Shepherding is hard work. The only way we can hope to endure a lifetime of pastoral ministry is by clinging to the promises of God and hiding his word in our heart. Here are some of my favorite passages that have comforted me, and I hope they will encourage you as well.
Psalm 91:1–4 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Isaiah 26:3–4 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Zechariah 4:6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
Matthew 11:28–30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Galatians 6:9–10 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
(I first shared these verses in a blog called “Shade for the Shepherd” that I briefly started in 2020, but then decided to stick with my existing blog “Pinch of Clay.” Thanks for reading!)
Which Bible verses keep you going when you’re tempted to become discouraged?
I have a friend who just finished his first month as a new pastor, and I wanted to send him a quick note of encouragement. As I reflected on some of my own lessons over the years, I thought I’d link him to some of the posts I’ve written here on this blog, sharing pastoral advice and charting God’s faithfulness.
Here are links to some of those articles, along with short excerpts. It’s fun to see things written a decade or more ago, that still ring true and express my heart for leadership and the church. I pray it’s an encouragement to my friend — and to the rest of you out there in hard places shepherding God’s flock!
“This month marks the three-year anniversary of my role as full-time pastor of our church. These have been some of the most wonderful years of my life, because my wife and I have finally been able to fulfill our calling and devote ourselves entirely to the church, using all the gifts and training God has given to us. This morning, I feel the need just to jot down a few thoughts on a young man’s first years of ministry, including some things to do and things to avoid…” [continue reading]
“I am confident the Lord has called me to full-time ministry in a local church. There’s nothing I would rather be doing. I love teaching and preaching, love serving and shepherding God’s people, and love making an eternal impact for the glory of God and the spread of His kingdom. Sure, there are days when you grow discouraged and long for more visible fruit, but a big part of ministry is acting in faith and being diligent in the work God has called you to do…” [continue reading]
“The public spotlight of pastor can seem glamorous at first and is especially dangerous for our pride. But Christ reminded His disciples that true greatness is servant leadership (Matt. 18:4). Spending time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer helps keep me humble. Watching, learning, and listening to my wife helps me identify my own sin, selfishness, and lack of wisdom. Also, as much as possible, I try to stay realistic, “not thinking more highly of myself than I ought to think” (Rom. 12:3), but recognizing my own limitations. I try to share authority and responsibility with others and realize that everyone in the Body of Christ has been uniquely gifted by God…” [continue reading]
“People’s opinions will shift from one minute to the next. You have to learn in ministry not to take yourself too seriously, nor the compliments and criticisms of others too seriously. If you live and minister for God, it is a wonderfully liberating thing, because He alone becomes the audience you are concerned about. To avoid discouragement or hypocrisy, I frequently have to remind myself I am here to please God, not men…” [continue reading]
“The other day, a friend asked a group of us pastors how leaders can better listen to input from others, including women in the congregation… Here was my response…” [continue reading]
“I was completely new to the SBC when I became pastor of First Southern Baptist Church eight years ago. I quickly discovered that our SBC identity was important to some of the people in our church, and thus it needed to become important to me. In the process, I learned more about God’s goodness to our convention and both opportunities and threats that loom on the horizon. What I found helpful was to learn more about the convention on my own while also taking advantage of times to meet and build relationships. Some things you may want to do…” [continue reading]
“A friend of mine shepherds a small church, and by small, I mean less than 50. They’ve faced some unavoidable changes recently, and he asked me if I have any advice for doing a Church Evaluation. Think of it as a healthy church check-up. Here’s what I told him…” [continue reading]
“During our weekend sitting on those musty couches in the mountain air, we discussed ministry and prayed for the future of our church. We also used the SWOT method to do some strategic planning (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) and laid out a long-term vision for the ministry. It was too early to share some of these ambitious goals with the whole congregation, so early on, they were just desires of our heart, expressed through prayer. Now, exactly ten years later, I’m overwhelmed to see God’s goodness, and the fruit of those prayers…” [continue reading]
“I am a mere 32 years old. If the Lord tarries, and blesses me with good health, I have perhaps another 30-40 years of vibrant ministry ahead. Compared to the age of some in my congregation, I’m still a “kid.” But ironically, the time to start planning my succession — and to be training up the next generation — is right now…” [continue reading]
“Al Mohler recently met with a group of young pastors and spoke very positively of his experience. What characterizes these rising leaders in the church? In particular, what are the marks of young pastors in their 20s and 30s? Mohler shares eight features of this new generation…” [continue reading]
Today kicked off the 2015 Shepherd’s Conference, called the “Inerrancy Summit” this year because of its special emphasis on the doctrine of Scripture. It was a full day with five general sessions and a huge attendance of almost 5,000 pastors and lay leaders.
One of the highlights of the day was bumping into friends like Chips Ross, Craig Barnett, Will Custis, Pat Hamblin, Mitch Hopewell, Matt Smith, and others. Just being back on The Master’s Seminary campus and seeing so many familiar faces refreshed my soul and inspired many short prayers of thanks to God throughout the day.
As far as the conference itself, the focus this year is on the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. The “inerrancy” of Scripture means that the Bible is without any error whatsoever, and is entirely true, because its author (God) is true. As the 1978 Chicago Statement on Inerrancy put it, “Scripture in its entirety is inerrant, being free from all falsehood, fraud, or deceit.”
That document was drafted and signed the year I was born. And this is one of the main reasons for the summit. A whole new generation has arisen since the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy was drafted. Many of us younger pastors were born after the battle for the Bible was fought and won, and thus it’s important to revisit the subject again.
Dr. MacArthur started the morning by laying the groundwork for the conference, giving not so much an expository sermon as a history lesson on where the evangelical church has come from, where we are now, and where we’re going. He traced Satan’s relentless attacks against the Word — from Roman sacramentalism, to the Enlightenment, to the cults, to Pentecostalism, to subjectivism, to pragmatism. All of these are symptoms of a denial of inerrancy, whether implicit or explicit.
Later in the day, we heard from Alistair Begg, Stephen Nichols, R.C. Sproul, and Ligon Duncan. All the speakers did a great job and contributed in some unique way. I took lots of notes and have much to meditate on.
One of the key verses of the conference is Psalm 138:2 “I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”
That is a wonderful statement. God has exalted His name and His word. You cannot honor God\’s name without honoring His word. The most devout Christians are those who exalt Scripture, because it originates from God Himself. Our view of God will never rise above our view of the Bible. The two are interwoven. That is not to say we “worship” Scripture, but we honor and revere it, because it is breathed out by God Himself, and is wholly true, reliable, and sufficient for all areas of life and godliness. How gracious of God to give us His Word.
Well, Day One is in the bag, and there are three more to go.
Do you ever look longingly at the other side of the fence, envious of those who have more than you do? Do you ever feel proud of your own accomplishments, or guilty by your privileged status? Have you ever thought, “If only I was that smart, or that spiritual, or had that position or that opportunity, then I could really do something for God!”
While preparing for tomorrow’s sermon on Ecclesiastes 2 and the vanity of pleasure, I came across this great quote by Charles Spurgeon. He reminds us to gratefully accept where God has placed us, and to serve him right where we are, as stewards of His wise providence…
“Every child of God is where God has placed him for some purpose, and the practical use of this first point is to lead you to inquire for what practical purpose has God placed each one of you where you now are? You have been wishing for another position where you could do something for Jesus: do not wish anything of the kind, but serve him where you are.
“If you are sitting at the King’s gate there is something for you to do there, and if you were on the queen’s throne, there would be something for you to do there; do not ask either to be gatekeeper or queen, but whichever you are, serve God therein. Brother, are you rich? God has made you a steward, take care that you are a good steward. Brother, are you poor? God has thrown you into a position where you will be the better able to give a word of sympathy to poor saints.
“Are you doing your allotted work? Do you live in a godly family? God has a motive for placing you in so happy a position. Are you in an ungodly house? You are a lamp hung up in a dark place; mind you shine there. Esther did well, because she acted as an Esther should, and Mordecai did well, because he acted as a Mordecai should.
“I like to think, as I look over you all,—God has put each one of them in the right place, even as a good captain well arranges the different parts of his army, and though we do not know his plan of battle, it will be seen during the conflict that he has placed each soldier where he should be.
“Our wisdom is not to desire another place, nor to judge those who are in another position, but each one being redeemed with the precious blood of Jesus, should consecrate himself fully to the Lord, and say, “Lord, what would thou have me to do, for here I am, and by thy grace I am ready to do it.” Forget not then the fact that God in his providence places his servants in positions where he can make use of them.”
-Charles Spurgeon, “Providence — As Seen in the Book of Esther,” Sermon #1201 in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. 20. Emphasis mine.
Ephesians 4:11-12 is a road map for ministry. Leaders are gifted by God for the purpose of “equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” I may be the pastor, but all of us are to be Spirit-filled ministers. We work together to do ministry and help the church grow in Christ.
As a shepherd who is equipping the saints, my three main duties are to feed the sheep, care for the sheep, and train up other shepherds. To put it another way, my priorities are teaching, pastoral care, and leadership development. At last Sunday’s quarterly business meeting, I shared the following update of how I addressed each of these last fall.
1. Teaching. We just finished the Book of Titus on Sunday mornings and will be jumping into the Book of Ecclesiastes after the new year — one of my favorite books of the Old Testament. I’ve been facilitating a parenting class on Sunday mornings during the life group hour, and will be starting a new-members class in January. I’m also co-teaching a survey of the Bible on Wednesday nights and have been leading some of the Awana large group time. In addition, I teach a couple classes at California Baptist University, and write articles for the local newspaper and my blog. A few folks are also requesting that I start a Greek class back up. Preparing and leading these ministries occupies a good percentage of my week.
2. Pastoral Care. As our church grows, so do the needs of our people. I had some very profitable lunch and dinner meetings, counseling, prayer times, hospital visits, conference calls, email conversations, and committee meetings this fall. I also enjoy sending a word of encouragement by card or text message, and praying with people over the phone. A week ago, we had a memorial service for one of our members, which was especially sweet. I count it a privilege to care for the flock and promote her spiritual health, but am constantly reminded that I can’t do it alone. There’s never enough time to care for all the needs of the body. That’s why I’m thankful when I see you bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and why I’m investing in future leaders. That brings us to…
3. Leadership Development. It would be neither healthy nor possible for a church to depend solely on the pastor to get things done. We already have several deacons and committee leaders who are doing a great job caring for the body, but we’re also preparing for biblical eldership by next summer, which will significantly enhance our ministry. Think of it as shifting in your car from third gear into fourth, and then into overdrive. We will keep moving in the same direction, but with more efficiency and potential. On Saturday mornings, I am taking a group of our men through a rigorous, four-month elder training program. I hesitate to call it “boot camp,” but it is the most intense, structured leadership development program we’ve ever had. It is intentionally challenging so that only the best will enter the ranks of church leadership. They are reading seven different books, attending weekly instruction, and fulfilling weekly homework requirements. All the men will be required to preach and to stand before the church in an open question-and-answer time of ordination before passing the training. In our transient community, it is my hope that we will always have a core group of elders and deacons, with another set of people in the pipeline, getting trained and prepared for ministry.
Thanks for your all your encouragement and prayers. It is a joy to be your pastor.
Question: How do you determine your priorities and structure your schedule?
Pinch Of Clay 