Second game in two days. Thanka, Garrett Martin. Let’s go Phillies.

Productivity and busyness have become a badge of honor in both our culture and our churches. Yet Paul tells Christians to make it their ambition to lead a quiet life. What if we become ambitious for stillness? A blog post on @patheos.com. www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

We are going for the 🧹 #Phillies

My statement. Be present as a dad, play hard, lead a quiet but questionable life.* Questionably different from expected. The life one questions why it is different.

What if the guidance you're looking for today is something God already spoke years ago? Recently, I rediscovered a poem I first heard in elementary school. Sometimes God leads us forward by bringing us back to forgotten nudges. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

You become what you repeatedly keep before you. That's Paul's warning—and his invitation—in 1 Timothy 6. Sincere Faith: Keeping the Main Thing Before Us. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FajO...

“So I am floating. Whatever happens next, happens, and I will deal with it when it happens.” I’ve heard versions of this from several people lately. Why does our culture feel so untethered, directionless, and detached right now? And how do people recover purpose once they’ve lost it?

Psalm 84 is one of my favorite Psalms. It was my meditation this morning. This line stood out to me. I once identified as a spiritual pilgrim. A few years ago, I reflected on this. Maybe that is who we are all to be.

How old were you when you first heard God? I asked myself this. I believe I was in third grade. Our Children’s leader read a poem. “I stand by the door” by Sam Shoemaker. I had forgotten most of it. Except these words, “I stand by the door. I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out...”

I walked by this sign yesterday. I didn’t even think about it. I walked by today and it stopped me. It felt like God was whispering. Maybe Holy Spirit is saying this to all of us.

@amtrak.com So, we are on train 19. The AC hasn’t worked since DC. I have health issues. You are going to make this right? It’s a long way to Atlanta without A/C. And an expensive trip for such accommodations and no follow up from the conductor.

An ambition for money is an unbalanced love. What you love shapes you. Not all chains are visible.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 says make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. That's not passive. That's a way of resistance. In a world built on personality, performance, and platform— choosing the quiet way of life is one of the most countercultural things a follower of Jesus can do.

Remind yourself. “This is the day the Lord has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today!” Psalm 118:24

My life goals, in order: 1. Help people recover a quieter, more rooted Christian life. 2. Sell T-shirts on the boardwalk. Still working on both. Welcome to the journey.

I am continuing my look at 3 books from Gary McIntosh. The Solo Pastor is a practical and encouraging guide drawn from real experience. McIntosh knows the unique challenges solo pastors face and offers wisdom to help lead faithfully. www.jeffmclain.com/the-solo-pas...

"Too many churches have lifeless times of prayer, led by those who have remained in the shallow end of the pool." Mike Breen, Building a Discipling Culture

I’m grateful for Gary L. McIntosh. His writing started deconstructing my ecclesiology before I had constructed it. Now I find myself reading him again from the other side of that tension. www.jeffmclain.com/a-pastoral-t...

Paul gives a similar direction to all the churches. Be a Christian where you are. A look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:17. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

I hit a personal milestone tonight. I just presented the Biblical and Theological Foundations for my Doctor of Ministry at Kairos University. Overall, I’m really happy with how it went. With the sociological and cultural presentation already under my belt, the finish line is finally in sight. 🎓

The ESV Expository Commentary: Matthew–Luke from Crossway offers verse-by-verse exposition with pastoral clarity, scholarly depth, and practical insight for study and preaching. #Commentary

The seventh day of creation never technically "closes"—it’s an ongoing invitation into God’s rest. We’ve been leaning into a family Shabbat. This is about trading the week's hurry for unhurried presence. 🕯️🌮 Read more on @patheosHQ www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Phils win? ✅ O’s win? ✅ It was a perfect night to sit outside and watch Baltimore take down the Astros. I’m posting this with my youngest—we managed to snag a shot with the Bird himself! #Birdland #RingTheBell #MLB #FamilyNight

What is your "one sentence" mission statement for your life?

“...at the very end, the measure of our success is not the crowds we’ve gathered but in the relationships we’ve cultivated.” Dave Ferguson, Multiplier

Food is getting more expensive, but the real concern is shifting from cost to availability. My friend Tri Robinson recently shared 10 reasons why we’re going to face a wave of food insecurity. This isn’t a call to panic—it’s a call to pay attention. www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Food shortage, the quiet way, and living faithfully in uncertain times. Reflecting on the words of Tri Robinson, and what it means to be prepared without fear. A Lead a Quiet Life Blog Post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

I want to be still more than I want to be seen. I want to perceive more than I proclaim. I want to confess more than I convince. I want to worship more than I win. I need more time to listen and admit the chaos, not find ways to compete with it. This is the quiet way God is calling me to.

The church isn’t a waiting room. It’s where people come alive. Where gifts get named. Where calling gets practiced. Wrote this after 4 years at River Corner Church. Would love your thoughts. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

I’ve been sitting with Multiplier by @fergusondave.bsky.social, and this one hit differently. Multiplication is not a formula; true impact is a matter of health. “You reproduce who you are and what you do.” www.jeffmclain.com/a-life-worth...

This week, as for many, has been overwhelmingly busy. My wife, Katie, blogs about how there are some things that are too formative to say "no" to, even when you are so busy. Check it out! www.katiemclain.com/when-easter-...

Repentance isn’t just confession. It’s turning away, but it is also turning toward God. In repentance, we turn toward God’s goodness, to the compassionate Character of God. Repentance is learning to see clearly again, realigning our lives around God’s rule and reign.

Marriage is not Christian only. However, Christian marriage is different. It prophetically sets us apart. Here are seven verses that I love on what it means to live a Christian marriage. www.jeffmclain.com/seven-bible-...

I’m not joining Substack to add to the noise on this growing platform. I’m joining because it feels like a place where conversation is possible. The Rule: If it stops being grounded and human, I jettison it. ijeffmclain.substack.com

20 years of Christian marriage. Not perfect, but steady. We’ve learned to say yes again and again through health challenges, raising kids, and building a quieter life. A few simple practices have carried us. This is our story. A Blog Post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

True repentance isn't a PR move—it’s a wilderness habit. Repentance is how we find our way back to the heart of God when life (or our own choices) strips everything bare. A look at Joel in this recent blog post on repentance featured on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Samuel G. Parkison offers a clear introduction to God’s aseity—the truth that God depends on nothing—showing how this doctrine shapes Scripture, worship, and our hope. Thanks, Crossway, for the opportunity to review. www.jeffmclain.com/the-aseity-o...

“The Word of God came as man to be the Word of God to man—he came to exegete, to reveal, to disclose the divine nature more fully.” I love that description. I will be dropping a review this Friday on “The Fountain of Life” in for my friends at Crossway.

Just finished Deconstruction/Reconstruction by Tri Robinson. One idea stayed with me: today’s generation is living with the “secondhand smoke” of the church’s past decisions. You can’t argue people into faith. A blog post on @patheos.com. www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

To lead a quiet life is a form of resistance against a culture that defines us by what we have and how busy we are. A Lead a Quiet Life Blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

We live in the tension of the here-and-now and yet-to-come. In the middle of unfinished realities, we choose hope for what is possible today while trusting God to reveal the final truth. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Baseball and warmer weather are back. The light is back on at the end of the tunnel.

Hard conversations often live in the tension between what God has already done and what is still unfolding. Learning to follow Jesus faithfully in that space. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Revival isn’t hype. It’s people coming face-to-face with God… and themselves. The Azusa Street Revival still has something to teach us. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

The #DiscoveringGod Podcast is back. This conversation was recorded as the Mike Bickle situation was coming to light—before the later wave of leadership falls and exposures in parts of the charismatic movement. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca4N...

Hard conversations do not just test your theology. They test your identity. Galatians 2 shows what happens when fear drives us and what changes when identity in Christ leads us. Here’s the blog. A blog post on @patheos.com. www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Hard conversations are not just about being right. They reveal where our identity really is. Galatians 2 shows Paul confronting Peter when fear and people-pleasing threatened the gospel. We find our identity in Christ. Not in our tribe. Not in approval. www.youtube.com/watch?v=114m...

I just finished reworking my personal calling, rule of life, and weekly rhythm into one clear anchor. Because I drift. Maybe you do too. A #LeadAQuietLife blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

Hard conversations are not just about disagreements. Sometimes someone is simply wrong. Acts 15 shows us the Spirit can create unity where it once seemed impossible. A blog post on @patheos.com www.patheos.com/blogs/leadaq...

I am increasingly convinced that quiet forms us in ways that are more effective and fruitful than the loud and large. #RiverCornerChurch jeffmclain.com/finding-god-...