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living for eternity today

Author: Derrick Hurst (Page 1 of 137)

I am husband to Carrie, dad to Matthew, Lucas, and Natalie. I have a desire to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus. My personal mission is to move people forward in their faith life.

The Weight of the Towel: When Serving Hurts

April 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Part 3 of the “Towel-Bearers: Redefining Leadership” Series

You said yes to serve.
You said yes to love.
You said yes to Jesus – (after he said yes to you).

But somewhere along the way, that towel you picked up started to feel like a weight chained to your soul.

You’re tired. Not just in your body—but in your spirit.
You still show up. Still pour out. Still smile when you’re asked, “How’s ministry going?” But underneath it all, you’re running on fumes.

Welcome to the weight of the towel.

Serving Hurts Sometimes. And That’s Not a Sign You’re Doing It Wrong.

Myth: “If I were really called to this, it wouldn’t feel this hard.”

Jesus was called. Perfectly. And still—He sweat blood in the garden.

He served, knowing the cross was waiting. He washed Judas’ feet, knowing the betrayal was coming.
He kept showing up—not because it didn’t hurt—but because love is stronger than pain.

So yeah, it’s going to hurt sometimes.
Not because you’re broken.
But because you’re becoming like Jesus.

3 Realities of Leading With a Tired Soul

1. You Will Run Out—That’s Why You Need to Be Filled

You’re not the source. Never were. You were never meant to carry the weight of every need, every crisis, every expectation.

Even Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16).
If the Son of God had to unplug to be filled—what makes you think you can run without stopping?

This is your reminder: Rest is not weakness. It’s worship.
You’re not abandoning the mission when you sabbath—you’re sustaining it.

2. Just Because It Hurts Doesn’t Mean It’s Not Holy

Pain doesn’t always mean you’re out of place. Sometimes, it’s proof you’re walking the right path.

Paul didn’t plant churches from a place of comfort—he planted them with scars.
Real servant leaders don’t avoid pain—they endure it for the sake of others.

But here’s the catch: Suffering in silence isn’t sainthood—it’s pride. Don’t wear burnout like a badge. Talk to someone. Let people in. You’re not less spiritual for needing help—you’re more human.

3. You’re Not Saving Anyone—Jesus Is

You’re not the Messiah. You’re not the answer. You’re a messenger.

When the weight gets too heavy, remember: you were never meant to carry the cross. You’re just called to carry the towel.

Let Jesus carry you.

To the Worn-Out Leader…

You don’t have to be strong every day.
You don’t have to fix everything.
You don’t have to carry this alone.

God sees you.
Not the polished version. Not the public one. The real you.

He sees the tears you’ve cried in your car.
The text messages you never got a response to.
The late nights. The misunderstood moments. The quiet serving no one ever applauded.

And He says, “Well done.”

Want more?
Stay with us for Part 4 of Towel-Bearers: Redefining Leadership:
“Not Your Platform: The Kingdom Isn’t About You” — a gut-check on ego, branding, and who the spotlight really belongs to.

I Was Asked To Look Ahead

April 28, 2025 / / 2 Comments

As I think about the history of the church body that has been my home for nearly 49 years and the District where my ministry has centered, I was challenged to consider what could be in the Ohio District. Here is a quick look ahead and what is possible if our movement is lead by faith.

For generations, the Ohio District LCMS has been a vibrant Gospel presence across Ohio, northern Kentucky, and West Virginia. Our congregations have been rooted in Scripture, faithful to the Lutheran Confessions, and committed to raising up generations shaped by grace and sent to serve.

But in recent years, a different narrative has crept into institutional church bodies across America, including right here in the Ohio District. It’s been a season marked by plateau, fragmentation, and uncertainty. Mission engagement has slowed. Even within our own district we’ve wrestled with confusion over direction, fatigue, and transitions in leadership. Staff who once carried the vision have carried the burdens of leadership instead of its joys.

Yet in this moment, I believe God is doing what He has always done: calling His people to rise, to return, and to rebuild.

The Future is a Movement — Not a Memory

I sense the Spirit stirring. Congregations are asking bold questions. Leaders are longing for connection. Communities are ready for a church that shows up with truth and love. It’s not a time to simply recover what was. It’s time to press toward what could be.

To make this super personal to me, here are three intentional shifts that must happen to move the needle in the Ohio District.

A vision rooted in three bold movements:

  1. Church Planting That Sparks New Life
    • Goal: Launch 12 new LCMS congregations by 2032.
    • We need to prioritize high-growth areas, underserved populations, and innovative models that bring Word and Sacrament ministry into new neighborhoods. We must invest in assessment, coaching, and partnerships to support church planters from call to community.
  2. Church Revitalization That Honors the Past and Fuels the Future
    • Goal: Actively revitalize 25 existing congregations through coaching, resource-sharing, and collaborative ministry models.
    • Many of our churches carry deep roots but need fresh vision. Through a new revitalization initiative, we’ll walk alongside pastors and lay leaders to reignite mission, renew worship, and reconnect with their communities.
  3. Lutheran Schools That Thrive
    • Goal: Grow and strengthen 15 Lutheran schools and early childhood centers into centers of excellence in both faith formation and academic development.
    • We believe our schools are mission outposts and discipleship hubs. We’ll invest in leadership development, teacher support, and innovative models that extend the reach of Lutheran education into the next generation.

Key Staffing to Support the Vision

To fuel this movement, we must build a team equipped for the work ahead. We will seek:

  • A full-time Mission Executive (or equivalent) who will champion church planting, guide revitalization efforts, and equip congregations to live on mission.
  • A Director of Lutheran Schools who will strengthen school leadership, foster collaboration across campuses, and support missional excellence in education.

This is more than strategy — it’s stewardship. These roles will ensure that mission is not just a department but a culture that touches every church, school, and leader across the district.

A Culture of Care and Leadership

But growth is not just about programs. It’s about people.

We are committed to restoring health and unity within the district office and across our Tri-state region. Our staff will be a team marked by grace, clear communication, and deep trust. We will invest in one another through monthly meetings and an annual staff retreat, because a healthy team creates healthy churches. And we will raise up leaders — pastoral and lay, young and seasoned — who listen, serve, and boldly lead.

It’s time that we reclaim our identity: not as a district in decline, but a network on mission. Not isolated churches, but a Gospel movement connected by faith, love, and shared purpose.

The fields are ripe. The workers are gathering. The Spirit is moving.

How to Spot a Counterfeit Leader (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)

April 25, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Part 2 of the “Towel-Bearers: Redefining Leadership” Series

Not everyone with a Bible and a microphone should be leading people.
Yeah, there are counterfeit leaders in the Church. And they’re not always easy to spot. They sound holy. They know the lingo. They wear the “right” clothes. They inspire crowds, cast vision, and quote Scripture on demand. But behind the scenes, it’s not about Jesus—it’s about their own control, ego, and power.

Jesus warned us: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”(Matthew 7:15, ESV)

We should’ve been listening.

4 Signs of a Counterfeit Leader

1. People Are Used, Not Shepherded

Counterfeit leaders don’t build people up—they use them to build their platform. If you’re only celebrated when you’re useful, and ghosted when you’re not, you’re not being pastored. You’re being leveraged.

Servant-hearted leaders walk with you—especially when you can’t offer anything in return.

2. Disagreement Is Punished, Not Processed

Try questioning their decision. Watch what happens.

If the response is silence, guilt-tripping, or spiritual intimidation (“Touch not the Lord’s anointed!”), that’s not leadership. That’s dictatorship in a title or position.

Jesus welcomed correction, modeled vulnerability, and still stooped to wash His disciples’ feet.

3. Fear Replaces Freedom

If you constantly feel anxious around your leader—like any wrong move will cost you your place—you’re not under godly authority. You’re under human control.

Jesus sets people free. Leadership that leads with fear doesn’t come from Him.

4. Their Private Life Doesn’t Match Their Platform

This is the hardest one. You don’t always see it right away. But true leadership shows up in the home, in the staff culture, in the way they treat the least powerful around them.

If their public presence is polished but the people closest to them are walking on eggshells—pay attention.

There’s Grace for This

Maybe this stings because you’ve followed a counterfeit leader.
Maybe it stings more because you’ve been (or are) one.

There’s grace. There’s always grace. But grace doesn’t mean silence. And it doesn’t mean ignoring the pain of those who’ve been hurt in the name of “leadership.”

You’re not crazy. You’re not bitter. You’re just waking up.

The Call: Watch for Fruit, Not Flash

We need leaders who bleed love, not demand loyalty.
Who show up in silence, not just in the spotlight.
Who carry towels, not just sit on their personal thrones.

Don’t settle for stage lights. Look for the ones who stay when the lights go out.

Want more?
Stay tuned for Part 3 of our Towel-Bearers series:
“The Weight of the Towel: When Serving Hurts” — how to lead with a servant’s heart when your soul is tired.

Real Leaders Bleed for Their People: Not Themselves

April 23, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Let’s stop pretending. Not all leaders are actually leading. Some are just collecting titles, hoarding influence, and stepping on people to build their brand.

That’s not leadership. That’s ego dressed in a suit and given a fancy title.

True leadership is bleeding for people, not basking in applause. It’s wiping the tears of the hurting, not curating a platform for personal glory. It’s making late-night phone calls, sitting in hospital rooms, helping someone move, delivering meals in silence, showing up again when nobody else does. Leaders aren’t called to be adored—they’re called to serve.

Let’s call it what it is: the world is packed with self-aggrandizing leaders. They love the microphone, the likes, the platform, the “vision casting,” and the endless meetings where they get to hear themselves talk. They talk at people, not with them. They think being “up front” is proof of anointing. They say phrases like, “If I don’t lead, who will?” as if God’s church would fall apart without them.

Newsflash friend: if your “leadership” ends when the camera turns off or the praise team stops playing your favorite walk-up song, you’re not leading—you’re performing.

The servant-hearted leader lives differently.

They lead from the back of the line, not the front of the stage. They’re not chasing attention—they’re chasing people who are slipping through the cracks. Their heart beats for the broken, the ignored, the exhausted. They don’t keep score. They don’t manipulate with spiritual language. They don’t delegate compassion. They do the work themselves.

When someone’s world falls apart, servant leaders are the ones who cancel their plans to be there. When someone’s marriage is struggling, they listen without judgment. When a church member can’t pay a bill, they quietly cover it without a word. No social media posts. No public applause. Just a heart that says, “I’m here because you matter.”

Jesus didn’t build a brand—He washed feet.

He didn’t hold strategy meetings to decide whether the disciples were “aligned with the mission statement.” He knelt on the floor, grabbed a towel, and scrubbed the dirt off their feet like a lowly house slave. And then He said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15, ESV).

He meant it. Leadership in the kingdom is not power—it’s posture. A towel, not a throne. A cross, not a crown.

So here’s the gut check: Are you the kind of leader who lays down your life—or just one who talks about sacrifice while protecting your own comfort? When your people are in need, are you reaching down, or are you too busy reaching for a microphone?

Servant-hearted leadership is not glamorous. It’s not always visible. But it’s real. It looks like someone who shows up with groceries when the fridge is empty. Someone who stays after the meeting to listen to the one who didn’t speak up. Someone who prays with others, not just over them.

It’s raw. It’s inconvenient. It’s beautiful.

We need more of it.

Let’s stop chasing titles and start chasing towels. Let’s be the leaders who go out of our way—who go the extra mile without anyone watching. Let’s bleed love. Let’s live low. Let’s lead like Jesus.

That’s the kind of leadership the church needs. It’s the kind of leader the world needs.

Quiet Before the Dawn

April 19, 2025 / / 1 Comment

Today is Holy Saturday—the day between heartbreak and hope. The sanctuary stands quiet. The week has been long. Holy Week always carries its own weight, but this year, it feels heavier. Maybe it’s the rain tapping gently on the windows, or maybe it’s the fire that startled our rhythm and left its mark—small but unsettling. Smoke lingers longer than flames, and so does disruption.

We’re grateful the damage was minimal. The building still stands. The cross is still there. But the unexpected has a way of rattling even the strongest faith. This week we’ve walked through the betrayal, the cross, the silence—and we’ve carried more than just the usual Holy Week weariness. We’ve carried the stress of plans interrupted, the ache of uncertainty, the fatigue that comes from trying to hold it all together.

And now we wait.

Holy Saturday is not a day of action. It’s not loud. It doesn’t clamor for our attention. It simply invites us to sit with the sorrow of Friday and the promise of Sunday. It is the space in-between, the breath held tight before the sigh of resurrection.

The rain outside feels fitting. It slows us down. It quiets the soul. And maybe that’s what we need—to be still for just a moment, to remember that even in the ashes, God is preparing something new. The tomb may be sealed, but the stone soon will be moved. We may feel stuck in the silence, but resurrection is already stirring beneath the surface.

So today, let the rain fall. Let the silence speak. Let the ashes remind you that God is never finished—not with churches, not with people, not with you.

Sunday is coming. And with it, the hope that rises—not just from the ground, but from the very heart of God.

Rising From the Ashes

April 17, 2025 / / 2 Comments

This Holy Week has most definitely been unlike any I’ve ever experienced.

As we approached the most sacred days of our faith—the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus—we were met with a trial of our own. A fire broke out in our church building. It was significant. Rooms we’ve prayed in, served in, and celebrated in were damaged. Walls were blackened. Equipment has been lost. We’re going to be a bit disjointed for a while.

But make no mistake: this fire will not have the final word.

Because we serve a God who specializes in resurrection.

The truth of Easter isn’t just a story we tell. It’s a power we live by. When Jesus stepped out of the grave, He proved that death doesn’t win. Despair doesn’t win. Devastation doesn’t win. The worst thing is never the last thing.

So yes, our building took a hit. But the church is not a building. The Church is a people. A people of resurrection. A people of hope. A people who believe in the God who makes beauty from ashes.

Isaiah 61:3 promises that God will give “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” That’s our prayer and our posture in this season. We are not alone. We are not defeated. We are not without purpose.

This Easter, as we remember the stone rolled away and the Savior risen, we’re clinging to that same truth for ourselves: we too will rise.

It may take time to rebuild. It may be messy. But grace is already showing up in big ways—from the firefighters who contained the flames quickly, to the neighbors and church family rallying in prayer and clean up efforts, to the Spirit of God reminding us: this is not the end of the story.

One thing we hold very dear is that we meet people in the messiness of life. Well, this community has turned the tables and met us right in our own messiness and we can’t thank you enough! Friends, we’re in this together and we’re so glad we have you walking with us!

Jesus rose from the grave.
We will rise from these ashes.

We are blessed, even in brokenness. And we’re moving forward together—renewed, refined, and ready for what God will do next.

He is risen.
And so shall we.

Is America Losing Its Soul?

April 15, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I tend to say out loud what many people are smart enough to only think quietly:
Something is deeply wrong in this country.

Our country feels angry, anxious, divided, and hollow.
We’ve got more outrage than ever, more opinions than ever, and yet—less peace, less unity, and less truth.

We are witnessing the slow erosion of something deeper than policies and headlines. And we’ve been watching from the sidelines for decades, so don’t think this is about one person or one party. It’s a process that’s been unfolding for the past 60 years or more.
We are watching a nation lose its soul.

And here’s the scary part:
Most people are too distracted, too entertained, or too tribal to even notice.

Politics Can’t Save Us

Let’s be honest:
Both sides are playing the same game and we’re falling for it – hook, line, and sinker.
Leaders scream, “They’re the problem!” while feeding division to their base like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Mainstream culture doesn’t care about unity.
It cares about clicks, controversy, and control.

Our feeds are curated for outrage.
Our kids are being discipled by TikTok trends.
And our churches are often too quiet—afraid of offending the very culture Jesus came to challenge.

No political party has a monopoly on righteousness.
No movement owns the truth.
Jesus is not running for office.

“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”
— Mark 3:24 (ESV)

Sound familiar?

The Soul of a Nation Isn’t in the Laws. It’s in the People.

You can’t legislate morality into a broken heart.
You can’t vote your way out of spiritual decay.

The real crisis isn’t in Washington. It’s in the human heart.

We’ve traded humility for pride.
Conviction for comfort.
Truth for opinion.
God for government.

And now we wonder why our foundations are cracking. We think throwing a graphic on social media fixes the problem. Newsflash – it generally only feeds the algorithm of hate.

“They did what was right in their own eyes.”
— Judges 21:25 (ESV)

History repeats when truth is ignored.

So, What Do We Do?

If you’re reading this and feeling the weight of all this—you’re not alone.
But you’re also not powerless.

You don’t have to be a politician to make a difference.
You just need to care more about people’s hearts than winning arguments.

Here are 5 practical, soul-restoring things you can do right now:

1. Turn Down the Noise

You weren’t built to carry the weight of 24/7 news cycles and algorithm-fueled rage. If you don’t take the time to research the whole story before forming an opinion, then you probably should just zip it! Before forming your opinion and changing your profile pic in support of your side of the story, you probably should make sure you know the other side as well.

Unfollow the accounts that fuel anxiety.
Take a Sabbath from headlines.
Spend more time in Scripture than on social media, unless you like being a hate monger.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
— Colossians 3:2 (ESV)

2. Build Bridges, Not Echo Chambers

Sit down with someone who doesn’t vote like you, worship like you, or live like you. Listen without correcting. It’s time we did a lot more bridge building and a lot less ditch digging!

Real unity isn’t uniformity—it’s understanding.

Jesus sat with Pharisees and prostitutes. Maybe we can sit with someone across the aisle.

3. Raise the Next Generation with Backbone

Teach your kids truth.
Not watered-down, fear-of-offending, culture-approved truth—but biblical truth, soaked in grace and courage.

They are growing up in a world that is at war for their souls. Give them armor that lasts not just opinions from your favorite pundits!

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
— Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

4. Be the Church Again

Not a political rally.
Not a spiritual country club.
Not a content machine.

Be a place of truth, repentance, restoration, and mission.
The local church is still God’s Plan A for healing this world. But only if we stop playing it safe. The Church needs to step onto the battle field and stop believing the politicians are going to do it for us.

5. Pray Like It Matters—Because It Does

This isn’t just a cultural moment. It’s a spiritual battle.
Policies change. Presidents come and go. But prayer moves the hand of God.

We don’t need more talking heads.
We need knees on the ground and eyes lifted up.

Is America losing its soul?

Maybe. But the Church doesn’t have to.
Your home doesn’t have to.
You don’t have to.

The world is loud. And division is real.
But revival starts in small places—with bold people who refuse to bow to culture.

If you’re ready to do more than complain, if you’re ready to live with conviction, if you want to help restore what’s broken—the time is now.

The Real “You Be You” Problem

April 14, 2025 / / 0 Comments

“You do you.”
“Live your truth.”
“Follow your heart.”

These all sound empowering, right?
It’s the self-esteem gospel of our generation.
The problem? It’s killing us.

Let’s call it what it is:
A beautiful-sounding lie.

And it’s everywhere. We see it in Disney movies, Instagram captions, graduation speeches, and TikTok reels. The message is always the same: The path to peace is found by looking inward.

But here’s the harsh reality is: Your heart is not a compass—it’s a disaster.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
— Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)

That verse doesn’t make for a great Hallmark card. I know! But it does explain a lot.

The Myth of Self-Discovery

We’ve been told that the ultimate goal in life is to “discover who you are” and “authentically live that out.” Sounds noble. Except it doesn’t work. Why?

Because who we are without Jesus is broken. We’re born into sin, bent toward selfishness, prone to pride, and wired to seek validation from anywhere but God.

Hustle culture says, “Be your best self.”
Jesus says, “Die to yourself.” (Luke 9:23)

Influencers say, “Chase your dreams.”
Jesus says, “Follow me.” (Matthew 4:19)

Culture says, “You are enough.”
Jesus says, “I am enough.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

When “You Be You” Goes Off the Rails

We’ve never had more self-expression and less identity. More personalization and less peace. More curated profiles and fewer real relationships.

You be you has morphed into a license for chaos. When “living my truth” overrides the truth, everything collapses.

Marriage gets redefined. Gender gets deconstructed. Truth gets relativized. And people get more confused, more anxious, and more spiritually lost than ever before.

And all the while, Jesus is still whispering the same thing He’s said for 2,000 years:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

The Way Out

But there is good news. You weren’t created to “be you.” You were created to be His.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

Jesus doesn’t want to upgrade the old you—He wants to transform you.

Not into a fake church version of yourself.
Not into a robotic rule-follower.
But into someone fully alive in grace, truth, freedom, and purpose.

You don’t have to invent your identity. You can receive it—from the One who made you.

So What Now?

If you’re tired of chasing your tail trying to “find yourself,” here are a few ways to get real:

1. Get Honest

Admit that “you be you” hasn’t delivered. The hustle for identity is exhausting. Name it. Own it. And bring it to Jesus.

2. Open the Word

God doesn’t leave your identity to guesswork. Start with Ephesians 1. See what God says is already true of you in Christ.

3. Join a Community That’s After Truth

Stop surrounding yourself with echo chambers and empty slogans. Find people who point you to Jesus, even when it’s uncomfortable. Find people who can speak hard truth into your life. You don’t have to like it but you absolutely need it.

4. Ask Better Questions

Instead of “Who am I?” ask, “Whose am I?” Instead of “What do I want to be?” ask, “Who is God calling me to become?”

Jesus didn’t come to help you “find yourself.” He came to help you lose your life—and find something better. Not fake. Not filtered. Not fragile.

Real identity. Real purpose. Real peace.

So let’s stop settling for slogans and start chasing truth.

If you’re ready to trade “you be you” for something deeper, come check out what God is doing around here. No filters. No pretending. Just real people becoming who Jesus made us to be.

When the Pastor’s Tank Is Bone Dry

April 11, 2025 / / 1 Comment

It should be no secret. Ministry can wreck you. Spiritually. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. I work with a lot of pastors and the comments are like a chorus that’s being sung over and over by so many.

Wayne Cordeiro’s Leading on Empty is not just another leadership book. It’s a wake-up call for every leader who’s ever wondered if they can keep going… and for those who haven’t realized yet that they’re dangerously close to the edge.

I just finished reading it, and I’m still sitting in the weight of it all. This isn’t theory. This is the honest, gritty story of a pastor who hit the wall—hard—and the way God met him in the middle of his burnout. If you’re leading in ministry, especially in the church, and you haven’t read this book yet, stop everything. Read it. Then read it again. Your soul is too valuable to ignore. If you’re not in ministry, this is a great window into the daily battle that many pastors and ministry leaders face.

Burnout Isn’t a Buzzword. It’s a Battle.

Cordeiro, founding pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, was leading one of the fastest-growing churches in America. From the outside, it looked like success. But inside, he was depleted. Exhausted. Numb. He describes waking up one morning and realizing, “I had nothing left to give.” The scary part? He is by no means the exception—he’s the mirror for many in ministry leadership positions.

Pastors, church staff, ministry leaders—how many of us are sprinting on fumes? We’re busy preaching grace but living like it doesn’t apply to us. We tell others to rest in Christ while wearing our exhaustion like a badge of honor. That disconnect is not only dangerous; it’s deadly.

Cordeiro pulls no punches. He names the lie that so many have come to believe: that the church can’t survive without us. He calls out the internal pressure to do more, be more, give more, until there’s nothing left. And then he gives us a better way—one rooted not in striving, but in sustainability.

Key Takeaways (That Might Just Save Your Life)

  1. You can’t give what you don’t have. Ministry flows from overflow, not obligation. If your cup is dry, what are you pouring out?
  2. Your soul has limits. Cordeiro introduces the idea of a “personal sustainability plan.” It’s not selfish; it’s stewardship. Build your life with regular rhythms of rest, exercise, solitude, and joy.
  3. Rediscover your life-giving zone. Not everything you do fuels you. Learn the difference between what drains you and what feeds your soul—then adjust accordingly.
  4. Sabbath is not optional. It’s not legalism; it’s life. Cordeiro learned (the hard way) that even Jesus rested—and we’re not stronger than Him. If we’re not finding regular rhythms of intentional and total rest, we will hit the wall and for many that crash is something they can’t come back from at all.
  5. You’re not alone. Perhaps the most healing part of the book is knowing you’re not crazy, weak, or faithless. You’re human. And God meets us there.

From Empty to Alive

This book doesn’t just describe the problem; it models the path to restoration. Cordeiro talks about stepping away, going to a monastery, walking by a lake, journaling, and letting God speak into the silence. The book itself becomes a quiet retreat—an invitation back to the God who called you in the first place.

Cordeiro’s book should challenged us. Convicted us. Comforted us. But more than that, it invite us to live and lead differently—to stop pretending that burnout is just part of the calling.

Final Word to Fellow Leaders

We don’t need more heroes in ministry. We need more healthy leaders. Leaders who know how to say no. Leaders who lead from rest, not adrenaline. Leaders who take care of their souls before they try to save someone else’s.

Don’t measure yourself by what someone else can do. We don’t all run at the same speed or with the same capacity. You need to be self aware.

If you’re running on empty, this is not the end. It might just be the beginning of something better. God doesn’t need you burned out. He wants you whole.

Take the time. Do the work. Read the book. Let God refill what’s been running dry.

You Can’t Teach Character

April 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments

You can teach someone how to lead. You can teach them all the buzzwords, all the strategies, and every “effective leadership” trick in the book. But there’s one thing you can’t teach, no matter how many seminars you sign up for, no matter how many management books you read. You can’t teach character.

Integrity isn’t some trendy leadership trait either. It’s not a skill you can pick up after a weekend retreat. It’s either there or it’s not. You either have it, or you don’t. Integrity is the thing that makes you who you are when nobody’s looking. It’s what separates “leaders” from “pretenders.”

Too many people in leadership positions today are nothing short of impostors. They’ve learned how to talk the talk, they’ve mastered the art of the smooth presentation, but when the heat is on? They crumble.

They make excuses. They throw others under the bus.

You don’t need another “motivational” speaker who gives you a catchy quote. You need someone who leads by example, someone who doesn’t just say the right things but does the right things—no matter what. Leadership isn’t about keeping up appearances. It’s about being the real deal, even when it costs you something. Even if it costs you next to everything.

Unfortunately some people need to be reminded that Character can’t be faked. You can plaster a smile on your face, write the perfect speeches, or fake it ’til you make it. But when the stuff hits the fan in life, those tactics will fall apart faster than you can say “leader of the year.”

You want people to follow you? They need to know you’ll stand firm when the chips are down. If you’re in it for the glory, the recognition, or the power trip, you’ll show your true colors when the pressure mounts.

People aren’t stupid! They can tell when you’re full of crap. They can sense when you’re just saying the right things to get ahead. They can smell a rat when they see one. And the moment they realize you’re not in it for them, or worse, that you’ll throw them under the bus to save your own skin? They’re gone. And don’t think you’ll ever get that trust back. It’s like glass: once it shatters, it’s nearly impossible to put back together.

So, what does integrity look like in leadership? It’s standing tall when everyone else is bending the rules. It’s making the hard call, even when it costs you. It’s taking responsibility when you screw up—and you will screw up. It’s telling the truth even when a lie will make you look better in the moment. It’s showing up day in and day out and doing what you promised, even when there’s no applause, no fanfare, not even a pat on the back.

Want to know when your true character shows? It’s when you’re in the trenches, when everything’s falling apart, and when the easy option is to save face or deflect. That’s when you’ll either step up or sell out. Will you take the high road, or will you fold like a cheap tent? Will you take the heat, or will you toss someone else into the fire to save yourself?

Leadership without integrity isn’t leadership. It’s manipulation. 

That’s the kind of stuff that gets exposed when the pressure’s on. Real leaders are in it for the people they serve, not for the power or the perks. They’re in it for the mission, not the personal gain. If that doesn’t resonate with you, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate why you’re in the game at all.

Leadership that’s built on integrity isn’t flashy. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s not about winning popularity contests. It’s about being the rock when everyone else is losing their grip. It’s about doing the right thing, even when nobody’s watching, and especially when it’s inconvenient. It’s about taking responsibility and leading with consistency, not just when it’s easy but especially when it’s hard.

So, here’s the bottom line: you can be trained in all the leadership techniques in the world, but if you don’t have integrity, none of it matters. You can’t fake character. You can’t hide it. You either have it, or you don’t. If you’re in a leadership position and you’re not leading with integrity, you’re just taking up space. You’re not leading anyone—you’re just using people to get ahead.

Don’t let that be your legacy. The world doesn’t need more pretenders. It needs leaders who can stand firm, who can own up, and who will lead with integrity when it matters most. That’s the kind of leadership that lasts.

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