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.
When you are anxious about the evaluation of your ministry, rest in the truth that the Lord knows your heart and that the Spirit quietly commends your ministry through the changed lives of those who receive the gospel that you faithfully proclaim.
The church needs to maximize the impact of Easter Sunday, especially in the days following that great event. Here are some suggestions on how to get the most out of our efforts in this great Christian celebration.
The Gospels say Jesus and the 11 left the room of the Last Supper and went across the Kidron to a place called “Gethsemane.” We must not lose sight that Jesus’ suffering, which was not limited to his later beatings and pain on the cross, began here in Gethsemane, under some lovely olive trees.
The Lord’s Supper is a wonderful gift to the church. But many people in the pews don’t understand its meaning well or who is supposed to participate in the celebration. For that reason, pastors should make sure to explain Communion carefully to the churches that they serve.
We know what hymn Jesus and his disciples sang at the Last Supper. It was Psalms 116–118. It was a sober song about rejection. That song, however, ended triumphantly because the day of the rejected stone became, for Jesus, the day of his installation as the cornerstone.
For Christians, it is a time to celebrate what some believe is the most important holiday of the year, Easter. During your busy preparations, take a few minutes to read this list of three things a pastor’s wife should remember during the Easter season.
I want to encourage you to share and show the Good News of the gospel this Easter. Let’s seek after those who no longer darken our doors and remind them that they matter, they are missed, and they have a place to belong in Christ.
Jesus issued a blistering diatribe about the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders in Matthew 23. Scripture offers no greater example of the uniting of divine holiness and divine love than this statement. After delivering this denunciation of sin, Jesus revealed a heart bursting with compassion for sinners.
Most people, even people who might notionally identify as Christians, are not found in Church except at certain times of the year—like Easter! Let’s think about how we, as churches—and how pastors, in particular—can show hospitality to people visiting churches this Easter season.
One of His first acts after entering the city was Jesus’ famous cleansing of the Temple, where he overturned the moneychangers’ tables and the seats of those who sold animals. He got away with it because the common people believed in him—and protected him!
Easter is a time to reflect on the incredible gift of grace that Jesus has given us. By taking some simple steps, pastors can make sure that they do not miss out on what truly matters at Easter—the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Here are some things pastors should consider when it comes to keeping watch over their own souls this Holy Week.
