Shepherding

7 Passages of Comfort for the Pastor

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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?

Quotes

“Nonviolence is the answer…”

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“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr. December 11, 1964, when accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. John Bartlett, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, p. 909.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
January 16, 2023

Teaching

Have You Asked This Question Lately?

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Some of you may recognize the name Howard Hendricks. He was one of the great leaders in Christian education in the 20th century and personally inspired me to become a better teacher. His Bible study training course “Living by the Book” is one of the video series you can access through IBC’s RightNow Media page. (The production quality is dated, but the content is timeless).

In his book Teaching to Change Lives, Hendricks challenges us to never stop learning. He says, “If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow…I must keep growing and changing. The Word of God, of course, does not change, but my understanding of it does change because I am a developing individual…A person who applies this principle of teaching is always asking, ‘How can I improve?’”

Have you asked lately, “How can I improve”? It’s easy to grow comfortable — for our teaching to become stale, our focus to shift inward, and our format to grow repetitive. All of us can benefit from a “booster shot” of insight, passion, and pedagogy back into our teaching from time to time.

There are a variety of ways for us to stay fresh, including personal study and attending our quarterly Bible Study director luncheons at Immanuel. Another way is by attending a teacher training workshop. Gateway seminary has put together a great half-day conference at the end of this month on Saturday, January 28. Full details are below. Please consider attending!

New Beginnings Bible Teaching Conference
Saturday, January 28

Gateway Seminary is hosting a Teacher Training Conference at their campus on Saturday, January 28. Whether you work with preschool, youth, or adult ministries, you’re invited to this one-day workshop and will be blessed by the passion and expertise of these presenters. IBC has purchased group access that allows all our teachers and volunteers to attend for free.

Location: Gateway Seminary, 3210 E. Guasti Rd., Ontario, CA US 91761
Time: 9 am – 1 pm (registration opens at 8am)

  • 8:00 a.m. – Registration (morning snacks available)
  • 9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Theme Interpretation (livestream)
  • 9:15 a.m. – Adam Groza – Keynote Session (livestream, 40 minutes)
  • 9:55 a.m. – Instructions and Break (morning snacks available)
  • 10:10 a.m. – Breakout Sessions (chapel breakout livestream)
  • 11:00 a.m. – Break (morning snacks available)
  • 11:10 a.m. – Breakout Sessions (chapel breakout live-stream)
  • 12:00 a.m. – Break (morning snacks available)
  • 12:15 a.m. – Announcements and Theme Interpretation
  • 12:30 p.m. – Adam Groza – Keynote Session (livestream, 20 minutes)
  • 12:50 p.m. – Wrap up, Pray
  • 1:00 p.m. – Dismiss

Many seminars are available including:

  • Dealing with Disappointment in Ministry (Dr. Jeff Iorg)
  • Rebuilding Children’s Ministry (Joni Lum)
  • Finding Wisdom in Proverbs (Dr. Paul Wegner)
  • Plus, Age Group Teaching Basics for Preschool and Children
  • And many more

Click here for more info. Hope you can make it to the conference!

Books

Book Review: Where’s Chuckawalla Bill’s Cabin?

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If you’ve ever been lost, you know how disorienting it can be. Whether you take a wrong turn to a friend’s house or veer slightly off the beaten trail, within a matter of minutes, you can find yourself in a completely different place than expected.

In Where’s Chuckawalla Bill’s Cabin, author Kevin Heaton takes us on a hike that started out like any other. But through a series of unfortunate events, he realized he was miles from his intended path, in one of the remotest areas of the San Bernardino wilderness, out of water and quickly running out of time.

I found it interesting how Heaton could be within eyesight of city lights and vehicles passing on the freeway far below, with no way to communicate or call for help. “And there was old asphalt (I-10) with her unbroken string of ocean addicts snaking their way out to the coast for more oily Pacific saltwater. Nearer now, but still far down below, were all those blinking red wind turbine warning lights pulsating just off the desert floor between Mount San Jacinto and my current precarious situation” (ch. 7).

Oh for a cell phone! But even then, many areas in the Colorado and Mojave deserts have little cell reception. Unfortunately, there was no way for this solitary man, high in the mountains, scraping and tumbling his way through the canyons, to call for help.

Heaton was a member of our church when this event took place. When we heard he was missing, we prayed fervently for his safe return. In the end, he made it, praise God. But his retelling of the journey is quite an adventure — one my eleven-year old daughter said “felt like you were really there.” Heaton’s tale contains suspense, a love for the outdoors, a nod to our search and rescue volunteers, and ultimately, a testimony to the power of prayer.

If you’re looking for a quick read on hiking the high desert, and what it feels like to be lost and found, pick up a copy of this great little book, Where’s Chuckawalla Bill’s Cabin.

(This article contains an Amazon affiliate link, which means by clicking through the link, you can help me earn a small kick-back to help me buy future books!)

Gospel

I Will Make You Fishers of Men

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I’m preparing the introductory lesson tonight for our new Christianity Explored class, and I had to ask the question, “Why are we doing this? Why are we starting a new evangelistic style class?” My mind immediately went to Matthew 4:19 where Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus left us here to be fishermen.

I took the above photo in 2000 on a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and got to see how fishermen did it in the first century, usually casting nets. It occurred to me that fishing is like evangelism in a number of ways…

1. If you don’t have a fisherman, you don’t catch any fish. (Rom. 10:14-15)
2. We must go to the fish; they don’t come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20)
3. Fishing is hard work. It’s dirty, it’s messy, and tiring. (1 Cor. 15:10-11).
4. Fishing requires patience. Don’t expect instantaneous results. (2 Tim. 2:24-26)
5. You need training to become a good fishermen. These men learned from the best! (Matt. 4:19)
6. You’ll make mistakes, but you’ll get better over time. Don’t give up! (1 Tim. 4:15)
7. Fishing was usually a group activity. You don’t have to do it alone (Luke 10:1-12).
8. You have to look for the fish. Go where they’re at. Be wise and a little cunning (Matt. 10:16)
9. Remember that God provides. He draws the fish to himself. (Lk. 5:4-7; John 21:1-8)

How can we grow as skilled fisherman in the new year? What’s one thing you’d like to do better?

Thoughts on Life and Leadership