Pastors face a lot of cross pressures from week to week, especially when the stakes are high. Easter brings both high hopes and lofty expectations. Being able to lean on the cross and the resurrection gives us the strength to speak the truth of hope in Christ and leave the rest to Him.
Church
The victorious God of Easter morning can relate all too well to whatever anguish you might be suffering on your own Holy Thursday and Good Friday—as a pastor, the weight of your vocation, and the unknown trials of your congregation.
“The big problem is, we only trade conclusions with each other. We never share how the conclusions came about. We never get the backstory.”
May you attach your sense of self, your meaning and purpose, your moral compass, and your hopes and dreams to the message delivered in that upper room and to the actual moment of sacrifice on that hill outside the city.
So this season, how about scanning your heart and life? How about looking for those places where you still need to die to self? How about crying out for the willingness to take up your cross and follow Jesus in his death?
Let go of things you tend to prize. Let this season of sacrifice loosen your hands and free your heart. Let go of some of your comforts, things that have perhaps comforted you too much, so that your heart is free to seek a better Comforter.
This National Marriage Week, author John Trent talks about how to give and live “The Blessing!” to your spouse.
This week is National Marriage Week, with Valentine’s Day in the midst of it. It’s a great time to pause, take a breath, and do two things – celebrate marriage itself and Bless your wife.
When ministry leaders put the spotlight on what has great impact, things will start to change. As the marriages of your church go, so goes your church.
Pastor Kevin A. Thompson recently took time to talk about how to pastor couples into becoming better friends, partners & lovers.