This summer we have waited for Barry Bonds to knock number 756 out of the park, surpassing Hank Aaron's home run record of 755. Seven times Bonds has been voted the National League's Most Valuable Player. He's won the Golden Glove Awards eight times. And that's just the beginning of the list of his accomplishments, and of the controversy surrounding them.

As one who steps into the pulpit every week and attempts to send one sailing over the balcony wall, I have considered that there may be some lessons in Barry Bonds's experience for us preachers and church leaders.

1. Every home run is preceded by two strike-outs. That's right. Barry Bonds, arguably one of the greatest players in the history of the game, struck out more than 1,500 times, twice as many times at he hit homers. Here's the lesson for pastors: not every sermon is going to be great. Sometimes we can carry an unrealistic expectation that we are going to preach an excellent sermon each week. I don't ...