The hardest part is helping others fight for faith during their own trials by pointing them to promises that you are praying for yourself—promises that seem unanswered thus far.
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The lack of growth may be God’s mercy to help you focus on the flock he has given you right now. Diligently shepherd the sheep God has given you today instead of dreaming about the sheep you wish you had.
Fundamentally, there isn’t a tiered system of greater elders and lesser elders—just elders!
Many congregations weep bitterly as those whom they have excommunicated never show signs of repentance. Rather, we exercise church discipline because the Bible commands it for the purity and witness of the church, and for the eternal good of those who are excommunicated.
The ordinary posture of a pastor towards his church should not be to run just because things get difficult. We preach, pray, love, and stay.
Pastors also should consider whether their mission field includes jails and prisons in their state. Across the security fencing and behind the walls are men and women who may never experience the privilege of a healthy church if you do not plant one there.
Union with Christ is a profoundly personal doctrine. But it is not merely a personal doctrine. God has united all his people together with Christ.
Through a right understanding of the gospel which comes through preaching, the Lord’s Supper becomes a tangible, visible illustration of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—a visual sermon in itself.
Seminary didn’t prepare me to understand that this is the privilege of pastoral ministry—to be beside you, serving as your pastor at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in your lives.
Sometimes, the best use of Scripture will not be to correct false thinking, but to direct them to the rest that’s found in the arms of Jesus.
Sometimes the exhortations and example of others can cut through a deadened conscience and draw us back toward godliness.
“We must have two eyes, one to see imperfections in ourselves and others, the other to see what is good.”
If you’re a member of a local church, each Lord’s Day is an opportunity to evangelize and disciple the children in your gathering
