The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast
Many pastors and church leaders today feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated that their churches don't seem to be making mature disciples. The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast explores the paradigms and practices leaders need to transform their church culture and multiply deeply changed disciples.
Episodes
Beyond Brainstorming: Leading a Team That Actually Hears God
Most leadership teams know how to brainstorm. Very few know how to discern together.After more than 40 years of leading, one of my deepest regrets isn’t moral failure. It’s how many things I led that God never actually asked us to do. We had the money. We had the momentum. We had the energy. But we were moving fast and we were missing God. In this episode, I share what I’ve learned the hard way:
Lectio Divina: A Slower, Truer Way to Hear God
Most of us were trained to read the Bible the way we were trained to lead — move fast, cover ground, extract what's useful, and get back to work. But what if that approach, by itself, is keeping you from the very transformation you're trying to produce in others?In this episode, I want to share a practice that has shaped my life for almost thirty years. A practice I cannot live without.
How to Find God in Unexpected Places: The Examen for Today
Most of us were trained to look for God in the big moments — the breakthrough, the open door, the dramatic call. But what if God is most consistently present in the ordinary moments we rush past every day?In this episode, I want to share a 500-year-old practice that has quietly transformed my leadership, my marriage, and my relationship with God. It's called the Examen — and I believe it may
How to Spend a Day (or Half Day) Alone with God—and Why It Matters
Free Resource: Download the Day Alone with God Guide at emotionallyhealthy.org/sabbathMost leaders I know have a daily time with God. Very few ever stop long enough to actually hear Him.There's a difference between a longer quiet time and a day alone with God. One sustains you. The other re-orders you. And if you're honest, you know the difference—because you've felt what happens wh
Designing a Daily Time with God that Fits You
📥 Free Resource: Download our free guide to get started with the Daily Office emotionallyhealthy.org/dailyofficeOne of the questions I get asked more than almost any other is: How do you spend time with God each day? What do you do? For how long? Is there a right way?Here's the truth I've learned over decades of pastoral ministry: there is no one-size-fits-all daily time with God. The go
Power and Wise Boundaries: What Church Leaders Must Learn
Take your team through the Emotionally Healthy Leader Book. Download the FREE discussion guide: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leaderLet’s get honest.Power makes most of us uncomfortable.So we avoid it, minimize it, or misuse it.In this episode, Pete Scazzero shares a defining leadership failure—one that cost him deeply: relationships, trust, and a 20-year community.At the center of it?Unclear
The Scandal Beneath All the Church Scandals (And What to Do About It)
Take your team through the Emotionally Healthy Leader Book. Download the FREE discussion guide: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leaderChurch scandals don’t begin the day they are exposed. They begin years earlier—in quiet compromises, ignored red flags, and leaders whose gifting has grown faster than their maturity.In this episode of The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, I go beneath the headl
Family Systems: The Invisible Force Shaping Your Church
Free Resource: Download the “8 Traps That Kill Your Spaciousness” ebook:👉 https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/spaciousnessChurches don’t just have problems.They are emotional systems.In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, I introduce one of the most powerful frameworks I’ve ever learned for understanding leadership, conflict, and why anxiety spreads so quickly in churches: Famil
Why Some Churches Thrive and Others Split
Why do churches with sincere faith, gifted leaders, and strong theology still split?In this powerful episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, Pete Scazzero exposes a hard truth many leaders have experienced but rarely name: church fractures are rarely about doctrine or vision—they are about formation.Drawing from decades of pastoral leadership and personal failure, Pete explains why spir
Why Emotional Health is the Missing Link in the Global Church
Around the world, churches are working hard to make disciples, lead faithfully, and impact their communities. Yet many leaders are exhausted, relationships are strained, and spiritual growth feels shallow or stalled. Why?In this episode, Pete Scazzero addresses a core truth that often goes unnamed: emotional health is the missing link in the global church. Drawing from his own painful leadership c
5 Planning Mistakes That Kept Me Stuck—for Years
As leaders, we want to make wise, Spirit-led decisions that move our ministries forward. But without realizing it, we often fall into patterns of planning that keep us stuck—repeating the same mistakes year after year.In this episode, Pete Scazzero gets painfully honest about the five planning mistakes that hindered him for years—and how these missteps continue to trap leaders today:Insufficiently
The Monastic Pastor: Recovering the Church’s Ancient DNA for Today
👉FREE DOWNLOAD: Craft a Rule of Life for You and Your Team - emotionallyhealthy.org/ruleMost pastors today are trained in strategies, systems, and leadership models that promise church growth—but often leave the soul malnourished.In this episode, I share a deeply personal and urgent message from a live talk I gave to pastors around the world who are moving beyond using the Emotionally Healthy Spir
Embracing Holy Interruptions: Leadership Lessons from the Christmas Story
Interruptions. We hate them. They mess with our schedules, our comfort, our control. But what if the interruptions in your life are actually invitations from God?In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, Pete Scazzero unpacks how the Christmas story is filled with divine disruptions—from Mary and Joseph, to Herod, to the Magi, and even the religious leaders of the day. Each respon
Do the Work Before the Work
In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, Pete Scazzero challenges pastors and leaders with a simple yet radical invitation: "Do the work before the work." This is more than a productivity principle. It's a call to integrity—where your outer leadership flows from your inner life with God. Through a compelling reflection on Jesus' own rhythms of solitude, limits
What's Next for EHD: A Candid Conversation
In today's episode of The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, I'm joined by my longtime friend and the new President of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, Drew Hyun, for a conversation unlike any we've ever released. This is a new season for EHD—one marked by fresh leadership, expanding vision, and a renewed commitment to forming leaders around the world in a deep, beneath-the-surfac
The Joy & Pain of Leadership Succession
Leadership succession is one of the most sacred — and most difficult — tasks for any pastor or ministry leader. In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes story of my second major succession — passing the baton of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship to Drew Hyun as our new President. I've rarely seen a succession done well. And that's exactly why I knew I had to do it differently — with
Resisting Comparison: How to Embrace the Unique Call of Your Ministry
Too many pastors live with a low-grade ache that their ministry—and they themselves—simply don't measure up. Quietly, comparison creeps in. We look at the growth of others' churches, their charisma, their staff, their buildings… and wonder, What's wrong with me? In today's episode, I share deeply from my own journey of wrestling with these very questions. I was driven, angry, a
[REWIND] Put a Stop to Your Hurried, Rushed Life
⚡FREE E-BOOK: Spaciousness: Avoiding the 8 Traps That Steal Your Margin - Download at emotionallyhealthy.org/spaciousness In this powerful replay of one of our most listened-to episodes, Pete Scazzero invites pastors and leaders into a radical, countercultural way of leading: unhurried, unrushed, and deeply rooted in Jesus. Are you constantly running at a pace you can't sustain? Exhausted, o
[REWIND] Put a Stop to Your Hurried, Rushed Life
⚡FREE E-BOOK: Spaciousness: Avoiding the 8 Traps That Steal Your Margin - Download at emotionallyhealthy.org/spaciousness In this powerful replay of one of our most listened-to episodes, Pete Scazzero invites pastors and leaders into a radical, countercultural way of leading: unhurried, unrushed, and deeply rooted in Jesus. Are you constantly running at a pace you can't sustain? Exhausted, o
Monks in the Pulpit: Rediscovering the Ancient Way of Preaching and Teaching
⚡DOWNLOAD FREE E-BOOK: 8 Marks of Emotionally Healthy Preaching & Teaching - https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/preaching/ In this episode, I invite you to rediscover an ancient path of powerful preaching and teaching — one that's been largely lost in the modern church. We're not talking about TED-style talks, clever soundbites, or performance-driven content. We're talking abou
Monks in the Pulpit: Rediscovering the Ancient Way of Preaching and Teaching
⚡DOWNLOAD FREE E-BOOK: 8 Marks of Emotionally Healthy Preaching & Teaching - https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/preaching/ In this episode, I invite you to rediscover an ancient path of powerful preaching and teaching — one that's been largely lost in the modern church. We're not talking about TED-style talks, clever soundbites, or performance-driven content. We're talking abou
Focus on the Few: Resisting the Temptation to Give Your Best Energy to the Crowds
In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, Pete Scazzero shares a powerful word every church leader needs to hear: Focus on the Few. In an age of growing platforms, endless tools, and ever-increasing pressure to cater to the crowds, Pete brings us back to the model of Jesus — who chose to give his best energy to the few. Whether you're leading 25 or 2,500, the temptation is th
5 Practices to Create a Church Where It's Safe to Be Human
So much of modern church culture encourages us to hide. Hide our struggles. Hide our doubts. Hide the messy, complicated truth of being human. But Jesus never invited us into a sanitized faith. He called us into something real. In today's episode, I explore the next mark of an Emotionally Healthy Culture: Creating a Church Where It's Safe to Be Human. We'll unpack five countercultur
Facing the Unseen: Why Discipleship Must Go Beneath the Surface
Too often, we lead others while unaware of the emotional baggage we carry. In this episode, I share why genuine discipleship must go beneath the surface—into the depths of our emotional world and the generational patterns shaping us. Using the haunting story of Nathan Price from The Poisonwood Bible, I reflect on my own early years of Christian leadership—driven, sincere, but stuck. Like many past
Slowing Down to Catch Up with God: How to Escape the Ministry Hamster Wheel
In today's fast-paced world, Christian leaders are often caught on the "ministry hamster wheel"—spinning endlessly with meetings, sermons, crises, and expectations. But what if the most radical, missional act we could take isn't to do more, but to slow down? In this episode, Pete Scazzero calls us to break free from the cycle of overload and distraction by embracing a countercu
5 Ways Your Family of Origin Is Undermining Your Leadership (Part 2)
What if your family of origin is still running your leadership — and you don't even know it? In Part 2 of this vital conversation, Pete Scazzero continues unpacking how the emotional and relational patterns we inherited growing up deeply shape how we lead today — often more than we realize. If you missed Part 1, go back and listen first. In this episode, Pete explores: Why so many leaders s
5 Ways Your Family of Origin Is Undermining Your Leadership (Part 1)
If you've ever found yourself stuck in patterns you can't explain or hitting a wall in your leadership that won't budge—there's a reason. In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, I explore one of the most overlooked but powerful forces shaping your life and leadership: your family of origin. The truth is, we all carry a family story. And unless we allow Jesus
Good Limits vs. Bad Limits: How Wise Leaders Know the Difference
After 30 years of wrestling with the tension between vision and limitation, I've come to see that how we handle limits can make—or break—our leadership. In this episode, I explore the subtle but powerful difference between good and bad limits. Bad limits are driven by fear, faulty thinking, and self-protection. But good limits? They're gifts from God—meant to ground us, guide us, and gro
The Power of Leading From Your Marriage or Singleness as a Sign and Wonder: Pt.2
👉 Download the FREE Emotionally Healthy Leader Discussion Guide at emotionallyhealthy.org/leader —--------------------------------------------------- In today's episode, we dive deep into one of the most misunderstood and undervalued aspects of Christian leadership—leading out of your singleness. Whether you're 25 or 75, single by calling or circumstance, you are not a problem to be fix
The Power of Leading From Your Marriage or Singleness as a Sign and Wonder: Pt.1
👉 Download the FREE Emotionally Healthy Leader Discussion Guide at emotionallyhealthy.org/leader —--------------------------------------------------- Most Christian leaders are taught to prioritize ministry first—leaving marriage, singleness, and sexuality in the shadows. But what if the loudest gospel we preach isn't from our pulpits, but from how we live out our deepest relationships? In t
Why True Leaders Confront the Elephants in the Room (Part 2)
📝 How Emotionally Healthy Are You? Take this Free Assessment to find out. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/mature —--------------------------------------------------- There's no other way to lead with integrity—none—than by confronting the elephants in the room. In Part 2 of this series, I unpack the spiritual and emotional cost of avoiding the hard conversations that must happen in every
Why True Leaders Confront the Elephants in the Room (Part 1)
📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth —--------------------------------------------------- Leadership is hard. And confronting the elephants in the room—the inappropriate behaviors, unhealthy patterns, and unresolved tensions we all want to ignore—is even harder. In today's episode, I'll share wh
What Makes (or Breaks) a Healthy Leadership Transition
📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth —--------------------------------------------------- After decades of leadership, I've walked through two major successions—first as Lead Pastor of New Life Fellowship Church, and now, as President of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. In today's episode, I pu
Why Low Differentiation Kills Teams
👉 Take the free EHD Maturity Assessment: emotionallyhealthy.org/mature —------------------------------- Most pastors and leaders are trained to preach, strategize, and serve—but few are ever taught how to lead from a deeply anchored, differentiated self. And yet, this is the foundation for every healthy team and ministry. In today's episode, I unpack one of the most overlooked killers of team
5 Ways to Avoid the Trap of False Power, Pt. 2
📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth —--------------------------------------------------- Are you leading out of true power—or false power? Far too often, we mistake activity for effectiveness, urgency for wisdom, and influence for true authority. When we operate out of false power—power rooted in our own
5 Ways to Avoid the Trap of False Power, Pt. 1
⚡FREE WEBINAR: Join us for our next webinar – How to Build an Emotionally Healthy Church from the Ground Up – https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/webinar/ —--------------------------------------------------- Too many pastors and leaders get caught in a subtle but deadly trap—chasing a form of power that looks impressive on the outside but leaves us spiritually hollow. It's a trap Paul confron
Weakness: The Platform for Power: Pt. 2
📍 DOWNLOAD FREE E-BOOK: "LeaderShift" - Discover the 8 Pivotal Breakthroughs of Emotionally Healthy Leaders https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershift —--------------------------------------------------- In leadership, weakness is often seen as a liability. A roadblock. Something to overcome. But what if weakness is actually the platform for God's power in your life? In this e
Weakness: The Platform for Power Pt. 1
📍 GET FREE E-BOOK: "Ancient Disciplemaking" - Your quick start guide to reclaiming the last 2,000 years of church history. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ancient Most pastors and church leaders wrestle with this question: How do we measure success if not by numbers? For the next two episodes, we're diving into one of the most radical truths of the gospel—that God's power
Rediscover an Ancient Path to Disciplemaking
📖 FREE E-BOOK: "Ancient Disciplemaking" - Your quick start guide to understanding the last 2,000 years of church history. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ancient --------------------------- In today's episode, we're stepping into the rich, untapped wisdom of church history. As modern Christian leaders, many of us unknowingly skip over a critical part of our spiritual herita
Why Leaders Must Adopt a Radical Rule of Life in 2025
⚡Design a RULE OF LIFE in 60 Minutes - Join us for a free 2025 kickoff webinar with Pete Scazzero and Drew Hyun on January 15th. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ruleoflife/ --------------------------- As we step into 2025, the world around us is in upheaval—artificial intelligence is reshaping how we live and lead, cultural norms are rapidly shifting, and the pressures on the church have never
Among You Stands One You Do Not Know: A Christmas Reflection
⚡Design a RULE OF LIFE in 60 Minutes - Join us for a free 2025 kickoff webinar with Pete Scazzero and Drew Hyun on January 15th. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ruleoflife/ --------------------------- In this special Christmas reflection, Pete Scazzero unpacks the powerful words of John the Baptist: "Among you stands one you do not know" (John 1:26). As we rush through the demands of
Slowness Over Speed: Lessons from the Mustard Seed
📣 Transform your church culture with the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Course. Curious? Download and preview TWO full sessions from the course for FREE. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/preview/ --------------------------- In today's episode, we're tackling a powerful yet countercultural truth: God's way is slow, small, and often weak—and that's exactly why it's unsto
Names Before Numbers: The Dramatic Shift True Shepherds Must Make
🎄Christmas Sermon Prep Webinar - Join me for a FREE webinar on Dec. 5th at 2 pm ET to learn about preaching a Christmas message that deeply changes lives. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/sermonprep/ --------------------------- The truth is, you can't shepherd numbers. You can only shepherd names. And yet, in a culture obsessed with metrics, many leaders feel trapped, measuring success by
Declaring the Word of the Lord in Anxious Times
🕯️Christmas Sermon Prep Webinar - Join me for a FREE webinar on Dec. 5th at 2 pm ET to learn how to craft a powerful Christmas message that deeply changes lives. (without losing your soul) https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/sermonprep/ --------------------------- In today's episode, we're diving into a theme that should resonate with pastors and leaders all around the world. Reflecting
The Key to Unlock Passionate Mission in Every Member of Your Church
🗓️ Discover the Sabbath - Download a free e-book to learn the 4 countercultural practices of a biblical Sabbath day. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/sabbath/ --------------------------- Today, pastors and leaders are grappling with burnout, shallowness in discipleship, and a waning passion for God's mission. On today's episode, I share some insights that have transformed the wa
The Power of a Hidden Life (Leadership Lessons from Elijah) Pt. 2
⏰ DAILY OFFICE STARTER GUIDE - The Daily Office is an ancient practice to help you stop 2 - 3 times a day to quiet yourself and be with Jesus. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/dailyoffice --------------------------- For most leaders, success is based on numbers, influence, and impact. But the life of Elijah teaches us something different. On today's podcast, we continue our journey in Part
The Power of a Hidden Life (Leadership Lessons from Elijah) Pt. 1
✅ DAILY OFFICE STARTER GUIDE - The Daily Office is an ancient practice to help you stop 2 - 3 times a day to quiet yourself and be with Jesus. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/dailyoffice --------------------------- In today's chaotic and disorienting world, where leaders face intense challenges, Elijah's life offers us profound wisdom. Whether you lead a ministry, organization, or f
How to Grow a Flourishing Ministry Without Losing Your Soul
✅ PREVIEW THE COURSE - Ready to introduce your church to Emotionally Healthy Discipleship? Preview our game-changing discipleship course for FREE and find the right time to run it in your church. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/preview --------------------------- As leaders, we have an internal drive to see our ministries flourish. We have a vision for our churches, families, marriages, and c
5 Distinctives of an Emotionally Healthy Staff Meeting
✅ [FREE VIDEO] Learn a 5-part framework for communicating with others https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/community --------------------------- Staff meetings, like it or not, are a critical building block for an emotionally healthy church culture. Over the years, I have learned that staff meetings are a powerful opportunity to bring encouragement, clarify roles, and learn how to be with Jesus toge
Pt. 2: 4 Invitations from God in Our Politically Charged World
✅ [FREE E-BOOK] LeaderSHIFT: 8 Pivotal Breakthroughs of Emotionally Healthy Leaders https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershift --------------------------- All around the world, there is an electrical charge surging through the minds and hearts of the people we lead. Our political climate has made this another difficult, yet important time to pastor and lead well. So how do we navigate politi
Pt. 1: 4 Invitations from God in Our Politically Charged World
✅ [FREE E-BOOK] LeaderSHIFT: 8 Pivotal Breakthroughs of Emotionally Healthy Leaders https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershift --------------------------- All around the world, there is an electrical charge surging through the minds and hearts of the people we lead. Our political climate has made this another difficult, yet important time to pastor and lead well. So how do we navigate politi
The Great Leader Shift the World is Waiting For
✅ [FREE E-BOOK] LeaderSHIFT: 8 Pivotal Breakthroughs of Emotionally Healthy Leaders https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershift --------------------------- As a young leader, I wanted so badly to succeed. I wanted to pastor a growing church, and preach the best sermons in town. I wanted to grow our ministries – bigger, better, and more influentual. To this end, I was told by leadership experts
How to Transition Well from Your Endings into New Beginnings
✅ [FREE E-BOOK] LeaderSHIFT: 8 Pivotal Breakthroughs of Emotionally Healthy Leaders https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershift --------------------------- Loss, change, and transition are all around us. Yet, one of the lesser-known practices of emotionally healthy leadership is learning how to let go and transition from one season to the next. Throughout our lives there are countless endings
Rethinking What It Means to Be a Pastor or Leader in 2024
✅ How Healthy is Your Leadership? Take this short and free quiz to find out. // https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadership-assessment/ ---------------------- Churches have all kinds of expectations of pastors and church leaders. There is a certain pressure that you must be able to cast vision, teach and preach, lead and inspire staff and volunteers, build teams, and keep ministry moment
Emotionally Healthy Parenting, Pt. 2: Four Ways to Make a Lasting Impact
🎯 SKILLS FOR FAMILIES: Learn a powerful 5-part conversation tool and teach your family. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/community --------------------------- It's time we dispel a myth...there are NO perfect parents. Geri and I have been parenting for 39 years, and we are still learning as we go. Every age and stage of life presents opportunities and challenges. The key is to continue i
Emotionally Healthy Parenting, Pt. 1: A Radical Approach to a Difficult Task
🎯 SKILLS FOR FAMILIES: Learn a powerful 5-part conversation tool and teach your family. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/community --------------------------- Today, we're tackling a relatively untouched topic on the podcast. Parenting. Why parenting on a leadership podcast? Among your many roles as a leader, one of the most important (and difficult) relationships is parents and childre
7 Qualities of an Emotionally Healthy Church Board
🎯 FREE TEAM TRAINING: Grow a healthy team culture with our team transformation videos https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/team --------------------------- One of the most difficult and nuanced callings is serving as a board member of a church or ministry. This role is both legal and spiritual, affecting the entire church culture. Very few are trained to do it well. Sadly, often it is only after
How (and How Not) to Choose Your Next 3 and 12 Disciples
📺 FREE WEBINAR: Develop High-Impact Leaders in Your Church Get a roadmap to disciple the next generation of leaders. Register for the next webinar: https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/highimpact/ ---------------------------- Pastors and leaders want to make an exponential impact for Jesus. We often spend our energy on what will affect the most amount of people. So we prepare cutting-edge weeke
5 Relationships Every Leader Needs to Flourish
✅ How Healthy is Your Leadership? Take this short and free quiz to find out. // https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadership-assessment/ ---------------------------- The quality of the people who surround you will determine the success of your leadership. Because there is undeniable loneliness in leadership, it is ever more important that we evaluate our relationships on a regular basis.
The Loneliness of Leadership
✅ FREE EMOTIONAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT: In 15 Minutes, Discover How Emotionally Mature You Are https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/mature ---------------------------- In this episode, we explore a topic that's as old as leadership itself: the loneliness that often accompanies the role of leadership. From the slowness of change to the weight of difficult decisions, from the sting of criticism
Staying Steadfast Through the Fires of Leadership
📣 FREE E-BOOK: 8 Practices of Emotionally Healthy Preaching & Teaching 🌟 Learn the essential practices to deliver sermons with depth and power. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/preaching ---------------------------- Leadership is a crucible through which God is changing YOU into a new kind of person. Throughout your leadership journey you will be taken through a series of fires or tests fr
The Secret Ingredient that Unlocks a Radical Church Community
A course won't change your church. Neither will a book, a podcast, or a sermon series. So the question is, how do people truly change? This is a question every pastor and leader needs to answer. Over the years of my pastoral ministry, and even today, one thing I've noticed is how often we UNDERESTIMATE the personal time, presence, and intentionality it takes to disciple people into tra
Tune In and Let Go: Lessons from the Prayer Life of Jesus
As leaders, we know that PRAYER is the heartbeat of life in Christ. But often, our vision of prayer can become lop-sided, leading to a heavy weight on our shoulders. For my first 17 years as a Christian, I had a one-dimensional view of prayer. I thought prayer was a tool I was supposed to use to make God's kingdom come. So I would devote 6-8 hours a week in prayer meetings, interceding for r
Break Free from the Deadly Temptation of Self-Promotion
Leaders in a digital age face a unique pressure to always be in front. Our social media platforms entice us to be seen, to be recognized, and to be liked. Underneath this is a lie that to be hidden is to be forgotten, and to be unknown is to be unloved. This is why one of the greatest temptations leaders face is self-promotion. Even Jesus faced this very temptation in the wilderness, yet rightl
Put a STOP on Your Hurried, Rushed Life
In 2024, church leaders will be sifted left and right. Mature from immature. Wise from foolish. Substantial from surface level. This I know – the most effective leaders (and the ones worth following) will draw a line in the sand and put a full stop to accepting a rushed, cluttered, and constricted life. They will reject speed, crowds, and noise in favor of a graceful, unrushed way of life. I ca
The Radical Decision Every Leader Must Make in 2024
Leaders in 2024 are facing pressures and challenges greater than any other in my lifetime. Elections, wars, rumors of wars, economic pressure, global instability, scandals, artificial intelligence, etc. This may seem overwhelming, but there is a unique opportunity before us. As leaders, this will require the decision to radically re-align ourselves to God's purposes and plans in the world t
The Kind of Fighting Every Church Needs
As we approach 2024, there couldn't be a better time to revisit your discipleship strategy. Here's why... In North America, we are ramping up towards another election year. For most Americans, this has become a time of increased anxiety, stress, and relational volatility. As a culture, we lack the tools to have difficult conversations (especially political ones) without resorting to bla
Staying Grounded When People Are Driving You Crazy
We're in the thick of the holiday season – a time full of joy, yet jam-packed with people, parties, and productions. This season has a dizzying effect on everyone - but especially leaders. One temptation is to put a smile on our face while skimming over the frustrations, disappointments, and other inner workings of our souls. We have people and situations that are bothering us at a core lev
The One Skill That Will Make or Break Your Life and Leadership
To be an emotionally healthy leader requires many skills, practices, and rhythms. Over the last several weeks, we've explored many relationship skills that are non-negotiable for leaders. But if there is just ONE skill I'm convinced every leader must master, it's "Incarnational Listening." David Augsberger wrote, "Being heard is so close to being loved that for the a
Why Bottling Up Emotions Kills Spiritual Growth
For the first 17 years of my Christian life, my emotional life was completely divorced from my spiritual life. Or so I thought. When sadness, anger, or disappointment surfaced from my soul, I did not see them as gifts. As a leader, I saw my emotions as interruptions to "my real work" – moving the church forward and reaching the lost! As a result, I was not present with myself, with Go
The High Stakes Decision to Transform Your History into a Great Future
Leaders, by definition, are captivated by the future – moving forward, making progress, and changing the world. But what many leaders fail to appreciate is that we are all anchored in our past. In other words, none of us are "blank slates". We each bring the blessings and curses of our families of origin (Exodus 20:5) into our relationships, churches, organizations, and businesses. Em
The Life-Saving Practice of Clarifying Expectations
When was the last time someone let you down? Or can you think of a recent moment where YOU let someone else down? I'll bet the catalyst of these disappointments comes down to one thing - unmet expectations. The truth is – unclear and unmet expectations have the power to rip apart relationships, divide staff teams, blow up families, and sink entire churches. That's why expectations are
Slay the Dragon of Wrong Assumptions
Leadership can be a painful journey - especially in a church or ministry that depends on the depth and quality of the relationships within. Yet, in over 4 decades of leadership, I've found that so much of this pain is completely UNNECESSARY. Why? Because much of the pain we experience is the fruit of wrong assumptions. Assumptions are like a dragon that seeks to destroy our well-being. ·
Unleash the God-given voice of your people
In over four decades of leadership, I've come to the conclusion that one of the biggest gaps in our leadership training comes down to one essential skill... Creating safety where everyone around you feels empowered to communicate clearly and honestly. Without this skill, church teams remain silenced - unable to speak truth and creating the conditions for an environment of frustration, resent
The Outrageous Way Jesus Measures Spiritual Maturity
Could you forgive someone if you knew they murdered your entire family? It sounds far-fetched. But this is the question posed in As We Forgive - a documentary about the tragedies of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the stories of two women as they came face to face with the men who killed their families. It provoked the question - Would I be capable of forgiving my enemies like this? This is the c
10 Timeless Axioms of Emotionally Healthy Leadership (Pt. 2)
Language builds culture. Recently on the podcast, I shared 5 timeless leadership axioms - portable and powerful phrases that have become adopted by emotionally healthy leaders all around the world. For example..."Jesus may be in your heart, but grandpa is in your bones". It's an easier (and more playful) way of getting at the truth that everyone is deeply affected by their family
10 Timeless Axioms of Emotionally Healthy Leadership (Pt. 1)
Movements with longevity are sustained through shared, easily understood language. This most often comes through the development of axioms - short, memorable phrases that capture the essence of truth in simple ways. Reflecting on the last two decades of leading Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, I've been able to identify at least 10 core axioms (probably more like 25!) that have stood the t
Signs, Wonders, and Emotional Health
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, the fastest growing stream of the church is the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. In terms of overall numbers, it represents 644 million Christians world wide. This is 8.3% of the world population. By 2050, it will reach over 1 billion people. Unbelievable! We need the power of God, gifts of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders for the global mission o
Sharpen Your Decision-Making Pt. 3: Waiting
For leaders, one of the most frustrating parts of decision-making is this... It....takes....time. Sure, sometimes quick decisions are necessary. But most consequential decisions (that shape the future of your life, church, and ministry) require the ability to slow down and wait. Usually for longer than is comfortable for you. In order to let your judgments (discernments) come from deep within,
Sharpen Your Decision-Making Pt. 2: Consolations and Desolations
Decision-making is primarily about discernment. It's the ability to make decisions that align with God's will for your life and ministry. The truth is - discernment is an art. It takes practice, attention, and a lifetime to develop. But if there is one core practice that is the foundation of discernment, it is learning to pay attention to the movement of God in your own soul through co
