Continued from Part One. 4. Success is Believing. “For me [this truth] points to one of the great needs of Christians—which is not to believe more and better things, but to believe what we already believe. During my bout with success, my faith had slipped so miserably that I was not believing the things I […]
Ministry
Book Summary: Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome by R. Kent Hughes
In his early life as a pastor, Kent Hughes faced a personal crisis. He seemed to be doing everything right in ministry, but his church wasn’t growing—at least not compared to the church across town. This lack of ‘success’ ate at him and made his efforts seem worthless. What else do I need to do […]
Wisdom for Aspiring Pastors Considering Seminary
It’s not often I share a thread from Twitter on the blog, but when I do, it’s a helpful one. Kyle Worley, a church planter in Texas and Institute Minister at The Village Church, had helpful thoughts for students considering seminary and service in a church. Read below or through his tweet thread. [On a […]
Why John Piper Manuscripts His Sermons
During a Q&A session at the end of his message on the life of David Brainerd, John Piper shared the reason why he manuscripts his sermons. As an occasional preacher and a writer, I resonate with his reasoning: If I were a homiletics teacher, I would require that my students try every kind of delivery […]
50 Ways to Increase Your Pastor’s Joy (Hebrews 13:17)
My friend and pastor Brandon Myers pointed out in a recent sermon a phrase I had never thought much about from Hebrews 13:17. I remembered the first part, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.” But the second half of the verse […]