Several years ago, a generous church member invited me to go with him to watch a heavyweight fight in Las Vegas. I couldn't help but notice the signs. They're everywhere: big signs, little signs, blinking, flashing, moving signs, even talking signs. It was dazzling.

They don't have a lot to say, but they definitely know how to say it, I thought.

It's just the opposite in the church. We have everything to say, but we don't always know how to say it. We fail to communicate God's truth in a way that is both biblically based and culturally compelling. Consequently, many people view church as a dry, yawn-filled environment. And too many Christians, even church leaders, are just droning through life—doing the same thing the same way and expecting a unique result.

As a young person, I remember saying to myself, "If that's what being a Christian leader is all about, then no thanks."

Ten years ago I moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to begin a church. We started with core group that shared ...