What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Most of us would like God to give us a detailed map. We want to know where we are going, how we are going to get there, what problems we will encounter along the way, and how everything will eventually turn out. Then,...

How can I experience God's presence during suffering? Where is God when life hurts? Is it possible to walk closely with God during a spiritual night season? The Bible answers each of those questions with a resounding "yes." Few desires are more deeply rooted in the...

One of the most difficult parts of faith is what happens when we obey God and life gets harder anyway. That is exactly what happens in 1 Kings 17. The widow of Zarephath has already taken an enormous step of faith. She had almost no food left, yet she trusted Elijah’s...

Something is changing in the American church. That was the opening line of the first chapter of Change Your Church or Die when I wrote it years ago. At the time, I pointed to declining Southern Baptist membership and baptisms, aging congregations, and churches...

What makes someone a great Bible teacher? It isn't necessarily a seminary degree, a booming voice, a brilliant personality, or the ability to explain Greek verbs. Some people know an enormous amount about the Bible and aren't particularly good teachers. Others have...

What David and Jonathan Teach Us About Loyal Friendship We live in an age of thousands of "friends" and very few deep friendships. Social media has made it easier than ever to stay connected, yet many people quietly admit they have no one they can call in the middle...

How do you listen to God during prayer? Does God still speak today? How can you recognize God's voice without falling into subjectivism or simply following your own feelings? Learning to listen to God is one of the most important—and often misunderstood—aspects of the...

There are seasons when we look at what we have and conclude that it is not enough. Not enough money. Not enough strength. Not enough time. Not enough help. Not enough energy to keep going. Sometimes the problem is not that we have nothing. The problem is that we have...

What God's Covenant with David Means for Us Today Every one of us builds our lives on promises. We promise faithfulness in marriage. Employers promise wages. Parents promise to care for their children. Nations are held together by constitutions, contracts, and...

Some problems require immediate action. Others require us to stop trying to fix everything and give God time to work. Knowing the difference is one of the great challenges of the Christian life. At the Red Sea, the Israelites were understandably terrified. Pharaoh’s...

Sometimes God’s next step for us feels like a step backward. Elijah had just walked into the presence of King Ahab and delivered one of the boldest messages in Scripture. He had announced that there would be no rain except at his word. It was a dramatic beginning to a...

What makes a group grow? We could make a long list. Friendships matter. Outreach matters. Invitations matter. Fellowship matters. A warm and welcoming atmosphere matters. All of these things can help get people into the room. But once they are there, somebody needs to...

There are times when we know exactly what to do. Then there are Red Sea moments. You have thought about the problem from every angle. You have talked with people you trust. You have made your list of options, and none of them seems particularly good. You have reached...

Most of us assume that joy depends on circumstances. If life is going well, we're joyful. If life falls apart, our joy disappears. The apostle Paul challenges that way of thinking. No follower of Christ experienced more hardship than Paul, yet few people in history...

If you have read much of what I have written about Sunday School and small-group ministry, you know I believe in growth. I believe teachers should invite people, reach people, assimilate people, and work toward doubling their classes every two years or less. But there...

Have you ever noticed that problems grow when you stare at them? You can wake up at two in the morning thinking about something that seemed manageable at two in the afternoon, and suddenly it feels enormous. You rehearse everything that could go wrong. You imagine...

Why David's Greatest Weapon Was Not His Sling Even people who know very little about the Bible know the story of David and Goliath. The names have become part of our language. We speak of a "David versus Goliath" contest whenever a small company challenges a giant...

There are moments when following God can make you feel hopelessly outnumbered. Maybe you are the only Christian in your workplace who takes your faith seriously. Maybe everyone in your family seems to be moving in one direction while you are trying to move in another....

When trouble comes, most of us instinctively ask the same question: “How can I get out of this?” It is a perfectly understandable question. If you are sick, you want to get well. If you are struggling financially, you want enough money to pay the bills. If there is...

Why do good people suffer? Why doesn't God answer every question? What can we learn from the life of Job when life simply doesn't make sense? Few books of the Bible speak more honestly to our deepest struggles than the book of Job. Most of us assume that if we live...

Have you ever looked at someone God was using in a remarkable way and thought, “I could never do that”? Perhaps you have watched a gifted Bible teacher and wished you could communicate like that. You have seen a Sunday School leader whose class is growing and wondered...

Why God Chose David Instead of Saul Every election season reminds us how difficult it is to choose a leader. We look at résumés, experience, personality, communication skills, and accomplishments. Companies do the same thing when hiring executives. Churches do it when...

Every pastor has a change bank account. You won’t find it on the church’s financial statement, and the treasurer can’t tell you the balance. But it may be one of the most important accounts you have. It is the amount of trust and goodwill you have accumulated with...

When I first suggest that a Sunday School class or small group can double in two years or less, I often get the same reaction. "Not our class." People assume I'm talking about megachurches with large staffs, generous budgets, and professional marketing. They picture...

Discovering Christ in the Story of Israel Many Christians have a favorite part of the Bible. For some it is the Gospels, where we read about the life of Jesus. Others are drawn to Paul's letters because they explain the Christian faith so clearly. Many find comfort in...

What Rahab Teaches Us About Grace Few people would have expected Rahab to become one of the heroes of the Bible. She was not an Israelite. She had not grown up learning the Law of Moses. She lived in Jericho, a city devoted to idolatry and destined for destruction. By...

What is the difference between the spirit, soul, and body? Does the Bible teach that we are made of three parts? Why does understanding this matter during a spiritual night season? One of the reasons Christians become discouraged during a spiritual night season is...

Why Israel Wanted Someone They Could See It is one of the great turning points in the Old Testament. For centuries Israel had no human king. God Himself was their King. He raised up judges when they were needed, prophets to speak His Word, and priests to lead the...

There are plenty of things in our world that can trouble us. International tensions. Economic uncertainty. Hostile politics. Cultural confusion. Anxiety about our children and grandchildren. Sometimes it seems the world we knew is disappearing faster than we can...

Is prayer really a conversation with God? If God doesn't speak audibly, how can prayer be a conversation? One of the greatest misconceptions about prayer is that it is a one-sided monologue. The Bible presents something much richer—a lifelong conversation between a...

When people think of leadership, they often picture CEOs, presidents, or military generals. The Bible paints a different picture. Leadership is influence. Every Christian influences someone—a child, a spouse, a friend, a coworker, a Sunday School class, a small group,...

Can prayer really help you know God better? Is prayer simply a way to ask for God's help, or is it something much deeper? The Bible teaches that prayer is one of the primary ways God develops an intimate relationship with His children. Every healthy relationship grows...

Chasing satisfaction but coming up empty? Lesson 12: When You Can’t Get No Satisfaction flips the script with Luke 12:15 ("life does not consist in an abundance of possessions") and Paul's "I have learned to be content" (Philippians 4:11-13). For "Bible study on...

If your Sunday School class is not growing, whose fault is it? It is easy to come up with answers. If the church would give us a better room. If the pastor would send us more prospects. If our members were more faithful. If everyone would show up on the same Sunday....

What Samuel Teaches Us About Hearing God's Call There are few words more important than these: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." They were spoken by a young boy lying awake in the tabernacle at Shiloh. Samuel had gone to bed expecting an ordinary night....

Have you ever looked at your circumstances and wondered, “How in the world did I end up here?” You tried to follow God. You prayed about the decision. You did the best you knew to do. Yet somehow you ended up in a place you never expected and certainly would not have...

Can you really double a Sunday School class or small group in two years? At first, that sounds like an enormous goal. If you are teaching ten people every Sunday, doubling means somehow finding ten more people. Most Sunday School teachers hear a goal like that and...

How do you survive a spiritual dry season? What should you do when God seems silent? If your faith feels weak and God seems far away, the Bible offers practical guidance and lasting hope. Every Christian eventually experiences a spiritual night season. It may come...

What does it mean to know God? Is there a difference between knowing facts about God and having a relationship with Him? Many Christians know the Bible well, yet still long for a deeper relationship with God. The difference between knowing about God and truly knowing...

What Samson Teaches Us About Wasted Potential Talent is a wonderful gift. Whether it is athletic ability, intelligence, musical skill, leadership, or business sense, we admire people who seem to possess extraordinary gifts. We naturally assume that great ability will...

Sometimes life puts you between a rock and a hard place. Or, as the old expression puts it, between the devil and the deep blue sea. That is almost literally where the Israelites found themselves in Exodus 14. The Red Sea was in front of them. Pharaoh and his army...

The world has changed dramatically since the apostle Paul walked the dusty roads of the Roman Empire. We have smartphones instead of scrolls. Social media instead of town squares. Airplanes instead of sailing ships. Artificial intelligence instead of handwritten...

How Small Groups Can Help Your Church Fulfill the Great Commission Most Sunday School teachers and small-group leaders would like to see their groups grow. But there is a question we ought to ask before we talk about how to grow a Sunday School class: Why should we...

How can I pray with more faith? Does God still answer prayer today? What does it mean to pray with expectation? One of the greatest challenges in prayer is continuing to expect God to work, especially when we've been praying about the same need for months or even...

What is the dark night of the soul? Is it biblical? Why does God sometimes seem silent? If you've ever felt abandoned by God or struggled through a season of spiritual dryness, you are not alone. Few expressions capture the experience of spiritual struggle better than...

When church leaders think about changing a church, we tend to think big. We imagine a new worship service, a new small-group strategy, a major building project, a new staffing structure, or some sweeping church revitalization plan. Big changes sometimes need to...

What Deborah Teaches Us About Courageous Leadership Leadership is often misunderstood. Many people assume leadership belongs only to those with impressive titles, commanding personalities, or extraordinary abilities. We picture kings, presidents, CEOs, or famous...

Why should Christians pray in the morning and evening? Is there a biblical pattern for beginning and ending each day with God? Developing the simple habit of morning and evening prayer can transform not only your prayer life but your entire perspective on life. One of...