Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
Missionary burn-out is very real. We missionaries are a deeply committed people. We are willing to lay down our lives, do whatever it takes, to see people come to Christ. God regularly asks us, His people, to do things far beyond our own capacity. He …
Burnout signs – they are relatively easy to spot. Low energy. Reduced passion for ministry. Not getting things done that normally are quite easy to do. One way of addressing these issues is to consider taking a sabbatical. To make it a success, you need …
What does it mean to live an authentic, transparent life as a leader in ministry? Who do you share what with? Is it appropriate for everyone to know the deep challenges you walk through? Is it somehow false or wrong to “keep secrets” or not …
There are a few things I truly hate. One is when fear is used to manipulate and intimidate God’s people. Fear is such a powerful tool of oppression. We see it used by politicians to get votes from the fearful. Likewise, it is used by …
Life can be very complicated. So many needs pull at our attention. There are family needs, ministry needs, and the needs of the poor. The spiritually lost, the needs of those we are discipling, our own needs…it can feel overwhelming. Missionaries are generally compassionate people. …
“One more kilometer to go, oh God, please help me do this.” My stomach was cramping from a recent bout with food poisoning. I was weaker than normal, but my heart was set on completing the race. My husband, running alongside me said, “Run through …
Recent events at Willow Creek Church have saddened the global Christian community. I considered Bill Hybels one of my mentors from afar. He was a leader to many. I had never met him, but I’d gained much from his books, especially the one called “Courageous …
We all desire to be fruitful in the mission field. What does it take to live a fruitful life? Consider this (slightly foolish) story. The Foolish Goat Farmer A foolish farmer was struggling with her goats. Her flock was getting smaller and smaller. One …
In last week’s blog, “Why Sabbath Needs to Be One of Our Spiritual Disciplines“, we discussed how Sabbath is a crucial habit if we want to live faithful, fruitful and fulfilled lives on the mission field. It is so easy to make Sabbath a low …
I can’t remember the last time I heard a sermon on holiness. In some ways, the move away from hellfire and brimstone preaching has been so important. We don’t want to coerce people to put their trust in Jesus because we’ve scared them to death! …