLE to see. The art, architecture, and sculptures are just breathtaking! What struck me the most, even though it is still a functioning church with a ministry to bless and impact the community, the building itself really leads one to focus on "the pride of man" and our earthly accomplishments. Tomb after tomb of great men and women of history filled the place. But I kept asking myself, "Where is the glory of God? Where is the work of God on display to be praised?" Psalm 103:15-16 says: "As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more."

I managed to get a few hours of sleep at a funky little hotel room in the airport. It was just perfect to get some sleep before the next part of the trip!

All of my flights were smooth and free of any hassles! Praise God for that! I'm a bit of a nervous traveller, so when it goes nicely like this trip, it makes me very happy, and much more open to doing more travel :)

I left home on Monday evening and arrived in Istanbul Wednesday morning. My arrival perfectly aligned with an earthquake! Because of this, our plans for the first day were completely disrupted, and I ended up meeting up with Samantha at the other end of the city, which was deemed more "earthquake safe". Thankfully, there were no major aftershocks, and we were able to return to where I was staying the following day.

It was such a joy to be with Samantha! Her love and passion for this part of the world were contagious! I was just amazed at how she has been picking up the Turkish language! Everywhere we went together, people would compliment her on her speaking. I was incredibly impressed! She is an incredible woman, just like her mother!

Our week was a balance of sightseeing, relaxing, praying, and meeting wonderful people. I loved sitting in a cafe having a tea and just watching SO MANY people pass by.

In Istanbul is something known as the ezan (or adhan in Arabic). It is the Islamic call to worship, announced five times a day from loudspeakers mounted on the minarets of mosques throughout the city. The call to prayer is a regulated, state-managed religious practice. It's not just a religious custom—it’s part of Turkey’s public life and legal structure, tightly overseen by the government through the Diyanet. Any public disrespect toward it can be considered blasphemy or incitement, which is punishable under Turkish law. Disrupting the call to prayer or mocking it may lead to fines or criminal charges under laws protecting religious values and public order.

(All of that I learned and copied from ChatGPT)

During one of these calls, respectfully, I went to a Mosque so I could spend time praying. While I'm obviously not Muslim and have no knowledge of the customs of what happens in a mosque, I found a quiet place to myself and spent about an hour praying.

I prayed for the people of Turkey. I prayed for those who are suffering. I prayed for any civil unrest. I prayed for the marginalized. I prayed that the peace of God that transcends all human understanding would touch the hearts of the people there. I prayed for the religious tensions in the region.

As the mosque filled up more and more, I decided, in order to not be seen as being disrespectful, to go outside to continue praying a bit longer. This was a beautiful area where there were stations for people to be able to wash their feet. Again, because I'm not familiar with the customs, security guards began to walk that area outside the mosque and required that all women (tourist or citizen) leave. Only men were allowed in that area.

I prayed for the women. I prayed for any woman mistreated or treated as "less than" because of her gender. I then prayed that the Holy Spirit would descend powerfully and that he would transform and change hearts.

No word of a lie, but as soon as I finished that prayer and opened my eyes, two doves flew down and landed on the two large doors that served as the entrance to the mosque. This species of dove, according to my bird app, is called Laughing Doves. I nearly teared up. In the Bible, we read about the baptism of Jesus. It is one of the clearest moments of the Trinity of God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16 says: "And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him." I was so blessed by this time of prayer.

Samantha and I went to visit the Hagia Sophia. It is one of the most iconic and historically significant buildings in the world. Its history spans over 1,500 years, crossing the boundaries of empires and religions. It was built in 5 years from 532-537 AD. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1,000 years and the centrepiece of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by Sultan Mehmed II, marking the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Hagia Sophia (which means Holy Wisdom in Greek) was converted into a mosque. Christian mosaics were covered (but not destroyed) with plaster or Islamic calligraphy.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Turkey was established under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. In 1935, Hagia Sophia was reopened as a museum as part of Turkey’s secularization efforts. Many of the covered Byzantine mosaics were uncovered and preserved. In July 2020, Turkey’s highest court annulled the 1934 decree that had turned Hagia Sophia into a museum. Soon after, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a decree converting it back into a mosque. It remains open to visitors, but now functions primarily as a mosque. Some of the Christian mosaics are covered during prayer times, often with curtains rather than permanent alterations.

(Again, I learned and copied all this from ChatGPT)

The place is incredibly beautiful, but I could definitely feel the spiritual tension in the place. While the Christian heritage of the building is respected from a tourist funding raising perspective, the spiritual heritage is not welcomed. Even though pictures of Jesus were everywhere, acknowledging him was not permitted.

I did get to visit some old churches as well. This region of the world is rich in Christian history. Beautiful churches were open to all. I found one Orthodox and one Catholic church.

The Catholic service was guarded by the military! The church is behind a HUGE gate. The entrance was protected by armoured vehicles and a dozen men and women heavily armed! This was a powerful reminder to me to never take religious freedom for granted. Sadly, here in Canada, I believe we are seeing that eroded more and more. As I was leaving the church, several young muslim men were mocking the service from the back of the church. If that had been the other way around, young Christian men mocking an Islamic service... I would not want to see what would have happened!

I'm so grateful for the opportunity of this trip. I've been trying to do my sabbatical as cheap as possible in order to not add any financial pressure on my church or in our personal finances. I'm grateful to my mom and step-dad, who gifted me the plane ticket. I'm grateful to Samantha's contact, who got me a room for $15 USD a night! And I'm very grateful to God for putting it all together and teaching me so much!

God Has A Name - Book Review

2025-05-07T15:32:00.090-04:00

If you were to attend my church for a few weeks, you would definitely hear me say "What you believe about God will drive how you live your life."

I believe this statement to the core of my being.

Finding a book that drives home the exact same thought saves me from having to write it!

John Mark Comer's book, God Has a Name, is a deep look at the character and nature of the creator of the universe. In Exodus 34:6-7 we read about Moses' introduction to the God of Israel. Remember, Moses was raised in slavery in Egypt. He doesn't know who this God speaking to him from a burning bush is. God himself explains who he is to Moses:

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Comer uses these verses to break down what the Bible teaches us about this God and his love for humanity.

Today's culture is OK with generic god talk. Many people give credit to some higher power for their life and accomplishments. Comer echoes what I have preached again and again: "We become what we worship."

Here is a powerful quote from the book, and why knowing the God who has a name is so critically important.

The ISIS terrorist beheading the infidel, the prosperity gospel preacher getting out of his Hummer after late-night drinks with Kanye West, the Westborough Baptist picketer outside a military funeral screaming "God hates f--s!", the Hindu sacrificing a goat to Shiva, the African witch doctor sacrificing a little boy, the U.S. Army sniper praying to God before he takes the shot, the peace activist risking her neck to stop another war because she believes in Jesus' teachings on enemy love, the gay singer who stands up at the Grammys and says thank you to God for his song about a one-night stand, the Catholic nun giving up a "normal" life to live in poverty and work for social change - all of these men and women do what they do because of what they believe about God.

If we let tradition or culture, even church culture, dictate our understanding of who God is, we may miss the mark of the incredible love of God.

This book, like Comer's other work, is well written and easy to follow, even while diving into some deep theological understandings of God and his relationship with humanity. Comer explores topics such as mercy and wrath, love and faithfulness, covenant and promise. Each is explored to help us personally know God better and experience him up close in our lives.

This is definitely another book that everyone should read. To the non-Christian, it provides a great framework to understand the true nature of God taught in the Bible. To the Christian, it is a fantastic study to move beyond a surface level understanding of God.

Review: Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund

2025-04-02T21:46:00.082-04:00

"Your theology drives your methodology."

If you've heard me preach, you have heard me say this repeatedly. What we believe about God will drive how we live our lives.

When I say belief, I'm not talking about just a superficial acknowledgement of God. The devil "believes" in God! What you believe about him, his character, his nature, his holiness, his will, his plans for humanity - all of those combined will drive how we live. We either live out of our understanding of him, or our lives are dictated by our lack of knowledge. And in some cases, even out of rebellion.

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortund takes the reader on a rich, theological dive through the Bible to unpack the LOVE of Jesus Christ.

We can sing Sunday school songs that "Jesus loves me, this I know, cause the Bible tells me so." But do we actually know what the Bible says about Jesus' love for us?

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28

These words from Jesus cry out to an exhausted culture, and churches stuck in spiritual ruts.

Ortlund's book is broken down into twenty-three short chapters diving into an aspect of Jesus' love. While very rich in theological depth, his writing style makes it easy for anyone to engage with the material. You don't need a Master's degree to learn theology :)

I could easily spend a month in each chapter focused on the aspect of Jesus presented in the pages. I found Ortlund's writing stirring my heart with a longing for even more of Jesus' love to play out in my life. Like all of us, it's easy to read the words of Jesus saying "come to me", but then just go about my day and get my responsibilities finished. This book is more than just a theological mind dump. It's about allowing God to transform us deeply into his character of love because of the love we have received.

The more we understand Jesus' love, the more it changes our perspective of God and our view of the world around us.

I've been reading this book slowly over the course of several months... don't rush this one. Let this one bring you closer to Jesus' love!

The Rule of Life

2025-03-30T14:21:00.099-04:00

Do you have an intentional, thoughtful, and integrated plan to draw you closer to God?

Me neither!

Obviously I practice spiritual disciplines like prayer, study, and all the other classics. But do they accomplish exactly what I would expect of them?

Danielle and I have reviewed Peter Scazzero's writings for the past decade. We first learned about his Emotionally Healthy Spirituality at our Fellowship's National Convention. Peter and his wife Gerry were the main speakers that year. We were moved by their testimony of how ministry, in many ways, drew them further away from God and each other! We knew immediately that we never wanted to end up in the same spot the Scazzeros found themselves in!

We repeatedly tried to implement EHS into our life and ministry rhythms. Some years, we saw tremendous success. Others? Not so much.

In 2023, I reread The Emotionally Healthy Leader. I knew I would need better spiritual practices with all that was dealt with in ministry during the pandemic. This was even when the idea of a Sabbatical began. I began a journey of implementing many new spiritual practices.

The one that constantly alluded me was The Rule of Life.

I'm adamant about not making Christians return to the legalism of Pharisees, so the idea of a "Rule" was, at first, a challenge. The reality is that we all live by some form of Rule of life. We just are not doing it intentionally.

What is a Rule of Life? Let me quote Peter Scazzero:

The term Rule of Life has its linguistic roots in an ancient Greek word that means "trellis". A trellis is a support structure that enables plants such as grapevine to get off the ground, grow upward, and become fruitful. It's a beautiful image of what a Rule of Life is and how it functions - ot is a support structure that helps us to grow up and abide in Christ. This in turn enables our lives to thrive spiritually and our leadership to be abundantly fruitful.

Since the start of my Sabbatical, all the reading I've been doing have focused on The Rule of Life in one way or another. Ok Lord! I get it. I'll look at this more closely.

That's what I've been doing for the past 4 weeks. I have been praying and learning how this tool can be used to draw me closer to the Father and allow him to bear more fruit in my life.

Here is the first draft of RevKev's Rule of Life. It will change over the course of the Sabbatical as I learn more of what God wants to do in my life and ministry.

I used the material provided by Peter Scazzero to categorize this around 4 areas: Prayer, Rest, Relationships, and Work/Activity.

PRAYER	REST
I practice Daily Office x2 day (morning, lunch) I practice Prayer of Examine each night I practice 5 mins of silence before each meeting to hear the Father's will.	I take a "Happy Hour" each day to delight in the Father (creativity) I practice a weekly, 24-hour Sabbath from Friday night to Saturday night. I walk daily with Kalla.
RELATIONSHIPS	WORK/ACTIVITY
I encourage family/friend through texting daily. I delight in friendships that refresh my soul through Game Nights and socials. I seek mentors to help me draw closer to the Father. I mentor others so they can draw close to the Father. Bi-weekly date night with Danielle.	I exercise x4 a week to strengthen my body to be used for the Father's glory. I perform daily/weekly house chores to create a hospitable space to welcome people into our home.

This Rule of Life is a work in progress. As I implement these intentionally in my life, I'm expect God to reveal tweaks and changes. My prayer is that by the end of my Sabbatical, the Father will have revealed new ways for me to connect my sprit to his Spirit and see more spiritual fruit all around me!

I'd encourage you to check out a Rule of Life for yourself.

Review: Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer

2025-03-25T12:36:00.000-04:00

It's not often that I find a book that I believe every Christian should read, apart from the Bible, that is.

Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer is DEFINITELY one of those books!

I had never heard of John Mark Comer until I attended my retreat at Kerith Waters, sponsored by Focus on the Family. During our one-on-one sessions, the Director read a passage to Danielle and me that really resonated with me, so I picked up the book as soon as we returned home.

Comer guides the reader through a discipleship pathway focused on Jesus, emphasizing true spiritual transformation rather than simply gathering information. Our modern-day view of discipleship is more in line with education than apprenticeship. The church can feel more like a school, with classes, programs, studies, and a curriculum that guides us from one step to the next, building our knowledge without much change to the deeper, innermost parts of our spirit.

Being an apprentice is different. It requires a different level of commitment, and the changed lives in the church and in the world look vastly different. I loved this quote from Comer in the opening section of the book:

Much preaching of the gospel today does not call people to a life of discipleship. Following Jesus is seen as optional - a post-conversion "second track" for those who want to go further. Tragically, this has created a two-tier church, where a large swath of people who believe in God and even regularly attend church have not re-architected their daily lives on the foundation of apprenticeship of Jesus.

He continues to say this is an entirely alien idea in the writings of the New Testament. Is the Christian faith simply a list of religious activities we perform in the name of Jesus while our lives don't look all that different from the rest of the world? But what if God truly desires for his children to find the freedom we read about in Isaiah?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

What if God wants healing for our souls through participation in the inner life of the Trinity? That is something I could easily dedicate my life to see happening - in my life, my family, and my church!

Comer examines how restructuring our daily lives around a Rule of Life enables us to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do as Jesus did, as we are transformed into people of love. This idea may seem intimidating, but the truth of the matter is that we each already have a Rule of life. We are already guided by principles that are transforming us each and every day. We must be honest about whether our way of living is actually changing us into loving people of God.

Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer will be by my side as I learn to implement more of this teaching into my life and ministry. I strongly encourage you to check it out!

Prayer, Drywall, and Creativity

2025-03-24T13:55:00.002-04:00

I spent most of the past week at Ellele Ministries Canada in Westport, Ontario.

Ellel has played an important part in our wellness journey for the past several years as the Father has brought both Danielle and me spiritual and emotional healing through their amazing team. As we have pursued God's healing in our bodies, souls, and spirits, we have participated in several different events and retreats at Ellel.

Last week we had a Prayer Ministry Appointment (PMA) where we met with a couple of members of the team to pray together and listen to God on areas that he wants to on. Being on Sabbatical has allowed me to spend some great, quality time with the Father, but during that session, God revealed something new that he wanted me to be delivered from.

Fear.

Most of us deal with some form of fear. Whether it is anxiety, worry, or a phobia, fear can play a significant part in our lives. Lots of pastors struggle with people pleasing and the fear of letting their church down.

These are not where God brought me.

My fear is in the judgment of God!

Not a fear for my salvation. For me, the Bible is very clear on this issue. I have been saved from my sins because of what Jesus has done for me on the cross. Jesus himself said: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:28-29, NIV)

So my fear isn't that judgment. It's the judgment on how I am living my life! In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Years ago I had read a book that described this Judgment Seat of Christ of a time where we will show Jesus all that we did in his name. The author would have Jesus ask, "Where are the souls you were supposed to bring to me?" Then the individual would boast about all the good work they did in their church, in business, or in missions. Then Jesus would say, "That didn't matter. Your life was to reach others!"

Deep down, this idea planted a fear in me. Not a good, healthy reverence of God and his judgment, but rather one that brings up the fear and insecurity of what my life looks like to non-Christians.

In pastoring for nearly 20 years, I have been told many times what pastors are SUPPOSED to do. "Pastors are supposed to visit everyone in their church." "Pastors are supposed to be at every meeting." "Pastors are supposed to deal with every problem." "Pastors are supposed to..."

Never in any of those conversations did someone ask, "What has the Father asked you to do?"

If we are not hearing directly from the Father, exactly like Jesus did during his ministry on earth, then fear can creep in through all the things we are "supposed" to do.

Again, I don't tend to suffer from people pleasing. God has done a lot of healing in my life by not giving in to the supposed statements from Christians. My fear quietly crept in on how non-Christians might be expecting me to live... and does it draws them to Jesus or pushes them away.

Praying with Danielle and my PMA team at Ellel this week was so freeing!! God showed me the lie I was believing and helped me turn my ear completely to him. It may take some time for my flesh to catch up to the work we did in prayer, but I already feel a new level of peace and freedom.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - 1 Corinthians 15:58

After our PMA, Danielle left to go back home and I stayed at Ellel for a couple of days to help with their construction project.

For the past few years, Danielle and I have been financially supporting the ministry of Ellel and a building project that they have been working on. They are expanding their facilities to allow more people to attend their courses, retreats, and events so that even more people would experience the Father's heart of God in their lives. It has been a joy to give financially to this work.

Getting to actually help physically with this project was so life-giving! To be a part of the work, even labor like hanging drywall was so refreshing. There were about a dozen of us working and laughing together. I find God really brings rest to my soul during work like that. Doing it with others who are passionate for the Lord and his work, is a real bonus!

I finished the week with the next EXPLORE session. Danielle and I have completed the 10-session Explore A, and are now nearly complete the 10-session Explore B.

Explore is a series of weekend courses designed to train and equip God’s people through a journey of learning, understanding, and personal transformation. Those who journey through Explore will grow in their personal relationship with the Lord but also become better equipped to help others as they learn how to minister in the love and power of God to those in need.

This journey the past two and a half years has played one of the largest transformations in my life and ministry.

This month's session was all about God's healing through creativity. I have a love/hate relationship with creativity. I have always been a creative person. I loved drawing, painting, writing, and other crafts growing up. As I got older, instead of just enjoying creativity as a gift of God, I stopped. I'd never make it professionally as an artist or anything so why bother.

Even over the past few years, as I got back into being more creative with miniature painting, I would constantly be disappointed with my work instead of just enjoying painting. Or if I wrote something, it would always have to be so that someone else would benefit from it, instead of just enjoying writing.

In this Explore session, I was reminded that God is a CREATOR! Humans were created in the image and likeness of God. We are creative! We may not all be artists. Each of us has the ability and creativity to create. Build a house, write a poem, plant a garden, whatever it is for you. Recognizing this is an important part of how our Father made us to be can unlock a closeness with God that we may have been missing.

During one of the sessions, we were encouraged to make something from playdough. As I started to worry about what I would make, I felt God tell me to just have fun! With that in my heart, I just started laughing. Not a crazy laugh... just a quiet giggle. I started to make Krypto the Superdog out of playdough :) I just kept giggling quietly under my breath making it. It was just a fun time feeling close to God, filling my heart with joy, and making something that actually looks kind of cute.

This Explore weekend was so encouraging to make weekly creativity back into my life. And not for any specific project, but just to enjoy the time creating with God.

The Father sure touched my heart a lot last week. Thanks again Ellel for walking with Danielle and me in our faith journey. You mean so much to us!

Review: The Art of Rest by Adam Mabry

2025-03-14T08:15:00.020-04:00

"Let's just relax today."

If you are anything like me, that simple statement may have caused you serious feelings of dread! "Relax?" HOW???? I have NO CLUE how to relax!

Over the past few years, I have been on a journey of wellness - mentally, physically, and spiritually. A significant part of this journey has been to develop sabbath rhythms in my life and home. Daily, weekly, and yearly intentionality to deepen my connection to my Heavenly Father.

It is no surprise to anyone that we live in an incredibly busy culture. At one point I counted that I had 7 different ways that people could reach out to me, awaiting an answer, and I don't even know if a message came in!

Rest in a busy culture seems incredibly counter-cultural. As churches and Christian leaders who have spent the last couple of decades watching the rise of mega-churches and high-performance, CEO-like pastors, the message of rest sounds almost legalistic. How can we possibly rest when there are so many people who need the saving grace of Jesus? I listened to podcasts of Christian leaders boasting that they have never taken a sabbatical and claim we just need better time and energy management in our lives.

Is that how the Bible says we should live?

Adam Mabry's book, The Art of Rest is a great introduction to this vital topic. Over the past 5 years, I have come to believe that if we truly want to see spiritual fruit in our lives, families, ministry, or business, we must embrace the spiritual rhythms modeled for us by Jesus himself.

To keep Christians from returning to the hard-core legalism of the Pharisees, we must approach sabbath keeping as an art form more than a method that everyone needs to practice perfectly. How a business owner approaches the sabbath will look radically different than a pastor or a politician.

What I love about this book is the author gets to the heart of the issue - the heart of Jesus!

Come to me, all who are weary and are burdened, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28

Rest, true spiritual rest, is a gift given to us by Christ. And it's like any art form, whether it's painting or music, we all need to practice it daily, weekly, and yearly for the beauty of it to be seen and heard.

This book, though hitting on the theology of rest, is written in a style that anyone can relate to and understand. No Old Testament Master's degree is needed to explore this topic in your life. It's personal, and practical, and allows flexibility to implement rest into your routines, regardless of how busy you think you are.

As someone who has more understanding and practice in the art of rest, this book serves as a great reminder of the importance of meeting with God in sabbath keeping. I loved this quote from the book:

We embrace the art of rest because it is a gift given to us by God, practices among us by Christ, inspired for us by the Holy Spirit, and inviting us to fellowship with Father, Son, and Spirit. As we say yest to this kind of rest, his refreshing, unburdened, and happy presence will begin to flow into our lives, and therefore into our world.

That's what I want in my life! That's what I want in my home and in my church! That's the type of impact I pray we will see across our city.

If you're weary, tired, or feeling burdened, let me encourage you to check out this book. Don't just read it, learn from it, and apply it.

It's Gonna Pop!!

2025-03-05T23:13:00.099-05:00

Can I tell you a secret?

I'm afraid of balloons!

Really. I hate them. I hate the feel of them. I hate having them close to me. And I especially hate blowing them up.

I'm afraid of the loud POP! when they are overblown. Every time I hear that exploding sound I feel like I've lost a week of my life.

Ok. This may sound extreme, but I don't like balloons!

During one of the teaching sessions at Kerith Waters, our Director took out a balloon and started to inflate it. He kept blowing it bigger, and Bigger, and BIGGER. All the while, walking closer and closer to me. The discomfort as I prepared for the balloon to POP grew and I was about to jump out of my seat.

A balloon is made to take a certain amount of pressure. Then, as soon as that limit is hit, weak points begin to form in the latex. Just a tad more pressure and the weak point fails and the ballon POPS!

The same is true of you and me.

We can actually take a lot of pressure. Just think of some of your difficulties in the past several years. I can easily remember lots of stresses over the past 5 years: the loss of a parent, the loss of a loved pet, challenges in ministry during the pandemic, staff changes, and health issues. We all know this. We're all tough and can take a lot.

I was reminded at Kerith Waters that pressure is not what causes me to POP. Pressure simply reveals the weak points in my life! As more and more pressure is blown into our lives, weak spots increase. Eventually, something will happen, or someone will say just the wrong thing, AND WE POP!!

Rhythms of rest and renewal in our life are like having a balloon where the air is let out regularly. If there isn't a lot of pressure, the latex stays strong and flexible. When a balloon is only half-full, you can push your finger deep through it and it simply bounces back.

In the Bible, we read about the pressure the Apostle Paul faced. Yet, again and again, he bounces back. Several times in his writings, Paul boasts of his joy and gladness in the ministry of preaching the Gospel.

"Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!" - Psalm 100:2

Self-care, taking a sabbath each week, isn't selfishness, it is good stewardship.

As I begin this Sabbatical journey for the next 4 months, I desire to strengthen the spiritual rhythms that Danielle and I have been practicing for the past few years. Regular quiet time with God daily through the Daily Office. Meaningful Sabbath keeping Friday evening to Saturday evening. Yearly Sabbath of restful vacation together.

These spiritual practices, as the Father guides, will take the air out of the balloon, and keep the balloon bouncing back for years!

A Week Retreat at Kerith Waters

2025-03-01T23:27:00.001-05:00

The first step of my Sabbatical is a week long retreat with Danielle at Kerith Waters.

If you are not familiar with this place, it is run by Focus on the Family Canada as a part of their Clergy Care ministry. Here is brief description from their website.

This seven-day ministry leaders renewal retreat offers you personalized care and group instruction to help you achieve a healthier rhythm in your personal and vocational life.

Pausing from the busyness of ministry life has helped over 1000 guests examine and overcome the distractions that have hindered their personal lives and relationships. Those who have attended this retreat have returned to their homes and churches feeling refreshed and renewed through His Spirit.

We have heard great things about the retreat, but don't fully know what to expect. I'm trusting that the Father will use this time away to speak and give some direction to how he wants to meet with me throughout the Sabbatical.

We arrived safe and sound the afternoon of March 1st while driving through several snow storms. The roads were pretty bad, but the worship music and singing in the car was wonderful.

Here are a few pictures of Danielle and I getting settled into our room.

The Sabbatical Begins

2025-02-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love my church!

I know a lot of pastors say that and it can sound pretty cliché, but I really do! We are a great of ordinary people on an extraordinary journey with Jesus! We are not perfect, but God's perfect love is growing in us more and more each day.

I'm grateful to my church for the opportunity I know have to take a 4 month Sabbatical. I dont take this gift lightly. I also don't see this as simply a chance for me to grow in my faith. I'm expecting this to have a ripple effect throughout our church.

I'm grateful for everyone's prayers and support during the prep time. I'm thankful to the rest of our staff who are filling in gaps for me. I'm excited about how God will use the next 4 months to grow us and transform us.

I'm planning to keep a public journal here on my blog of the things that Gos is showing me. I hope this may encourage you to continue to pray for Danielle and I in this journey. I also hope this will help you along on your journey as you draw closer to Jesus as well.

Wellness Journey Update

2024-11-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

In early April 2020, I decided to take better care of my health.

Actually, the decision was made on January 1st, 2020. It just took me time and a month of lockdown in my basement to get me to do something about it.

My focus was to care for myself physically, emotionally/mentally, and spiritually. In the first year of the journey, I saw some significant changes. I dropped nearly 60 pounds of weight, reduced back pain, and began sleeping through the night for the first time in my adult life!

I also did some great work with my Christian therapist to strengthen my mental health. I began deepening my walk with Christ through strengthening devotions and intentional mentoring.

As I experienced these blessings, my hope was to pass along these blessings to others. I became certified as a DDPY Fitness Level 1 Instructor and a FastTrack coach.

While there were blessings, there were also challenges. Particularly in the area of whether my involvement in particular exercise programs was appropriate as a follower of Jesus, due to its similarities to yoga.

I would be drawn into the debate, both in person and online. As a Christian leader, my deepest desire is for church unity around the message and mission of Jesus and to not become distracted or resentful of brothers and sisters in the Lord over disagreements.

In early October I made the decision to step away from DDPY Fitness, both in an official capacity and as my personal workout program.

My decision came as I was studying the pastoral letter of 2 Timothy:

'Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. '

I met with the leadership of the DDPY certification program. While they were sad to see me go, they were incredibly respectful of my decision. I am grateful for their understanding. I have notified my church elders and other leaders about this decision. They were grateful for my commitment to pursuing love and unity in the church.

As a pastor, I live my life on display. I always hope to be able to echo the words of the apostle Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow Christ."

As I've prayed about the next steps of my personal wellness journey I was led to start with an apology.

If I have caused any arguments or quarrels over my choice of exercise, I am truly sorry and ask your forgiveness.

If I have caused any Christian to stumble and become involved in a traditional version of yoga, I am truly sorry and ask for your forgiveness.

I am truly sorry for any resentment that I have allowed into my heart over the arguments of my exercise and ask for your forgiveness.

I want to start the next phase of my wellness journey fresh and renewed. I want nothing between any brother or sister in Christ!

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16

What's Next?

I've been checking out different workout programs that I can still do from home, at the gym, or on the road. I believe I have landed on the one that I'll be using. I signed up for an app called MuscleBooster. It builds a custom program based on goals and current activity levels. It combines High-Intensity Interval Training with weights and other equipment. It has a lot of movement to get the heart rate up to burn calories. In the few workouts I've tried, I have really worked up a good sweat!

I will also be updating my REV IT UP Facebook page to reflect my new wellness journey. It will take a few days to get it up-to-date, but I hope you'll join me there as I continue to share about physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.

Sabbatical Planning

2024-11-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

I'm BACK!!

What a season of ministry this has been!

Over the past year, I have talked with many leaders from churches, para-church ministries, and businesses, and many say the same thing: "I'm still recovering from the craziness of the pandemic four years later!"

Does this resonate with you? It definitely has for me!

While this past year has seen some INCREDIBLE moves of God and great blessings, it was also filled with many challenges, divisions, spiritual attacks, and a lot of weariness.

Thankfully, God has given us many spiritual disciplines to help us overcome this weariness in our souls: Sabbath and Sabbatical.

In October 2023 the craziness of the pandemic in the life of our church and family finally caught up to me. I was tired. More tired than I had ever been. Every decision in my role at the church felt heavy and filled with doubt. While my spiritual life was deep and I felt very close to God, a nagging voice would speak into my thoughts that it was time to throw in the pastoral towel and run away to that safe job at the local hardware store.

Talking to several mentors of mine in that season, two questions were repeated consistently: "How do you keep Sabbath, and have you ever had a Sabbatical?"

Sabbath keeping has been a regular part of my faith journey for several years. While I'm not always perfect at it, I do keep regular rhythms of 24 hours of rest and renewal during the week. I normally practice it from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. This has allowed me to really enjoy the many blessings of God in my life. Honestly, it's probably a key reason why my spiritual life was as healthy as it was, even while doubting my future as a pastor.

Sabbatical on the other hand is something that I have never truly done in my 19 years of pastoral ministry! Six and a half years ago we talked about sending me on a Sabbatical but then decided to have me do a two-year leadership course with some extra time off. While this was a great learning experience, it didn't accomplish what Sabbaticals are all about.

Lately, there have been conversations on whether or not pastoral Sabbaticals are beneficial or not. Now, if pastors are just using this to recover from overwork or using it as recovery from burnout, then I agree, that isn't the heart of Sabbatical at all!

As I wrap up 2024, I have just completed my plans for a four-month Sabbatical in 2025. Its purpose is spiritual rest and renewal. I've based it on Luke 2:52 as a template for pastoral sabbaticals:

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."

The sabbatical plan therefore includes the following focuses:

Wisdom - my mind
Stature - my body
Favor with God - my spiritual life
Favor with man - my relationships with family, friends

Here's what that will look like.

1- Increased in Wisdom

Reading

I want to start the first week of the Sabbatical reading The Art of Rest by Adam Mabry. This book came highly recommended by a pastor friend during his Sabbatical. He read it at the end and recommended this to start the Sabbatical.
Craig Groeschel’s new book Think Ahead. Want to work through the workbook.
Dominion by Dr. Tom Holland. Explores the impact of the Christian movement throughout history. Written by a non-believer.
CREST Leadership Material. I’d like to reread the material and 1 or 2 books from CREST that I did in 2017-2018 to implement some of that teaching into my life and ministry.

2 - Increased in Stature

Fitness and Weight Training

To continue my journey of physical health, I want to use my sabbatical to REALLY focus on reaching my next fitness goals. This will be done by working with a fitness coach at my gym to build a new weight training program.

The goal would be to get my weight under control and back into the 180s, as well as not turning to junk food for comfort.

2- Favor with God

Ellel Reset Retreat

I plan to go away for a 5-day spiritual retreat at the Ellel Ministries in Westport, Ontario called RESET. For the past two years, Danielle and I have been taking the Explore A and Explore B training from Ellel Ministries. We have been very blessed by the ministry there. This retreat will build on the work done these past years.

I would take the RESET retreat near the end of the Sabbatical to prepare to return to active ministry.

3- Favor with man

Marriage Retreat with Danielle

Focus on the Family offers a marriage renewal retreat for pastoral couples which has been highly recommended to me by several leaders I know. One of the major benefits of this retreat is that the couple is followed up with for a year after the retreat to receive encouragement from the leaders.

Friday Fun Nights

To connect more with Danielle, my family, and my friends, Friday evenings will be designated as date nights, family nights, and game nights!

Counseling / Therapy

Danielle and I would like to work with our therapist on a few issues that have come up over the years of ministry. While our marriage is very good, nearly 20 years of pastoral ministry has affected parts of our relationship. During the sabbatical, we would meet once or twice a month which gives the time to journal and process what we go over.

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With this plan, I'm really excited about all that God wants to do in my life to prepare me for my next season of pastoral ministry.

Revitalized Pastors and Leaders

2023-05-12T12:16:00.001-04:00

On March 15, 2023, the Barna Research Group released the "The Resilient Pastor Initiative". Its goal was to explore and share the state of pastors in America in the post-COVID climate we find ourselves in.

According to the data, the state of pastors may not be as good as it appears from behind the pulpit.

From 2015 to 2022 Barna notes the following where pastors responded "Excellent" in a number of categories:

Spiritual well-being dropped from 37% to 14%
Physical well-being fell from 24% to 9%
Mental and emotional health plummeted from 39% to 11%
The overall quality of life dipped from 42% to 18%
The level of respect they felt from the community tanked from 22% to 10%
Level of ‘true friends’ dropped by 50% from 34% to 17%

The data also showed that this drop in wellness was more prevalent in younger pastors! Older pastors are riding it out to retirement.

Now, before anyone from my church begins to panic, I'm OK. As shared in a blog post from January 2023 entitled "Regroup, Refocus, Relaunch", there have been many challenges in my life and ministry over the past few years. Yes, I do struggle in my role as a pastor from time to time. As I've shared, I have been very intentional this year to focus on my wellness to battle against these feelings and trust in God's call and power in my life and ministry.

This has revitalized me! This has started to bring some new growth.

It's not always easy. It takes intentional effort and commitment. I'm grateful for my wife, my family, and my church, who have walked with me to ensure I stall well.

But my heart breaks over these stats. My heart breaks for the pastors, leaders, and churches in my community and across the country that are suffering in this way.

I desperately want to see pastors and leaders in the church revitalized!

Revitalize means "to give new life to, to give new vitality or vigor to". I'd love to see more and more pastors experience this, myself included!

Over the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about this research. I'll include my personal experience and what I've done to trust God to overcome it. I also hope to give some tips or next steps for you in your wellness journey.

In my next post, we'll start by looking at our spiritual well-being.

In the meantime, what do you think of this data? If you're a pastor or leader in the church, do you relate to them? Do you see yourself there? If you are not a leader, have you noticed the effect of this in your church? How have you made yourself available to help be a part of the solution to it?

I look forward to this REVITALIZED journey together!

Regroup. Refocus. Relaunch.

2023-01-25T21:42:00.000-05:00

It's a vast understatement to say that the past few years have been hard.

In February 2020 I lost my step-mom to an ugly battle with cancer. March 2020 saw the beginning of lockdowns and scrambling like crazy to figure out how to still be a church without meeting in person. Then in December, I had to put my dog, Paisley, down due to illness.

2020 sucked!

Then 2021 hit. The gaps in leadership development and discipleship in the church began to show. Long-standing members of churches disappeared as they headed off to a church more in line with the pandemic response. Relationships crumbled over politics and theological differences. The realization that we're never going back to "normal" in ministry became a clear reality. I also turned 50 and I realized I needed to change how I take care of myself.

2021 was hard!

2022 started by feeling more hope-filled. While gatherings were regularly back to in-person noticing who is no longer with you hurt. Tiredness has become the norm among church leaders I talk to. Financial pressure with inflation and increasing interest rates have impacted everyone, stretching families and ministries to have to make very difficult decisions.

2022 was tiring.

Now, there were some amazing things that have happened in my life and in my ministry since 2020, but the cultural shifts and challenges we've all experienced have left a permanent mark.

This is why my church is going through an initiative this year to Regroup, Refocus, and Relaunch. We need to regroup spiritually. We need to get back to the main priorities of our ministry and our partnerships. And we need to relaunch our mission and vision which have been paused as we just responding to so many challenges.

But here is a hard truth - it's not just my church that needs to regroup, refocus, and relaunch.

I desperately need to Regroup, Refocus, and Relaunch. I will be using 2023 to regroup, refocus, and relaunch my spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness. Let me share a few things that I'll be doing and maybe it will encourage you on your journey as well.

Spiritual Wellness

As a follower of Jesus, I believe this is where I need to start. Everything flows from the love of my Heavenly Father. I need to deepen my love for him, become more and more like Christ, and experience the power of the Holy Spirit in practical ways.

Here are just a few of the changes I'm making to regroup, refocus, and relaunch my spiritual walk with the Lord:

Each weekday I gather with a group of pastors and ministry leaders from across our city to pray together. This group is focused on bringing unity across our city among pastors and leaders. We all come from different ethnic and denominational backgrounds. It's diverse, It's WAAAAYYY out of my comfort zone and I just LOVE IT ALREADY.
Over the entire year I will be taking a course at Ellel Ministries Canada called Explore. For one weekend a month, I'll be going away with Danielle to grow in our personal relationship with the Lord and also become better equipped to help others.
No cellphone Sabbath. Getting back to the idea I started last year to put away my cell phone from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. It's so great to just enjoy Sabbath without email, texts, social media, and other distractions!

Emotional Wellness

Over the past few years, I have put a lot of work into my emotional wellness. I've struggled with depression, anger, and every other feeling since 2020.

Here's how I'm going to regroup, refocus, and relaunch my emotional wellness in 2023:

I've gotten back into journaling regularly. I'm not doing it daily but getting a few days in each week. I have found this discipline a great way to capture thoughts, dreams, frustrations, and anything else I need to get out of my head :) I'm also getting this blog going again and getting back to the Revitalize Podcast with Danielle.
Friday night date night or game night. Each Friday I'm alternating between a date night with Danielle or getting together with friends to play a game. It's way too easy to forget to spend time with the people I love and enjoy.

Physical Wellness

This has been a big part of my wellness journey since 2020. I've lost 66 pounds. I became certified as a fitness instructor. I've changed my relationship with food.

Even though I've made great improvements, there is always more I can do!

I'm changing my workout routine to include BFR bands to improve muscle density and strength. I'm also focusing on flexibility and core strength. I'm hoping to get my BMI to under 25 and my Body Fat % to under 17%.

Regroup, Refocus, Relaunch

2023 is a year with a lot of potentials. We have all learned so much since 2020. Let's seek God in our wellness journey to take some time to regroup, refocus on what he reveals and launch into the mission God has for each of us.

Emotional Wellness

2022-04-07T09:56:00.004-04:00

I have something to admit.

I stuggle.

I struggle with my self-worth.

I struggle with feeling joyful.

I struggle with negative self-talk.

I struggle with having fun.

And that's really just naming a few of the things that I have found myself struggling with over the past few years.

I read a recent article from the Barna Research Group that shared that 38% of pastors have given SERIOUS consideration of leaving ministry over the past couple of years.

Honestly, I've been one of them.

This is not a pity party. This is not to make anyone feel guilty. It's just what it is. Ministry and life, in general, have been challenging over the past two years. It makes perfect sense that many leaders are seriously looking for an emergency exit!

What kept me from doing something drastic? I have taken my emotional health very seriously long before the pandemic started! You will not realize that you are emotionally unhealthy until you reach a point that you can't manage anymore.

In the latest episode of The Revitalize Podcast, I share in more detail my emotional wellness journey. I would strongly encourage you to give it a listen. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this important topic.

And don't worry church family! I'm not going anywhere :)

The Journey of Wellness

2022-03-22T14:08:00.003-04:00

Today is a new day.

I'm back at my office. I haven't worked from here in two years. I have spent the last two full years working from home during the week and only using my office quickly on Sunday morning before services. All my staff meetings, pastoral meetings, leadership meetings for the past two years have been either online or at my house.

I gotta admit... it's kinda strange being back here!

This was my regular routine for nearly 10 years as I have served here at my church. Hard to believe this September it will be 12 years that I have been here in this role. And for 2 of those nearly 12 years, I've been working from home, sitting at a small desk in my basement.

And I learned a lot over the past two years!

I've learned about the importance of our journey of wellness.

In order to live the life that I envision for myself and my family (and my church!) I needed to make several shifts in my lifestyle. I had to see myself on a journey of improving my wellness in three areas: spiritual, emotional, and physical.

These three aspects of the journey are intertwined and overlap one another. When my emotional health is down it affects my physical wellness. When my physical is poor, like dealing with lack of sleep, it affects my spiritual wellness because I can't get up early to start my day sitting with God.

Again and again I've been looking at how this Journey of Wellness impacts all parts of my life.

This is why my wife, Danielle, and I started a new podcast and coaching ministry. We call it Revitalize. We meet so many different people who strive in one or two areas of this wellness journey then end up suffering because of the lack in the other.

You can find our podcast here.

I'll be blogging more about this journey I've been on. I hope you'll participate in the conversation with me.

Influence - A New Journey

2021-11-13T20:30:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking about INFLUENCE for quite some time.

As a pastor, I met so many people who are struggling in life because of the negative influence they have received. Maybe it was when they were a child, maybe it was a bad marriage, whatever caused the pain, the influence it has on the person's life has a profound impact.

I also met people who have had an incredibly positive influence on their life! A parent, youth pastor, teacher, or friend are just some of the examples of stories I have heard of individuals who played a huge part in someone's life and journey.

Not only do people have an influence on us, but we also have an influence on others! It can be positive and it can be negative.

The question each of us has to ask is do I want to have even more of a positive influence on the people around me? I hope for you that the answer is YES!

In order to do so, we each need to battle against the negative influences of the world. Whether it's something in us that needs to be worked on or resisting outside temptations that come our way.

I've been wanted to write a book on this topic of influence for quite some time. And that time has finally come! I've been pretty slack on my writing over the past few months. I guess 19 months of working from home has made the days blur into one another :) Regardless, I have finally begun to write!

My plan is to have the first draft completed by mid-January, 2022. I'm going to use the book's material as a study in my church LifeGroup. From there, I will take their feedback, clean it up, and get a final draft out by early spring. From time to time, I'm going to share some excerpts from the book here on my blog. I'm also planning on starting a podcast on the topic of Influence as well. That should be coming out in about a month.

As you reflect on the influence you have, I hope you'll join me on this journey so we can see together just how God may use all of us to increase our positive influence!