By Jon Bloom
When John the Baptist said, “Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30), he wasn’t talking about his inner life. He was talking about his ministry calling as a prophet and his public influence. He delighted ...
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Powerful Quotes from Exponential –
Exponential East took place this past month, and was a powerful time of growth for church planters and pastors from across the nation.
Here are some of the powerful quotes from the gathering:
The Church is the single most important endeavor ever undertaken by men. -Erwin ...
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5LQ Episode 95: Leaving a Position Well –
In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast Todd Adkins, Barnabas Piper, and Daniel Im discuss what it takes to depart a position well whether you are let go or leave on your own. Everyone transitions jobs at some point, so how can you do it as well as possible whether ...
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Be Mean About the Vision – Part Six –
By Shawn Lovejoy
I was an athlete in high school. I was fairly quick and agile (if I do say so myself), so I could play just about any sport at a reasonably high level. I played some basketball and baseball, but football was my sweet spot. Football was my passion. I lived and ...
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Be Mean About the Vision – Part Five –
By Shawn Lovejoy
First, the bad news: no matter how clearly, consistently, or creatively we communicate the vision, some people just won’t get it. Sometimes they will not want to follow. Sometimes they will wander. They will have their own ideas—their own agendas. Sometimes ...
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Be Mean About the Vision – Part Four –
By Shawn Lovejoy
Do you know what a knockoff is? It’s an unauthorized copy or cheap imitation of the original. And for years, I’ll admit, I was a knockoff junkie. I will confess to you that I have contributed to the counterfeit goods problem in our country.
I love New York, and ...
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Be Mean About the Vision – Part Three –
By Shawn Lovejoy
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18)
Where there is a lack of vision, there is less focus and more chaos. As leaders, I think we all understand that at some level. However, here’s the ...
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Be Mean About the Vision – Part Two –
By Shawn Lovejoy
Vision statements are a dime a dozen as far as I’m concerned. Everyone these days has a vision statement. A few years ago, everyone had a “2020 Vision.” Soon it will be a “2050 Vision,” and so on. At the end of the day, however, a vision statement is just a ...
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5LQ Episode 94: Conflict Management –
In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast Todd Adkins, Eric Geiger, and Barnabas Piper discuss how leaders can best handle conflict. It seems conflict is inevitable in leadership, so what can leaders do to manage and respond to it well?
Can a leader avoid conflict? ...
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Be Mean About the Vision – Part One –
By Shawn Lovejoy
If you look up the word mean in the dictionary, you’ll see several definitions. One of them says that to be mean is “to be offensive, selfish, or unaccommodating.” That’s the definition most of us think of first, and I know some mean leaders, don’t you? I’m ...
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3 Reasons to Stay in a Church That’s Not Cool Enough –
I'm amazed at how deep my own consumerism runs. This is most clearly visible to me at how righteously offended I feel when someone or something doesn’t measure up to my expectations. So when, for example, the internet in my home is running slowly, I immediately look for the ...
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Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned Earlier –
At the ripe old age of 19, I was given my first position on a church staff. Of course, it was as a youth minister. Yes, that's right. Someone put a 19-year old in charge of all the 13-18 year-old kids. Brilliant. Needless to say, I was terrible at leadership at that stage of my ...
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