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by Bart Denny Most of us know what it feels like to live under evaluation. We get measured at work. Compared at school. Judged online. And yes, sometimes even in church. Over time, that constant scrutiny does something to us. It quietly trains us to build our identity on performance: Am I succeeding? Am I respected? Am I keeping up? Am I right? And when our identity feels fragile, we get defensive. We push back. We justify ourselves. We posture. We react. Because when identity isn’t secure, disagreement feels dangerous. But Jesus offers something better than a better performance. He offers a deeper anchor. That’s why we launched a series called The Upper Room Way —because on the night before the cross, Jesus didn’t simply give His disciples information. He formed them. In a room heavy with tension and sorrow, Jesus shaped a people who could live faithfully in a hostile world—not through outrage, not through dominance, but through love, cleansing, and a secure identity in Him....
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But some doubted...

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by Bart Denny “The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted.” —Matthew 28:16–17 (CSB) I try to be faithful to Scripture when I write or preach. I want to draw out lessons and apply them to daily life without saying more than the text itself says. My goal is to dig deep into God’s Word and share what I find—without putting words in God’s mouth. But I can’t help wondering—have you ever heard someone really focus on that last phrase in Matthew 28:17? “But some doubted.” In the very presence of the risen Christ—after seeing Him crucified, buried, and now alive—the disciples worshiped. And yet… some doubted. That moment has always fascinated me. We often say, “seeing is believing.” But here were disciples looking at Jesus with their own eyes, and still, something inside them wavered. Was it too good to be true? Could it really be Him? After everything they’d seen—the horror of the cross, the...
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Stop Searching for a Silver Bullet Pastor: What Declining Churches Really Need

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Stop Searching for a Silver-Bullet Pastor: What Declining Churches Really Need by Bart Denny When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, the crisis of declining churches in America wasn’t new—it just accelerated the inevitable. Honestly, I tend to disregard 2020 – 2022 when measuring decline because of how chaotic those years were. But let’s be real: if your church had higher attendance and stronger giving in March 2020 than it does in March 2024—and we’re not talking just a slight dip—you’re in decline. If your children’s ministry was once thriving but now you’re lucky to gather a handful of kids each Sunday, you’ve declined. Your church needs revitalization. Sure, church health isn’t measured by numbers alone. Are you evangelizing? Are you making disciples? Are you reaching your community with the hope of Jesus? If the answers to those questions aren’t a resounding yes , you’re not just declining—you’re in danger. Kicking the Can… Until I...
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