In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul takes time to validate his apostleship. You see, unlike the other apostles who walked with Jesus during his earthly ministry, Paul only encountered the risen savior on the road to Damascus. As a result, the people in Galatia were more impressed with the other apostles than they … Read more
This morning I read an article about a new social media hashtag called #ChurchToo. You can read the article here: http://flip.it/LIHWbF Before I jump into this post, I’d like to explain hashtags to those who are not familiar with them. Hashtags are made up of the # symbol and words or phrases that can be searched … Read more
This is a busy hurricane season. Hurricane Harvey has flooded the 4th largest city in America and hurricane Irma is currently making landfall in Florida and other Southeastern states. As pastors, we may feel the call to make a response. We may also feel the need to encourage our people as they wrestle with the … Read more
It’s date night for me. But before I enjoy a movie, popcorn, and snuggling with my boo, I want to encourage busy pastors to love their wives. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” Ephesians 5:25 NKJV As pastors we must remember Christ loves the church … Read more
Early in my ministry, my pastor, H. Frank Centrallo, shared a valuable tip with me. He said he maximized his time by using his car like a mobile prayer closet. During commutes to and from his various appointments, Pastor Centrallo would play relaxing music, pray, and meditate on upcoming sermon concepts. Once he returned home, … Read more
Last week, my friend Jeff Centers, pastor of Riverland Church, shared a thought with me. He said one of the primary ways the enemy attacks ministry leaders is in the area of identity. As we discussed this concept I began to believe Jeff was right. Immediately my mind went to the interaction between Jesus and … Read more
Let’s talk a little about sermon series planning. This is the time of year when I’m seeking God’s guidance on what to preach next year. I realize that may be a new concept for some so let me explain. I typically preach in a series format that lasts anywhere from three weeks to six weeks. … Read more
Recently, our church held a Clergy Appreciation Service and personally, it marked eight years for me as a pastor. Eight years! That got me thinking. So, I’ve “Googled” average pastor tenure and several sites say the average is three to four years. Think about that. On average, in less than five years, the pastor and … Read more
This is my final segment on Dealing With Grief. I wasn’t sure if I could write the last section because I didn’t know if I was emotionally ready to move forward. Recent events changed all of that. On Thanksgiving night, 24 year old Shuntell Turk was murdered by her boyfriend. My family has known Shuntell … Read more
Another stage of the grieving is Bargaining. According to WebMD “This stage may involve persistent thoughts about what could have been done to prevent the loss. People can become preoccupied about ways that things could have been better. If this stage is not properly resolved, intense feelings of remorse or guilt may interfere with the … Read more