Why Great Preaching Isn’t Making Disciples

Why Great Preaching Isn’t Making Disciples

Does preaching make disciples? Season 4 of Reinventing Church opens with the practice most churches build their week around: the Sunday sermon. Derek Sanford traces preaching from Nehemiah’s wooden platform to the weekend experience of the modern church. Then...
Should Fat Pastors Be Allowed to Preach?

Should Fat Pastors Be Allowed to Preach?

Overweight preachers don’t get to lecture anybody about sin. That was the headline on an Instagram post, over a video of a guy doing shirtless squats. It’s part of a trend. Fill in the blank. If your pastor doesn’t do or say ______ to your liking,...
Why Great Preaching Isn’t Making Disciples

BONUS: Grace Church Dream Disciple Sermon 2 of 2

In this bonus episode, we are sharing part two of Pastor Derek’s sermon to Grace Church on what it means to be a “Dream Disciple” in our specific context at Grace Church. This sermon will give you a deeper glimpse into our overall vision as we...
Why Great Preaching Isn’t Making Disciples

BONUS: Grace Church Dream Disciple Sermon 1 of 2

In this bonus episode, we are sharing part one of Pastor Derek’s sermon to Grace Church on what it means to be a “Dream Disciple” in our specific context at Grace Church. This sermon will give you a good look at the practical discipleship principles...
Bonus: A Conversation with Dr. John Dickson

Bonus: A Conversation with Dr. John Dickson

In this bonus episode, we sit down with Dr John Dickson, host of the podcast “Undeceptions,” to talk about the state of the church in America and evangelism today. We also take some live Q&A with a studio audience. Did you get value from this blog? If...
Epiphanies Need Margin

Epiphanies Need Margin

Epiphanies Need Margin I’m going on sabbatical this summer. Three months. After thirty-one years at the same church, I’m taking a long pause. The strange thing about announcing a sabbatical to other pastors is how many of them lean in and lower their voices. I...
The Church Has a Practicum Problem

The Church Has a Practicum Problem

I preached a five-week series last summer called Influencer. The first two weeks were classic teaching. We opened the Scriptures, laid a theological foundation for what it means to be an everyday influencer for Jesus, and explored two big questions: What has God given...
The Grief Nobody Sees

The Grief Nobody Sees

A Lent reflection for church leaders. There’s an assumption baked into church leadership culture that I’ve watched hurt a lot of good leaders. It goes something like this: you need to hold space for everyone else’s pain. You’re the one being paid. The one who signed...
A Hot Take on Carey Nieuwhof’s 2026 Church Trends

A Hot Take on Carey Nieuwhof’s 2026 Church Trends

Carey Nieuwhof’s annual trends report dropped, and as usual, it is worth your time. Check out The 7 Disruptive Church Trends That Will Rule 2026. I want to respond to a few of them. The Gen Z Surge Is Real (And We Better Not Blow It) I’ll keep this brief because...