Monday’s Ministry Encouragement: Written to encourage you, my friend in ministry, to be refreshed and renewed as we live for Christ and look toward the Bema.
Pastor, ministry friend, you are two weeks away from 2023! Turn around and . . . it’s here!
So far, this has been a month filled with opportunities, expectations, programs, preaching, singing, eating, laughing, weeping, etc.
In these final days of 2022, you will probably travel to visit family or have a house full at some point in the next two weeks or possibly be invited to share in other families’ holiday traditions.
No matter the scenario, 2023 is fast approaching? Are you ready?
Have you taken time to prepare your heart? Have you given time to prayer and the Word seeking the Lord’s will for you as a man, as a husband, as a father, as a grandfather, as a pastor, and/or as a friend?
Looking back over 2022, how have you grown in Christ in each of the aforementioned areas? Where have you struggled? Where have you seen growth?
My encouragement to you before January 1, 2023, is to get away for a morning or a full day and consider before the Lord each of your roles. Take your Bible, a journal/notebook or your tablet, water and snack foods or lunch/supper. Do whatever is needed to be in a place of little to no distractions. You are meeting with God alone.
For each role, find and record God’s mandate from His Word. Transfer those mandates into personal, Spirit-enabled goals. Put together a plan of action all undergirded by the Word of God and His grace.
Here’s an example:
Role: A Man
1 Cor. 16:13 – Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
- By the grace of God, I will be on the alert for the attacks of my flesh, Satan, the world, indifference, false teaching, and anything that would distract me from living out the life of Christ in me (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21; Col. 1:27).
- By the grace of God, I will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ by the daily intake of God’s Word through reading, memorization and meditation. (2 Peter 3:18; Col. 3:16)
- By the grace of God, I will pursue biblical masculinity as a man of God. (Psalm 1; Prov. 24:5-6; 1 Tim. 4:7-10, 12; 2 Tim. 1:7)
- By the grace of God I will be gladly accountable to God and to the men God has placed around me. (Prov. 27:17; Eccl. 4:9-12; Rom. 14:12; 1 Thess. 5:11; James 5:16)
- By the grace of God, I will discipline myself to press on in the midst of opposition to fulfill this mandate. (Phil. 3:10-14; 1 Cor. 10:31)
- By the grace of God, I will read at least one book on biblical masculinity in 2023.
- By the grace of God, I will grow in my life of prayer (1 Tim. 2:8).
- By the grace of God, I will disciple one other man in 2023 (2 Tim. 2:2)
As I said above, this is an example. Tailor it as to how the Lord leads you. Make it manageable, applicable, and attainable. Review your lists each week. Do not become legalistic about it or let it become a burden. This is an intentional plan to follow God in living out the Christ-life as man, husband, father, grandfather, pastor, and friend for the glory of God.
Proverbs 16:9 (AMP), A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.
2023 is upon us. Are you ready?
A great way to kick-start the new year is to attend one or both of the following men’s events. Click on the links for more information.
From A Pastor's Heart 
I said Merry Christmas over & over this week had a man say he was happy that I didn’t say Happy Holidays ! If Thanksgiving was really about giving Thanks & not just about eating a huge meal that you have to push your way away from the table & if Christmas was more about the Celebration of the birth of Jesus even though it may not be the actual date ! It would probably be ok to say Happy Holidays !
Christmas should be all year long
helping people see Jesus from how Church people show kindness to people in need !
I have travelled most of my adult life to different Churches & grew up an Independent Baptist ,but sad to say the Church’s that don’t preacher Doctrine of Biblical Salvation are far ahead of Celebrating Christmas all year long helping people in need ,
Most Churches have become forts of safe refuge for the Christian People to hide from the World & look more like a dead Funeral Home some local people with in a mile of some Churches aren’t even aware that the Building they go past every day at night with very little light is even a Church !
& when people stop at some Church’s for help they are sent to the Salvation Army or a Church that has a ministry to people down & out with out hope ! They may get a meal & some warm clothes
but die & go straight to Hell for Eternity !
Jesus is the Reason for the Season !
Make Christmas happen
All year long !
Thanks , Bryan Gfeller