Pastors

As a former combat soldier, I know all too well the toll that service can take on a person— physically, mentally and emotionally.

As a pastor of a smaller church, you know the joy of seeing someone come to Christ. But let’s be honest—when it comes to actually discipling that new believer, it can feel like you’re winging it. Here are five practical steps to help you create a clear discipleship strategy for your small church.

Haddon Robinson wrote that experienced preachers he surveyed spent an average of 16 hours in sermon prep. That sounds more like it to me. That’s probably my average and I’ve been preaching for 25 years.

As they walked away scratching their heads, clueless to the lovely little paradox the Lord had just laid on them, one could be heard to say, “I just don’t see it.” Exactly. Blinded by the enemy.

There’s a lot of dialogue going on right now in America over who “deserves” or “gets” to be our neighbor. But God has already settled this debate, decisively.

Research on resilience suggests that adverse childhood experiences don’t inevitably lead to childhood trauma. But preventing this adversity from becoming trauma with lifelong consequences requires consistent, loving, intentional support from individuals and communities.

The bottom line, though, is this: People may admire your strengths, but they resonate with your weaknesses. It makes you a better communicator.

Language has always been a centerpiece of God’s plan to have a relationship with us. In fact, God is the ultimate linguist. There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world, and God knows every single one.