Blogs

When the Pastor Has an Affair | ThomRainer.com
Thom Rainer shares some lessons from churches that have gone through this tragic time. Sadly this article is frequently needed these days. The areas I see churches failing in most are #3 & 5.

Pastors’ Joys and Struggles With Family Life | Tyler O’Neil, PJ Media
In the light of the above it’s good to read this:

A whopping 70 percent of U.S. pastors said their marriage relationship was ‘excellent,’ while 26 percent described it as ‘good.’ In the overall population, less than half of U.S. adults (46 percent) ranked their marriage relationship as ‘excellent,’ while 35 percent described it as ‘good.’

Report: Global Spike In Cohabitation Is Destabilizing Children’s Lives | Holly Scheer, The Federalist
“This study firmly shows that across the world marriage confers the best chances for stability for children. Yet adults are increasingly choosing not to provide their kids that optimal environment.”

The Five Tests of False Doctrine | Tim Challies
“In summary, true doctrine (content) originates with God (origin), is grounded in the Bible (authority), and agrees with the whole of Scripture (consistency). Because such doctrine is sound (quality), it is healthy (benefit), and profitable (value) for us, and we are responsible for holding it (responsibility). False doctrine (content) originates with man (origin), is not grounded in the Bible (authority), and contradicts portions of Scripture (consistency). Because such doctrine is unsound (quality), it is unhealthy (benefit) and unprofitable (value) for us, and we are responsible for rejecting it (responsibility).”

15 Reasons Our Churches Are Less Evangelistic Today | Thom Rainer, LifeWay Pastors
“I conducted an unscientific Twitter poll to see what church leaders and church members thought of this trend. My specific question was: ‘Why do you think many churches aren’t as evangelistic as they once were?’”

What Happened When I Forced Myself To Wake Up At 5 A.M. Every Day For A Month | Stephanie Vozza, Fast Company
Some informative and practical sleep science in here.

New Book

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

Work and Our Labor in the Lord by James M. Hamilton Jr.

Kindle Deals

Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson ($0.99)

Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds by Chris Brauns ($2.99)

Pursuing Peace: A Christian Guide to Handling Our Conflicts by Robert D. Jones ($2.99)

Video

Crooked cop pairs up with man he framed

As prominent pastors continue to fall left, right, and center, I’ve been thinking a lot about the verse: “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13). “To the end” are the words that haunt and challenge me. “To the end” is all that matters. If I don’t make it “to the end,” better never to have begun.

I don’t believe this is an unhealthy focus or fear. Even the Apostle Paul said: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).

I think of the millions of unknown Christians who live unheralded lives of unimpeachable integrity and die beautifully in faith. Then I think of well-known pastors who fall into gross sin and bring dishonor upon the cause of Christ.

Better to live unknown and die in faith, than to live well-known and die in disgrace.

My new motto for the rest of my days: “To the end. To the end. To the end.”

Blogs

How I Gleaned Hope from the Darkest Psalm
“I’m so grateful Psalm 88 is included in Scripture. It reminds me that I can cry out to God with a broken heart and that he hears me—no matter how weak my prayers. It directs me to focus on the truth of who God is, for even in the darkest night, his grace still shines. And when it seems as though darkness is my only friend, I can remember Jesus Christ, who faced the darkness of the grave so that I could be called a friend of God. ”

Did Old Testament Men Treat Their Wives Like Property?
“The sense I am left with after reading the Bible as a whole is that men loved and appreciated their wives, just as they do today”

Helping those who struggle with anxiety
“When people struggle with anxiety, they need to address their physical needs as well. Sometimes this will mean talking to a doctor or other medical professional about their anxiety and receiving medical treatment. There’s no shame in needing help. If anxiety keeps them from fulfilling normal daily tasks, they need to get that help.”

10 Suggestions for the Wannabe Writer
“How can I become an author?” Start with this article.

Stories of Suicide and the Faith Community
This article on suicide and the black community has good counsel for all churches:

Establish an understanding of what mental illness and mood disorders really are. Consider establishing resources right there in your church, including in-house training for staff, informational videos and pamphlets for parishioners. Invite speakers who have survived mental illness to come in and speak to members of the congregation. Consider preaching sermons on mental illness and mood disorders. Organize events centered around mental health Provide resources that will connect those in need with the right programs and medical professionals.

The Sin of the Boring Sermon

Of Pastors and Politics

David Powlison on Prayer and Counseling

Kindle Books

Side by Side: Walking with Others in Wisdom and Love by Ed Welch $3.99.

The Pastor and Counseling: The Basics of Shepherding Members in Need $3.99.

Blogs

How the U.S. Marines Encourage Service-Based Leadership | Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch, Harvard Business Review
“If managers want to get the most out of every team member, they can adopt many of the Marine Corps’s service-based leadership practices. Understanding the concept isn’t enough; they must overcome the three common barriers that prevent managers from putting the needs of their employees first: awareness, time, and unhealthy competition.”

Encouragement for Discouraged Pastors | Jay Sanders, LifeWay Pastors
Jay’s answer to discouragement? “Cut the grass!” It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

Stott’s Simple—Yet Surprising—Productivity Secret | Kevin Halloran, For The Church
“Take a quiet day once a month. Go away into the country, if you can, where you can be sure of being undisturbed. Stand back, look ahead, and consider where you are going. Allow yourself to be drawn up into the mind and perspective of God. Try to see things as he sees them. Relax!”

Pastors and Retirement Stewardship | Chris Cagle, Retirement Stewardship
“The same powerful forces that are at work and that make planning and preparing for retirement necessary for you and me are just as important to pastors. Things such as increased longevity, the need for income for life, taxes, inflation, the uncertainty of investments, and escalating healthcare costs, are all in play.”

New Book

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

Sons in the Son: The Riches and Reach of Adoption in Christ by David B. Garner

Kindle Deals

Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns by D. A. Carson ($3.99)

The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision by Gerald Hiestand and Todd A. Wilson ($3.99)

God in the White House: A History: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush by Randall Balmer ($1.99)

I wrote this post a few years ago but thought it might be appropriate to post along with Darryl Bradford’s most recent “Meet The Faculty” Video. Here’s another about Michael Barrett.

What is a minister of the Gospel? The most common answers include models like Shepherd, Servant, Preacher, Theologian, Teacher, Counselor, Leader, and so on.

But one model that’s rarely thought about or spoken about today is the first model that Jesus used – Fisherman (Matt. 4:19).

My favorite hobby probably biases me here but I believe fishing for souls is one of the most powerful models of Christian ministry and must be re-prioritized. It’s such a perfect metaphor for both the fish (sinners) and the fishermen (pastors/witnesses) that I’ll leave you to make the obvious applications.

The Fish

Fish love water: They are comfortable there, have no desire to leave it, and will stay there even if the water is polluted and is killing them.

Fish are suspicious: They are wary, sensitive, fearful, easily spooked, and spend their life hiding.

Fish fight: They fight with passion when caught, even after being caught, and even with their last breath.

Fish are frustrating: They are unpredictable, annoying, baffling, discouraging, and even depressing.

Fish are worth catching: But when caught, what satisfaction, what enjoyment, what memories, what tales!

The Fishermen

Passionate: He loves fish and loves to catch fish. It’s all his one-track mind thinks about.

Optimistic: He goes out expecting to catch and confident of catching no matter how misplaced his confidence seems to others (especially his wife).

Opportunistic: He looks for every little window of opportunity to get to the river or the lake. He keeps his tackle handy so that every time he passes a stretch of water that looks promising he can take the chance.

Equipped: He has a good, large, and strong net with no holes in it.

Skillful: He acquires many different skills and learns many different techniques and tactics

Sensitive: He has a sixth sense, an inexplicable feeling about just when and where the fish are about to bite. This is not about intelligence or education – it’s usually the result of long years of experience.

Sacrificial: He gives up time and money to fish. He gets up early and stays out late. He invests in equipment and training

Courageous: Sometimes he has to go into difficult and dangerous places to catch the biggest fish.

Patient: He spends time casting, casting, casting, even when the fish keep swimming away.

Persevering: He goes back time and again, even when he’s failed many times before, even when everyone tells him it’s useless.

Prayerful: He knows that only God can put fish in his net.

Happy: He enjoys fishing even when he doesn’t catch anything. It refreshes and energizes him (John 4:32).

Successful: When he’s successful, lot’s of people ask him “What did you use?” “What did you do?” He’s happy to share his secret, because it is no secret. “I follow the Master Fisherman (Matthew 4:19). I stay close to Him, watch Him, imitate Him, love Him, and obey Him.”