If you visit those in the hospital with any consistency, you will eventually face uncomfortable and unexpected situations. How can we prepare for them? Is there anything we can do or say in those moments? A young seminary student in my church decided to visit a dying member in the hospital. He had very little [...]
Archive for March, 2010
How can I prepare for the unexpected when visiting those in the hospital?
Posted in Hospital Visitation on March 31, 2010 | 5 Comments »
What role do church members play in training those called into the ministry?
Posted in Training for Ministry on March 29, 2010 | 5 Comments »
It needs to be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of the congregation does not feel a call into the ministry. If you are not someone feeling this call, then your responsibility is to continue to do what a faithful church member does. Invest and pour your life into the people of the church so that [...]
What should I pray Sunday morning as I prepare to preach?
Posted in Preaching, Training for Ministry on March 28, 2010 | 2 Comments »
It is essential that we saturate our weekly study with prayer as we prepare to preach on Sunday. Nevertheless, when Sunday morning comes, our studying is over, and we seek the Lord’s grace to proclaim His Word to His people, what should we pray in that last solemn moment early Sunday morning before the kids [...]
How do you counsel a husband who has hurt his wife with his pornography struggle?
Posted in Battling Sin on March 26, 2010 | 2 Comments »
The work to restore trust and intimacy within a marriage deeply affected by this sinful struggle is only possible through the gospel and applied most effectively within the local church; let us now consider six practical ways that husband can reestablish trust and intimacy with his hurting wife: 1) Be patient towards your hurting wife. [...]
What responsibilities does a young man aspiring to pastoral ministry have to his local church?
Posted in Training for Ministry on March 25, 2010 | 8 Comments »
If you are one who desires the work of a pastor or missionary, Paul says this is a fine work (1 Tim. 3:1). Yet, your responsibility is not simply to rely on your internal call to develop your individual gifts, but to place yourself under the authority of the local church and trust that God [...]
How do I approach visiting someone in the hospital who is sharing a room with another patient?
Posted in Hospital Visitation on March 24, 2010 | 5 Comments »
Though a semi-private room is frequently seen as an inconvenience, we should recognize it as a great opportunity. We must always be polite, respectful, and sensitive so that we do not disturb other patients when attempting to see those we have come to visit. Nevertheless, always assume the attentiveness of the person in the “other [...]
How do you care for a wife hurt by her husband’s pornography struggle?
Posted in Battling Sin on March 23, 2010 | 12 Comments »
Many are hurt by a man’s struggle with pornography, but no one more than the man’s wife. The feelings of hurt, betrayal, and distrust that a wife experiences toward her husband because of this struggle are very similar to those that come with adultery. The gospel is the only hope for a man to find [...]
What role should a pastor play within his church to identify and train future pastors
Posted in Training for Ministry on March 19, 2010 | 8 Comments »
The vision to establish the process to test, train, affirm, and send those called into gospel ministry within your local church starts with you. It takes a pastor to recognize a pastor. In the same way you look with a keen eye for the discouraged hurting sheep in your flock, look for those that seem [...]
What is the process of a service review?
Posted in Training for Ministry on March 6, 2010 | 6 Comments »
The facilitator’s role is much like a moderator or chairman. He is to keep the discussion progressing in a helpful direction and protect the group from digressing in a negative manner. The facilitator asks a question about the service or sermon and goes around the table soliciting thoughts and comments about that particular question. Here [...]
How do I care for a widow on her anniversary?
Posted in Caring for Widows on March 3, 2010 | 3 Comments »
You can count of the fact that every widow, regardless the duration of their marriage, remembers her anniversary. It is without a doubt, the hardest day of the year for her, which means the church should be keenly aware of this day and seize the opportunity to care for them on it. We recently had [...]
