“Pastor, I used to go to your church but after my grandfather died, I quit.” “Pastor, I was really involved in church—I worked with the children. I always helped with Bible School, but after my divorce, I stopped. I still can’t understand why God allowed that to happen.” “Pastor, I attended church every week, but […]
Our Faithfulness is Being Challenged Read More »
At Stand Firm, we recently changed our tagline. We’d been simply saying we encouraged believers to hold on, but we’ve shifted to now saying, we help believers navigate such a time as this. Implied in the navigating is that encouragement to hold on. When talking about navigating—different things may come to mind for each of
Be Prepared: Know Trials Are Normal Read More »
If I’m crazy or irrelevant for preaching about future challenges to the faith, then so is Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Ezra, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, John Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Jude, and even Jesus. They all warned of future challenges and
It’s Not Wrong to Warn About the Future, the Bible Does Read More »
Since high school I’ve been working in churches, and the past ten years as a senior pastor. And I believe pastoring is one of the most difficult jobs in the country. For me it was the wearing of the thirty million different hats that made it so difficult. You know how it is—as a pastor,
Shepherd, We’ve Forgotten a Responsibility Read More »
I know I’m disobeying a meme I saw shared hundreds of times the past two weeks, I’m willing to pay the price of whatever curse was promised to follow. The well-traveled meme said to show pastors grace and not judge them during this pandemic because as it said, “Your pastor has never pastored a church through
Shepherd, You Should’ve Been Ready for the Pandemic Read More »
If you have read any of my posts or books, or if you have heard me speak, then you have heard me say that as individuals and churches we need to be prepared. And you have heard me say that pastors need to prepare their congregations. So, the question then becomes—in what areas do we prepare? Good
8 Realities American Churches Must Be Prepared to Face Read More »
1. Host a Stand Firm Emphasis Sunday. Yes, this is self-serving, but experience proves that ministries, issues, and doctrines that are set-aside to be remembered in an emphasis day or some other like event in our churches become important to the church. They become interwoven into the church’s DNA especially when that emphasis day becomes
Shepherd, 15 Ideas to Be a Stand Firm Church Read More »
1. Host a Stand Firm Emphasis Sunday. Yes, this is self-serving, but experience proves that ministries, issues, and doctrines that are set-aside to be remembered in an emphasis day or some other like event in our churches become important to the church. They become interwoven into the church’s DNA especially when that emphasis day becomes
15 Ideas to Be a Stand Firm Church Read More »