After climbing an enormous theological hill in the first 11 chapters of the letter to the Romans, Paul shifts gears in chapter 12. The first 11 chapters provided the basis for our belief, but from chapter 12 to the end of the book, the apostle supplies a basis for our behavior. First doctrine, then duty. This is how Paul always attempted to connect with his listeners. Thr...

I am honored to share that LowCountry Community Church, for the second consecutive year, has been named a Certified Best Christian Workplace. It has always been important to me to foster an environment of excellence, integrity, and respect for our staff. We desire each team member to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually while working at LCC. Best Chris...

There are a number of terms that have been coined over the years to describe different personality types. It helps us categorize people and aids us in making each other a bit more understandable. Here are four basic personality types and how to spot them. The popular SANGUINE. The easiest personality to identify is the sanguine. This is the liveliest and animated...

I am often asked, "What are you reading?" so I thought I'd let those who'd like to know what's on my nightstand these days. "If You Want Something Done"by Nikki Haley offers inspiring examples of women who worked against obstacles and opposition and who summoned the courage to be different and lead. A few of the women Mrs. Haley shares with the reader: Margaret Thatcher...

Leading Different Personalities (How to Connect with the People Who Follow You) Part One There are only two types of people in the world, Type A and Type Z. It isn't hard to tell which type you are.Here's a little test: - How long before the plane leaves do you arrive at the airport? Early plane-catchers, Type A, pack their bags a day in advance, and pack neatly. ...

Hi friend! Poet Minnie Haskins penned what has become known as "The Gate of the Year." It reads in part: And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied:'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'...

This Sunday atLowCountry Community Churchwe are wrapping up our series on Eschatology, "Is This The End?".Eschatology is the study of what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times. Many people have found themselves reeling from the last few years, asking if this is the end? And if not, where do we go from here?As a part of this sermon series, wehave given an ov...

Eschatology is the study of what the Bible says is going to happen in the end times. Many people regard Eschatology as a branch of theology that should be avoided. But how we comprehend Eschatology affects how we conduct our lives and what we may expect to happen in God's plan. Eschatology unfolds the prophetic program for humanity, Israel, the Church, and the whole create...

The book of Judges describes an absolutely horrible time in the history of Israel. This was Israel's darkest hour. The nation of Israel would do evil and worship other gods. As a result, Jehovah God would give them over to one of the nations that surrounded them, and for a period of time, they would be oppressed by their enemies. Then they would cry out to God, and God wou...

I can stand it no longer.I have something within me, that whenever I see an injustice being committed on such a regular basis, I must address it and do all I can to set the record straight! I feel like this around Christmas and Easter each year when I see what has become of the "high and holy days" of the Christian faith.The holiday I tackle with you now, is not on the sa...

Every year I visit my doctor for an annual check-up. The doctor often tells me things I'm relieved to hear ("Your ears are still attached") and things I don't want to hear ("I'm not sure how you are still alive, but since you are, here's your bill."). Okay, those two things are fictitious but you get the idea.
Since the church is more of an organism than it is an organiz...

If you're a leader, you are probably acquainted with times of slow or no growth. Times whenthings have plateaued; times of discouragement; times even of decline.

 Does it have to be this way? Is your work small and struggling? Does it feel like the church plant or small business is taking forever to gain traction?
Here are some principles I have found effective whe...

Visitors. First-time attenders. Guests. Here at LowCountry Community Church we've seen over 450 of them since the beginning of the year.Churches know they are there. Most pastors are on the lookout for them. Yet church after church places barriers in front of newcomers that hinder them from connecting into the life, heartbeat, and ministry of the church. Here are just four...

Early in his career, Thomas Edison invented a vote-recording machine for use in legislative chambers. By moving a switch to the right or left, an official could vote for or against a proposal without leaving his desk. The machine would replace the tedious business of marking ballots, counting them, etc. Elated with the prospects, Edison obtained a patenthis firstand heade...

I recall watching a group of protesters on TV bundled up against the cold weather in one of our major cities who were chanting loudly (and rather obnoxiously), seeking to make their point, change public opinion, influence policy and get something from the government.What that was really doesn't matter.Their chant must have taken hundreds of hours to come up with: WHAT DO...

Failure. It can be troubling; it can be hazardous; and in worse case scenarios, it can be fatal. A maritime incident of almost a decade ago reminds us of failure's repercussions. TheCosta Concordiawas an Italian cruise ship that partiallysankwhen it ran aground nearTuscany, on January 13, 2012, with the loss of 32 souls. The ship, carrying 4,252 people from all over the ...

The opportunity to watch the best athletes in the world as the 2020/21 Summer Olympic Games unfold in Japan shortly, gives us an opportunity to learn from the world's best; not only in the arena of competitive sports, but in the arena of "doing what we do best."

Long-distance runners are not sprinters; shot-putters are generally not pole-vaulters (at least not good on...

Just recently, 50-year-old Phil Mickelson, the "guy-who-too-old-to-win-another-major", hoisted the trophy by winning his sixth major, the PGA Championship, held on Kiawah Island, S.C. His win reminded me of a leadership adage: Individualism wins trophies; teamwork wins championships. An African proverb teaches us that many sticks bundled together cannot be broken. Togeth...

Smart leaders plan ahead for problems and have a plan for dealing with them.A fictional fish-tale communicates this principle well. 

 A young couple decided to start their own business. He was an engineer and she was an advertising copywriter. They wound up buying a small salmon cannery in Alaska. They soon discovered they had a problem. Customers opening a can of th...

Mounted statues stood like sentinels around ancient Greek cities. Some represented famous people and ideals; others were dedicated to Grecian gods. The apostle Paul spoke of one marbled deity: "I even found an altar with this description:'To an Unknown God.'" (Acts 17:22-23) One was named the Statue of Opportunity. It depicted a human being. The head, however, was unusual...

In recent weeks I have heard a number of pastor friends bemoaning the fact that they seem to find themselves in endless rounds of meetings. Whether you are in ministry or business, meetings seem to be the bane of our existence...especially if they occur during those sacrosanct evening hours.

 But why? Good things can come from meetings: decisions are made, dreams are...

The constant cry of leaders everywhere is, "Where do I find more leaders? We have the workers and volunteers, but no one willing to lead them." 
Here are five ways to spot a potential leader:

 1) A potential leader holds the respect of his or her own family. This is often quickly dismissed but I think it is one of the greatest ways to spot a leader. A family's fe...

In my book, Happily Ever After, I share the following humorous story about conflict: Years ago, a large statue of Christ was erected high in the Andes on the border between Argentina and Chile. Called Christ of the Andes, the statue symbolizes a pledge between the two countries that as long as the statue stands, there will be peace between Chile and Argentina. Shortly aft...

An African proverb teaches us, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."God designed us to work in teams, not as maverick, renegade, lone rangers. If your mission can be accomplished by you alone, I would go on record by saying that it's probably not God's mission for your life or ministry.It's too small.God-sized visions require teams of peop...

I once heard a friend of mine share the following true personal account: When he served a particular church as youth pastor, they would allow him to preach - but only on Sunday nights. After one particular sermon when he passionately challenged the congregation to reach out to their local communities with the gospel, he was approached by the stereo-typical little, old chur...

We read in the book, Descending Into Greatness, "Take ten chickens, any ten. Put them in a pen together, and spread a little chicken feed. In short order, you will witness an amazing phenomenon. 

 "In a matter of minutes, the chickens, previously strangers, will form a hierarchy based on dominance or, in everyday language, they will establish a Pecking Order. Insti...

Every leader, at some point in his or her leadership life, will be called upon to make a tough decision. And the acid-test of credibility for leaders lies in their ability to make, and follow through on, difficult decisions.

I began in church ministry as a youth pastor. I've always struggled with being a people-pleaser, and when I was younger, I really wanted everyone...

The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and costly tombs ever built, but there is something fascinating about its beginnings.
Dr. James Dobson, in his book Coming Home, shares a fascinating insight into the Taj Mahal's history. "In 1629, when the favorite wife of Indian ruler Shah Jahan died, he ordered that a magnificent tomb be built as a memorial to her. The sha...

Bill stopped in at Joe's little general store, seeking to purchase a bottle of mustard. The shelves were loaded with salt - bags and bags of salt. Joe said he had some mustard, but would have to go down into his cellar to find it. Bill went down with him, and to his amazement, there were still more and more bags of salt! Everywhere he looked he saw salt. "Joe," Bill said, ...

Whenmy daughters were younger,I taught them what little I know about the game of checkers. We often enjoyed playing in front of the big fireplace at Cracker Barrel restaurants.I can recall when I was growing up how much my cousins and I enjoyed playing against one another in our own little checkers tournaments. When I was in junior high school, I was introduced to the gam...

Leaders are called upon to make decisions. Sometimes the decisions are greeted with enthusiasm, while others are greeted with disdain. If you have ever tried to change your church's name or construct a new facility, you understand. Church leaders are often faced with inherent difficulties when decisions need to be made. Depending upon the leader's church polity, a decisio...

As I look out over our congregation in multiples services each week, I always see faces that I don't recognize (especially since they're wearing masks) -but I love it! It affirms to me that God is growing and building His church in beautiful, coastal South Carolina. Seeing and meeting new people each week also shows me thatLCCis alive. And living things always grow. Growt...

I was once working on a leadership study based on 1 Timothy 3. I realized that Paul gives us eight questions that every leader should evaluate themselves on. 1. Can I be trusted with insider information? Leaders often hear it first, or last, but we are often privy to serious and vital information. I am forced to ask myself, do people trust me when they tell me something...

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." So goes the sage advice from president Harry Truman. I have books filling cabinets, nightstands, and bookshelves.I have full shelves in my office, my home, and my study. My wife, Darlene, has always been incredibly patient with all of this and doesn't ask me too often to clean things out and get rid of a few bo...

Growth in leadership is something every leader in the world will tell you they want.Yet, too few are willing to pay the price.Why is that?Because it requires sacrifice. Two key ways a leader grows is by: 1. Reading and Listening to Speeches, Talks, QA's and Messages From Leaders You Want to Emulate. My literary hero, F. W. Boreham, used to sit in courtrooms and listen to...

crucible/ˈkro͞osəbəl/A place or occasion of severe test or trial[1] I live just a few miles from Parris Island, South Carolina. It's one of two locations in the United States where the United States Marine Corps (U.S.M.C.) trains its recruits. Before a recruit can become a Marine, each recruit has to endure and complete 'The Crucible.' Here is how the U.S.M.C. desc...

When I was a fledgling youth pastor, not much older than the students I was pastoring, I bought myself a ball cap. It was white with two bright red bills. One pointed toward the left and the other toward the right. Emblazoned in large lettering across the front it read: "I'm Their Leader. Which Way Did They Go?"That message seemed so appropriate to me at the time. As a fir...

In his book, A Table in the Presence, Lt. Carey Cash, U.S. Marine Corps chaplain for the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom, recounts how his battalion experienced God's presence and power in an amazing way during Operation Desert Storm in Kuwait and Iraq. When they were up against the wall, God came through for them time and time again. He ...

I vividly recall on one of my first trips to India, I was traveling alone, in the back of a taxi, on my way to meet people I did not know, being driven by a Hindu who spoke very little English, inhaling the incense he was burning in the taxi, in a city I had never been in before.It occurred to me that I may be headed down a dark alley somewhere where my friendly taxi drive...

The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. John Emmons said, "Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the fl...

Author Max Lucado reminds us in his book, Traveling Light, that the prefix, "dis", D-I-S, changes everything. "With dis, obey becomes disobey. Respect is changed to disrespect. Regard is suddenly disregard. What was an ability becomes a disability. Engage is now disengage, and grace is transformed into disgrace. All because of dis. We would be hard pressed find a more pot...

Beginning on Thursday, October 1, I will be taking a two-month sabbatical.I want to thank the elders of LowCountry Community Church for not only making this break possible, but strongly encouraging it. As a person with workaholic tendencies, it would be my style to just keep pressing on. But there are good reasons for God's command to regularly practice the princ...

My guess is that things have not always gone as you have planned. Sometimes life is anything but easy and your walk with Jesus has more worries than victories. In Philippians chapter one, Paul addresses some of his personal challenges then quickly moves to the problems facing the Philippians believers. He's told them that he will win either way, that his circumstances will...

Early in his career, Thomas Edison invented a vote-recording machine for use in legislative chambers. By moving a switch to the right or left, an official could votefororagainsta proposal without leaving his desk. The machine would replace the tedious business of marking ballots, counting them, etc. Elated with the prospects, Edison obtained a patenthis firstand headed fo...

Disorientation can be humorous. I mean, how many jokes get told on men because they become lost, but refuse to stop and ask for directions? Disorientation, however, can be much more serious than that. Airplane pilots are trained to deal with something in the aviation world called spatial disorientation. A pilot will tell you that it begins when a queasy knot settles in th...

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." So goes the sage advice from president Harry Truman. I have books filling cabinets, nightstands, and bookshelves.I have full shelves in my office, home, and my study. My wife, Darlene, has always been incredibly patient with all of this and doesn't ask me too often to clean things out and get rid of some books. S...

C.S. Lewis, in his bookMere Christianitywrote,"Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already. That is why children's games are so important. They are always pretending to be grown-upsplaying soldiers, playing shop. But all the time, they are hardening their muscles and sharpening their wits, so that the pretense of being ...