“The business world told us to build the brand first and figure out the substance later. That strategy has quietly crept into church leadership — and it is costing us more than we realise.”
You Can’t Change the Season — But You Can Change the Level
Most leaders are waiting for their season to change. But what if God isn’t asking you to change your season — he’s asking you to change your level?
If it’s not a Spiritual Gift it’s a Spiritual Discipline
I have to be honest with you. I don’t have the gift of hospitality. I know that’s a strange confession for a pastor to make. But it’s true. If you knock on my door unannounced, […]
The Gifts That Make People Nervous
From the series: Empowered — Discovering and Developing Your Spiritual Gifts Let me name the elephant in the room. When most Christians hear the phrase “spiritual gifts,” they’re broadly fine — until the conversation gets […]
Three Kinds of Gifts — and Why Your Church Needs All of Them
From the series: Empowered — Discovering and Developing Your Spiritual Gifts There’s a pattern I’ve noticed in churches over the years. You walk through the door, spend a few weeks in the services, and fairly […]
Your Gifts Won’t Survive Without Community
From the series: Empowered — Discovering and Developing Your Spiritual Gifts Sarah sat nervously at the edge of the prayer circle. Three months into this church, she still felt like an outsider looking in — […]
When the Spectacular Blinds Us — Sensationalism, Accountability, and the Gifts of the Spirit
A reflection on charismatic culture, pastoral responsibility, and the cost of elevating gifting above character There is a particular kind of silence that has caused immeasurable damage to the charismatic and Pentecostal church. It is […]
Even Jesus was Empowered – and that changes everything 
From the series: Empowered — Discovering and Developing Your Spiritual Gifts There is a theological assumption so deeply embedded in the way we think about Jesus that most of us have never stopped to question […]
You’re Not Meant to Watch from the Sidelines
From the series: Empowered — Discovering and Developing Your Spiritual Gifts There’s a particular kind of frustration that settles into a church over time. It’s not the frustration of conflict or crisis. It’s quieter than […]
Why Spiritual Gifts Aren’t Optional
There’s a quiet assumption running through much of the Western church that goes something like this: spiritual gifts are for a certain kind of Christian. The upfront ones. The confident ones. The ones who seem […]
Paul Benger 