Leading with Bias
Our current world is talking constantly about bias. You can be sure that you reveal your biases to others as they watch, listen, and learn from you. While it is essential that we are aware of our biases, we must be careful not to throw out all bias. We likely cannot and arguably should not avoid all types of bias.
Brothers, We Are Not Rivals
Nothing beats a good rivalry. The athletics world is full of them. In my neck of the woods, one of the greatest rivalries is between two college football teams: The University of Georgia and the University of Florida (or truthfully, whoever UGA is playing at the time). The Bulldogs and the Gators fight it out on the field every year, gridlocked against each other. Rivalry also extends to other areas of life.
4 Ways to Pray for Your Pastor During Pastor Appreciation Month
Time has seemingly scrapped by since quarantine swept over all of us back in March. But even with the days slowly marching by, we have finally landed in October. This month we celebrate the Reformation and our kids get to run around our neighborhoods (hopefully) to chase after the spoils of Trick or Treating. October is also the month that many churches have set aside to encourage and uplift their pastoral staff through Pastor Appreciation month.
Shepherding Families Who Lose a Child through Miscarriage
October 15th—Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day—is an important day for me and my family because of what happened to us on September 9th, 2015. My wife was pregnant with our second child.
Book Review: Prayer (How Praying Together Shapes the Church), by John Onwuchekwa
In his book Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church, John Onwuchekwa addresses deficiencies of corporate prayer in an ecclesiastical context. In 2015 Onwuchekwa helped plant Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, Georgia where he currently serves as the lead pastor.
Faithfulness is Still the Goal
For years, I have heard other pastors, seminary professors, and popular conference speakers encourage pastors to pursue ministry faithfulness over “success.” This encouragement is needed because of the dangers of chasing arbitrary successes over trusting that our faithfulness is enough.
Why Preach Through Exodus?
Exodus can be an intimidating book to preach through exegetically. It contains long narrative passages (the 10 plagues in Egypt cover 5 chapters) as well as discourses on law, ceremonial rites and routines and lengthy instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and its components. Furthermore, the story that begins in Exodus does not conclude until Joshua leads the people of Israel into the Promised Land, which, of course, is described in the book of Joshua.
Escaping the Burden of Pastoral Work
Pastor, do you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Do you toss and turn at night, restless over lagging attendance, non-existent baptisms, and deficient offerings? Do you stress and worry, half-present at the family dinner table because your mind is still at the office or the last deacon meeting?
Square Boards from Round Trees: The Challenge of Theological Preaching
When I was a kid my father owned a small lumber mill. As he explained it, the sawyer (i.e., the person who sawed the logs) faced a challenge. The main challenge for the sawyer was deciding the best way to produce square boards out of round logs.
Pastor’s Wife: Check Your Mental Temperature
We live in an age where we check our temperatures to go to work, school, the dentist, and even inside a restaurant. This external thermometer gauges how healthy our physical body is, but is no help in gauging our mental and emotional health.
Preaching a Suicide Funeral
Pastoral ministry is full of first-time experiences — from the first nursing home visit to one’s first baptism. Since I entered “full-time vocational ministry” over ten years ago, seldom does a month go by where I don’t learn something new or do something for the first time.
Pastor, Remember to Apply
In Chapter 15 of Engaging Exposition, Danny Akin makes this statement, “Exposition that is faithful to Scripture will […]
Chapel Rewind: Ministry by the Mercy of God
Shane Shaddix, Pastor for Discipleship at Imago Dei Church, preaches from 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 about how God’s mercy is the foundational and controlling principle for everything we do in ministry.
Preachers of the People: Spurgeon and His Men
In 1857, Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–92) officially founded the Pastors’ College, a training center for gospel ministers that revolved largely around the preaching genius of its founder. Between 1857 and 1892, Spurgeon oversaw the training of 863 pastors, the planting of nearly 200 new churches in Britain alone
Chapel Rewind: I Just Need Something Deeper
Dean Inserra, Lead Pastor of City Church in Tallahassee, Florida, preaches on Luke 24:44-49. In his message, Inserra explains that we are never more like Jesus than when we follow Him into a lost world.
The Pastor and Social Media
Social media is one of the greatest blessings of our time. It serves as a marketplace of ideas that allows a platform for Gospel advancement. But if we’re honest, social media can also be a platform that brings out the absolute worst in people. Such is the world we live in. And as pastors, such is the world we minister in.
3 Ways Your ‘Church Hurt’ Isn’t Being Wasted
A few days ago, I read a story about the baptism of King Aengus by Saint Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. I’m not a history buff, so I couldn’t tell you a thing about King Aengus, though it did make me hungry for a steak. I know a little more about Saint Patrick, but this article won’t be a history lesson about either one of these men.
Chapel Rewind: What Does It Mean To Be A Disciple?
Jamie Dew, President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, preaches on Mark 10:35-45 and passionately proclaims that if you want to follow Jesus you need to deny yourself.
Learning to Embrace our Weakness
Several years ago, I was going through a particularly painful season of ministry. Everything came to a head one Sunday morning. As soon as I finished preaching, I walked into a side room beside the stage, and I sat in the dark for twenty minutes. While sitting there, a few thoughts began to run through my mind.
Helping Your Kids Navigate through Uncertainty this School Year
Going back to school used to be a time most kids and parents looked forward to. There is the excitement of who your teacher will be, and which friends will be in your class. Maybe your child would have gotten a locker for the first time or they could finally go off campus for lunch! But for many families, this school year brings more uncertainty and stress than ever before.
Sign up for the Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership newsletter now!
