Dear pastor, Recently I was thinking about the purpose of church. I thought I might share my thoughts with you… Here is why we have church: Gathering a group of people in the name of Jesus To worship the Lord (because He is worthy to be praised and He has the Words of eternal life,Continue reading “What is the purpose of church?”
Category Archives: For Pastors
God’s judgment is coming
What are the sins of America for which judgment will come unless we repent? The same sins condemned in the Bible The sins of extortion and greed Coercion, abuse and exploitation of people Injustice, cheating, lying and stealing Murder and torture Sacrificing of children and babies Sexual immorality Pastors and politicians who lead immorally CallingContinue reading “God’s judgment is coming”
The mystery of ministry
The mysteriousness of ministry Is what we’re doing making a difference? How? How will we ever know if what we have said or done has truly accomplished anything? Will we always just have to rely on the promise of the Lord that he will make something happen with our meager contributions? These are questions that weContinue reading “The mystery of ministry”
God is at work where you live
We don’t have to know all that God is doing We know the basics… He’s told us in his Word that he is saving, sanctifying, sustaining, and guiding us. Along the way we know that He is protecting and providing for us. In your local congregation and in mine, we don’t necessarily know all theContinue reading “God is at work where you live”
Taking care of the ones you have
especially new people. We know that part of the call is reaching new people with the gospel and evangelizing and discipling them but we often don’t know who, when, where or how. Let us today be reminded of the beautiful reality that God will bring into our lives those that He desires us to ministerContinue reading “Taking care of the ones you have”
Showing up
Dear pastor Have you ever received a “perfect attendance” award? Have you ever given one? These definitely seem to be things of the past, but there is a lesson to be learned from this practice of yesteryear. The reason that these awards were created and distributed in the first place is because we know thatContinue reading “Showing up”
Pastoring contentious people
Dear pastor, Have you ever had the privilege of pastoring a strong-willed person? Hopefully you are already smiling at my use of the word “privilege.” Ministry is already hard enough without putting strong-willed, obstinate, cantankerous and contentious people into the mix. And yet that is precisely what many of us face week in and weekContinue reading “Pastoring contentious people”
God can sanctify our work
Dear pastor I want to encourage you to find joy and fulfillment RIGHT NOW, in this PRESENT MOMENT, for the Lord is with you, even now. So much of life and ministry can seem mundane, boring or like wasted time. And yet when God is present, He is sanctifying that very moment. I remember the storyContinue reading “God can sanctify our work”
A sense of grief
I have a sense that something is off in this world. It is a sense of grief that weighs on me, a burden that God has placed in me. Let me define this grief: A sadness because of the divisions in relationships, homes, churches and nations. A sadness because of the anger, judgmentalism and condemnationContinue reading “A sense of grief”
The purpose of the church
The purpose of the church is to be the church To exist. To belong to God. To belong to each other. The purpose of the church is to exist and to live in holy communion. What is the end goal? To be together in worship and prayer To be together in service To be togetherContinue reading “The purpose of the church”
