Pastoring is a hard job. There are unique challenges that come both personally and professionally. The Focused Pastor exists to come alongside pastors, their families, and the church with resources to encourage and equip them personally and to do their ministry more effectively. With biblically based content that is informed by pastoral research, we create resources that address these unique topics. The Focused Pastor seeks to encourage pastors and church leaders to be spiritually healthy and effective in their homes and in their roles.
Without dependence on the Holy Spirit, a person merely speaks and shares uninspired wisdom. We must not miss God’s heart by missing His Spirit in our preaching and preparation.
One key to ministry longevity is pursuing personal holiness. There is no way around it. Holiness is foundational to the pastoral calling and must never be compromised or short-circuited.
Giving away your time to your kids is like giving an offering after a ministry appeal. At first, you don’t want to part with any of your cash. But later when the rich testimonies come to tell the story of all your money accomplished, you are glad you gave. So how do you get started?
When we engage consistently in loving discipline and instruction, we have a head start in precluding those things that incite anger and frustration in our children. Take time, step back, and be honest about how you lead your “little flock,” and ask the Lord for the wisdom to be a catalyst for godliness, peace, and joy.
There is power in verses of the Bible that speak to depression.
Every pastor knows what it’s like to be criticized. But how does he respond? And how does he offer constructive criticism of his own?
By engaging in God-centered preaching and pastoral ministry, we will redirect people’s natural inclination to focus on self and lead them to turn their eyes upward to contemplate and worship a holy, loving, and righteous God. Rather than approaching God merely for what he can do for us, they will learn to love and worship him for who he is.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a good reminder that you, pastor, need to advocate for your mental health in a community that will be supportive as well. By doing so, you can model and lead your congregation in caring for those with mental health needs through service that honors Christ.
If you want your church to engage in and be excited about missions, be encouraged: you can create a church culture that infuses missions into every facet of your ministry. Consider these ten guidelines we have learned through our years in ministry.
As Paul wrote, for the church to “speak the truth in love,” it must be rooted in “the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:15; 4:13), and it must be wary of teachings or practices that can blow it off course through the dissimulations of false teachings. New Age philosophies are false teachings that Christians must resist so that the church can become the mature body of Christ that Christ himself desires.
The Lord Jesus Christ gives us a clear path to conflict resolution in Matthew 18:15-35. In these scriptures, our Lord lays down the steps His church should follow to resolve whatever conflicts it experiences, from interpersonal disputes to heretical teachings.
