As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Give me a church where men stand before their congregation and open up their Bibles and thunder, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ They aren’t harvesting social media followers or their brand…. these men and the churches they lead are content to be faithful and be forgotten.” - Richard Bargas
“Each of these years taught me a painful but valuable lesson: life is unpredictable…. this year, instead of setting specific goals, I’m focusing on something more foundational: habits and consistency.” - P&D
“What can a pastor do when his church is in decline? The answer boils down to something deeply personal: evaluating the pastor’s connections.” - Brian Cederquist
“Such daily showing up, Dyck argues, may not look like much at first glance, but it is quietly revolutionary. It is the key for healthy marriage and family life, for building friendships, and for growing spiritually.” - Mere Orthodoxy
“If a Christian fails to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and if he fails to attach himself to the Lord Jesus Christ gaining an intimate relationship with Him, He opens the door for what we use to call ‘Backsliding.’” - P&D
“Charles Spurgeon said, ‘By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.’ This beautiful art illustrating Spurgeon’s words was created by Eden Kell” - Randy Alcorn
When I’m having a get-acquainted conversation with someone new, it’s common for them to ask what I do. “I’m a Baptist pastor,” I reply. They will usually ask the name and location of my church. Then comes the big one, “And how long have you been there?”
“Ron Wickard humbly pastored the same church out on the remote South Dakota prairie for 42 years, providing one beautiful model of what it means to ‘dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness’ (Psalm 37:3).” - Desiring God
I can’t believe it’s already your fifth year!
A statement like that was recently made by a friend—with a sense of amazement—regarding the fact that I have now begun my fifth year as a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.
Yes, four years ago at this time I was nervously pondering how to announce to church congregations (many of which already knew me) that I now represented FOI and—the most dreaded issue of all—was in the position of attempting to raise financial support.
“Nearly all of the attention and encouragement given to pastors in conferences, podcasts, books, videos, or otherwise, is pointed to a stereotype of a younger pastor who is out there trying to change the world.” - C.Leaders
Discussion