I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. Hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading.
HOPECASTING: Finding, Keeping and Sharing the Things Unseen – by Mark Oestreicher
As the title states, the book is about hope. Mark Oestreicher defines hope as: “Hope is faithful confidence that God continues to author a story that moves us from vision to action.” (p. 24) His belief is that hope is not something we work hard to get, but we can only have it as God gives it to us as we spend time with him. He describes a number of enemies of hope, each a distraction that takes our eyes off of hope to other things. I like how he shows that our role is to be Hope carriers to the world around us, already giving them a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven.
Are you in need of some hope? This is the book for you.
Many of us will be taking road trips over the summer. Maybe you already have. There are many signs along the road that guide our driving, so over the next two months, I will use these familiar signs as reminders of how we can live our lives and honour Jesus along the way.
I want to start with the sign that I think I like the most: speed signs. In Canada, these signs often show a maximum speed of 100km/h on the highway. I recently enjoyed a drive up to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. While I enjoyed the trip, I did not enjoy one large section of highway that was limited to 90 Km/h. When we are fortunate to travel on divided highways, we are allowed to drive 110 km/h. I like travelling in the U.S. because often the speed limit is even higher.
I like this sign because it is all about getting to where you want to go as fast as you can. This is not about taking a leisurely drive for no reason. The focus is on what is ahead. You don’t need your rearview mirror for this sign!
One of the joys of my job is to help churches look ahead with clarity and purpose. Yes, we do take time to look at the past and understand the present, but we do this to clarify vision, and ultimately look at where we are headed and how best to get there. It is forward thinking and forward planning. We have a destination in mind and develop a map to get us there in the best way possible. No matter what speed you are travelling at, it is all about moving ahead.
While we recognize the importance of brakes, we love using the gas pedal more. The goal is to keep moving forward as quickly as possible in order to get to the preferred future we have in mind.
We set the destination. We map out the route. Maybe, if it is a longer trip, we even plan where we will stop for meals or gas, or even an overnight stay in a hotel or with friends. With a church, this means setting some short-term goals that will help us move along to the final destination, while giving us a way to measure progress along the way. If we trust God for 10 new believers this year, it is helpful to set some goals as to how we will help friends and family become new believers in Jesus first. We need to set some more immediate goals that will help us share Jesus with people regularly, praying along the way that some of those we share with will come to know Jesus.
In our personal lives, these same reminders from speed signs might direct our thoughts to pursuing personal growth. Keep moving ahead looking for new experiences and new encounters with learning opportunities. Set personal goals that will move you in the right direction.
In my own life, this forward momentum is evident in my love for learning. When I finished high school, I attended a Bible College. I wanted to learn what I could to become equipped for Christian ministry. I thought I would be involved in fulltime camp work or some kind of Christian education. Halfway through my Christian Education degree, God spoke through a few people and adjusted my destination to be pastoral ministry specifically. I added an extra year of education so I could get my Pastoral Degree as well. As I began ministry, I wanted to keep learning. I began taking courses at a seminary level. I was in no rush to complete the degree, wanting only to keep learning, so it took me over 20 years to get my Masters of Arts in Leadership and Ministry. Presently I am applying for the opportunity to pursue a Doctorate of Ministry. I desire to keep moving forward, to keep growing as a person and as a pastor.
Speed signs are about moving ahead at the highest speed allowed. I encourage you to consider where you have been going slower than you should. Maybe God is asking you to pick up the pace and keep moving forward to what is next. Trust God to guide you as you look to him for the right destination to pursue.
Most churches experience seasons in their ministry. There are times that are slow, times that are steady, and times that are extremely busy. Summer is often a slow season for many churches. The church I’m serving right now has Vacation Bible School at the beginning of July, and then only a monthly prayer meeting and Sunday morning services for the rest of July and August. How can we use the slow times in a beneficial way?
Slow down yourself.
Maybe you can adjust your vacation time to have shorter days in the office and spend extra time with your family. Maybe you can take an extra day off to enjoy a long weekend doing something fun with your kids. Or just take some time to focus on a personal hobby. Allow yourself time to slow down a bit. I’m not sure that taking vacation in the summer is the best plan. Sometimes we need to save that break for in the middle or just after a busy season. Enjoy the time at home with your family without a bunch of commitments for you or them, to distract you from each other.
2. Take a personal retreat.
Maybe you can go camping by yourself or go to a local retreat center for a day or two to spend time with God. Talk with God about what has been happening in the last year and ask God for direction for what is next. I have benefited from even a half day retreat out of the office to just spend time with God.
You might want to ask God to help you plan your next preaching year. Pray through what God is asking you to preach on. Start by choosing which books of the Bible to preach on, or consider if there is a topic that your church needs to address scripturally. Do a rough summary of the texts that you identify and how many sermons you might need to fully preach through the topic or book so you can start plotting them on a calendar for the year ahead. These opportunities to plan a preaching year have been of great benefit to me when I have been in the middle of busy seasons. It has been very helpful to have a plan in place already.
3. Read a book or two.
I have been greatly encouraged through reading good books. You probably have a list of books, maybe even a pile of books, that you have been meaning to read. This is the time. Or maybe there is a topic you would like to know more about. Maybe there are certain trends or cultural issues that are affecting your church and ministry.
Look for a book that addresses that issue. Ask around for recommendations from others for a book that speaks to your church’s needs. I recently enjoyed some great books by Preston Sprinkle on issues of sexuality and gender.
4. Connect with friends.
Summer may be a time to connect with leaders or members in your church, but it may also be a time to connect with friends who are not involved your ministry. It may be a pastor down the road, or a friend in another part of the country. Good friends can be very encouraging and may be worth a trip to meet up with. Do a road trip with your family that includes the opportunity to connect face to face with your friend.
5. Enjoy nature.
Our slow time for many is summer. Summer is a great time to enjoy God’s creation. Go for a walk with your spouse. Go camping if that is your thing. Take a day trip to nearby waterfalls or into the mountains. Enjoy a picnic by a lake. Maybe catch a fish and fry it up for supper. Allow yourself to breathe some fresh air and slow down in God’s creation.
We all have busy times. Sometimes we feel like we are running to just keep up. So take the time to slow down during the slow times. Your health will benefit, and so will your relationship with your spouse, with your family, and with God.
What do you do when you receive negative feedback on a sermon?
First, do not feel personally attacked. It may be that the sermon was clear and accurate to scripture but the hearer didn’t like what God’s Word was saying. When I hear a negative reaction to a sermon – or to even decisions I make – I ask myself some questions to clarify the situation. Was I at fault? Or is the negative reaction in response to scripture says?
Is it true and accurate to scripture?
As preachers of God’s word, we need to be careful to say what scripture says. We need to be careful that we don’t misrepresent what God is says or misuse scripture to make it say what we want it to say. This means doing good research and study to ensure you are clear on what scripture says.
Did I present it correctly?
As we preach what scripture says, we also need to make sure we present this truth correctly. This could be ensuring we do not omit sections or aspects of scripture that we disagree with or do not like. We also need to remind ourselves that all of scripture speaks into the sermon of the day. Is there another side to the issue? Are there other scriptures that give a fuller view? Is there another scripture that needs to be referenced in order to give a complete picture of what is taught?
Did I explain the situation it was addressing?
There are times when it is helpful to give the background to the context of the scripture we are preaching on. It can help the listener first understand the message correctly, and secondly, figure out how to apply it to his or her own situations correctly. The historical background can give some meaning to why the author is addressing what he is addressing.
Was I wrong?
I ask myself this question sometimes because I want to make sure that I did not say something that was wrong or even hurtful. Yes, I need to present scripture accurately in a sermon, but I can choose what I say about it, or how I say it. If I did say something wrong, then I need to admit it. If I misrepresented God’s Word then I need to correct it.
Is a follow-up or clarification needed?
One sermon I preached brought a lot of response from the church members. Some who responded to me were thankful that I had said what I said. The sermon clarified something that they had been wondering about. The same sermon also brought responses from some who were pushing back against what I said. They did not like how I had interpreted what the verses said. Others were wondering how what I said fit with the rest of scripture. I began to realize, from both the negative and positive responses, that this was a topic that needed some more clarification. I decided to use the next Sunday to spend more time on the same scripture and the same topic, digging in a little deeper to explain how this fit with the rest of scripture and how I had come up with the interpretation and application of the verses that I did.
I was serving this church as a Transition Pastor, so it was a great opportunity to remind the church that their next Lead Pastor may occasionally teach something they disagree with and understand scripture differently than what each member personally thought. I tried to use this situation to encourage the church that their new pastor would likely have different opinions on some things and that was okay.
As preachers, we will occasionally say things that our audience doesn’t like. If their push back is against what God’s Word says, then it is an issue between them and God. If it is about something I said, then I need to make sure I was saying what was correct, and if not, apologize and correct myself.
Preaching God’s Word is a privilege. We want to handle it correctly.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3: 16-17
Recently, I began a sermon with this statement: “I am going to talk to you about something this morning, that is very hard for us.”
I was preaching through 1 Peter. This morning we were looking at 1 Peter 2: 13 – 3: 7, which is all about submission. Not submission to God, but submitting to governing authorities, to masters, to husbands and wives. This is not a topic I would have chosen to preach about, except that it was in the middle of the book of the Bible that I was preaching through. Submitting to the government is not a popular topic among many church people, yet that was exactly what God’s Word was talking to us about in that scripture. Because it was God’s Word, and not my own ideas, I could preach it with confidence.
If 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 above is right, then we know that there will be scriptures that rebuke and correct, not just encourage us or make us feel good. When the preacher makes sure to preach what God’s Word says, then the preacher can speak with confidence and boldness.
I remember a person commenting after a sermon I preached that they thought I was brave to preach what I did. It actually surprised me a bit. I had preached on money, teaching what scripture said. I didn’t consider it brave. I was just preaching what God said, but this comment revealed the reality that there are certain scriptural truths that people do not want to hear. There will be people who are upset with you when you preach biblical sermons that challenge their personal beliefs, or even the beliefs and practices of their church.
Scripture occasionally points out where we come up short and need to make corrections. As a preacher, I can preach boldly as long as I clearly say what scripture says. It is God’s Word. If the Bible says it, God says it. I should have no problem teaching it with confidence.
At the same time, we need to preach with gentleness. When we teach about how God created people male and female, and only male and female with no other options, we can teach with gentleness in light of those who are personally struggling with this or have family who are.
We can preach about money and giving to the church, but also recognize that some are struggling to make ends meet.
We can preach on the importance of forgiveness even as we recognize that some people have been hurt deeply and personally in a way that is hard to move on from.
God calls us preachers to preach the whole truth of His Word. We cannot pick and choose only the things that people want to hear. This is one of the benefits of preaching through a book of the Bible. We come across passages that we might not have chosen to preach about.
If we are careful to preach what scripture says we can preach with confidence. We don’t need to be embarrassed to preach counter-cultural truths. We don’t need to be afraid that people won’t want to hear what the scripture says.
If we are preaching something that scripture never said, then we better hesitate to say it. Yet we can preach with confidence when we know that we are saying what God said. Let’s continue to declare God’s truth with clarity and confidence.
As we continue to work our way through Galatians 5: 22-23, we come to “faithfulness.”
Faithfulness is seen in the character of God. God does not relinquish his promises. He does not change who he is. He is consistent and trustworthy and true to who he has always been. As a Christian leader, we want to reflect this characteristic of God in all our dealings with others.
Faithfulness, like some of the other fruits of the Spirit, is only evident over time. God’s faithfulness is clearly observed as we look at the bible and his consistent way of dealing with people over thousands of years. No one observes us for thousands or hundreds of years, yet they do see the consistency of our character as we work alongside them day in and day out, week after week.
A Christian leader who is living out the fruit of faithfulness is trustworthy. What he says and does will be the same. When he says something, he doesn’t have to add, “I promise.” His team and the people he is leading know that what he says is what he will do. His word holds value.
His message will not continually change. I heard of one pastor who frustrated his church and his staff because he was always pursuing a new direction. There was not one consistent message or vision to the church. He would never have thought he was untrustworthy, yet those who were supposed to follow his leadership were confused and frustrated because what was expected of them changed continually. A faithful leader will be careful to hear from God and then lead in the direction they believe God is leading rather than grabbing hold of every new and exciting idea that comes along.
Sometimes people question another’s motives, wondering if they are making commitments in “good faith.” To act in good faith is to act with honest intentions. This is to make decisions carefully based on available information. To be well-intentioned. This is faithfulness in action. This is to act in with such integrity that no one will be suspicious of a person’s motives.
A faithful leader is one that others trust and confide in. Those you lead should know that when they share concerns with you, you will not share that with anyone else. You are one who can be trusted.
As we allow the Holy Spirit to produce his fruit in us, his influence will be evident in directing and guiding our actions and words and even feelings towards others. As we continue to submit to the Holy Spirit’s influence on our lives we will become a faithful leader. This is a reminder again, that a Christian leader needs to be in continual communication with the Spirit. While some can work hard to be faithful leaders, the fruit of faithfulness can only be ours as a gift of God and a work of the Holy Spirit.
In practical terms, faithfulness in a leader will be seen in how they lead with consistency and trustworthiness. The leader will not change expectations all the time and lead with a steady direction.
Faithfulness is seen in a leader who does not expect more of his team than he puts in. It is seen in their care for those under their leadership. It will be evident over time that this leader is one who can be trusted, and people want to follow.
May you be filled with the Spirit and then live out the fruit of faithfulness as you lead your team and those you serve.
This is the fourth blog in a series about leading with the fruit of the Spirit. The fourth fruit listed in Galatians 5: 22 is patience. A few versions use “forbearance” or “longsuffering,” but patience is the word we would most likely use today.
There is an old joke about praying to God, “God, give me patience, and give it to me now.” Patience takes time. Patience is needed when there is an ongoing situation that requires waiting or enduring. No one needs patience for something that happens in the moment.
Patience is the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed (Cambridge Dictionary).
So first, to demonstrate a character of patience, we need to learn to wait. As Christians, there are many times where, by faith, we wait for God to act. This is often the case when we have a need we have prayed about for a long period of time, and we trust in God and know that He will act in His timing and according to His will. So we wait. I had to do this for a couple of years. I had concluded my time at a church and was waiting for the next pastoral position to open up for me. And it was not happening. As I sent out resumes and prayed and waited – sometimes very impatiently – I sensed God was telling me to wait because He was setting up a new opportunity for me. Some days I felt very patient, others I did not. It took about three years for me to finally see this new opportunity that God was preparing for me. In the waiting, I kept doing what I could to be faithful and wait. Waiting takes patience. Patience means waiting.
An example of patience is found in the story of Abraham and Sarah. God had promised them a son, yet they had no children. No son was born. They waited for years and years. Abraham was 100 years old when Sarah finally gave birth to the son God had promised. Patience takes time.
Patience is also visible in a person when they are continuing to persevere despite difficulties. There are times when we, as Christian leaders, believe God is calling us to move the church or organization in a certain direction and not everyone agrees. Patience may mean continuing to push ahead slowly and steadily even though there is opposition. A Christian leader may see the need to be patient as they look to pursue a vision God has given them, yet they do not see it becoming a reality yet. Patience is pushing ahead even when facing opposition.
There are times when Christian leaders see the frustrating situations around them and would much rather complain and show their annoyance, yet as we allow the Spirit to encourage us, we can respond in a joyful and peaceful manner. Combining joy and peace with the act of patience will make the waiting experience more enjoyable.
Patience is called a fruit of the Spirit. This means we will produce this fruit more naturally if we continue to depend on the Holy Spirit than if we think it depends on our determination alone. We can bring all our concerns to God in prayer, and then depend on Him to give us patience when we would rather give up or respond with criticism and frustration.
May God give you patience as you continue to trust in Him.
Many pastors are lonely. Many don’t have a team of staff to talk things through with. Recently I have again recognized the value of having other pastors to talk with and connect with. I have the privilege of being part of a few groups of pastors, but it has been a while since the one group has met and I realize I miss those get togethers.
In 2023 Barna.com shared a poll that highlighted the loneliness and isolation of pastors. Their poll shows “these feelings have increased significantly since 2015 when 42 percent of pastors shared they either frequently (14%) or sometimes (28%) felt this way. Now, 65 percent of pastors report feelings of loneliness and isolation, with 18 admitting these feelings occur frequently.” (7-Year Trends: Pastors Feel More Loneliness & Less Support)
As pastors, we need to take initiative to connect with others who understand what it its like being a pastor. Pastors can relate to us and pray for us in a way that others can’t. We all need good friends, and many of us have very supportive and encouraging families, but we do need to have other pastors in our circles too.
Many denominations have regular gatherings for local pastors. Take advantage of those. These are people who are in your circles and understand your church dynamics. In some places, there may not be others in the same denomination nearby; instead, connect with other pastors in your community. I have benefited greatly from connections with pastors from other denominations. We have different theological stands on some issues, but we all deal with the same day-to-day struggles of working with people and trying to have the answers our congregation needs.
One of the benefits of connecting with other pastors is that we can have people in our corner who understand us. Like any profession, it can be difficult to explain some aspects of being a pastor to others who are not. It is easier to celebrate and commiserate with people in the same field.
Other pastors may also be able to speak into our lives, offer words of encouragement, or ideas on how to handle certain situations we face. This is valuable support that requires you to open up to others.
Sometimes other pastors can help us develop our creativity as we hear of unique ministries or programs they run. We can help each other become better. Proverbs 27: 17 applies here:
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Do not be satisfied with your loneliness. Find other pastors to connect with, and encourage them as they encourage you.
Whether in conversations with a friend or making a transaction at a store, we need to be able to communicate or intended message clearly. As church leaders, we want to communicate with the people in our churches and the communities around us, and it is important that we put thought into our messages we communicate to avoid unnecessary confusion.
Every time I drive to the community where I serve as a Transition Pastor, I pass a confusing message. On the side of the road there is a big tea pot shaped sign up on a post, as if announcing a place to stop and have tea. As you get closer, you will see that they do not want you to stop, because as you turn off the highway, you are greeted by two orange traffic barricades with a sign that says, “Do not enter. Private yard.” It must have been a restaurant at one time but not anymore. Yet the teapot sign remains inviting people to enter a private yard.
Just this morning I walked by another confusing message. In a storefront at the local mall, a slogan says: “Celebrate your shape.” In my mind, that indicates that they would have clothes for a variety of shapes of people. Instead, the mannequins in the display window are all pencil thin. That seems like a confusing message to me. Does it mean you can celebrate any shape you want as long as you are very thin.
Let’s look at a few ways that we as church leaders can prevent common inconsistent messages:
We say we want to strengthen families and then we plan separate activities for everyone.
Many churches say they support families. That is good, and we should support them, but too often we keep the families busy with their own separate activities. Children go to Sunday School and Children’s Club. Youth go to Youth Night. Men and women go to their own Bible Studies. We say we support families and then we plan everything to separate them. I know there are benefits to the separate programs, but how about we bring them together more? Instead of planning a Youth Ski Trip, plan a Family ski trip. How about planning mixed Bible Studies occasionally?
We say we are an intergenerational church but don’t allow children to serve in the worship service.
In many churches, serving in the worship services is limited to adults – often only “accomplished” adults. While the messages on the website might state the church values intergenerational participation, a different message is communicated each Sunday morning. Why not add some youth to your worship team? Many of them are musical and would love to learn to play an instrument as part of a music team. How about having children reading scripture?
Some of the ushers in our church are inviting their children to help them pass the bags to collect the offering. There are many places where children and youth can learn to serve and serve well.
We say we want to reach our community with the gospel but have no outreach from our church.
I understand there are many ways to reach into our community with the gospel, and much of that can be done by individual members of our church. It’s exciting when we hear of that happening. Yet if this is something that we say we want as priority in our church, the church should provide opportunities for outreach and training. We need to follow through on what we say we think is important as a church.
We have a website that announces activities we do not offer.
Every church needs to have a website. We need to be able to communicate with people online. But let’s make sure that our information is up to date and accurate. Recently I was looking to book a bus ride from one town to another. I searched online and found a site advertising the route and rates. I made some initial plans that revolved around catching that bus. I went to book it, only to find that the route and bus service had been cancelled for a year or two already. We don’t want to do the same thing with our information online. Communicate what you offer and make sure you it’s accurate.
Inconsistent messaging not only misinforms people, but it also causes them to lose trust in us. If we can’t communicate accurately, it will seem as if we are not being truthful. We end up not just disappointing people but turning them away from our church. Let’s make sure that our messaging is consistent and accurate.
I just realized the other day that I have been a follower of Jesus for 50 years – and God has sure proven His faithfulness! I was about seven years old when my dad prayed with me, and I surrendered my life to Jesus. Next month I turn 57. And God has never failed me over all those years. I have experienced what Deuteronomy 7:9 declares, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God.”
God has proven his faithfulness in always being there for me, in good times and bad. He has been there when I was so disappointed in Him that I deliberately tried to ignore Him for a period of time. I was frustrated how my life was going and began to wonder if God would ever intervene. That attempt to give God the cold shoulder didn’t last for too many days, because no matter what, God has always been there. He was never far from me. Romans 3:3-4 declares God’s faithfulness even when we are not. “What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all!” And God has shown His faithfulness as I have learned to get to know Him better over the years. When I think back to the simple faith of seven-year-old me and the way God has proven His love in ever deepening ways, I am so thankful that faithfulness is one of God’s attributes!
I have experienced God’s faithfulness in his forgiveness. As scripture declares in Romans 5: 8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He loved me while I was a sinner, and he loves me as I continue to struggle with sin. And like the patriarchs of the Old Testament, God has used me in meaningful ways even as I fall short of His best for me. God working in and through me has allowed us to be part of some unique experiences like helping a church grow in a school and then move into its own building, and putting on Easter events for the community that drew three times as many people as we usually saw on a Sunday.
God has been faithful in giving me a great family! I have a beautiful wife, who is clearly a gift from God. We have two beautiful and competent daughters! Again, clearly gifts from God! And He has helped us through many difficult things. We have had family health scares but known God’s peace in those as He walked with us. We have had times of financial strain, without a house, without a job, and unsure about what was next. God arranged for a job that provided us with enough finances to buy a house after two years. We have experienced answers to prayer, from finding skates for a great deal to healing when we needed it.
The faithfulness of God is evident as I look back over the years to how God directed us to certain churches and communities to live and serve in for awhile. While there were a few disappointments along the way, it was clear that God directed us to the places where we could fit and serve Him well. He has given us many great memories from the different places we served.
God loves people. He loves to welcome them into His family. And He loves to walk with them for the rest of their lives! I have experienced that in many personal ways. It is so good to never have to worry if He will still love us if we do something wrong, or if He might ignore us or no longer respond in love. “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God.”
Elevate with Andy 