As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“Seminary didn’t prepare me to understand that this is the privilege of pastoral ministry—to be beside you, serving as your pastor at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in your lives; to be with you from life’s first cry, when you welcome your child(ren) into the world, to life’s final breath, when you leave the land of the dying for the land of the living” - 9 Marks
“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:1–3, LSB).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they will never follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1–5, LSB).
“A lack of pastoral care is more likely to lead to a lack of spiritual health, which in turn hinders the work of the commission…. So what do we do if the status quo is chewing missionaries up rather than building them up?” - 9 Marks
“On the podcast, Pastor Perry discusses his ‘seasonal’ approach to living on mission, detailing what it looks like to ‘Put your Yes on the table for the Lord’ and keep it there.” - MBU
“1. Am I Driven by a Concern to Prove Myself, My Church, or My Movement? … 2. Are There People Around Me Who Feel Free to Disagree with Me? … 4. Do I Dismiss Negative Feedback Based on the Person Giving the Feedback? Or Am I Willing to Acknowledge Truth Wherever It May Be Found?…” - 9 Marks
“There are no easy answers here. In thinking about the juxtaposition of mental-health issues and church discipline, we want to be wary of two extremes.” - Desiring God
“The highest privilege and greatest honor in pastoring is not standing in the church pulpit but praying by the hospital bed.” - Challies
From the book: “To be able to bring them the one thing needful when all other things fade away, there’s nothing quite like it. To have something to give when everyone else stands by helplessly, to be able to say something of eternal significance when all other speech, however well-intended, rings hollow on the ear—this is an experience that humbles every pastor.” - Challies
Discussion