Mark Dance

Discipleship is much easier to preach than it is to practice. Often, pastors are more eager to make disciples than to be discipled. How can a pastor receive the care he needs?

How do you know whether the hand of God is on your life and your ministry? I noticed Ezekiel often stated, “The hand of the Lord was upon me,” so I looked deeper to find out what God’s anointing looked like in his ministry.

Admit it. You do not have enough time or energy to do everything that is expected of you. I’m in that same leaky boat. The good news is that we are not supposed to. Although our gifts and calling are irrevocable, they don’t make us invincible. What if we refused to be the solution to […]

Early in my first pastorate, I was advised to avoid favoritism by treating all my church members exactly the same. It took me several years to root this ministry myth out of my system.

In Luke 8:14, Jesus said, “As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit.” When God’s Word competes with our wills, it will expose a cluttered, selfish heart. There are three common culprits of a cluttered heart: worry, wealth, and wants.

On March 9, 2016, an off-duty Jacksonville, Fla., police officer was taking his 14-year-old son to school when he decided to pull over a Cadillac that was driving erratically. The driver, Kevin Rojas, had just threatened his girlfriend with a gun and fired shots in their house before taking off in his car.

Why is “retiring” such a scary word for so many ministers? I’ve written before about preparing for retirement, proposing three reasons pastors avoid the subject: fear of boredom, obsolescence, and financial failure. Now, I want to revisit retirement through the lenses of our faith and God’s faithfulness.

This is a great time of year to be reminded of how generous our God is, as well as how generous His people should be. Here are a few things to remember about God’s blessings:

Sheep will let you lead them if you first love and feed them. This lesson is crucial for task-oriented pastors like me. This was Peter’s blind spot also, which is why his post-resurrection restoration was such a pivotal moment in his life and ministry.

"How are you doing?" One of the most common responses I hear from pastors to this casual question is: “Busy.” Most of the time the tone is innocuous, so I chalk it up to small talk. As the conversation unfolds, it usually becomes clear their answer was either an appeal for admiration, sympathy, or help.