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We’ve been providing care, counsel, and prayer to pastors and other servants of Christ for a number of years. One of the most important things we do is help them to rest in God. Every pastor and ministry leader I (Bill) know — starting with the one that looks back at me in the mirror! —…
Every Christian leader needs to overcome three temptations in order to be truly successful. These relate to you if you are a pastor or a parent, a small group leader or an executive, or whatever your area of responsibility over people is. If you minister to other people you will be tempted to follow the way of…
We all want to discern what God may be saying to us. Here are some uncommon, but proven methods for hearing God. To be sure, these methods for hearing God are not a mechanical sort of process in which we put our prayers into the vending machine and out comes the answer we want! But…
A few years ago I (Bill) read a leadership book by a Christian author and publisher that made no mention of Jesus. Not one. Yet most people in the world respect Jesus and are open to learning from him. In our Soul Shepherding Institute in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, we teach that the Lord…
God is lovingly caring for us — even if the healing we pray for doesn’t happen. “You might think if someone had the gift of healing they’d go to the hospital and heal everyone,” John Wimber remarked, “but Jesus didn’t do that. When he went to the Pool of Bethesda, the hospital of his day,…
Jerry sat next to me (Bill) in church one Sunday in 2005. I didn’t know him, but he knew me as the Spiritual Formation Pastor. During the service he wrote me a note, “Can I set an appointment for spiritual direction to talk to you this week?” I learned Jerry was a retired pastor. “Imagine…
When joining with the Spirit of Jesus to minister healing, it’s important to give yourself permission to be a learner. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10). In all matters of faith, we learn by doing, by putting into practice what we learn from the…
To some people, “faith” in God is right doctrine or action. But actually faith is relational — it’s trusting God. As we keep seeking God with our heart, our beliefs and behavior come along. To strengthen our faith means we are developing greater trust and confidence in Holy Spirit’s presence with us and his power…
During graduate school, we attended the Vineyard in Anaheim, California where John Wimber was the pastor. Like David, Gideon, or Mary Magdalene, he was an unlikely leader. No one would’ve thought he’d be great for God. He grew up in rural Missouri in the 1930s and 40’s in a poor family that cursed and fought…
Lectio Divina is a delightful way to pray through a Bible passage. In our Soul Shepherding ministry, we use an especially refreshing and encouraging approach to this ancient discipline. The best way to understand Lectio Divina (Latin for “Divine Reading”) is to experience it personally, especially with someone who is experienced with this quiet, reflective,…