Most people are familiar with the story of Job. A godly-man, blessed by God with wealth and children and status in the community. Here is a brief survey of his character: Job’s Compassion 4:3 Admonished many Strengthened weak hands4:4 Helped the tottering to stand strengthened feeble knees16:5 His words solaced … More What Job Needed from His Friends
When we left our last church, we didn’t know what God had for us in the future. It was difficult saying goodby to friends and the thought that perhaps our years of caring for the people of God was coming to an end. We knew that God could be trusted, but we didn’t know what … More A Standing Stone Ministry Update
This is the path and my new place for getting alone with God. That’s my house in the background. And this is the new path I cut on land I don’t own to a pond that is not mine either. But it is a short walk from my garden and with the chair in a … More Making a Place / Room for God
I was talking to a friend today at the end of the Evangelical Free Church of America Theology conference at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. We were catching up on one another’s lives and ministries, sharing prayer requests and seeking to encourage one another in a three decades long friendship. My friend Roy, … More Broken, Hurting Pastors: 9 Sources of Pastoral Disintegration
Parents of prodigals have a special pain, a sorrow that only those in the fellowship of the Suffering Servant know. Indeed, the suffering is made more severe BECAUSE they love Jesus. Love for Jesus hurts. Especially because we know the consequences of unbelief for such a Savior as ours. Today, I was driving back from … More Mom and Dad, Don’t Give Up. (“Anita’s Heart”)
It was an innocent question. I’m sitting at a pastor’s retreat acting as one of a team of four mentors seeking to encourage 15 pastors, with one exception, the oldest of whom is 50, most of which are in their 20’s or 30’s. “What will you take away from this week?” I’ve listened to a … More An Apex Predator Stalking Younger Pastors
Sometimes life sucks. I’m not talking about debilitating illness or tragic losses or accidents that complicate life and strain finances or betrayals of loyalty and love that hit us like a freight train with sadness and weight. These are the kind of things that are more than painful. They are frightening. And they are soul … More Loving Through Hurt
I am working with a new ministry. Standing Stone Ministry is a ministry to pastors in crisis. We work with pastors who are about to throw in the towel in defeat and discouragement. Our prayer and plan is devoted to coming along side pastors who are on the verge of burnout from the demands of … More You are Not Fine (Neither Am I)
Standing Stone Ministries is a “nurturing and encouraging” ministry that has one supreme goal: to strengthen ministry leaders and their spouses who are weary or wounded to help prevent them from “burnout.” I have not officially started with Standing Stone Ministry [Update: one month later, I did], but already, just through normal conversations, two pastors … More Standing Stone Ministry
So much of this blog has been about prayer. There are more articles on prayer and revival and repentance over the last 11 years than any other topic. And it is to stories like the link below to which every one of those posts were aimed. Please, please click on the link below and read … More Prayer, Repentance, Prayer, Revival
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