Dangers Leaders Face

Dangers Leaders Face

2 Samuel 11 marks a tectonic shift in David’s life. Bible teachers observe that David was a different man after his fall with Bathsheba. Beforehand, God seemed to bless everything David did. But after his fall, it seemed like turmoil and opposition filled his life.

Most of the time, we look at this passage as a guide for how to respond when you’ve fallen into sin. But I want to look at this passage from a different angle. I’m interested in looking at this passage from the standpoint of Dangers Leaders Face.

Read More

Reflections on a Life Lived for Christ

Reflections on a Life Lived for Christ

As Billy Graham neared the end of his life, he expressed a few of his biggest regrets. I found them challenging and instructive. Some of our drives and ambitions may lead us on a course we will regret later in life. I’m struck by how many of Graham’s regrets center around his relationships, both with God and his family. Despite some of these missteps, Graham powerfully impacted the world for Christ.

Read More

Adolescence; or, Dude, Where's My Frontal Cortex?

Adolescence; or, Dude, Where's My Frontal Cortex?

Visitors who attend our annual Xenos Summer Institute often comment about the myriads of young people in our church. It's certainly one of the unique things about Xenos. From 2010-2015, our church saw a surge of growth among college and high school-aged people. Today, more than 60% of the people attending our church are college-aged or younger. That's over 3000 people under the age 30. As a result, we've learned some things about working with younger people.

Recently, I began reading a book entitled Behave by Robert Sapolsky (an American neuroendocrinologist and professor of biology/neurology at Stanford University). In his chapter, "Adolescence; or Dude, Where's My Frontal Cortext?" Sapolsky supplies scientific evidence which confirms some of the things which I've learned while working with younger people.

Read More