Nathan R. Hale

A personal blog

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  • 5 surprising benefits of taking a digital sabbatical

    I just took my family on camping trip in the woods of northern Arizona. I barely had cell service, so I couldn’t be on Twitter or Facebook or check my website stats. I went for walks, played with my kids, laughed with my friends, and enjoyed the cool weather.

    I was reminded of how great it is to get a digital “reset,” a rest, a sabbatical. It’s really one of the most refreshing habits you can have in today’s world. Trust me, you need to do this if you don’t already. Here are 5 surprising benefits of taking a digital sabbatical for a day for a day or two–or longer. (more…)

  • How and why you should keep a prayer journal

    Keeping a prayer journal has been simultaneously one of the most rewarding and one of the most difficult decisions I’ve tried to stick with.  Ultimately it’s been worth it, despite my own inconsistencies.

    What is a prayer journal?

    A prayer journal is a little different from simply keeping a diary, because the point isn’t just to record your thoughts, feelings, and observations (although a prayer journal might include those things). Instead, a prayer journal serves to record your conversations with God. Not just requests, but what he is teaching and revealing to you, and what you are saying to him. (more…)

  • Are you feeling far from God?

    Are you feeling far from God? You’re not alone. Even the greatest saints have struggled with doubt and the fear of being abandoned by God.

    Remember Doubting Thomas? Even Mother Theresa endured a decades-long loss of feeling God’s presence.

    Christians throughout the centuries have called this experience “The Dark Night of the Soul.”

    16th century mystic John of Cross is known for his poems regarding this difficult (yet rewarding) experience. In this short, 3 minute video I’ll share some insight from John of the Cross that has helped me–and might help you–to make sense of the darkness.

  • I'd like to say I'm not a liar, but…

    “There are things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

    I mean, I usually tell the truth to other people, about events and whether I like their haircut and all that.

    I don’t willfully misrepresent the Gospel or the Scriptures.

    I don’t use bait and switch tactics or advertise falsely in my business.

    No, most of my lies are to myself. In my mind my motivations are pure and my actions righteous. If I endure the pain of inner honesty, though, there’s a lot of selfishness. A lot of choices I convinced myself were ok, but aren’t.

    If I pry back a few grimy layers of self-deception it becomes obvious that most of the time I care more about how others perceive me than how they are hurting when I apologize.

    I’m quick to verbally offer forgiveness, but so slow to actually let go in my heart.

    I believe in holiness and real sanctification. God is making me new. But there’s a whole lot of work yet to be done. That’s why I know I still have to cling to grace for every fleeting choice and passing thought.

    I can’t do without God’s gifts. Some days it’s hard for me to remember they’re even there…times like that make me so thankful to be explicitly invited to Jesus’ table every week for bread and wine, forgiveness and promises, a renewed awareness of the Spirit inside me.

    I’m grateful that when my heart condemns me, God is greater than my heart. Because when I’m real with myself, my heart is both condemning and condemnable.

    So…I’d like to say I’m not a liar, but that just wouldn’t be honest.

    This song pretty much sums it up, way better than I can do in writing.

  • How to avoid ministry burnout

    Did you know that 90% of pastors feel fatigued and worn out every week?

    That’s not okay.

    The same percentage works well over 50 hours a week. Do a quick Google on issues contributing to ministry burnout and you’ll find overwork, stress and enough time for family near the top of the lists. (more…)

  • The exponential power of encouragement

    Years ago I was going through a very tough time. I was a long way from home, feeling alone, and wondering how I was going to move forward. My dad, one of the wisest people I know, read me a short passage from Scripture on the phone:

    And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV)

    I remember vividly the hope and life these words seemed to breathe into my situation. (more…)

  • Say hello to Trello, a new tool to organize your life and ministry

    Think of Trello as note cards on digital steroids. I tend to resist new organizational tools these days, but when I started digging into this one, I was hooked. This could be a game changer for me. (more…)

  • Do you have too many Bibles?

    According to the American Bible Society and Barna Group, 88% of American households have Bibles, and the average number of Bibles per household is 4.7!

    Compare this with some parts of the developing world, where Christians may never own a Bible or owning a Bible is against the law. We have an embarrassment of riches, really, when it comes to availability of copies of the Scriptures as well as the number of quality translations.

    I own and use at least three or four separate copies regularly, with plenty more around the house and office.

    I guess what I’m wondering is…Do I have too many Bibles? Do you have too many Bibles?

    Do I need more than one or two at the most (especially with access to sites like Bible Gateway and YouVersion)? Could I be blessing other people by giving away my extra copies? What if I simply chose to give the money I would spend on what is really a luxury purchase away? Maybe to a ministry that will give the Scriptures to someone that might not otherwise have access?

    I’m not gonna lie, nice, expensive Bibles are a weakness of mine. I know it’s okay to pay for quality, to be sure, but after a point my collection could quickly become a prime example of poor stewardship.

    I don’t want to be the guy that keeps someone less fortunate from having access to the Scriptures, just because I like the smell of a new book.

    Too much of a good thing is still too much.

    What are you holding onto that you could give away?

  • 3 reasons why you hate going to church (and what to do about it)

    Edited 2023-09-22

    You know the feeling. You wake up on a typical Sunday morning, roll over, and feel a sense of dread, followed swiftly by a pang of guilt.

    I should really go church…but maybe just not today… You would never say it out loud, but inside you’re thinking, I hate going to church.

    So many people I speak to (even young, Christian ministry leaders) seem to hate going to church. You might not even know why you have that stubborn resistance in your heart and mind every Sunday morning. Here are three extremely common reasons that come up consistently in my ministry, and three ways you can combat them.

    1) It’s one more thing to do in your already-busy schedule.

    You’re a busy person. You have work, school, family, friends, maybe even other ministries. Adding another 2 hour commitment (or more if you volunteer) just seems overwhelming.

    The solution: Examine your beliefs. Do you really believe that the regular gathering of believers for corporate worship under Godly leadership is part of God’s plan for his people? If the answer is “yes,” it’s time to deeply consider your priorities, and ponder how to say “no” to things that might be important, but are simply a lower priority.

    2) The message and music just don’t “speak” to you.

    You’re bored. You don’t connect with the weekly sermon. You’re not into the music…it’s too “Jesus-is-my-boyfriend” or too “contemporary” or too “old-people-style hymns.”

    The solution: It would be too easy to tell you to find another church. Although your discontent might mean it’s time to move it, more than likely you need a shift in perspective. Are you waiting for your pastor to entertain you, or are you expecting God to speak to you? Do you see corporate singing as a team effort or just “me-and-Jesus-time?”

    3) There aren’t enough people in your peer group at your church.

    You look around, and you’re surround by people twice your age…or half your age. It feels like a nursing home or youth camp on steriods. There are too many kids! Not enough kids! You can’t take the sea of plaid shirts anymore! You’re done with people that are so. slow. to. change.

    The solution:</
    strong> Realize it’s not about you. Don’t get me wrong, you need fellowship with Christians in your peer group to be healthy, and your local church may not be able to provide that for you. Yet, that’s not necessarily a reason to jump ship. You might be the person they need to jump start a ministry to your peer group, or you just might bring some much needed balance to your community. Realize your local church will most likely not be able to provide you with the entirety of your spiritual formation…and be okay with that.

    Why do you hate going to church?

  • How to Please God

    Chapter 13 must have been especially powerful to the Hebrews, since the author reiterates that it is the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (offered in faith) that are pleasing to God.
    The old blood sacrifices had their place, but only as pointers to what God has now fully accomplished in Jesus.

    Animal sacrifices never brought God joy the way a heart set on him does.

    You can act in faith just like those from the “hall of faith”, but now with the full knowledge of God’s saving act on your behalf.

    Now, because of the purifying one-for-all blood sacrifice of Christ, you are free to act out of gratitude. If you want to please God, allow your good works to spring from a thankful heart (cf. Heb. 13:16). (Tweet this)

    As we conclude this series on Hebrews, pay close attention to Hebrews 13:12-13. Jesus endured the cross for us so that–out of thankfulness–we too might be able to give ourselves for the sake of others.

    Are you so grateful for what Jesus has done that you are willing lay everything down to lead others to him?

    Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV)