Sunday’s Icing on the Cake

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.

He has been in ill health for awhile. Recently, he has been battling mini-strokes which has hospitalized him again.

Standing by this bedside I ask, “How are you doing spiritually?” He struggled to answer.

“Do you doubt God’s love for you?” “No.”

“Do you wonder if He’s forsaken you?” “No.”

“Do you know He loves and cares for you?” “Yes.”

As I read Psalm 34, his countenance displayed he was connecting with . . .

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry
.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all
.

Continuing to struggle to verbalize his thoughts, I began to sing, “He Is Able to Deliver Thee” and he joined in.

From there we sang, “He Touched Me,” “Blessed Assurance,” “It Is Well With My Soul,” “Are Ye Able Said the Master?, and “In the Garden.” Amazing how he works so hard to express his thoughts, yet he hardly misses a word of song.

After prayer, he took his right hand from beneath the covers and reached for mine for a handshake. As I took his hand, he pulled me to him. I hugged him, and he held onto my hand. From one brother in Christ to another, I said, “I love you, friend. You are very dear to me. I’m cheering you on! Your church family is praying for you.” As best he could he said, “I know. They sent me some cards.”

I have heard it said so often, “one of the best ways to get the focus off of your own pain/cares/discouragement, etc., is to go be a blessing to someone else.”

Ministry friend, are you down-hearted today? Does the Monday Ministry Blues have you in its grip? Are you weighed down with ministry burdens? How about making a visit to a dear saint of God? Read Scripture to them. Sing some of their favorites with them. When you leave, your vision of Christ will be clearer and your heart will lifted with joy and blessing.

On this Sunday, our morning gathering was a blessing in so many, many wonderful ways. This afternoon visit was the “icing on the cake.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. (2 Corinthians 1:3-6)

Make That Call

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, who is your pastor?

Are you willing to take down your guard and reach out to another pastor for encouragement and help?

Just as we exhort the flock entrusted to us to live out the one another’s in scripture, leaders need one another, too!

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Ministry Casualties

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.

It’s Sunday evening. Time to unwind after a long day of ministry. As I check my Twitter account, I read this tweet from DrMalachi.eth (@malachiobrien). My attention is captured in the first two seconds with the words “pastors resigned.”

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Ministry Fun?

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.

“The ministry would be fun if it wasn’t for people!”

This was said to me in jest and attempted humor many years ago.

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Serving with Heart

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.

How easy it is start doing things out of sheer routine! Normally, when we start a ministry, we are full of vision, enthusiasm, and motivation. We serve God thankfully for the wonderful privilege He has given us.

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Going Where No Man Has Gone Before!

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.

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!” These were the words of the introduction of the famous television series, Star Trek.

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The Busy of Pastoring

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, do you have a busy week ahead of you?” was the question offered by a caring church member headed home after a great day of worship and ministry.

Busy week? Always!

But the question for me is, “Will I get it all done?”

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Come Around the Fire

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.

Before men’s prayer breakfast on Saturday morning, a real concern gripped my heart. The men arrived, filled their plates, and gathered around the firepit. On this cloudy, 34 degree morning, the roaring fire felt really good!!

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Greatest Lessons I Have Learned as a Preacher of the Gospel

Several years ago, I found the following from Pastor Bob Kelley who went Home to Glory on October 28, 2006. I believe these practical lessons wrought out of forty-three years of ministry will be of great help and encouragement to you as you begin 2023, a new year of living out the Christ-life in His ministry.

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Monday Ministry Encouragement

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.

typical church service times - CHURCHGISTS.COM

Who are you seeing this morning as you review yesterday in ministry?

Is it that lost soul that came to receive Christ as Savior?

Is it that face that used to be in that now empty pew and has left your church because of some point of disagreement?

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