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Showing posts from July, 2025

The Quiet Strength of the Small Church

- July 22, 2025

by Bart Denny “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” — Revelation 3:8 (NIV) I have wrestled with a quiet burden that many pastors know all too well—even if they rarely say it out loud. If I’m doing this right… shouldn’t the church be exploding in growth? I’ve poured myself into small congregations with love, prayer, and the Word—only to measure progress in single digits, not surging crowds. For a long time, I wondered if that meant I was failing. But slowly, God has reoriented my heart. He’s shown me that the small churches I’ve pastored aren’t signs of weakness—they’re signs of His unique calling on my life. The roles I’ve held, the communities I’ve served, the saints I’ve shepherded—they aren’t consolation prizes. They’re my assignment from God Himself. And if you’re serving or worshiping in a small church, you need to hear this clearly: You are not less-than. You are not broken. You are not abnormal. You are ess...

From Ritual to Revival: Learning to Pray Like Jesus

- July 22, 2025

by Bart Denny Let’s be honest—prayer can sometimes feel like following bad GPS directions. You start with good intentions, maybe even a few familiar phrases. But somewhere along the way, it gets repetitive, dry, or just awkward. Like winding up in a cornfield when you were supposed to be on Elm Street, you’re left wondering, “How did I end up here?” If that’s you, you’re not alone. And you’re not without a roadmap. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He didn’t give them a lecture. He gave them a model. What we now call The Lord’s Prayer isn’t just something to recite—it’s a pattern that leads us from routine to relationship, and from ritual to revival. In Matthew 6:5–13, Jesus doesn’t just teach us what to say. He shows us how to pray—with reverence , with relationship , and with purpose . Pray with Reverence — Honor God’s Presence Jesus begins with a warning—not against public prayer, but against performative prayer. The kind that’s more about impressi...

The Missing Link in Church Revitalization: Leadership Development

- July 18, 2025

by Bart L. Denny If you’ve spent any time in church leadership, you’ve likely felt the heartbreak of decline. Empty pews. Aging buildings. Once-thriving ministries now little more than calendar placeholders. Churches across America—especially in small towns and aging neighborhoods—are closing their doors at an alarming rate. And even those that remain open are often mere shells of what they once were. But here’s the good news: Jesus hasn’t given up on His Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). Still, that doesn’t mean local churches won’t die—because they do. And far too often. That breaks my heart, and I believe it should break yours, too! Why Churches Are Dying Some blame culture. And yes, the data is troubling. Fewer people identify as Christian. Fewer attend worship. And many younger adults have simply walked away from the church altogether (some recent data suggests that is changing, especially with young men). But culture isn’t the whole s...

When Good Things Get in the Way of the Right Things

- July 18, 2025

by Bart Denny Not long ago, I heard someone describe their life as being like a hummingbird—constantly in motion, wings beating a hundred miles an hour, darting from one flower to the next. “I’m busy doing so much good stuff ,” they said, “but I feel like I’m going nowhere.” That stuck with me—because I think most of us have felt that way at one point or another. Maybe you have. You're doing Bible studies, volunteering at church, keeping up with ministry obligations, helping friends, maybe even serving on three different committees. And yet, instead of feeling energized and joyful, you feel exhausted and strangely unfocused. Like you’re moving fast… but not necessarily forward. That conversation came back to me recently during a discussion in a graduate-level course I teach on Christian leadership. A student posed a thoughtful question about how to discern what truly matters in ministry. That opened the floodgates—leaders began sharing about their overloaded calendars, the f...

Revitalizing America’s Shipyards: A National Imperative

- July 16, 2025

by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D. America’s shipyards are in crisis. The U.S. Navy can't build or repair ships fast enough to meet today’s threats—thanks in part to the shortsighted closure of major public shipyards in the 1990s. Submarines like USS Boise have waited years for drydock space. China builds 50% of the world’s ships; we build just 1%. It’s time to invest in new public shipyards, expand public-private partnerships, and—if necessary—temporarily lean on our allies' shipyards. Revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding is no longer optional—it’s a matter of national security. Below is an executive summary of a monograph I recently wrote concerning U.S. shipbuilding and repair. While my experience shapes my views and conclusions, the information I used to write this monograph is publicly available. The full monograph is available here . The former Long Beach Naval Shipyard closed in the 1990s, costing the Navy repair capability it sorely needs today. Executive Summary The United States f...

How Can a Church Grow? (Part 2)

- July 15, 2025

Five Spiritual Practices That Fuel a Thriving Church by Bart Denny In a previous post , we asked a critical question: How can a church grow? It’s a timely question—because while many churches are in decline, growth is still possible. Not through gimmicks or polished programs, but by cultivating the same spiritual conditions that fueled the church in Acts 2. When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the early church exploded. In one day, 3,000 people came to faith. And Acts 2:47 tells us, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” So what were they doing that made their growth so vibrant, sustainable, and Spirit-filled? It wasn’t a silver bullet—it was spiritual soil. Here are three more growth-producing practices from Acts 2:37–47. We Grow When We Love Each Other Deeply The believers in Acts didn’t just gather—they bonded. Acts 2:44–45 says, “All the believers were together and had everything in common… they gave to anyone who had need.” This was...

The Day Evil Was Overthrown

- July 14, 2025

What Esther 9 Reveals About God’s Justice, Our Calling, and the Rest Found in Christ by Bart Denny There’s a moment in every great story where it looks like evil is going to win. The enemy is closing in. The hero seems cornered. Hope is slipping. But then—something shifts. And what felt like the end turns out to be the beginning of victory. That’s what we find in Esther chapter 9. As we continue our Hidden Hope series through the Book of Esther, we now arrive at the pivotal chapter where everything turns. God’s name still isn’t mentioned—but His fingerprints are everywhere. This isn’t just a story of ancient deliverance—it’s a preview of the final justice of God, the defeat of evil, and the ultimate rest found in Christ. Here are three powerful truths from Esther 9 that still speak into our stories today. Trust God to Defeat What You Can’t (Esther 9:1–5) Haman had selected the 13th day of the 12th month as the day the Jews would be legally attacked across the Persian...

Hope Remembered, Hope Lived: A Legacy of Deliverance from the Book of Esther

- July 14, 2025

by Bart Denny In the town of Enterprise, Alabama, there stands a monument not to a war hero or a statesman—but to a bug. That’s right, the town built a statue to the boll weevil. Why? Because in 1915, this little pest devastated cotton crops and threatened the local economy. But out of that disaster came innovation and resilience. The community turned to peanut farming and ended up more prosperous than ever before. They didn’t just survive—they flourished. And they remembered. That’s exactly what we see at the end of the Book of Esther. What began as a death sentence turned into a deliverance story. What started in silence ends in celebration. And the legacy wasn’t just about survival—it was about hope worth remembering and passing on. The Old Testament book of Esther helps us to explore what it means to live out a legacy of deliverance. Celebrate God’s Faithfulness with Purpose (Esther 9:20–28) When Mordecai and Queen Esther established the festival of Purim, they weren’t ...

The Power of a Plea

- July 09, 2025

When death was decreed, intercession made a way. Esther 8:1–17 In a Texas courtroom in 2019, a young man named Brandt Jean made headlines—not for anger, but for grace. Standing face-to-face with the woman who had killed his brother, Brandt offered forgiveness. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I forgive you. I love you.” Then he asked the judge, “Can I hug her?” That kind of mercy doesn’t undo tragedy. But it changes everything. In Esther 8, we see another moment like that—where a courageous plea changed the course of history. Living Under a Death Sentence Esther 8 opens with celebration: the villain Haman is dead, Mordecai is honored, and Esther is secure in the palace. But the danger hasn’t disappeared. The Persian decree—sealed by the king’s ring—still stands: the Jewish people are to be annihilated. And in Persian law, a royal edict couldn’t simply be revoked. It was permanent. But Esther doesn’t settle for her own safety. She steps back into the throne room, weeping a...

Embracing the Seasons of Life

- July 08, 2025

Trusting God’s Timing in a Changing World by Bart Denny Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 Life comes at us in seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—not only in weather, but in our experiences. Some seasons are full of joy and new beginnings. Others bring loss, waiting, or change we didn’t ask for. But every one of them has meaning. Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 reminds us that for everything , there is a season—and that every one of them is appointed by God. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV) You and I don’t get to pick our seasons. But we do get to choose how we walk through them. Here are three ways we can embrace every season of life with faith and wisdom: 1. Recognize That God Orchestrates Every Season Solomon reminds us that life isn’t random. Every moment—whether joyful or painful—has been woven into a divine timeline. From birth to death, from planting to harvest, there is an appointed time. And God—not chance or fat...

Don’t Despair Over Evil Agendas—Trust in God’s Hidden Plan

- July 05, 2025

by Bart Denny Have you ever watched someone cheat the system—and win? Maybe it was a board game where the deck was stacked. Or a sports game where the ref clearly played favorites. It’s frustrating when people manipulate the rules for their own gain. But it’s more than frustrating when that happens in real life—when injustice goes unpunished and evil people abuse power without consequence. In those moments, you may wonder, “Where is God in all of this?” If you’ve ever asked that question, you’re not alone. And you’re in the right book. When Evil Seems to Win In Esther 3 , we meet a man named Haman—a power-hungry official in the Persian Empire who hatches a genocidal plan to wipe out the Jews. It’s a chapter steeped in injustice, silence from heaven, and a rising sense that evil is gaining the upper hand. But beneath the surface, God’s hand is still at work. Though His name is never mentioned in Esther, His fingerprints are everywhere. 1. When Evil Targets God’s People, ...

How Can a Church Grow? Part One: Start with the Soil

- July 04, 2025

Acts 2:37–47 by Bart Denny A few years ago, a friend moved to a new house and tried to plant tomatoes in his backyard garden. He had all the right tools—good seed, fencing, fertilizer—but nothing grew. Not even a decent sprout. After two failed seasons, a neighbor finally said, “Get your soil tested.” Sure enough, the soil lacked the nutrients tomatoes need to grow. It wasn’t a problem of effort. It was the condition of the ground. The same is often true for churches. We pour our energy into ministries, programs, events, and even aesthetics. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, nothing seems to grow. And we’re left wondering: What are we doing wrong? In those moments, the real question might be: How’s the soil? In Acts 2, we see the early church explode in growth—not because they stumbled on a new strategy, but because the spiritual soil was ready. God moved because hearts were open, the Gospel was boldly proclaimed, and worship was central to life. So what made the...

How Prayer and Encouragement Can Transform Relationships

- July 03, 2025

by Bart Denny Have you ever had someone in your life who just knows how to push your buttons? (Tell me I'm not the only one!) Maybe it’s a coworker who’s always one-upping you. Or a family member who corrects everything you say. Or maybe—even more uncomfortably—it’s someone in your church pew on Sunday. Here’s the thing: we all have difficult people in our lives. And, if we’re honest, sometimes we’re that difficult person for someone else. I once heard about a man whose brother-in-law made every family gathering an exhausting competition—job, car, vacations, you name it. After one too many venting sessions, his wife gave him a piece of advice that changed everything: “Why don’t you just pray for him?” His first prayer was less than gracious—something like, “Lord, help him be less annoying.” But over time, that changed. His prayers softened, and so did his heart. Eventually, though the brother-in-law hadn’t changed a bit, this man discovered something profound: peace. That’s ...