This month's most popular posts

The Identity Shift Every Christian Leader Needs to Make.

What I’m describing is one of the most common and least-talked-about issues in leadership.
From our earliest days — as babies searching for our mother’s face — we are formed by the desire to be wanted, chosen, noticed, and valued unconditionally. That search doesn’t stop when we become adults. It doesn’t stop when we become leaders. If anything, leadership amplifies it.
We’ll do extraordinary things looking for love. Sometimes beautiful things. Sometimes deeply damaging things. The heart’s search for love doesn’t just influence us — it forms us.
Where we look for love, and whether we find it, is where our identity gets shaped.
Some leaders look for it in performance: “If I achieve enough, I’ll be okay.” 
Others in people’s approval: “If they like me, I’ll like myself.” 
Some chase perfection: “If I can just get it right, I’ll be enough.” 
Others pursue popularity: “If enough people follow me, I’ll feel secure.”

A Holy Offering: Living Transformed in Romans 12

Great talk this morning at Ivy Church by Mary Thomason! This post adapted from my notes…  What does Romans 12 teach us? Key Takeaways The Journey to Romans 12 Before Paul calls us to holy living in Romans 12, he takes us on a theological journey. He explains why we need a Saviour, who will be saved, and how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Only then does he tell us what our response should be. This is the culmination of everything that comes before it. Your Body as Living Sacrifice “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”Romans 12:1-2 The Power of “Therefore” Notice that word: therefore. It’s not just a transition – it’s a hinge. This “therefore” points back to everything Paul has […]

You’re Not the Chief Shepherd: A Reminder for Pastors and Church Leaders

This is notes from some teaching and discussion I shared today with our staff team and yesterday with our Grow Group leaders. I started by saying I have been in ministry long enough to go through times when talking about being a Pastor and leading pastoral ways was regarded as somewhat passé. I fell for the leader as CEO strategist and yes the church can learn from business (and vice versa) but biblically, leadership in the church is to become under-shepherds of His flock. It’s never ownership – it is stewardship. We don’t lead people for ourselves; we care for people for Him. And the moment we forget that distinction, everything starts to unravel. God is the Chief Shepherd – We Are Under-Shepherds Scripture is unambiguous: there is one true Shepherd, and everyone else leads under His authority. Jesus identified Himself this way in John 10:11 – “I am the good shepherd.” And He made it clear that shepherding involves laying down your life for others, not building your own kingdom. 1 Peter 5:2–4 reinforces this: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… […]

The Generosity Report 2026: What Church Leaders Need to Know About Trust, Teaching and Joy

UK Pastors shy away too often, but teaching about Stewardship is vital – and the Generosity Report 2026 shows that it grows rather than diminishes your leadership (if it’s done the right way).

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending – and contributing on a panel at – the launch of the Generosity Report 2026 from Stewardship in London.

“It Came – To Pass: How Leaders Can Help Heal Hearts Without Rushing the Process”

‘AND IT CAME TO PASS’ – Used nearly 400 times. In Hebrew and Greek, it’s a narrative marker.

Something happens. (IT!) Then time passes. Then God moves the story on.
It never says:
It came to stay.
or
It came to define you forever.
IT came, whatever it is – (or now was, because, it passed).
Every suffering in Scripture comes with an expiry date – even if the length of that season is unclear at the time.

How to Grow as a Christian

Christian growth is not automatically produced by information, imitation, or religious effort. Drawing on 30 years of church leadership, this guide explores how to grow as a Christian through the rhythm of Knowing, Growing, and Going – shaping faith that is rooted, resilient, and lived out in everyday life.

Good Fruit Grows in Tough Soil – A New Year Reflection on John 15

As the year opens, John 15 reminds us that vines grow through seasons, not constant progress. Pruning can feel brutal, tough soil can feel like the wrong place, and winter can feel empty – but the Father is the vinedresser. Hard ground doesn’t mean you’re misplaced -it may be preparing you for fruit still to come.