Look to Jesus the Chief Shepherd
This is our second week being here and we are enjoying the Washington rain! I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the points from 1 Peter 5:1-5 that I shared from the first message as it pertains to my position as an under shepherd and a biblical expectation of that role.
This is the proper motivation which is Jesus, the true reward. His riches are vast, his love is great, and he is worth it.
Dear Pastors
Brothers, co-laborers in the Lord. News just hit that a fellow pastor who was somewhat local to us took his own life. My heart grieves for his family, the church, and how the world takes this information. I will be praying for them for God’s great comfort to come upon them (2 Corinthians 1:3). Earlier this year The Christian Post had an article about the isolation of pastors and how depression hits hard for them. They gave staggering statistics on how depression and other areas of mental health effects those in pastoral positions. It is a hard position.
The Christian life is called a race (Hebrews 12). This race is not a sprint but a marathon. The marathon is more just a long distance run, it is like combing that with a spartan race. The Christian life is also called a battle (Ephesians 6). We are told these things not to have us grow weary but to finish strong to endure! Continue reading “Dear Pastors”
Are You a Healthy Pastor? How to check? Part 2
The other day I had a check up with my doctor. The doctor did the routine of checking on the health and asking for certain types of tests to be done to be able to assess how I am doing physically. You can check your weight, blood pressure, blood tests and other body factors to see where you are on the health meter. Continue reading “Are You a Healthy Pastor? How to check? Part 2”
Pursuing Ordinary? Three lessons the Lord is Teaching Me.
What are you pursuing? Today, it seems easier more than ever for ordinary people to become famous because of technology. The ability to communicate with the masses is right at our fingertips. Even as I write this blog, it is public for the world to see (not that they will). Just like anything we do, more than ever, we must ask ourselves what is the motive behind what we do. There are tips and tricks on how to grow a following. There are the do’s and don’ts on how to gain momentum. Personally, I struggle with this. I stagger back and forth to pursue being known and reminding myself what Scripture says.
There is an issue that seems to rear its ugly head in the American Evangelical world, and that is the rise of the celebrity pastor. This post is not to point out those who may fit that definition, but I pose a question. What does the Bible say about this? We are at a crossroads with technology by being able to use it in a positive way or dangerously with the promotion of self. This is nothing new to life, it is just clothed differently in a different decade with a different tool.
Continue reading “Pursuing Ordinary? Three lessons the Lord is Teaching Me.”
Are You a Healthy Pastor?
I just hit my mid thirties this year! Though I am not a Senior Pastor at the church I serve at, I realized that being in a sedentary job was catching up to me. As a kid I was always skinny or fit. I played sports. I could eat whatever I wanted and it didn’t matter. Things changed in my twenties when I wasn’t as active but still ate whatever I wanted. After having some different health challenges that took place in my early thirties I know I needed to change but why? It goes beyond what the mirror revealed when I looked at it.
Continue reading “Are You a Healthy Pastor?”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)
The Gate is Narrow and the Road is Hard
Pastor and spy. One who walked by faith and was part of a conspiracy. A theologian and a martyr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who lived during one of the darkest periods in history, was influential to many and is a world changer.
I first was introduced to Bonhoeffer in my “Jesus and the Gospels” class. One of the books used in that class was The Cost of Discipleship, written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. A quote that I remember from that book still is, “Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”[1]
Continue reading “Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)”