Links & Quotes

Having too many items listed as “priorities” on your To Do list can actually paralyze you. You have keep your list manageable to keep your leadership effective. Check out the full conversation Greg and I had on setting goals and making changes. This is also an important aspect of maintaining good mental health.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

According to Leslie T. Lyall, the secret of Hudson Taylor’s life and ministry could be summed up in four simple propositions: “There is a living God. He has spoken in His Word. He means what he says. And He is willing and able to perform what He has promised.”

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” —G. Michael Hopf

In lamenting the rise of worldliness in our churches, John Piper said, “About forty years ago, David Wells wrote a book called No Place for Truth, which made the case that in the American church, God rests far too lightly on the people of God. He doesn’t have weight. It was the same heart cry from Dr. Wells as from J.B. Phillips. God is marginal. God has little weight in our worship services and little weight in our lives. He’s taken lightly. He’s simply one among many factors rather than the all-consuming factor, and I have thought that if I were to write a book today with a similar burden, it might have this title: Your Christ Is Too Cheap, Your Heaven Is Too Distant, Your Earth Is Too Big.”

The Institute for Creation Research reported, “In July of 2024, Science magazine confidently reported, ‘The last ancestor shared by all living organisms was a microbe that lived 4.2 billion years ago, had a fairly large genome encoding some 2600 proteins, enjoyed a diet of hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide, and harbored a rudimentary immune system for fighting off viral invaders.’ That’s quite a statement that details an unknown creature living somewhere on this planet 4.2 billion years ago.” Of course, this is an unobservable, unprovable claim, but that’s part and parcel of the evolutionists’ claims. 

Fight The New Drug explains what sextortion is and how to protect yourself and your family from this insidious online threat.

“What we do on some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.” —H.P. Liddon, nineteenth-century theologian 

Lenny Esposito has a great podcast for Christian apologists called the Come Let Us Reason podcast. On a recent episode, Lenny used a passage in the Book of Jeremiah to talk about the inspiration of Scripture.

“God will work when He pleases, how He pleases, and by what means He pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but He will perform His word, honor our faith, and reward them that diligently seek Him.” —Matthew Henry 

As the first Christian church dealt with a serious complaint that could have split the church internally, there are a number of leadership gifts that are in play to provide a wise solution. Most of these leadership gifts get overlooked by the casual observer, but they are all absolutely indispensable. This is new exclusive content I regularly share with my Patreon supporters. Would you prayerfully consider supporting this ministry?

The Craig And Greg Show: Be Clutch For Your Team

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

The game-winning field goal, the bottom of the ninth home run, the last-second fadeaway jumper! In sports we are quick to recognize a clutch player. You might not perform in front of millions of fans, but you can be a clutch player for your organization as well! Join Greg and me as we discuss what it means to be clutch for your team, and lay out how your leadership can help empower others to do the same.

  • [0:23] Some people’s clutch-ability makes them stand out from the crowd.
  • [2:20] A clutch person won’t always succeed, but when it matters most they’re the one you trust to deliver. 
  • [3:20] How do people gain the confidence to be clutch? 
  • [5:05] Greg talks about his first college football play, and how the experience helped him learn how to succeed in the long run. 
  • [6:50] As leaders we can’t be afraid of mistakes, we need to view them as learning opportunities. 
  • [10:55] How much can we do as leaders to help our team be clutch, and how much do they need to figure out themselves? 
  • [13:10] Setting the right tone helps your team feel empowered to learn from their mistakes. 
  • [15:23] We can name a lot of greats by looking back at their career, but in the moment they didn’t always feel like greats. 
  • [16:29] As the leader, you have an extra responsibility to acknowledge your mistakes to your team. 
  • [18:11] Why do people quit, and how can we help them stay in the game? 
  • [22:37] Greg shares some wisdom about preparation. 
  • [23:50] Greg tells a story about a compliment he received while coaching high school football. 
  • [26:07] A coach can help you excel and become a clutch member of your team. Check out how our coaching services may benefit your game

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Difference Between Mentoring And Coaching

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Both mentoring and coaching are valuable skills in leadership development, but they are not interchangeable skills. Check out how Greg and I unpack this important distinction. 

You can watch the full episode of The Craig and Greg Show from which I took this clip here. 

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

The Craig And Greg Show: Leaders At Every Level

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

You might be checking out this episode with the hope of one day being a leader. Well, Greg and I have good news for you—you already are! Leaders are not just the person at the top, but if you have a leadership mindset you can be a leader in whatever position you currently occupy. Join us as we chat about how important it is to start being a leader before you have the “leader” title.

  • [0:24] What if you’re not the point leader in your organization? 
  • [1:22] Regardless of your title or position, you are still a leader.
  • [3:13] Leaders—whether at the top or in the middle—need to try to raise up other leaders.
  • [5:29] One trait that will increase your value to the organization is cross-training.
  • [8:20] Another trait is curiosity that keeps you a lifelong learner.
  • [11:07] An example from Tom Brady about how important passion is for those who aren’t starters yet.
  • [13:47] Two other important traits for emerging leaders is patience and self-discipline.
  • [14:37] How do point leader keep their bench players engaged until there is a new leadership position available for them?
  • [17:07] Mentoring and coaching aren’t the same things. How do we know which one to use in our organizations?
  • [21:22] Maximize Leadership can help coach you on how to mentor your emerging leaders. Check it out at https://www.maximizeleadership.com/coaching
  • [23:21] What you can do if you don’t have any mentors within your organization?

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Craig And Greg Show: Patience And Impatience

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

In today’s episode we’re going to—IMPATIENCE! Yes, we’re talking about impatience. As a leader it can be hard to resist the temptation of impatience, but Greg and I believe that developing patience is a vital skill for leaders. In this episode we’ll explore some of the pitfalls of impatience, and share strategies for you to develop into a more thoughtful and patient leader.

  • [0:14] We’re looking at the leadership builder vs. killer of patience vs. impatience. 
  • [1:41] Patience is sometimes misperceived as not being in control—like we’re simply waiting around for something to happen.
  • [2:27] Can patience be developed?
  • [3:50] Patience allows a process to mature, and helps people grow.
  • [7:35] Warning: patience can cross a line into procrastination.
  • [8:30] Leaders need to avoid the temptation of impatiently answering too quickly.
  • [10:50] What leadership pressures make us give in to impatience?
  • [12:59] Leaders can help their teammates with their own impatience by asking some thoughtful questions.
  • [15:28] Ego + Bad advice = Dangerous impatience
  • [16:40] Patience helps leaders trust both the process and the people around them.
  • [18:33] Leaders need to be aware of what’s happening in themselves when their patience is stretched. Patient leaders grow their leadership influence.
  • [22:24] Greg quizzes me about the origins of patience.
  • [24:45] I make a confession about my impatience in my early years.
  • [25:55] Greg shares an insightful quote about the value of patience.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Links & Quotes

You are a one-of-a-kind creation on purpose! God’s plan for your life is as unique as you are. I had the privilege of speaking at Country Chapel’s week-long revival services, and this is a clip from my sermon.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

What “began 90 years ago in Seattle as ‘an agency to supply candidates for the ministry to our churches and on the mission field,’” is now celebrating its 90th anniversary as Northwest University. It is really cool to see the hand of God supplying in miraculous ways for those who were so passionate about this endeavor.

“How thankful we are, Father God, for a crucified Redeemer. Nothing in heaven or earth is such an amazing wonder as this; nothing can compete with it for excellence. May all the many charms of sin be overcome by this ravishing love, which bubbles up in every drop of our Redeemer’s blood. How can we, with thoughts of the Cross alive in our hearts, sin against so much tenderness, compassion, and grace, and all the other perfections of You, our God, which sound so loud in our ears from the Cross of Jesus?” —Stephen Charnock

On the anniversary of Blaise Psacal’s death in 1662, John Stonestreet shared a mini-biography and several good reasons why Christians should still heed this mathematician and apologist’s insights.

“Where shall language be found which shall describe Your matchless love, Your unparalleled love, toward the children of men? Your love is so vast and boundless that, as the swallow skims the water without diving into its depths, so all descriptive words merely touch the surface of Your love, while depths immeasurable lie beneath. … The most inspired mind must utterly fail to fathom this love. Here is love! And truly it is love that surpasses knowledge. Oh, let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude and lead us to practical manifestations of its power.” —Charles Spurgeon

When a leader admits a need for help to his or her team, it actually increases the level of respect the team has for that leader. 

What does pornography have to do with loneliness? “Dr. Gary Brooks, a psychologist who has worked with people struggling with unwanted porn habits for the last 30 years, explains that ‘Anytime [a person] spends much time with the usual pornography usage cycle, it can’t help but be a depressing, demeaning, self-loathing kind of experience.’”

Links & Quotes

It’s easy to get along with those we like. But God calls on Christians to do the hard—but rewarding—work of getting along with everyone! Check out this full sermon about the strength in Christian unity.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“Dad always said you could fall off the same ladder you climbed up.” —Hank Aaron

Paleontologists have noted that what Creationists would call pre-Flood mammals lived longer than similar mammals today. “This research should be of interest to Bible-believing Christians because, as chronicled in Genesis 5, humans in the pre-Flood world were experiencing much greater lifespans. Moreover, the advanced ages of the Genesis 5 patriarchs at the births of their sons strongly suggest delayed sexual maturation and possible delayed skeletal maturation, too. The Bible gives no hint that this amazing longevity was in any way supernatural.”

“If we leave our failure, we don’t learn from our failure. If we learn from our failure, we seldom have to leave because of our failure.” —John Maxwell 

Dr. Steve Nichols hosts a great podcast called 5 Minutes In Church History. In the episode this week, he talked about the church politics Jonathan Edwards had to confront when he first arrived in Stockbridge. It came to a head in a letter Edwards received: “All it did was go into, again, politics, accusing Edwards of mis-running the school, which wasn’t true, and deflecting the blame and the focus away from the Williams family. And now Edwards needs to vindicate himself. Well, all that to say, we think of these church history figures, and we see their portraits, we sometimes forget that they’re actually people, and they had to deal with challenges too.” These types of faultfinding accusations are what I address in my book When Sheep Bite.

If God would say this (Ezekiel 5:7-9) about His chosen people Israel, how much more so should other nations take notice, repent of their egregious sins, and plead with God for mercy!

Set Up For Success (Or Failure)

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on AppleSpotify, or Audible. 

Like it or not, your example as a leader is making an impact on all the people around you—including the next generation of leaders who will take their positions after you have passed away. 

So I have a simple question for you: Are you setting them up for success or failure? 

There is no middle ground. 

Consider three generation of kings of Judah—Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Amon. 

Hezekiah had been sick and God miraculously healed him. When Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon, heard about this, he sent envoys to see King Hezekiah. Instead of bragging on God, Hezekiah bragged about all of his riches. 

After the envoys left, the prophet Isaiah told Hezekiah the consequences of his pride

“Behold, the days are coming when everything that is in your house, and what your fathers have stored up to this day, will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,” says the Lord. “And some of your sons who will come from you, whom you will father, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” (Isaiah 39:6-7) 

Sadly, Hezekiah responded, “At least it won’t impact me.” 

A mark of a godly leader is one who desires to set up future leaders for success. 

His son Manasseh became one of the most evil, godless kings that Judah had ever known. And as a result, he experienced the punishment that Isaiah had prophesied. 

Thankfully, Manasseh eventually humbled himself, repented of his sin, and got to experience God’s restoration to a small degree—

When he was in distress, he appeased the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by him and heard his pleading, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord alone is God. (2 Chronicles 33:12-13) 

But there is a sad “however” for Manasseh’s son Amon: However, the people still sacrificed on the high places (2 Chronicles 33:17). This mixing of the worship of God with the worship of pagan idols always pulls people away from God. It certainly did that for Amon because “he did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. For he walked entirely in the way that his father had walked, and served the idols that his father had served, and worshiped them” (2 Kings 21:20-21). “Furthermore, he did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied his guilt” (2 Chronicles 33:23). 

Godly leaders should be just as concerned about the people that come after them as they are about the people around them now. Godly leaders strive to set up future generations for success—so they can receive God’s continued and increased blessings.

This is part 78 in my series on godly leadership. You can check out all of my posts in this series by clicking here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

No one wants what the gloomy person has. Joy is a Christian’s testimony—it’s what attracts others to Jesus! Check out this full message from my series on the Songs of Ascent.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“At first glance, people may not see how these different forms of sexual violence connect to each other. But, in fact, experts are increasingly recognizing that they may all stem from one common source—sexual objectification. Sexual objectification occurs when people perceive others as sex objects rather than complex human beings deserving of dignity and respect.” Pornography is a major contributor to the sexual objectification which leads to sexual violence.

Dr. Brian Thomas describes why fossils are found where they are and why land animals may even be found near marine animals: “This fossil discovery [a bone from a South American megaraptor found near Cape Otway, Australia] fits well with a biblical history, which goes something like this: Around 2348 BC, a worldwide flood crushed and reshaped the earth’s surface, breaking up a single landmass (Pangaea) into continents and fossilizing countless living things. Prior to the Flood megaraptors roamed Pangaea, during the Flood they were fossilized, and in the late Flood stages the boundaries of new continents (along with their fossils) were roughly shaped. Unlike the standard story, the outlines of this history have been testified to by reliable eyewitnesses, and this testimony has been faithfully preserved in Genesis.”

“The more we let God take over us, the more truly ourselves we become—because He made us.” —C.S. Lewis

J. Warner Wallace shares two trends in American society that are contributing to the decline of religious adherence in America.

“There is no way around hard work. Embrace it.” —Roger Federer

Shame on my thoughts, how they stray from me!
During the Psalms, they wander on a path that is not right; they run, they distract…
One moment they follow the ways of loveliness, and the next the ways of riotous shame…
Swiftly they leap in one bound from earth to heaven…
O beloved Christ… may the grace of the sevenfold Spirit come to keep them in check!
Rule this heart of mine, O swift God of the elements, that You may be my love, and I may do Your will! —Anonymous, On the Flightiness of Thought, Irish, 8th-9th century

Ungodly leaders become more and more selfish, while shepherd leaders become more and more God-fearing and more and more attentive to the needs of others (Jeremiah 12:10-11). Check out my series of posts for godly leaders and my book Shepherd Leadership.

Links & Quotes

Leaders may have to talk about people on their team, but how do we do this without crossing the line into gossip? Greg and I discussed this on a recent episode of our leadership podcast.

I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” —G.K. Chesterton

“Christianity does not consist in telling the truth, or walking in a conscientious way, or adhering to principles; Christianity is something other than all that, it is adhering in absolute surrender to a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.” —Oswald Chambers, in Baffled To Fight Better 

I really like the He Gets Us campaign! Here is a recent one.

“Critics may nitpick the Scriptures upon which we base our beliefs, but each year, the Lord will increasingly demonstrate that His Word contains no errors, exaggerations, or omissions. … We won’t feel ashamed of our hope. It will unfold just as the Lord has promised. We will be nourished, guided, blessed, and comforted. Our Lord will return, and then our days of sorrow will be over. How we will exult in the Lord, who first gave us a vibrant hope and then fulfilled that which we hoped for!” —Charles Spurgeon