The journey began a few years ago. Having watched many churches and pastors struggle as pastors age into their sixties, seventies, and beyond, my heart was burdened to be prepared for those days. I even said to my wife, “When the time comes for me to depart from the lead pastor role, I’d rather leave too early than too late.”
Continue reading “The Pastoral Transition Is Complete”
“Everything! I have many things for which I need prayer! My husband has been diagnosed with MS, two of my children have lupus, and my job.”
This was the response from our server at a Mexican restaurant recently when we ask if we could pray for her when we thanked the Lord for our meal.
People everywhere are hurting, needy, struggling, fearful, anxious, lonely, and despondent just like this server who was discouraged about life and having to work so hard for her family.
The greatest crisis for everyone without a personal relationship with God through Christ alone (John 14:6) is their inability to save themselves from an eternity in hell.
Last week, while watching the Barna Group webcast, 2024 The State of Pastors Summit, one set of statistics particularly grabbed my attention.
The mandate for the local church and its pastors in this age remains: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20). We are continuing the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:1-11), the One Who came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
Pastor, . . .
Pastor, how about inviting another brother in Christ to lunch. Read the Scriptures or a book together. Then, when the server comes along, ask them how you can pray for them. This is discipleship that Jesus spoke about in the Great Commission.
Perhaps make a coffee shop your place to prepare your message for Sunday. (Just a gentle reminder, obedience has no excuses.)
One of the best ways to get the focus off yourself and perhaps your deep dive into discouragement is to go be a blessing to someone else. Christ that dwells in you endured great contradiction/hostility/insults from others (Hebrews 12:3). He is your life, your strength, your Shepherd. You are crucified (Galatians 2:20), so go live in and through Him!
Pastor, there’s a server and millions of others out there that need the gospel; that need you to just care for them. As the Lord continues to seek and to save, you follow His initiative as He lives His life out of you.
Enjoy the journey! As He leads, you follow!
This is a Monday that I have not experienced in 40 years. Except for a brief few months, God has enabled me to be a lead pastor shepherding His flock in two states, Tennessee and Indiana.
First of all, let me say that I am NOT retiring, just changing roles at Boones Creek Bible Church and moving into a new ministry that Denise and I have had on our hearts for a long time.
Today, Andrew Isbell is the lead pastor, and I’m the associate pastor. Also, one of the “D’s” in D & D Ministries.
How did it happen?
Continue reading “A VERY Different Monday”Wednesday WOW is written to remind us, especially pastors, that our transcendent, omnipotent, loving, sovereign God is working today in our lives in thousands of ways. The WOW is God, not the size of the work! How have you seen Him at work in your life today?
Discipleship is hard and sometimes messy, but oh, the joys of watching believers grow and change in Christ!
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment (1 Peter 2:2 NLT). Recently I saw this passage fulfilled as I met with the man I have the privilege of discipling. There he sat across from me in my living room, coffee cup in hand, often scooting to the edge of his seat waiting for an answer to a life question or to share a blessing. At other times, he would recline intently listening to biblical instruction, soaking it all in! Wow!!
Continue reading “Wednesday WOW!!”
As a dad, life presents its share of joy-filled moments:
Most certainly, this could be an expansive list! But in this post, I am sharing what I believe to be the greatest joy of being a dad! It is all wrapped up in one word – discipleship!
Continue reading “The Greatest Joy Of Being a Dad!”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!!
Continue reading “Come Around the Fire”
For years I watched it happen in the back yard of our next door neighbor.
There was Dad patiently, sometimes frustratingly, teach his son and daughter the mechanics of pitching a ball, swinging a bat or fielding a grounder.
There it was . . . discipleship . . . mentorship . . . training in action!
Discipleship is not the latest “buzzword” in Christian circles.
Discipleship describes the Christ-life, who we are as believers in Christ.
Discipleship is a growing, intimate follower of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9; Philippians 3:10; 2 Peter 3:18) whose passion in life is to help others come to know and follow Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).
But it does not end there. The goal for God’s glory is to see a disciple disciple others; it’s reproduction (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 2:1-10; Heb. 3:12-13; 10:24-25).
As I would watch my neighbor teach his kids how to play ball, he was sharing what he had learned from someone else. One day, perhaps, his children will teach others as well.
Today, the local church needs:
Are you a genuine, passionate follower of Christ?
Discipleship is hard, supernatural, rewarding work. The needs are great! Every believer should be involved in the lives of others helping them take the next step toward Christ.
Will you pick up the spiritual bat, ball and glove and show someone how to follow Christ? The rewards are eternal!
Over the past ten days, my wife and I have enjoyed many blessings of ministry of which here are ten. They are shared here for God’s glory and appreciation for His kindness to us in these days of such sin and sorrow!
1. Officiating and directing a wedding! Wow! How special to see two lives brought together in the will of God! The wedding was Christ-exalting and so very romantic! I love weddings!! (Side note: In respect of the newlyweds, I will not post any pics until they do.)
2. Providing a place to rest in our home for two days for a fellow servant in ministry! Quiet walks, prayer, porch time, mountain drive, sharing scripture, etc.!!
3. In 2014, my wife and I had the joy of leading the Missionary Teen Retreat in the Basque region of Spain. We have kept up with several who are now young adults. Daniel and Jessica celebrated their first anniversary with a return trip to Gatlinburg, TN. Their anniversary celebration included worshipping with us in both Sunday gatherings plus a meal and afternoon spent at our home. What a special treat! I call that “clipping grace coupons”!!
4. Preaching the Hebrews 12:12-19 passage in the morning gathering at BCBC!! What a solemn and joy-filled honor it is to prepare and preach the Word of God verse-by-verse!! The Word works!! (2 Timothy 3:16; 4:2)
5. Leading and teaching the Biblical Counseling Elective on Sunday mornings!! “The heart of every issue is an issue of the heart.”
6. Follow-up visitation of church visitors. Made to feel so at home with these folks!!
7. Having coffee with a young man from our church who just finished his first year of college. My heart was greatly encouraged to see how he has grown both spiritually and as a young man!!
8. Discipleship with another man in our congregation. Met for lunch and read together through a chapter of Disciplines of a Godly Man, R. Kent Hughes. Iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17).
9. Small Group gathering on Thursday night! What can I say?!?! A highlight of every week! Singing, prayer, transparent testimonies, Bible study, fellowship around the bar counter and in the living room, laughter, tears, bearing burdens, and rejoicing in answered prayer!!
10. Attending a high school graduation of a young man that has attended BCBC through his teen years. Another opportunity to encourage a young man to follow Christ, not his heart!!
That’s only 10! There were so many more!! Oh! How marvelous is the goodness and grace of God!! And, I got to share in all of these with my wife, except for #8.
It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it. (Proverbs 10:22)
These and a whole host of other statements, both positive and negative, true and false, have been and continue to be said about the local church. In connection with yesterday’s post, Covid’s Speech Lesson, I want us to consider what is said to others about the local gathering we attend. Let’s look at one of them.
“Our church (or, That church) is so unfriendly!”
There’s a quick remedy for that one. Proverbs 18:24 reminds us, He that has friends must himself be friendly. Next Sunday, before you get out of your car, pray by yourself or with your spouse or your family, “Lord, I surrender to You, Who dwells in me, to be friendly, compassionate, listening, and caring to all we meet. And, lead us to the seats in the auditorium where You want us to sit today that we may help move folks around one step toward Christ.”
Think about it. If we are given to say that our church is not friendly, then perhaps we are not friendly because we are the church. We as born again believers are the body of Christ. Therefore, when we gather, we are more than just friendly on “the outside.” We desire to go deeper by showing mercy to those around us. We greet others with a firm handshake or a fist-bump or with raised eyebrows (for mask-wearers) and a word of greeting. Try to refrain from the norm, “How you doing?” and move on.
If you are greeting a visitor/guest, stop, speak to them, give your name, listen for their name(s) and use their name(s) immediately so you can begin to remember it. Put yourself in their shoes. Consider how you can make them feel at home; as if they were entering your living room. As you chat with them, don’t be in hurry. Introduce them to those serving at the Welcome Center. Ask questions and give guidance to the auditorium or nursery or fellowship area. Pray with them.
Sometime during the week, send a thank you note or a text or give them a call to let them know you have prayed for them. Make sure they know you genuinely care.
True friendliness is grounded in the person of Christ. He spent time with His disciples and others (John 3:22). He initiated conversations (John 4:7-42). He came to serve others (Mark 10:45). He prayed for others (John 17). He visited in homes (Luke 19:1-10). He reached out to sinners (John 8:1-11).
Since we can do all things through Christ as He lives His life through us, we can ignite a culture of biblical friendliness in our local congregation that will be contagious for Christ and to others!!
“That congregation is so friendly! They are genuine; they really care!”
We men are extremely task-oriented. We love to accomplish, conquer, and fix things. Over the years, I have jumped too quick to take care of my wife’s needs and find out that the task would have been simpler if I’d just waited a moment, listen to her further, or best of all, prayed about it. But, I was the man on the job!
When it comes to tasks, projects, and accomplishments, husbands, do know about the assignment God has given you in Ephesians 5:25-28?
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.
This passage is a beautiful word picture of the relationship between Christ, the Bridegroom, and His Church, the Bride. Because Christ is the Savior of the Body (Ephesians 5:23) and gave Himself up for the Church (5:25), He will present her to Himself in awesome, holy splendor as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 19:7-9).
Since this word picture uses marriage as its example, I believe there is something very telling in this passage for husbands. Christ has given Himself for us, sanctified us, and will present us to Himself. Husbands, in the word picture, are you discipling your wife in such a way that you could present her to the Lord as a woman of God because you intentionally invested in her spiritual growth? Could you look at Christ and say, “I’ve done my best to help my wife know You, love You, serve You, and walk with You.”?
How can that happen? Here’s some suggestions:
Men, we have an awesome responsibility to come alongside our wives and grow together in Christ! The eternal things are of far more value than the temporal, earthly things. You take the lead; you encourage; you disciple. Be ready “to present” her to the Lord!
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