Category Archives: Life of a pastor

How to listen to a sermon

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Wisdomforlife

Good recommendations for those who listen to sermons and those who give them! Continue reading →

Posted in Elders, elders in the Church, Expository Preaching, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Preaching | Tagged listening to a sermon, Preaching, Sermon | Leave a comment

10 attributes of good preaching

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Wisdomforlife

A great model for preaching that could restore dignity and power to many pulpits! Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Elders, elders in the Church, Expository Preaching, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Preaching, Small Group leaders, Teaching | Tagged good sermons, Preaching, Sermons | Leave a comment

After 36 years as a pastor

Posted on April 14, 2022 by Wisdomforlife

Consider what is perhaps the most important lesson for a Church leader. Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, God's power, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Local Church, Pastors, Prayer, Qualifications for leadership | Tagged church leaders, Elders, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors | Leave a comment

A common trait of God’s servants

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Wisdomforlife

Write a one paragraph summary of what you learn about a common trait of God’s servants from the examples listed. Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Humility, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Qualifications for leadership, Servanthood | Tagged essential for leadership, God's servants, qualification for leadership | Leave a comment

A big threat to unity in the church

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Wisdomforlife

A free resource (for now) on an important subject for churches. Continue reading →

Posted in attitudes of unity, Church and State, Church growth, Church Leadership, Church membership, Community, Ecclesiology 101, elders in the Church, Life of a pastor, Local Church, Pastors, Unity | Tagged divided church, legalism, unity of the church | Leave a comment

A denier called back to duty

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Wisdomforlife

Jesus Reinstates Peter!
Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Discipleship, discouraged, Doubt, Elders, elders in the Church, Failure, Jesus Christ, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Teaching of Jesus, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Four servants of God who battled fierce despair

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Wisdomforlife

Four servants of God. Each one reached an extremely low point in life. All of them felt that life was no longer worth living. Continue reading →

Posted in Abuse, Addiction, Anger, Anxiety, Assurance, Bitterness, Broken Relationships, Call to ministry, Character, Childhood trauma, Christian life, Comfort, Complaceny, Conceit, Conflict, Contentment, Crisis, Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, Divine Lottery, Doubt, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Emotions, Encouragement, Failure, Faith, Fear, feeling hopeless, Freedom, God's Patience, God's Heart, God's Love, Grace, Gratitude, Grieving, Hope?, Kindness, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Loss, marriage problems, Meaning of life, Mercy, Middle life, Mind Renewal, Nihilism, Pain, Pastors, personal, Praise, Prayer, purpose, Questioning God, Repentance, Sadness, Seeking God, Selfishness, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Suicide, Temptation, Trials, Truth, Victory, Walking with God, Will of God, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged burn out, Despair, Discouraged, feeling lost, helpless, hopeless, loss of perspective, spiritual exhaustion, Suicide | 1 Comment

Church – structured and spontaneous

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Wisdomforlife

The Church is an organism, not just an organization. This truth cautions against overly structuring the life of a body of believers. As an organism, the spiritual life or life generated by the Holy Spirit should lead to spontaneous ministries … Continue reading →

Posted in Call to ministry, Church, Church building, Church growth, Church Hoppers, Church Leadership, Church membership, elders in the Church, Life of a pastor, Local Church, Pastors, Small Group leaders, Wisdom | Tagged church administration, church structure | Leave a comment

My first funeral (a suicide)

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Wisdomforlife

There was standing room only at the funeral parlor as I faced some rather austere men and women dressed in the old black garb common to conservative Mennonites. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Counselor, Counseling, Depression, Despair, Eternal life, feeling hopeless, Funeral, Hope?, Life of a pastor, Sadness, Suffering, Suicide, Wisdom | Tagged battling depreession, Biological depression, Can those who commit suicide go to heaven?, Suicide funeral | 1 Comment

Liabilities in my work

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Wisdomforlife

Good words for those who use many words! Continue reading →

Posted in Church Leadership, Communication, Counseling, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Pastors, Preaching, Wisdom | Tagged difficulties in ministry, Preaching, public speaking | Leave a comment