Articles by Our Coaches

D.J. Horton said one of his main “dad speeches” that he gives his kids is this — “Do not let life happen to you; you happen to life.” For him, that idea carries over into the beatitude he preached on at the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference June 12 — “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9). “If there is one way this beatitude differentiates itself, it is that it is the one that stands alone as a call to action,” sai

Today is the last blog post based on my podcast series, The Seven Deadly Sins of Ministry . I started this series out of a heart to help put people in the best possible position to be successful and faithful in ministry, and the fact that I have become convinced that there are a handful of deadly sins that, if left unchecked, can bankrupt, derail, and disqualify a person from leading. We have walked through these sins, not with a spirit of criticism, but with a desire to thin

No pastor sets out to forget about reaching the lost, yet we can all slip into the sin of becoming satisfied with doing ministry well without seeing people saved if we aren’t careful.  One of the great ironies of ministry is that the more committed we are to ministry and loving the local church, the more we find ourselves caring for, leading, loving, and encouraging Christians . These are good things, but we can get so busy doing that work that we forget the reason the Lord h

Some sins feel easy for the average person who cares about the things of God to recognize - sins like financial mishandling, sexual sin, and pride. These are landmines that men and women alike step on in ministry. But the topic of today’s blog post is a sin that is often overlooked, yet equally powerful in its ability to derail our ministries. That’s why I invited special guest Dr. James Merritt - Senior Pastor of Cross Pointe Church and author of a newly released book on pra

No one goes to seminary and envisions that they will take a ministry position only to find themselves disqualified because of sexual sin. And when you talk to those who have struggled and fallen in this area, they didn't wake up from a vibrant walk with Christ, dealing daily with their sin, to suddenly have an extramarital affair. It is a slow, slippery slope of compromise, and the fallout is devastating.  That’s why I asked Dr. Daniel Akin, president of the Southeastern Bapt