There are many never-ending aspects of ministry. Sunday comes every week. There always seems to be another hurting person. We endlessly seem to work on another ministry task, another parishioner’s need or another Bible study/sermon. But I personally think that one of the most difficult realities of ministry is that we are daily and weeklyContinue reading “A constant reality for pastors”
Author Archives: Michael D Johnson
Be present
God has been teaching me (over and over again in fact) that one of the most important things in all of life is to be present to Him and present to each person that I with in each moment. And of course God is always and ever present, so I ought to be present toContinue reading “Be present”
Do you believe in them?
Dear pastor, I once read a story about a little boy who wanted to play darts with his dad. He told his dad: “I will throw the dart and you say ‘wonderful!’” How important for each of us to remember that we really need people to believe in us and to cheer us on. AsContinue reading “Do you believe in them?”
Looking for a friend
Do you ever find yourself longing for a good friend to just take an interest in your life? You know, someone who will take the first step to see how you are doing? It seems that we are terrible at making friends and perhaps equally as bad at befriending and cherishing the people who areContinue reading “Looking for a friend”
Things I regret
These are the things I regret: Good bedtimes Starting each day with personal devotions Ending each day with personal devotions Kneeling beside my bed to pray Leading my family in devotions Leading my family to kneel before the Lord and pray out loud Regular exercise routines Regular checkbook balancing, specific routines for paying bills, prayingContinue reading “Things I regret”
Being present
Dear pastor, What if your presence with them was enough? Have you ever struggled with the idea that you have to have something super profound to say when you are meeting with people or preaching & teaching? Have you ever felt like the only way to be a successful pastor is to be super creative?Continue reading “Being present”
God’s story
We are all characters in God’s story. The Bible helps us to see that everything that is unfolding around us (on earth, throughout the cosmos) as well as all that has taken place throughout history, has not been the respective stories of billions of individual people but rather the one singular story of God’s love,Continue reading “God’s story”
The privilege of declaring the gospel
What a joy it is to tell people of the peace and freedom that is available to them in Christ Jesus! All of us have particular needs, and the amazing reality is that God wants to meet these needs. The good news of the gospel is that He longs and yearns to supply all thatContinue reading “The privilege of declaring the gospel”
Can we trust Him?
Trusting means believing that someone will do something that they have said they would and that they have the capacity to do so. Trusting is about taking someone at their word and believing that they have the intellect, time, energy, strength and provision to make it happen. Do I trust God? Do I really takeContinue reading “Can we trust Him?”
What are you listening to?
I’m curious what are you listening to these days? In regards to music, I go back and forth from one style to another. I truly have eclectic taste. But above all I desire for the music to either accompany my times of prayer and thanksgiving to the Lord or remind me of the goodness ofContinue reading “What are you listening to?”
