“I’ve met many church members who no longer trust church leaders. Often that distrust is unjustified, but sometimes it’s valid. If you want to gain and grow your congregation’s trust, here are some ways to do that.” - Chuck Lawless
“Jesus reminds you that you can only be one person. You can’t hide behind manicured pictures, or a new product, or a more edgy tone…. ask God to help you cultivate digital integrity. How do you do that?” - Ref21
“I’m talking more about the disconnect between what people really believe and what the expectations of the tribe demand. And that is what I see to be so dangerous and exhausting to people.” - RNS
“Study after study comes back with roughly the same numbers. Most adults in this country say they believe in God (89%). Only slightly fewer call themselves Christians (70%). But what we say and what we do are two different things.” - Cooke
“People in the vortex of craziness—whether in a workplace, a church, or a government—often tell themselves they have to play along with things they find insane to maintain their long-term ability to keep bad things from happening.” - Russell Moore
“What would you do for recognition? What would you do to have fellow believers think well of you? If you’d do something God forbids, then you’ve made yourself into an idol that you worship. Can you think of anything more ridiculous?” - Olinger
“Stealing, I’d suggest, is really just a form of lying—which is why the two so often travel together.” - Olinger
Republished with permission from Baptist Bulletin © Regular Baptist Press. All rights reserved.
Crash and burn. Another one bites the dust. “Did you hear about …?” Accusations of financial impropriety, sexual misconduct, or verbal abuse erupt. Another pastor flames out and tumbles into oblivion. Whether a nationally acclaimed figure or just your average pastor, the impact on the name of Christ and His church is significant. The public demise of pastors should provoke us pastors to examine our hearts and to subject our own lives to scrutiny.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (KJV, Ephesians 6:4)
November 24, 2014, is a day I will never forget. That is the date my oldest son was born and for all intents and purposes the day I became a father. I remember standing in the hallway of the little hospital and wearing that stupid looking paper gown. As they prepared my wife for the delivery, I paced the empty O.R. hallway. As I paced, I was praying and begging God.
