Image: Erick Hodge

Whether you are a church planter, pastor, or other Christ-follower, I hope you will seriously grapple with the words of my good friend and doctoral advisor, New Testament scholar Scot McKnight. In his book A Community Called Atonement: Living Theology, he shares some powerful ...

Image: Flickr

In Romans 1:1, Paul says he is a servant to Christ. The word servant in that text is the Greek word doulas. This word means that I have a master and I am submitted to him, but in that submission, I am freer than I have ever been. All of us have been born into spiritual slavery. ...

Image: Derwin L. Gray

Each one of us will have several “moments of truth” that will alter the trajectory of our lives. For me, one of these defining moments came in 1998 when I had been a Christ-follower for about a year.

I was overwhelmed with condemnation.

I was marred by guilt.

Image: Flickr & Erick Hodge

There is a subtle, seductive disease of the heart that often disguises itself as a holy ambition for the glory of God.

What is this spiritual heart disease? It’s called finding your identity in ministry. Instead of worshiping Jesus, you worship the ministry Jesus ...

Image: Unsplash & Erick Hodge

Sometimes God, in his sovereign wisdom, will place us in a situation or allow circumstances to descend upon our lives that will batter and shatter us. We will find ourselves in an emotional storm that will wring our hearts. Often, we will be asked to do something for the ...

Image: Flickr

God hears the cries of his people.

God hurts when his people hurt.

God bottles every tear that his people have shed (see Ps. 56:8).

As we experience life, we will most likely know the feeling that “God is hiding his face” (see Ps. 30:7).

Perhaps it will ...

Image: Flickr

As Christians, many of us have fought hard to make our lives safe, predictable, and comfortable. We haven’t been afraid in a long time, and the presence and power of God hasn’t rested on us in a long time. When God calls you to do something, be afraid because ...

Image: Brandon Robinson

“America is one of the fastest-growing mission fields in the world.”

Let these sobering words sink deeply into your heart. Don’t read through it too fast; slow down and let it bother you. Nearly one-in-five American adults have no religious affiliation, according ...

Image: Erick Hodge

This post is part of a series on the Beatitudes and leadership called “A New Kind of Leader.” You can read the earlier posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

For the past four posts, I have written about the need for a new kind of leader, a leader that is shaped ...

Image: Erick Hodge

This post is part of a series on the Beatitudes and leadership called “A New Kind of Leader.” You can read the earlier posts here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

In Matthew 5:1–9, Jesus describes what humanity looks like at its best––what “kingdom-of-God” ...

Image: Erick Hodge

Last week I began a series on the Beatitudes and leadership called “A New Kind of Leader.” You can read the earlier posts here: Part 1, Part 2

What is leadership?

Leadership is not telling people what to do. Leadership, first and foremost, is about embodying what ...

Image: Death to Stock

When we are at the end of our lives, we won’t ask “Was my house big enough?” or “Did I make enough money?” But most likely we will ask, “Did I love you well?” All of us are longing for real love, and God wants to teach us to love ...

Image: Erick Hodge

Last week I began a series on the Beatitudes and leadership called “A New Kind of Leader.” You can read the earlier post here.

After attending and speaking on the church leader conference circuit since 2008, I have begun to wonder if we are trying to create CEOs ...

Image: Erick Hodge

As life has slowed down a bit in recent days, I’ve had more time to pray, think, and reflect on who God is calling me to be as leader and as a man.

I have been asking myself, “What kind of leader does God want me to be?” Sometimes I feel that the image ...