J.R. Briggs

“Being human, not one of us will ever have a relationship with another person that doesn’t have a wrinkle or a wart on it somewhere. The unblemished idea exists only in ‘happily ever after’ fairy tales. I think that there is some merit to a description I once read of a married couple as ‘happily…

This past weekend, with the help of tremendous friends, my family moved into a home three blocks up the street. The past five years we’ve been in a rental. It was what we needed for the time, but we were fortunate enough to buy a home we love. We are excited to share it with…

Click on the image to enlarge. And pray for your pastor. 

A clipping from a newspaper in Australia: This brings up a whole series of questions, doesn’t it?

The blog posts have been slower and less frequent than normal lately because the deadline to the first of two manuscripts is quickly approaching. If you’re a writer you know that writing is hard. Really hard. Recently, my editor posted these “encouraging” thoughts on writing. I thought I’d pass them along to you. “First of…

If you’re a church planter – or you are thinking of planting a church – we need to talk. You may know this already, but there are few things you need more as you lead your church plant than receiving the right training and equipping – especially in the stages. I speak from experience. When…

Harvey Schachter offers ten great questions leaders should ask themselves. They are worth some significant unrushed time of reflection. 1. How do you personally define leadership? 2. Who are some of the leaders that you admire and why? 3. Who have been some of the influential leaders in your life? 4. What are some of…

8 issues that do NOT make or break Christianity. I like this list. Great point on life in the wilderness. Refreshingly honest and incredibly articulate. The Google Graveyard. Did you know about all these failed projects?  Why the Rich Don’t Give to Charity.  Is Aldi just Trader Joe’s without the marketing budget?  If you are…

Jesus calls scandalously ordinary young men to follow him because he thought they had what it took to be like him. In Acts 17, Paul and Silas reasoned with the Jews for three Sabbaths about Jesus being the Messiah – and many were convinced of his message. Some of Jesus’ followers were staying at Jason’s…

Ever come across a verse you’ve read dozens of times and yet it feels like you’re reading it for the first time?  That happened to me last week when I read the first part of Matthew 23. Jesus, while speaking to the crowds and his disciples, talks to his listeners about the Pharisees. “So you must…