Could you forgive someone if you knew they murdered your entire family? It sounds far-fetched. But this is the question posed in As We Forgive – a documentary about the tragedies of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the stories of two women as they came face to face with the men who killed their families. It provoked the question – Would I be capable of forgiving my enemies like this? This is the center point of Jesus’ most shocking, counterintuitive teaching – “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) In saying this, Jesus set a new benchmark for love. He turned the new world order upside down. For Christians, the key distinguishing mark of spiritual maturity is the way we love our enemies. In today’s podcast, I walk through the 3 reasons our love often stops short of this measurement, and what we can do to deepen the way we love others. (Hint, this. Read more.

Language builds culture. Recently on the podcast, I shared 5 timeless leadership axioms – portable and powerful phrases that have become adopted by emotionally healthy leaders all around the world. For example…”Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones”. It’s an easier (and more playful) way of getting at the truth that everyone is deeply affected by their family of origin, going back hundreds of years. Today on the podcast, I continue this series by sharing 5 new axioms that I believe you will find helpful. These leadership sayings are extremely useful to adopt as you build a healthy team and church culture. I pray you will memorize them, ponder them, and make space to allow the biblical truth to penetrate you.

According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the fastest growing stream of the church is the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. In terms of overall numbers, it represents 644 million Christians world wide. This is 8.3% of the world population. By 2050, it will reach over 1 billion people. Unbelievable! We need the power of God, gifts of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders for the global mission of the church. Much of my personal spiritual and leadership journey was formed in the charismatic movement. We regularly experienced the outpouring of God’s power in our church. It was electric. And yet I was still proud, defensive, distant, not present, unable to connect relationally, conflict avoidant, unaware internally, and unloving. This disconnect is what led to the birth of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. In today’s episode, I unpack 5 key contributions of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship that allow us to walk in the healthy, long-term release of God’s power. 

Decision-making is primarily about discernment. It’s the ability to make decisions that align with God’s will for your life and ministry. The truth is – discernment is an art. It takes practice, attention, and a lifetime to develop. But if there is one core practice that is the foundation of discernment, it is learning to pay attention to the movement of God in your own soul through consolations and desolations. “Consolations and desolations” are terms offered by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits over 500 years ago to describe the inner feelings that move you toward God and the ones that take you away from God. There is much to be said about naming your consolations and desolations, which is why I am taking this entire podcast to explore this profound practice. Leaders who are able to slow down and pay attention to the inner work of God will not only be effective,. Read more.