Author: Derrick Hurst (Page 8 of 150)

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 Problem With Perfect Leaders

October 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Let’s be honest, pastors can be some of the best actors around. Far too often we preach about authentic faith but live like we’re auditioning for Most Holy Person of the Year.

We smile even when we’re exhausted. We shake hands when we’d rather hide. We quote Scripture while quietly wondering if it still works the same for us as it does for everyone else.

The truth? Ministry can end up polishing the soul until it looks shiny from a distance but leaves the inside feeling…hollow.

And that’s not just a pastor thing. It’s a people thing. Leaders, parents, teachers, entrepreneurs, all of us! We’re all trying to hold it together in public while life leaks in private.

I’ve done it too. For years, I lived as though leadership meant never letting them see you bleed. But Jesus never modeled that kind of leadership. So why should I?

He wept. He sweat blood. He was betrayed, exhausted, misunderstood, and still chose to love.

That’s leadership. It’s not the filtered, staged version of leadership either. It’s the kind that bleeds grace.

So here’s where I’m landing these days: Leaders aren’t called to be impressive. We’re called to be honest.

When you stop pretending to have it all together, people stop pretending too.
And the cool part is, that’s when discipleship actually happens. It’s not when we hand out carefully crafted bullet points on leadership, but when we invite people to watch us wrestle with obedience, failure, and hope.

I’ve led well and led poorly. I’ve prayed hard and still felt dry. I’ve seen God move powerfully and then wondered why He felt silent the next day.

But through it all, I’ve learned that faith doesn’t thrive in perfection. It grows in the cracks. The broken places in our lives that look barren and yet are the perfect places for light to poke through.

I think of stained glass and how the broken shards of glass are the ones that cast the most amazing light refractions. The same is true for us. When we let the cracked parts of our lives become exposed to the grace of God, then the light of his presence refracts into the lives of those where we live, work, and play.

So if you’re leading anything. Yeah anything! From a church to a business even a family listen up: You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be present.

Show up. Tell the truth. Repent quickly when you mess up. Laugh often. Admit when you’re wrong. That’s leadership that looks like Jesus. And that’s the kind of faith the world actually needs.

Coming up later this week: “Blowing Leaves and Remembering Grace”  a post from the dirtier, simpler side of life where God keeps reminding me He’s not afraid of a mess.

Wholehearted Leadership: 10 Traits of Effective Leaders

October 28, 2025 / / 0 Comments

We don’t need more impressive leaders. We need more wholehearted ones.

I’m reading the book Daring Greatly and it’s been an eye opening read so far. Admittedly, I’m not too far into the book but this felt like something I had to put in my own words.

Too many of us lead from scarcity. We’re constantly chasing the next metric, afraid of disappointing people, afraid of being exposed as not enough. But what if the best thing you brought to your team, your church, your family… isn’t perfection, but presence?

That’s the heart of wholehearted leadership. It’s showing up fully human and leading from grace instead of fear.

Here are ten traits the author suggests mark leaders worth following. Each one is a tension: something to cultivate and something to let go of.

1. Cultivate Authenticity and Let Go of What People Think

People don’t follow titles. They follow realness. Stop performing. Start showing up as your actual self. Vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s credibility.

2. Cultivate Self-Compassion and Let Go of Perfectionism

Perfection is the fastest route to burnout. Grace builds resilience; shame builds walls. Lead yourself with the same kindness you preach to others.

3. Cultivate a Resilient Spirit and Let Go of Numbing

Leaders hurt. That’s part of the deal. The difference between leaders who last and those who quit isn’t pain. It’s whether they process it or hide from it. So it’s okay to hurt. Just call it what it is and grow through the pain.

4. Cultivate Gratitude & Joy and Let Go of Scarcity

Scarcity says “there’s never enough.” Gratitude says, “God’s already provided.” Joy isn’t naive. It’s rebellion against cynicism.

5. Cultivate Faith & Intuition and Let Go of Certainty

Control is comforting, but it kills creativity. Faith requires movement without a road map. Trust God more than your spreadsheets and formalized plans.

6. Cultivate Creativity and Let Go of Comparison

Comparison steals contentment. You can’t lead freely while staring sideways. Be faithful to your calling, not another person’s highlight reel.

7. Cultivate Play & Rest and Let Go of Exhaustion as a Badge of Honor

Busyness isn’t a fruit of the Spirit. Leaders who never rest eventually have nothing left to give. Sabbath is your strongest leadership strategy.

8. Cultivate Calm & Stillness and Let Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle

Anxious leaders create anxious teams. You set the tone. Lead from peace, not panic.

9. Cultivate Meaningful Work and Let Go of “Supposed To”

Purpose beats pressure. Don’t build a life around expectations. Build it around calling. Do the work that matters most. I try to live by the motto of only do what only you can do. I heard that at a conference years ago. It’s been a game changer for me most days.

10. Cultivate Laughter, Song, & Dance and Let Go of Control

If you’ve forgotten how to laugh, you’ve forgotten how to lead. Joy is magnetic. Freedom is contagious. People follow leaders who are alive.

Leading from Enough

Wholehearted leadership isn’t about soft feelings or sentimental slogans. It’s about leading from a place of enoughness. I know it’s not a word. It’s the realization that you are the one who is there for such a time as this.

When you stop hustling for worth and start leading from grace, everything changes. Your tone, your presence, your team’s trust, and your own soul. It’s like you and your team become brand new people.

Because the truth is, your people don’t need a perfect leader. They need a whole one.

What’s Next for the Blog (and Why I’m Excited About It)

October 24, 2025 / / 0 Comments

I’ve heard a few questions about why shift the focus? And that’s a great question! I think of it like a freeway system. Having more lanes is often a great way to free up congestion. Well there’s a lot more to life than just the part we see on Sunday. And frankly, if I’m asking the people in my circle to share their lives with the people in their circles then I should show you how it works in my own life.

Over the years, derrickhurst.org has lived mostly in the world of pastoring and discipleship. I’ve focused pretty solely on sermons, theology, church leadership, and the occasional rant about spiritual apathy. And that’s been good. But lately, I’ve been pulled to a bit of a new focus: Discipleship isn’t limited to Sunday mornings and coffee-shop Bible studies.

It happens when I’m swinging a shovel.

It happens when I’m training at the gym or even in my garage. Yeah even those times when I want to quit.

It happens when I share a pour of bourbon and engage in honest conversation with a friend under the stars.

It even happens when I’m arguing with weeds that keep winning the war in my garden.

So, starting next week, this blog gets a bit of a reboot. It will be this same old guy writing, with the same love for Jesus, simply using a wider lens.

Here’s what you can expect:

The Rhythm

  • Two posts every week.
    One will usually hit on faith, leadership, or discipleship. We’ll still consider that the core stuff.
    The other will explore the discipled life in the real world. Things like fitness, property work, bourbon reflections, simplicity, or the things that make us human will all be up for discussion. Some posts will be longer and others fairly short. But they’ll all be real, authentic, and me.
  • Bonus posts will pop up when the mood strikes, because sometimes a thought just won’t wait for the schedule.

The Voice

Still me. Still bold. Still calling things what they are. Still unapologetic.

Some posts will make you think; some might make you laugh; a few might make you uncomfortable and that’s kind of the point. Growth rarely happens in comfort zones.

The Goal

To explore what it looks like to follow Jesus in all of life. Not just as a pastor. Not just in church. But as a husband, dad, coach, neighbor, lifter, bourbon-sipper, and steward of a little patch of Ohio dirt.

So if you’ve been around for the ministry side, stick with me. You’ll still get plenty of that.

And if you’ve been waiting for something a little more real-life and raw, well you’re about to get it.

Starting next week, we’ll dig into gratitude, growth, and grace from the pulpit and the backyard.

It’s time to get a little more honest, a little more human, and maybe a little more fun. See you next week. Bring your coffee. Or your gloves. Or your glass. You decide.

A Few Changes Are Coming

October 22, 2025 / / 2 Comments

There’s a shift coming to the blog next month. Don’t worry! I’m not selling essential oils or becoming one of those skinny jeans wearing worship pastors. No offense to my essential oil (aka voodoo oil friends) or you skinny jean wearing peeps! Those have their place but it isn’t likely on this blog. I’m just tired of pretending that “pastor” is the only hat I wear.

Somewhere between the pulpit and my zero turn mower, God’s been reminding me that faith isn’t meant to live only in the sanctuary. It’s also in the sweat, the soil, and the sips around a backyard firepit.

For years, derrickhurst.org has been mostly ministry-focused. Like sermons, church leadership, discipleship, the usual “pastor stuff.” And I love that. I’ll keep writing about faith and leadership because that’s who I am. But it’s not all that I am.

I’m also a guy who loves lifting weights and the way it preaches discipline louder than most devotionals.

I’m a guy who likes a good bourbon not for escape, but because slowing down long enough to actually taste something is a spiritual act these days.

I’m a guy who finds God in dirt under the fingernails, broken tools, and the slow redemption of a half-dead garden.

And maybe that’s the point,  God is just as present in the mundane as He is in the miraculous. So, you’re going to start seeing a bit more of those mundane moments here. Posts about working out, working the land, coaching pastors, and wrestling with what discipleship actually looks like when the Bible closes and Monday shows up.

If that sounds too “earthy” for you, there are more blogs out there. But I’d love to have you hang around anyway. You might find that Jesus was far more earthy than we like to admit.

If that sounds like your kind of thing, then good. Grab your coffee (or whatever’s in that cup, depending on the hour), and let’s dig into what a full life of faith really looks like.

Because following Jesus was never meant to fit neatly in a church bulletin. It’s meant to invade everything from the gym to the garden to the glass in your hand.

So we’ll see you in a week or so with a little different focus and a better rhythm. Until then meet someone new. Share your name and one thing unique about yourself. Then see where the conversation goes. You might be surprised how who you are actually is interesting to someone new.

Stop Making Life Harder Than It Has To Be!

October 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

This Sunday, we dug into 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28. Paul wasn’t writing to pastors to tell them to toughen up. He was writing to the church to remind believers how to live together well.

Here’s the deal: God’s will for us isn’t complicated. It’s radical in its simplicity:

  • Honor those who lead you.
  • Encourage each other.
  • Live at peace.
  • Be patient.
  • Pray without ceasing.

That’s it. Nothing flashy. Nothing Instagram-worthy. Just daily, gritty, relational obedience.

Think about it. Honoring leaders isn’t just nodding smiling in a pew on Sunday. It’s supporting them, speaking well of them, and helping shoulder the weight of ministry.

Honoring one another isn’t just being polite. It’s listening, forgiving, serving, and speaking truth even when it’s hard or inconvenient.

Paul ends the letter reminding us: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, ESV)

Notice that “blameless” life he describes isn’t solo work. It’s built in community with leaders guiding, and with each of us doing our part to honor one another.

So here’s this week’s takeaway: Your faith doesn’t grow in isolation.

Faith grows in the way you treat people around you especially those who are leading. And that’s not optional. It’s the will of God in Christ for you.

No Excuses. No Apologies. All In.

October 16, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Hey Jesus following types. Did you know that if you’re a Jesus follower then, following Jesus is not optional? I know that sounds crazy but too often we make it sound like it’s an option. We often live like we can choose if and when we decide to follow him.

Look I get it. It’s not always convenient. But it’s also not something you check off only when you have time.

It’s all in or nothing.

Your Calling Doesn’t Wait

Jesus didn’t say, “Follow Me when it’s easy.”
He didn’t say, “Love when it’s comfortable.”
He didn’t say, “Serve when it fits your schedule.”

He said, “Follow Me.” And nestled neatly in the unspoken part of that invitation and command to follow is the idea of every day. All the time. No excuses.

You see. Excuses don’t honor God. Fear doesn’t honor God. Comfort doesn’t glorify Him.

Your calling as a follower of Jesus is bigger than your doubts, your tiredness, your calendar, even your comfort zone.

Love Without Limits

If you’re waiting to love only the people who deserve it, you’ve missed the point. Not to mention you’ll be waiting a long time my friend!

Jesus didn’t love “only the good people.” He didn’t wait for the world to be nice first. He gave His life for people who hated Him, ignored Him, and rejected Him.

That’s the standard. Love without limits. Every time. No questions asked.

Serve Without Question

Service isn’t a hobby. It’s not a resume-builder. It’s a response to grace. Not grace shown you by the people you love but grace shown you by Jesus himself.

When the world says, “Why bother?” we say, “Because Jesus did.” When the world says, “What’s in it for me?” we say, “What’s in me for them?”

Serving isn’t convenient. It’s costly. It’s messy. It’s the Gospel in motion.

There are no participation trophies in Kingdom work. There’s no safe middle ground. There’s no “Jesus-lite” version of life. You either live it fully while loving, serving, giving, forgiving or you don’t.

No excuses. No apologies. All in.

Quick Challenge

Today, stop hiding behind busyness. Stop waiting for the “right moment.” Stop soft-pedaling your faith.

Pick up your cross. Love boldly. Serve fearlessly.

Because the world doesn’t need more spectators. It needs followers of Jesus, fully alive, fully committed, fully His.

Have We Replaced the Kingdom with a Congregation?

October 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Somewhere along the way, the Church (Kingdom of God globally) started acting like the church (congregations in local communities).

We traded Kingdom vision for congregational maintenance.
We started measuring success by program attendance instead of life transformation.
We have become more obsessed with our church’s growth than God’s Kingdom advancing.

And that’s a problem!

When the Church Becomes Too Small

Jesus didn’t die to build a church brand.
He died to bring the Kingdom of God crashing into a broken world.

But many of us have started living like our congregation is the Kingdom. As if our membership rolls, our budget, our building projects, and our social media reach somehow equal the movement of God.

Too many of our prayers sound like “God, grow our church,” when they should sound like “God, grow Your Kingdom even if it’s not through us.”

You know what. That’s a dangerous shift. Because the moment we make church about our congregation instead of God’s Kingdom, we stop being the Church altogether.

The Kingdom is Bigger Than Your Logo

When Jesus talked about the Kingdom, He wasn’t talking about a brand, a denomination, or a Sunday morning time slot. He was talking about His reign breaking into every corner of the world.

“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed… For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
– Luke 17:20–21 (ESV)

The Kingdom is wherever Jesus rules hearts, heals the broken, forgives sinners, and sets captives free. That means it’s happening in homes, workplaces, schools, parks, prisons, and yep it’s happening in other churches too.

Look. If the only time we celebrate the work of God is when it happens in our building, we’re no longer building His Kingdom, we’re building our empire.

Kingdom Builders Don’t Compete – They Collaborate

A congregation-centered mindset says, “We’ve got to be the biggest.”

A Kingdom-centered mindset says, “We’ve got to reach the people far from Jesus, no matter who gets the credit.”

A congregation-centered leader says, “Come to our programs.”

A Kingdom-centered disciple says, “Go into the world starting in your neighborhood.”

When the early church grew, it wasn’t because Peter and Paul were trying to fill seats. It was because they couldn’t stop talking about Jesus. The Kingdom spread like wildfire because believers were scattered and sent, not settled and safe.

Pretty sure we need that again.

It’s Time to Think Bigger

I know all analogies break down over time. I get it. But here’s one to at least help us start seeing things a little differently.

Think of your congregation as a vehicle. And the Kingdom is the destination.
And if the vehicle ever becomes more important than the mission (destination), we’ve lost our way. No kiddo ever gets in a car headed to Disney more excited about the car than the theme park. We should be the same way as the local church pointing people with great excitement to the Kingdom not the carpet.

Maybe the hard question we need to ask is this:

  • Would we still rejoice if revival broke out across our community and none of it happened under our roof?
  • Would we still celebrate if families met Jesus at another church down the road?
  • Would we still serve if no one ever knew our name?

If the answer is “no,” then we’ve confused church growth with Kingdom growth.

The Church is not a club to grow. It’s a movement to unleash.

Jesus didn’t tell us to build our own crowd. He told us to make disciples of all nations. That means, He didn’t say “grow your congregation.” He said “seek first the Kingdom of God.” (Matthew 6:33)

Don’t get me wrong. The local church can and should grow. But the local expression of church never should be more of a focus than the Kingdom of God.

So let’s stop playing small. Let’s stop guarding our corner of the Kingdom and start advancing it together. Let’s stop worrying about how big our church can get and start dreaming about how far His Kingdom can go.

Because the goal isn’t a full sanctuary. It’s a full heaven.

Mind Your Own Business (No Really!)

September 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Thought for today: life would be way less stressful if more of us just learned how to stay in our own lane.

That’s not just me saying it. Heck it’s not even original to me. Even the Bible, you know the dusty book on grandma’s coffee table? Even the Bible lays it out in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, mind your own affairs, and work with your hands.”

Translation? Stop obsessing over what everybody else is doing. Stop replaying your old mistakes like it’s some greatest hits album. Stop living in other people’s drama like it’s your favorite Netflix series. I mean seriously people!

Why is this so hard?

I think for some people drama feels exciting. Complaining has become a new version of therapy. Gossip gives the illusion that we’re powerful or something. But there’s a problem with all of these lines of thinking. Not one of these ways of living moves your life forward at all. You will stay stuck either in your own past life of regrets or in someone else’s life that wouldn’t fit you well anyway!

Think about it:

  • If you spent half the time working on your goals that you do ranting online, your life would look a whole lot different.
  • If you put the energy you waste trash-talking others into building something productive, you’d actually have something to show for it. Something more than high blood pressure and fewer friends.
  • If you dropped the baggage from your past instead of dragging it around like a dead body, you’d actually have room for something better in your life.

Here’s the point:

Minding your own business isn’t boring. It’s actually freeing. It means you’re not chained to someone else’s drama or your own regrets. You can finally focus on building a life that matters.

So maybe the smartest move you can make today is this:
Close the gossip tab. Quit rehashing the past. Get to work on the stuff that actually makes your life better.

The world doesn’t need more complainers. It needs more people who are actually living.

Established and Unmoved

September 29, 2025 / / 0 Comments

We all want something solid to stand on. Something that won’t shift when life shakes. Most of us know the feeling of watching the ground give way from health scares to job loss, from betrayal to grief. The question underneath all of it is this: Will I be okay when everything around me is not?

That’s the heartbeat of 1 Thessalonians 3. Paul isn’t writing theory. He’s writing with tears in his eyes, worrying about his friends, longing for them to be strong in the middle of the storm. And his answer is simple: God Himself will establish you.

Here are five things I learned from studying 1 Thessalonians 3:

1. God Sends People to Strengthen Us (vv. 1-2)

Paul can’t take the not-knowing anymore, so he sends Timothy. Not because Timothy is a superstar, but because he’s family in Christ and faithful in the gospel.

Timothy’s job is twofold:

  • To establish – to set their faith on a firm foundation.
  • To exhort – to come alongside and encourage them.

That word “come alongside” matters. Timothy isn’t shouting from a stage. He’s walking shoulder-to-shoulder, reminding them of what’s true. That’s how God works, through people He sends into your life to hold you steady.

Who has God sent to come alongside you when things weren’t going great?

2. Trouble Doesn’t Mean You’re Abandoned (vv. 3-5)

Paul says it bluntly: “You yourselves know that we are destined for this.” This, by the way, is affliction – suffering – yuck of life stuff! Suffering isn’t proof that God has walked away. It’s part of the Christian life.

But suffering is dangerous because it tempts us to believe lies. Lies that say God doesn’t care. Lies that say faith is pointless. Lies that say it’s easier to walk away. Paul fears the enemy will lure them off the foundation. That’s why Timothy’s presence is so crucial.

Bottom line: hardship isn’t the exception. It’s the expectation. But it’s not the end of the story.

3. Faith and Love Breathe Life (vv. 6-8)

Timothy comes back with good news: their faith is alive, their love is real, and they remember Paul kindly.

Paul’s reaction? “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”

That’s wild. Paul ties his own sense of life to their perseverance. In other words your faith doesn’t just matter to you. It matters to the people around you. When you stand firm, others breathe easier. When you hold on, others find hope.

Who is your faith giving life to?

4. Faith Still Needs Mending (vv. 9-10)

Paul’s grateful, but he’s also honest: their faith still has gaps. He prays he can see them again and “supply what is lacking.”

Faith is like a fishing net. It needs constant mending. It’s not about shame or failure. It’s about being equipped, repaired, and made whole so it can hold when the pressure comes. None of us are finished products. So never stop learning and growing.

5. God Finishes What He Starts (vv. 11-13)

The chapter ends with Paul’s prayer:

  • God directs our steps.
  • God makes love overflow.
  • God establishes our hearts so we’re blameless when Christ returns.

Notice who does the heavy lifting: God! Paul and Timothy play their part, but God is the one who holds people steady.

That’s the anchor. Your grip may slip, but His won’t.

The Ever Famous So What!

  • You’re not alone. God sends people into your life to come alongside you. Don’t brush them off. They’re His gift.
  • Suffering doesn’t mean you’re forgotten. It’s part of the story, but not the end.
  • Your faith strengthens others. You may not realize it, but when you stand, you give someone else life.
  • God’s the one who establishes you. Your hope isn’t in your ability to hang on to God. It’s in His promise to hold you.

The Bottom Line

Storms will come. Lies will scream at you. Faith will feel fragile. But here’s the good news: Christ establishes you. He supplies what you lack. And He will hold you all the way to the end.

So stand firm. And when you can’t, look for the Timothys God has sent to come alongside you.

Why I Haven’t Preached on the Death of Charlie Kirk

September 22, 2025 / / 4 Comments

Some people want to know why I haven’t addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk from the pulpit. Let me be blunt: it’s not because I don’t care. I care deeply. The death of any human being, especially someone who sought to serve God, is tragic. But my calling as a pastor is not to turn the pulpit into a press conference for my opinions.

Lutherans have long held to what’s called the theology of the two kingdoms. God rules the world in two ways: through the kingdom of the temporary (government, civic life, law) and the kingdom of the eternal (the Gospel, forgiveness, eternal life). Both belong to God. But they are not the same. And when pastors confuse the two, the Church loses its voice.

Here’s the truth: I will not hijack Jesus’ pulpit to carry water for any political agenda – left or right. That’s not what I was ordained to do. I don’t preach left or right. I preach the hands of a Savior stretched out on a cross, reaching to the left and to the right, to forgive us all.

Do I think Charlie Kirk’s death is horrific? Yes. Do I think the endless stream of abortions, suicides, wars, and injustices are also horrific? Absolutely. Which one deserves more outrage? That’s a political debate. But the pulpit is not a podium for outrage. The pulpit is the place for Christ crucified for sinners, for the broken, for all of us.

If you want political hot takes, there are endless pundits who will give them to you. If you want to know where I personally stand, we can sit down and talk. But if you want the living Word of God, the one thing that actually saves, you’ll hear it every Sunday from this pulpit, unfiltered and undistracted by the latest headlines.

It doesn’t mean that I’m avoiding hard truths by any means. Because we can head on address the truths of this world in winsome ways without calling on names other than the name of Jesus. We can decry violence because that’s what Jesus did. We can serve our neighbors because that’s exactly what Jesus did. We can embrace our neighbors regardless of walk of life, because that’s what Jesus did.

We can do all of these things without standing on the temporary ground of political debates. So yes, I do have very strong opinions. I will gladly share those with inquiring minds in one on one settings when the invitation arises. I have thoughts but rarely do people ask about those thoughts.

Friends at the end of the day, kingdoms rise and fall, voices rage, and leaders die. But only one Word endures forever. And that’s the Word I am called to preach. That’s the Word that I will continue to proclaim. That’s what FREEDOM in the FAITH looks like.

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