I imagine you or someone you know has said or thought one of the following statements regarding the issue of counseling in the life of a pastor: When I signed up to be a pastor I didn’t sign up to be a counselor! I just do not have the time to counsel anyone—I’m busy enough…
It’s crucial to help kids see how the good news of Jesus influences our lives. Here are four basic categories where the good news affects our behavior: Gratitude Confidence Hope Comfort Concerning these four categories here are several discussion questions to help an individual connect their behavior to the gospel: Gratitude: What did we learn…
These 8 descriptions of leadership factors for pastoral ministry are pure gold from Dave Harvey. However, I don’t subscribe to a belief that a pastor or any other leader in the church has to embrace all of these but 1) they should certainly possess some of them and 2) that same leader, if they’re competent…
Dave Harvey makes some insightful comments about the difficulty of living out the Christian life in the home that I wanted to share. He writes, Just think about it. There’s no other place where high expectations (love your wife as Christ loved the church) meet a desire to be unplugged. There’s no other setting where…
Here are some thoughts concerning a church’s budget. These thoughts are in no particular order of relevance or importance. A budget communicates what is important to a church. Suffice it to say, if you, as a pastor speak about the great lostness around the world but there is a minimal amount of your budget…
Parents: when your kids ask, “why do we follow these rules God gives us?” be ready to answer them the way Moses directed — by telling of God’s saving work. Here’s a sampling of some ways we can do this that Jack Klumpenhower gives in his book: Kids, why do we share with others? “For…
Are you an effective preacher? This is a helpful list that Dave Harvey provides in his book Am I Called? The Summons To Pastoral Ministry. The gospel factor: Does the man’s preaching move people toward the gospel? The Bible factor: Does he haven an aptitude for doctrine? Does he exegete Scripture competently? The eagerness…
Leon Morris (author/commentator) commenting on John 13 says the following: Jesus was about to die, to die the atoning death that meant cleansing for his people. There is no other way of being Christ’s than in receiving the cleaning he died to bring. If he does not wash us in this way, we have no…
Here are some brief thoughts on a biblical understanding of the church from a Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling: The church is one (Eph 4:3-6) The church is one body with many functions; each member has a purpose (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12-14) Together, Christians comprise God’s household, in which the Spirit of God lives…
Here’s some thoughts on choosing to be angry and/or hot-tempered. Read and reflect. Be slow to become angry (Prov 14:16-17, 29; James 1:19-20) Love covers a multitude of sins and overlooks many offenses (Prov 10:12, 12:16, 17:9, 19:11; 1 Peter 4:8) Seek the more excellent way – the way of love (1 Cor 13:4-7) Hot…
Theology Along the Way 