Here's an eight step process I created for developing and delivering an expository message: Decide. First, you prayerfully decide what passage you'll preach on. Dig. Second, you study (dig) like crazy! Discover. Third, you discover the big idea (what's this passage about in one sentence). Divide. Fourth, you divide the passage into points (when applicable). Develop. Fifth, you develop each point by explaining it, illustrating it, and then applying it. Detail. Sixth, you detail the … [Read more...]
Choosing a Website
When we first started New Day I built our first website myself on my Mac. This is not how I would recommend starting, but this is how we started. As the church grew I transferred everything over to a company that offered templates for a nominal monthly fee (can't remember their name right now). My main reason for switching was that the new site looked more professional. The new site was inexpensive but had limited features, so as the church continued to grow I eventually switched us over to Site … [Read more...]
How We Use Fellowship One
When I was in my senior pastor coaching network with Nelson Searcy, over the course of the four years I heard the following repeated a number of times: Fellowship One is the best of the worst. What I understood this to mean is that no church management software does exactly what you want it to, but that Fellowship One comes closest. Here's what I like about it: At New Day we always try our best to build on proven foundations (things proven to work well by others) and as I looked into it, … [Read more...]
When to Take Your Day Off
I know everyone in ministry has a different schedule so while I don't want to make a blanket statement I think it's a mistake for many pastors to take Monday off vs Friday. Let me share four reasons why: When you take Monday off you're playing catch up the rest of the week. Instead of getting ahead, you start the work week off one day behind. When you take Monday off you're pushing sermon prep to later in the week. And as we all know, the closer we get to Sunday without the sermon … [Read more...]
Prayerlessness
A couple months ago I went to a leadership intensive at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham Alabama. It...was...awesome! But sadly, I could relate all too well to the following three comments by Chris Hodges: One of the side effects of not spending enough time in prayer is that you'll begin loving crowds, but not people. We ought to have a relational prayer life with God and not just a rescue prayer life. In a relational prayer life you spend time with God just to nurture the … [Read more...]
How I Use Saddleback Resources
Saddlebackresources.com is an excellent website that I have greatly benefitted from in numerous ways since starting New Day. There are many times I've downloaded an individual message or an entire series from the "sermons" section of their site. Here's how this has helped me: By listening to a master communicator (Rick Warren) I learn how to better communicate myself. If he's done a series on a certain subject - let's say Financial Fitness - I like to see what topics Rick chose to cover … [Read more...]
How I Use Open.LifeChurch.tv
Open.LifeChurch.tv is an awesome free resource that I've tapped into many times over the past six years. Here's some of the main ways I've used it: I've downloaded video messages to show my church (it's Jesus' church but you know what I mean). For example, I was doing a series on Jonah and Craig Groeschel (the lead pastor of LifeChurch.tv) had also done one on Jonah. So I preached three weeks and then showed Craig preaching via video for the other week of that series. I picked the one he did … [Read more...]
A Biblical Basis for Professional Development
I dedicate a good chunk of time each week to professional development. Here's eleven reasons why: Proverbs 2:3 says "cry out for insight and understanding..." Proverbs 4:7 says "Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! Proverbs 8:10 says "Choose instruction rather than silver, and knowledge over pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Proverbs 12:15 says "Fools think they need no advice, but the wise listen to others. Proverbs 13:10 says "...those who … [Read more...]
Micromanagement vs Undermanagement
As leaders, we can't be so afraid of micromanaging that we become guilty of undermanaging. In short, undermanagement is worse than micromanagement. In It's Ok To Be The Boss Bruce Tulgan points out the dangers of undermanagement. When you undermanage: Fires get started that never would have happened Fires get out of control that could have been put out easily Resources are squandered People go in the wrong direction for days or weeks on end before anybody notices Low performers … [Read more...]
Help People See The Larger Picture
It's hard to have volunteers serve willingly and with a good attitude if you don't help them see the larger picture. When they're arriving at early on Sunday morning to set up for church, they're not just setting up equipment...they're preparing for lives to be changed. When they volunteer in the kids ministry, they're not just babysitting kids...they're introducing kids to Jesus (some for the first time)! It's easy for our volunteers to focus on WHAT THEY'RE DOING instead of WHAT IS RESULTING … [Read more...]