MichaelStovall

Continue reading In the Shadow of the Cross – Teaching Series from John 17

White noise is the noise that contains every frequency within the range of human hearing. White noise is great if you are trying to block out other sounds with the same wave frequency. White noise is a pain if you have something important to listen to and you can’t hear it over the white noise. Some of the … Continue reading Clearing the Noise

It has been said that most people are being crucified between two thieves, the regret of the past and the worry about the future. To worry about something is to literally be harassed, disturbed or afflicted. None of these sound like anything with which I want to be involved. I mean, who in their right … Continue reading Joy Over Worry

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. – 2Timothy 4:2 When I was in seminary it seemed like the one constant piece of advice from the professors for being a pastor in the local church was, “All you have to do is preach … Continue reading Shepherding with Patience

As a leader I have more questions than answers. The principles I have learned about leadership may have originated in a book or conference, but the ones that stick out are the ones conferred upon me through real life leading. This list is not exhaustive. It’s only scratching the surface.  Leadership Lessons from the School … Continue reading School of Hard Knocks

The tendency is for Christians to dichotomize our lives into the secular and the spiritual. When we do this, what we are actually doing is denying God His rightful place as the Sovereign of the universe. We tend to categorize issues as spiritual or non-spiritual in a rather flippant manner. For example, going to church, … Continue reading Every Issue Is A Spiritual Issue

Ministry has been defined for too long by programs and activities. A quick survey of a handful of church and parachurch ministry websites and we find a litany of programs, dates, times and links to sign up for this and that. Programs, events and activities are not evil. Yet, they can be distractions from the main event. … Continue reading Relationships Matter

What we do in the corporate times of worship has greater influence for making disciples than how we do it. Ultimately, culture is what drives an organization. There is not enough strategy in the world to overcome culture. Culture eats strategy for breakfast. This means that the culture of worship in a church will eventually win out over … Continue reading Worship Matters

A friend of mine signs all of his emails, “Make Progress Daily.” As the old saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Progress is defined as forward or onward movement toward a destination. There is forward, neutral and reverse. So, if we are not making progress then we are losing ground. … Continue reading Make Progress Daily

Your team members are your most valuable asset in your organization. Without them, the organization is unlikely to be very successful at achieving the mission. Team members want to do a good job and contribute to the overall success of the team and organization. As the leader, it is your responsibility to invest in your … Continue reading Performance Reviews