What are a pastor’s core responsibilities? Several years ago, Thom Rainer, conducted a survey with his 12 deacons to discover what the church they expected of their pastor. He admitted to being surprised at the findings of his survey: in order to meet the minimum expectations of his deacons, he needed to spend 114 hours per …
Men are Getting Weaker–Because We Are Not Raising Men: If you’re the average Millennial male, your dad is stronger than you are. In fact, you may not be stronger than the average Millennial female. You’re exactly the kind of person who in generations past had your milk money confiscated every day — who got swirlied …
Sunday, I preached on the topic of elders (or pastors) from Titus 1:5-16. In my notes, I have this picture included: I reiterated this point in my message because I think it is incredibly important for me to remember as a pastor and for the members of my church to remember as well. I need …
4 Ways to Say No as a Pastor— Often the message behind the request of your presence, attention and action is affirmation. There have been times when I have been asked to be apart of something that really didn’t need my attention but the one asking needed both affirmation that they were doing a good …
I admit that in the last few months, my reading diet has been slim. I’ve been lazy. Several weeks ago I decided to get serious about my reading and recommitted myself. I’m glad that part of that recommitment led me to Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp. This is a book on pastoral ministry unlike others. …
My Wife Tears Me Down— Today is my anniversary, and I want everyone to know that my wife tears me down and talks about me behind my back. Look at the Book— John Piper is embarking on a new project to teach the Bible to all of us. I’m anxious to see how this might …
Friday night, I took my family to see the Atlanta Braves beat the pants off of the Cubs. On that night, Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak to 32 games breaking an Atalanta franchise record and hit two home runs. Three other braves hit the long ball that night as well. It was a great …
Mark Driscoll has written on “Pastor Dad” which can be downloaded for free (and which I have not yet read), that reminds fathers that they are all pastors in their homes. I am learning a few things about being Pastor Daddy in my home and am being reminded that just as all fathers are pastors, …
How can we help our people be more satisfied in God? I recently ran across an article written by John Piper that answers that very question. Here are the first two suggestions from “Advice to Pastors: How to Help Your People Be More Satisfied in God.” Love God will all your heart and soul and …
I recently got a copy of Brian Croft’s book that is entitled Visit the sick: Ministering God’s grace in times of illness. The book is in the Ministering the Master’s Way series, published by Day One Publications. Brian, a pastor himself, has written a concise, gospel centered book, that is both theologically rich and practically …