I was listening to a John Piper message on Hebrews 12, titled "The Painful Discipline of Our Heavenly Father," and appreciated this introduction, so I’m sharing it with you. 

I would encourage you to look for more ways at your church to delegate responsibilities to others, including other leaders—as Moses did—so that you are less the go-to guy for so many things. I commend you for putting your family first.

Years ago, while pastors at Good Shepherd Community Church, my friend Alan Hlavka and I both developed lists of all the specific consequences we could think of that would result from our immorality as pastors. The lists were devastating, and to us they spoke more powerfully than any sermon or article on the subject.

Some people really enjoy study Bibles. I've thought they were okay, but have never gotten into them. Some time before it was published last October, I was asked to look over the ESV Study Bible, Hardcover, with the possibility of endorsing it.

The following are my answers to some questions on leadership I gave to Crawford Loritts for his new book called Leadership as an Identity: The Four Traits of Those Who Wield Lasting Influence. 

I want to share the following, written by my friend Denny Hartford, the director of a terrific organization I highly recommend, Vital Signs Ministries. As I research the subject of evil and suffering, and interview many people who have suffered much, my heart is being touched with God's grace, as well as with a longing for the day when at last He will make all things right in the new heavens and new earth.

I spoke this weekend at the Peacemaker Conference in Charlotte, NC. Peacemakers works to resolve conflicts within churches, Christian ministries and between brothers and sisters who wish to obey God’s command not to bring before civil authorities conflicts between Christians (1 Corinthians 6).  

This is a picture of Charles Haddon Spurgeon at age 23. Only a year previously, an event happened that brought on a severe depression that he nearly didn’t recover from. 

I’ve received private notes and sympathetic phone calls from people regarding the depression I wrote about on June 30. I appreciate people’s genuine concern, as well as their statements that they’ve been encouraged as they go through their own struggles, many of which are tougher than mine.