But, really, what is it that pastors should be doing? Obviously, it was important for my youngest to know and I am quite sure it is a question many others would like be made aware of as well. While the list of pastoral responsibilities is lengthy, I want to share with you three brief tasks your pastor must attend to.... (Click Here to Continue Reading)
I am approaching my first anniversary as the Senior Pastor of Mount Gilead Missionary Baptist Church. What an incredible joy it has been to partner with this congregation on equipping them to do the work of the ministry. As I … click to continue
We each know that no life is without scandal and storms. Life has its share of testings and trials. Such is the case that Joseph soon discovers in Egypt in the Genesis narrative. He has been deceived, disowned and left for dead by his brothers. Only to be deceived by Potiphar’s wife and disowned by Potiphar. The theme of the narrative in Genesis 39:6-23 is this: Never be deceived by individuals who are attracted to what is on you nor be distracted by those who make assumptions about you because it all is a weapon of the enemy due to the anointing within you. Therefore, choose to focus on your anointing and not what others are assuming.
Over the past two years, particularly the last three months I have done so much soul searching. I think one of my greatest struggles after her transition was the thoughts that accompany grief. So many things I would have done differently. So many things I should have done differently. So many conversations I would have had. So many conversations I should have had.
I share this brief blog from a personal conviction and challenge about my stewardship with the calling on my life and the Christ I proclaim.
Without question we live in a world whose chief mode of communication is social media. Facebook. Instagram. SnapChat. Twitter. Periscope. This is the world in which we live and these are the modes of communication. The question that is central to this blog, and one that I wrestle with in my own conscience, is this: Am I using social media to communicate the message of Christ and the Cross or to promote my brand? Am I making the most of social media to communicate Christ?
The historical background for I Thessalonians can be summarized as follows. After leaving Thessalonica, Paul tried to return several times, but Satan thwarted his plans. Therefore, he sent Timothy and Silvanus to strengthen and encourage the church during its time of affliction and to learn about their progress in faith. Timothy has now recently returned to Corinth from Thessalonica with an encouraging report that the church has remained steadfast in its faith despite severe affliction. Overjoyed by this report, Paul writes a paraenetic letter to encourage the Thessalonians in their faith and to remind them of what they already know.
Who qualifies to be a credible mentor? This is important because I have recently seen young preacher make some poor choices and ministry decisions that have left me and my colleagues asking each other: “who was he talking to?” We each know that erroneous advice can leave to erroneous action.
I have been in the pastorate for twenty-two years. Though I am only forty-two, I think that I have enough years of experience to offer some feeble advice for freshmen pastors.
In a season where millennials find the church irrelevant it is so important that we assist them in rediscovering the need for faith and living within an authentic community. This is best done when we work to build relationships. This means work more on building believers and not on building your brand. Or to put it into a biblical context:
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Organized politically and spiritually, black churches were not only given to the teachings of Christianity but they were faithfully relied upon to address the specific issues that affected their members. For many African-American Christians, regardless of their denominational differences, Black Churches have always represented their religion, community, and home. Scholars have repeatedly asserted that Black history and Black church history overlap enough to be virtually identical.
Remember the words of advice from the great preacher, Dr. Charles H. Spurgeon: "The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher; otherwise men would be the converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher's learning; otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach until our tongues rotted, till we would exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless the Holy Spirit be with the Word of God to give it the power to convert the soul."