Blogs

Every now and then we all need a good dose of “perspective”.  A few days ago I was preparing a message from an intriguing story in 2 Kings 7.  It is the story of 4 lepers sitting at the city gate of Samaria.  Surrounding the city is the Aramean army and rather than fight they...

I recently talked with a friend call me about a challenging staff member.  It had all the normal ingredients of a typical staff “situation”… poor chemistry, differences in ministry philosophy, and colliding expectations.   The bottom line is that “it just wasn’t working” and everybody knew it. As we talked, it was clear that my friend...

I want you to think of someone that you believe is a great leader.  Go ahead… think of someone that you respect as a leader.  Have you got their name in your mind?  Now, answer this question: What qualities do they possess that makes them a great leader? I’m sure that if we surveyed 100...

Virtually anything that can be productive can also be destructive, and this is certainly true for technology.  Computers, the internet and smart phones have opened up a world of opportunity for us and the advancement of the Gospel, but technology also has a dark side. Last week I shared 1-5 of The Ten Commandments of...

Virtually anything that can be productive can also be destructive. Whether it’s a car, a knife, or a credit card, these “tools” can help or hurt people. This principle also applies to technology.  It has given ministries the opportunity to multiply exponentially and has made the bible accessible to billions. But technology also has a...

I was forty-seven years old and for the first time in twenty-five years I was not a pastor in a local church.  I was in uncharted territory.  The local church was not just a place where my wife and I did ministry, it was a place where we did life.  More than I realized, my...

I have spent a lot of time the last few days in one-on-one interviews with a staff leadership team.  I have been consulting with this church for the last couple of years and have seen a lot of these staff members in the hallway.  We have exchanged the expected cordial greetings. I have been in...

Simplicity.  It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it?  The irony is that simplicity isn’t simple. “The biggest challenge for everyone living today is how to adjust to a continual increase of complexity in every area of life.” (Dan Sullivan, Founder of Strategic Coach) Here are three steps to take you on the road to simplicity. Own...

In this episode of The Live True Podcast, David Loveless interviews Lance about healthy life practices for followers of and leaders for Jesus. Listen to the podcast here. Listen to this encouraging and enlightening conversation around:How to integrate your imperfections as both a follower of and leader for JesusHow leaders can be living examples instead...

We often say that “healthy things grow”.  The assumption is that if our church is healthy, our weekend attendance should be growing. I’ve gotten to live all over the country and one of the biggest differences is the many ways that plants grow.  In southern California, there is the right combination of sun, soil and...

Every now and then we all need a good dose of “perspective”. A few days ago I was preparing a message from an intriguing story in 2 Kings 7. It is the story of 4 lepers sitting at the city gate of Samaria. Surrounding the city is the Aramean army and rather than fight they...

Ambition is a double-edged sword. When it is God-directed and Spirit-managed, it can bear tremendous fruit. But when it is hijacked by self and ego, it can leave a wake of destruction. I have wrestled with this issue for most of my life. If you have leadership gifts, you know what it is to be...