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Young pastors are always asking me the question: “How do you find the time to do everything? You write sermons & blogs; video scripts & tweets; and then, somehow amidst all of this, you find the time to lead an organization?! How do you do it?” Truth be told: there are many days when I…

There is something almost magical about a written life plan. Years ago, at the beginning of each year, I would write down my “roles & goals.” Over time, I’ve started revising and expanding that plan every three months. In some ways, it’s a master plan for my year; but, it’s also a prayer journal. As…

It gets STINKIN’ COLD in Minnesota… like, the windchill for the next day is, honest-to-God, -45-65F degrees below zero. And for the record, it often gets way warmer here than most people think during the summer… often as hot as Florida (and maybe some of you nerdy folks can explain why that is??) But, I…

Have you ever wondered why some people can say “difficult” things and people receive it, while others simply open their mouths and people freak out? Over the years, I’ve noticed that two different people can share the exact same truth; yet, to the one truth-teller, people respond with anger and to the other, they melt…

Here at Substance, we start every year with a season of fasting. Of course, nobody HAS to fast; but, when you understand what the Bible teaches on fasting, you’ll realize that we “get to” fast.  It’s actually an incredible opportunity. In both the Old and New Testament, God powerfully rewarded those who fasted.  Quite simply,…

Well, it was another record-setting year of Christmas services at Substance! And after 11 services, I’m ready to do a whole lot of nothing! Thankfully, Carolyn will be tag-teaming our New Years teaching series called “Changeable” – God’s plan for Reinventing Yourself. (& remember, we have NEW service times at our Northtown campus this Sunday…

In the last year, we’ve heard a lot about the “Me Too” movement. And to be honest, I’ve honestly LOVED the national conversation. After all, it’s the first time in years that our culture has started talking about America’s out of control rape-culture. Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually quite irritating and disheartening when a  topic like…

Many years ago, I found myself in what felt like an impossible leadership situation. Almost ALL of my problems came down to one insecure leader. And I felt like my only solution was to quit. I mean, I felt like I had tried EVERYTHING; yet, nothing was working! So, one day, I was whining to God…

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been traveling a bit more lately. From Canada to London to Pittsburgh to Orlando…the last few weeks have been a bit crazy. So, one of the more common questions I’ve been asked is this: “How do you parent your kids with such a crazy schedule?” Well, keep in mind, when…

Many people don’t realize that the New Testament teaches numerous types of baptisms. And as a result, they miss out on many of the supernatural opportunities that God intends us to experience. So, this last weekend, I gave a message on this (And if you missed “Elementary Part 3”, click here). But, in that message,…