Bible

Spiritual Training Series #1: Train Yourself to be Godly

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Imagine you just received a baby picture from friends who just had a baby. What if they sent you a picture every year? What if you are like me and don’t clean your fridge very often? As you put up the picture from year five, you notice the picture from the first announcement. And then you realize there has been very little change. The baby is still hardly any bigger and doesn’t seem to have developed much. Unfortunately, there are some children who do not mature the way we expect, who never crawl or walk or communicate. This makes us sad because a baby needs to grow.

As followers of Jesus, we need to grow, too.

1 Timothy 4:7 says “train yourself to be godly”.

Philippians 2:12 says “work out your salvation”.

We are to become more “godly” or Christ-like. We are to continue to grow and develop spiritually to become a better expression of the image of God as we were created to be, according to Genesis 1:27.

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he crated them.

Genesis 1:27

This is not just about our own hard work though. In Colossians 1:29, the Apostle Paul writes: “I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” Yes we are to train ourselves and work out our salvation and struggle. We have a part to play in our spiritual development, but this is never something we do no our own. Like Paul we can depend on “Christ’s mighty power that works within me”.

We can and should do our part. It may be that we choose to practice some of the Spiritual Disciplines that Christians have practiced throughout history. This includes prayer, scripture reading, fasting, sabbath, generosity, and so on. As we practice these disciplines, we make an effort to do our part as we invite the Holy Spirit to do His work in us to make us a little more like Jesus.

Whatever training we want to instill in our lives, we do need to train ourselves to become godly. For this to be a priority in our lives, we need to intentionally prepare a training schedule or plan. When will you read the Bible, and what will you read? When will you pray, and what will you include in your prayer time? When will you choose to fast, and what kind of fast? How will you practice generosity, and so on?

Think back to the time when you first became a believer in Jesus. We could say you were a baby Christian. What would that picture have looked like if your heavenly Father had taken a picture and hung it on his fridge in heaven? What would a picture he took this year look like? As I look back 51 years, to the time He could have taken my “spiritual baby” picture,  I trust that my picture – the me that God sees – would give evidence of much spiritual growth and maturity. Maybe the picture would not just include me, but other people around me who have come to know Jesus or been impacted for Jesus by me.

I pray that you are intentionally pursuing Jesus and looking for ways to grow toward every fuller spiritual maturity.

Keep on looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Do Something That Scares You

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DO SOMETHING EACH MONTH IN WORSHIP THAT FRIGHTENS YOU
If you want to grow, you should be prepared to risk. As a rule of thumb, do something every month that scares you. If you grow in your faith and tenacity, do something every week that scares you. It might be asking a 7th grader to pray the benediction. It may be singing in the middle of the sermon. It may be asking a visitor about his relationship with Christ after a service is over. If you’re shaking in your boots sometime during your ministry, you might feel uncomfortable, but at least you know you have a pulse.

I came across the above paragraph some time ago and don’t remember where it came from or who wrote it, but I keep it on my sermon preparation checklist as a reminder to be willing to do something new and different from time to time.

It is easy for pastors to do exactly what they have always done in how they preach a sermon or plan and lead a service. Human beings easily fall into a rut, a routine that feels comfortable and familiar. But there is a reason that people love to go to Disneyland. I don’t think it’s the rides and entertainment alone; I think part of it is because it is different and unusual from our daily lives. As much as we might fight change, we still want some variety from time to time.

At the same time, bringing variety to a service takes risk. When we, and our church, are used to doing things a certain way, we know that a change could very well frustrate some people. Some may oppose it just because it is different. Some may even have a biblical reason why you shouldn’t have done what you did.

Yet taking the risk may be worth it. Variety awakens our senses. When we taste something new, our tongue notices whether it is an unpleasant taste we have no intention of repeating or a pleasant taste that we think we would like to try again. New experiences awaken different new feelings that the familiar old ways do not. In some churches, a person could sleep through the service and know exactly what happened, in what order, and maybe even the message that was preached, but introducing something new can wake us up.

Recently, at a church where I serve as a transition pastor, I invited people to come for prayer for healing after a baptism service. I have never done that before, but felt that God wanted me to do so. I appealed to Isaiah 53: 4 – 5 to explain the connection between baptism and healing.

4 Surely he took up our pain

    and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

    stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

    and by his wounds we are healed.

I pointed out how Matthew ties Jesus’ healing of the sick and demon possessed to this passage:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities

    and bore our diseases.” (Matthew 8:17)

A couple of people came for prayer. After the service, a few people told me that prayer for healing had not been practiced in the church, but they were grateful that I had offered it.

The risk for me was to add prayer for healing to a baptism service – something I had never done before. I didn’t know that it was also going beyond the usual practice of the church. But God honoured my willingness to risk as I felt him lead.

Let’s not be afraid to risk misunderstanding, or even simple awkwardness, by doing something in a new way. May God help us to know when to step out of the usual and risk something new.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Highlight Baptism as the Celebration It Is.

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One of my highlights of pastoral ministry has been baptism services. I have had the joy of baptizing children, one as young as nine years old, as well as a senior who was around ninety years old. I have baptized in rivers and lakes and horse watering troughs and baptismal tanks. I had the privilege of baptizing my daughters! Every baptism has been a great celebration of God drawing an individual to Himself and that individual responding by faith and a public declaration of their commitment to serve Jesus!

Baptism is one of the acts that Jesus challenged his followers to do as part of making disciples. Along with teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded, disciples of Jesus are to make disciples of others, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28: 19-20). As the water runs off, the baptismal candidate is reminded of their sins washed away. My practice has usually been to immerse the candidate, so when they come out of the water it is as if they have been buried and now raised to a new life in Christ.

Baptism should always be a great celebration! I have been disappointed to be in services where baptism seemed like a side issue. One church baptized people off to the side of the stage as the rest of the congregation continued with their worship service. We heard no testimony from the candidates or the words spoken over them as they were baptized. Baptism is one of the few expressions of discipleship Jesus instituted so let’s make it a priority in our services. Let’s show everyone present that we believe this is an important step in obedience to Jesus by highlighting the whole of the baptism.

I have heard of some baptisms that happened in someone’s backyard with only the family attending. Again, I think the church is missing out when a member of their community is not baptized in the presence of the whole church, as it is a celebration of their discipleship, and discipleship must happen in community with the local body of Christ! The baptismal candidate is also missing out because they do not have the support and excitement of their church celebrating this momentous moment with them. We have celebrations for our physical birth and for wedding anniversaries, why not celebrate our spiritual birth and life too!

Baptism is important because Jesus told us to do it. It is an initial step in discipleship, so let’s not only practice it but also highlight it as the special priority it is. Let’s invite the whole congregation to gather around, whether it is in the church, or out at a lake or river, or even in a hot tub in someone’s backyard. Let’s allow the candidate to share a testimony, whether live or recorded, where they declare their allegiance to Jesus! Let’s invite unbelieving family and friends to come too, so they can experience this occasion and recognize the commitment the person is making to Jesus. Maybe the event will be an occasion for them to commit their life to Jesus, too!

Pastors can use the baptism service as a time to remind the church of God’s love, of Jesus’ sacrifice for them in His death and resurrection, and that the Holy Spirit wants to help them grow in their relationship with Jesus. Highlight baptism as part of discipleship. Those witnessing the baptism can see Christ’s incredible love and fall more in love with Him, too.

I hope you have many baptism celebrations as many come to faith in Jesus and connect with your church!

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Persistent Prayer

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Believers have the wonderful privilege of talking to their God. We can pray and expect that God hears us. We can pray and expect that God will speak to us as we listen. What a privilege!

Many believers pray. May churches have prayer meetings and prayer in their services. But how long do we pray? Do we pray once and then go on with life? Or do we continue in prayer until we hear from God?

One day, Jesus told a story:

“There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” – Luke 18: 1-8

Jesus uses this story to show the value of persistence in prayer. A persistent  resulted in the intervention of a judge who “neither feared God nor cared about people”. The judge finally gave in and helped the woman because of her persistence.

Jesus applies this story to the Christian life: “So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (Luke 18:8)

Jesus wants us to understand the value of persistence in prayer – not to have a reluctant judge or a reluctant God respond – but because we have a God who is much better than a reluctant judge. God loves us more than that reluctant judge. He wants to help his people; he honours those who persist in prayer.

Jesus continues in verse 9, “I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”

Jesus wants his disciples to recognize God’s willingness to answer prayer and encourages them to keep on praying and not to give up. As followers of Christ today, we can similarly apply this message in our lives and persist in prayer.

Unless you have a clear answer from God, continue praying. The Apostle Paul wrote about a problem he had that he wanted God to clear up. He describes how he persisted in prayer three times and then stopped. “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Corinthians 12: 8-9) Paul didn’t stop praying until he heard God’s answer.

Keep praying until you get an answer from God. Persist in prayer.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

God Draws People to Himself in Creative Ways!

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A few years ago, I asked one of our members why she started attending our church. Her answer went something like this: “I read my horoscope, and it told me that I am a religious person, but not in the conventional way, so I thought I would go to church to find out.” Our creative God can use a horoscope to draw people to Himself!

I am preparing for a baptism service in a few weeks. A lady who is preparing to be baptized on that Sunday sent me a copy of her testimony of how she came to the place of surrendering her life to Jesus. It was a very well-written story explaining that she came from a family that had no interest in God, but God began to work in her life. She explained how she lingered a little longer than usual on a social media post about Christianity. The algorithm picked up on that and began highlighting other verses and Christian thoughts for her. She realized she was against the Bible without ever having read it. She started reading the Bible. She met other Christians and had meaningful conversations with them and started attending a church. God drew her to the point of surrendering herself to God through faith in Jesus. She described how she had just recently burned her tarot cards and is truly trusting Jesus. Our creative God can use social media algorithms to draw people to Himself.

I don’t know how God drew you to Him, but He is creative in how He works. We see this in scripture as well. God sent Philip to meet an Ethiopian official who was reading Isaiah in his chariot, and the official surrendered himself to Jesus. Peter preached to a crowd on the day of Pentecost, and three thousand people gave their lives to Jesus. The Lord knocked Paul off his horse and blinded him to draw Paul to Himself. Zacheus was up in a tree when Jesus noticed him, and Zacheus’ life was changed as Jesus went to his house and opened his eyes to a new reality of faith in God.

Jesus said in John 6:44, “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.” We are told that the Father draws people to Himself. But we are not told how that drawing may take place. God is creative and has all kinds of ways to break into hard hearts and draw people to Himself.

The examples I shared of people I have met make it clear that God doesn’t need you or me to begin bringing people to Him. In both cases, once they were interested and searching, God arranged for them to meet people who could help them along their new journey of developing a faith in Jesus and growing in relationship with God. We, as people, do not, and cannot, make anyone believe in Jesus. We can share stories about Jesus, and we can pray for and with them, but it is God who opens their hearts to faith in Him.

We have a role to play in people coming to faith in Jesus. We may encounter people at various stages of their journeys and have opportunities to be a part of their journey whenever we encounter them. Some may not have heard about Jesus, and we have the privilege of sharing the story of the Saviour of all people. Some may have heard about Jesus but never realized they needed to surrender their lives to His Lordship. Others may already have been drawn by the Father and are looking for someone to help them understand the decision they have made.

Whatever stage we encounter people, we can pray for them, we can share what we know about Jesus, and we can invite them to make a decision to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. We have an amazingly creative Father God who invites men and women and boys and girls to faith in Jesus in whatever way He chooses. Let’s be aware of people in our life who are searching and whom the Father has been drawing so we can help them understand and begin their eternal life of faith in Jesus.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Persevering Through Leadership Challenges

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Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Leaders can expect to face challenges from those they lead. Church leaders are not exempt from this reality.

I recently met with a church board who were facing these kinds of challenges. Some of the congregation were complaining that the board wasn’t leading well, others said they would never submit to the board’s leadership, and others said they didn’t even know who the leaders on their board were. Leaders can expect to face condemnation from every angle, facing criticism for being both too controlling and at the same time not leading strongly enough.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:1: “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” It is a good thing to desire to be a leader, but Paul immediately follows up that statement with a list of qualifications a godly leader should measure up to. Not just anyone can be a leader.

Once you are a leader, you are entrusted with the care of those you are called to lead. It doesn’t matter how you came to your position; you have to believe that you are there because God wanted you there. Whatever system your church uses to select leaders, the assumption is that the church trusts God to guide that process. That means you are not just there because some people in the church wanted you there; you are there because God wanted you there. This is important as you face challenges from those you are called to lead. If you believe God put you in that position, then you can persevere with His strength, no matter the challenges.

How can you face these challenges and continue to lead?

Believe you are called to your leadership position by God.

When you are called by God, you can trust Him to help you persevere through tough leadership challenges because He will empower and equip you to do so.

Pray and read scripture.

As a church leader, you need to be in tune with God and to hear from Him as you navigate the hard seasons. Take time to talk to God about your challenges. Ask God to help you understand those who criticize you. Listen for God’s direction, either directly to you in prayer or through scripture.

Read the Bible with the desire to find answers to your challenges. This could be through examples of good leadership in scripture. It may be that you are encouraged by Paul’s letters to churches and leaders. Read so you can be encouraged by the Word of God.

Learn and grow in leadership.

I have found that reading leadership books, attending seminars or conferences, and listening to podcasts has encouraged me and helped to equip me to tackle various challenges I have faced as a leader in the church. We can learn from the stories of others. We can gain knowledge, skills, and encouragement from others who have faced similar situations.

Leadership can be exciting when everyone is working well together, but it can be difficult when people you are called to lead do not trust you and question every step. I hope you can find encouragement in your calling, find direction in God’s Word, and hear from God in prayer. Continue to persevere as you face challenges.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Preaching to a Summer Crowd

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Preaching to a summer crowd can be a different experience from preaching throughout the rest of the year. Often, the attendance is lower. Sometimes family, friends, and unexpected guests visit. Many regular attendees may be away camping or on vacation on several Sundays so that the crowd may vary each week.

Preaching is not just a monologue. Speakers tend to feed off the crowd, at least to some extent. If you notice one or two people dozing in the audience, your energy can drop; whereas if you see a few people smiling and nodding or fully engaged in what you are saying, your energy can increase. Preachers are also affected by the size of their audience; it’s just a fact. It’s not so much about how big the crowd is but how big it is in comparison to what you expect or what you are used to. If you are used to speaking to a congregation of 200 people, there is a natural let-down when you see there are only ninety people in the audience. If you are used to eighty people and there are only forty some on a given Sunday, you notice.

How can you preach with the same passion and joy throughout the summer?

Remember, God has a message for those present, no matter how many there are.

Pastor, you have prepared your sermon all week. You have been praying and listening to God as you have done your studying and writing. When you arrive on Sunday, you have the message ready that those in attendance need to hear. Yes, it would be nice if all the members of the church were present and heard this sermon you worked so hard on, but trust that the people who are to hear this message you prepared for this Sunday will be present.

Plan stand-alone sermons.

Many pastors like to preach a series from the Psalms during the summer because each Psalm is a separate unit and does not build on previous information the same way many of the other books of the Bible do. Summer may be a time to preach more topically. Choose some topics that speak to concerns in the church or the culture. Announce them ahead of time so that those who want to hear a certain sermon can plan their vacations and camping trips so that they can be present.

Experiment with something new in your preaching.

Summer may be the time for you to try something different. Things already feel different because many people are gone and the numbers are down, so people may be open to something different in the sermon as well. If you have never used an object lesson as part of your sermon, the summer may be the time to try it. A few weeks ago, I preached a sermon on Psalm 150 about how we are to praise God and to do it loudly. I handed out a variety of cheap noisemakers at the end of the sermon, inviting the congregation to use them as we would practice some loud praise. I invited them to shout out the names of God, so we could praise God for who He is. And then as I read the list of names, everyone made their loud noise. Pastor, maybe it’s time to bring out the kazoos.

Invite a member to share a testimony as part of the sermon.

Sometimes, when you are preparing a sermon, you will think of someone in the church who has a great story to tell that would reinforce the point you are making. Prepare the one sharing their story so they keep it to the point and share the part of their story that fits with the sermon you are preaching. Include a member or two in your sermon.

Remember that everyone who comes to church on that Sunday deserves the best you can offer as a preacher. Do not focus on who is absent, but determine to give your best for the ones who are present. Don’t be afraid to change things up a bit and experiment. And find joy in your preaching to the summer crowd.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Is Your Church Declining or Growing?

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You may have heard some of the discouraging statements about church closures recently. A study by the National Trust of Canada “predicted that one-third of Canada’s 27,000 faith buildings, most of which are Christian, would likely close permanently in the next 10 years.”[i] The narrative around church closures includes conversations about the decline of religious affiliation in Canada. A January 8, 2022 Global News Report stated: “Religiosity in Canada is at an all-time low, with recently released data from Statistics Canada showing only 68 per cent of Canadians 15 or older now report having a religious affiliation. It’s the lowest it’s been since they first started tracking this statistic in 1985.[ii] The Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research, in a 2024 article, stated an opposing view, saying “overall the Canadian Christian Church had only 2% fewer net congregations in 2019 (23,675) than they did in 2009 (24,138).”[iii] While pointing out that there are only a few fewer churches, the article acknowledged that religious affiliation is indeed down.

I understand that churches do sometimes close. The church I started in as a youth pastor no longer exists. At the same time, I am very encouraged as I think of the churches I have served as a transitional pastor over the last 5 years.

I have served seven churches, of which three were growing even during their transition, and all the rest were stable. Not one of the churches was in continual decline.

So what might this mean for us as pastors and church leaders?

There may be times when a church should close. Some of our rural communities are declining as people move away for school and jobs, which may mean a church closes for lack of people. Some churches may need to close because they have lost their mission and are no longer serving as a church, but a Christian club for a few dedicated members.

So what does this mean for church leaders?

We need to remind ourselves that we are serving God’s church. It is His church. While we can definitely do our part, we need to ask God to step in and bring revival where necessary and grow the church. We need to remind the church of our mission to make disciples who make other disciples. We need to give people hope and joy in their relationship with Jesus. We need to look for ways to bring spiritual renewal and transformation into our congregations, beginning with us.

We cannot lead people where we aren’t going first. Are you hungry for God? Are you digging into His Word, hungry for more of Him? Are you reading books on spiritual renewal? Are you praying and inviting others to pray with you? Are you loving your neighbours and those in the community around the church building?

Pastors, God wants us to use our gifting and calling to draw people ever closer to Jesus. I am convinced that when people fall in love with Jesus again, they will come alive. They will experience Him at work in their lives. As we ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, He will fill us and empower us for holy living and bold sharing of the gospel.

Quit preaching “self-help” sermons. Preach Jesus from the Gospels. Preach about the filling of the Holy Spirit. Introduce spiritual disciplines and invite your church to practice them. Show your members the full life that can be theirs.

God is still at work. He is still drawing new people to Himself. New believers are asking to be baptized. Some of your members are hungry and searching for more of Jesus. Encourage those who are already searching and ask God to open the hearts of others.

Are churches closing? Yes, some are, but yours does not need to be one of them. Be proactive. Do not assume the decline of your church is inevitable. God is still at work, renewing believers and reviving churches. May yours be one of those.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

[i] New report suggests opening churches to the masses as attendance dwindles

By The Canadian Press

Published: June 22, 2025 at 7:43AM EDT https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/new-report-suggests-opening-churches-to-the-masses-as-attendance-dwindles/

[ii] [1] ‘Gone by 2040’: Why some religions are declining in Canada faster than ever

By Ashleigh Stewart  Global News

Posted January 8, 2022 5:00 am

 Updated January 17, 2022 3:21 pm https://globalnews.ca/news/8471086/religion-decline-canada/

[iii] Hope For the Future: The 2021 Canadian Census

Rev. Dr. Lee Beachhttps://flourishingcongregations.org/hope-for-the-future-the-2021-canadian-census/

Discerning Truth

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New ideas challenge our understanding. What do we do with new ideas? As a young man, I wanted things to be black and white. I wanted to know right and wrong. I accepted the teachings I received in my church and at home, as well as those I learned at Bible College. I held strong views about beliefs and practices of other churches based on what I had grown up with.

As I ventured into the world, I discovered speakers, authors, and churches who presented ideas I was not comfortable with because they were different than what I thought was right. There were times when the teachings I came across made sense. There were times I had to adjust my thinking because I was wrong, or at least not fully informed, about a certain belief.

How should we respond to new ideas? Let’s look at a couple of ways we often respond to new teachings.

It is new, so it is wrong.

There are some people who are convinced, as I was in my early years, that anything new and different must be wrong.  And if it is wrong, it must be avoided. These people will not accept anything new as true because it is not what they are used to or comfortable with. They will ban those books from their libraries and caution others not to listen to those speakers. In their desire to hold to the truth, they assume that they already have the truth and don’t need to be confused with new ideas. While well-meaning, this is a naïve attitude that prevents many good followers of Jesus from growing.

It is new and I don’t know if it is right or wrong.

Some Christians, when exposed to new ideas, aren’t sure if these are right or wrong, and either don’t want or don’t know how to determine if it is right, so they just choose to ignore the new idea. Maybe it’s too much work to figure out if it is true. Maybe they aren’t sure how to assess it’s validity. Maybe they are comfortable and don’t want anyone to rock the boat. Life is good, I know where I stand, I know what my church teaches, and my friends believe. I don’t need to check out anything else.

Again, this attitude keeps followers of Jesus from growing in their relationship with Jesus as they never struggle with new understandings of God or scripture. Spiritual growth assumes a deeper or further understanding of and obedience to God. This may include accepting something new.

It is new, but is it true?

Other followers of Jesus are aware that they do not have all the answers. They may have already experienced times where a new teaching has given them further clarity about who Jesus is or how He works in their lives. They are willing to do the work to find out if this new teaching is truth or not, and willing to accept and apply the new teaching if it is true.

Their attitude is “I don’t know if it is true, but I will check it out.”

And so they study scripture to see if what they have been hearing is consistent with scripture. They read other authors or listen to other teachers they trust to get advice from other believers. They take time to talk to God about what they have discovered, asking God to give them clarity about what they are hearing. They might consider how this teaching has been accepted by other churches or by some of the older writers.

These followers of Jesus do not just jump on the bandwagon because friends are or because a certain speaker endorses this teaching, but they take time to consider it carefully before accepting it.

I have benefited greatly from discovering teachings that were not part of my childhood or that of my church. I have learned to appreciate teachings on the gifts of the Spirit and learning to listen and hear from God. I have appreciated being challenged on my beliefs about the kingdom of God. I have come a long way from my theological roots, continuing to carefully learn and grow in understanding God and how He works in us. In my pursuit of a deeper intimacy with Jesus, I have had to grow in my understanding and learned to accept new truths along the way.

Discerning truth is not a quick and easy process, but it may be of great benefit to you and your relationship with God as you get to know more. Be willing to do the work of assessing the validity of new teachings you come across without discarding them too quickly.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

What to Do When You Have Nothing to Do

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The life of a pastor is usually a very full one with many expectations placed on us. There is always another sermon to write or lesson to prepare or meeting to lead. There is another report that needs to be written and an appointment to keep. Even when no one else is placing requirements on us, we have priorities that we want to address. It is not often we experience a period of having nothing to do, but it can happen.

Summers are often slower times. Many programs break for a few months, and there are fewer demands from people as many are on vacation. There may also be fewer sermons to prepare as guest missionaries or ministry partners visit to share updates.

So what do you do during less busy times?

Take a vacation.

Summer might be the perfect time for you to take a vacation with your family or friends. Because there are fewer demands on you at this time, it is easier to get away. Fewer of your responsibilities need to be covered by someone else if you are gone.

Take an extra day off.

Most pastors work much more than a 40-hour work week, putting in many more hours than you are compensated for. When you have a slow day or week, why not take an extra day or afternoon off and surprise your family with a day trip?

Spend time with God.

All of us can benefit from more time with God. If you have time, book off an afternoon, or a day for a personal retreat. Read scripture, pray, go for a prayer walk, or practice a spiritual discipline or two. Ask God to speak into your life, showing you where you need to grow. Ask God to give direction for the next year.

Remind yourself of your priorities.

A slow day allows you to remind yourself of your priorities. It may be a time to evaluate how you have been spending your time. Maybe you need to realign your schedule or refocus on areas that have been slipping. Make sure you are doing the job God is asking of you.

Clean your office.

This may sound like a meaningless task, but there is something therapeutic in cleaning one’s space. Organize papers, throw out stuff that is cluttering your desk or shelves. This process helps you present a more organized feel to those who enter your office and also helps you to remove distractions.

Take your spouse on an impromptu date.

Has it been a while since you went on a date? Take advantage of the time you have and do something on the spur of the moment. Go out for a special meal or enjoy a picnic by a nearby lake or river. Take time to go for a slow walk, talking together about life and the family and your relationship with Jesus.

We are so driven as pastors that we sometimes find it hard to enjoy a slow day. Don’t let it go to waste or fill it with busy-ness. Do something meaningful and refreshing.

I hope you get to enjoy some slow days this summer!

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe