I interpreted what I thought God was saying to me as a call to the ministry. A few men had allowed me to preach for them when they were away from their churches. A semester internship for pastoral students in college introduced me to ministry. I thought I was ready to serve. One late August Sunday evening, I sat on the church steps twenty-five miles from home. I was hoping the people from a small congregation would call me as their pastor. I did not realize how limited my understanding of pastoral leadership was.
There is much more to being a preacher than preaching. God takes human beings and works through our strengths and weaknesses to communicate his message. Allowing God to transform us into his image is a lifelong challenge. Much of what we preach speaks through the way we live in day-to-day experiences.
How to Grow
Being a pastor starts with the individual. Growing as a pastor depends on the way we allow God to work in and through our lives. As pastors develop their one-on-one time with God, they mature. I found designing time to make room for God to speak to me required discipline. If I expected to address the challenge of preaching week-by-week, I needed to find a time and place, as well as a way, to replenish my soul.
Spending time with other ministers allowed me to learn from them. I cherished the opportunity to listen to these pastors who had more experience than I. Their insights on some issues I faced helped me avoid hiccups in my ministry. Sometimes I would see something they did well that would be beneficial in my ministry. I learned to adapt ideas for my peculiar situation. At other times, I learned from their mistakes. As they talked about what went wrong, I didn’t feel so bad about my failures. Most of the time, our friendship warmed my heart.
What’s Happening on the Inside Shows on the Outside
The first place to see the effect of my faith journey was in my family. The attitude I displayed was a thermometer of the warmth of my relationship with Jesus Christ. The words I said revealed the condition of my heart. The way I served my family revealed the transformation God was doing in me. The relationship I had with my wife was a reliable indicator of my understanding of love in action. All of this occurred before I stepped out the door and faced the public. I wish I could say I did well in all of those areas. I fear I fell short more than I would like to admit. Sometimes I handled my failure in a more Christ-like manner than others. These close relationships serve as the opportunity for God to mold and make us after his will.
Pay attention to the details of your life. They form the foundation of your preaching before you ever stand before people.
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Posted: March 9, 2020 by Harry Lucenay
I interpreted what I thought God was saying to me as a call to the ministry. A few men had allowed me to preach for them when they were away from their churches. A semester internship for pastoral students in college introduced me to ministry. I thought I was ready to serve. One late August Sunday evening, I sat on the church steps twenty-five miles from home. I was hoping the people from a small congregation would call me as their pastor. I did not realize how limited my understanding of pastoral leadership was.
There is much more to being a preacher than preaching. God takes human beings and works through our strengths and weaknesses to communicate his message. Allowing God to transform us into his image is a lifelong challenge. Much of what we preach speaks through the way we live in day-to-day experiences.
How to Grow
Being a pastor starts with the individual. Growing as a pastor depends on the way we allow God to work in and through our lives. As pastors develop their one-on-one time with God, they mature. I found designing time to make room for God to speak to me required discipline. If I expected to address the challenge of preaching week-by-week, I needed to find a time and place, as well as a way, to replenish my soul.
Spending time with other ministers allowed me to learn from them. I cherished the opportunity to listen to these pastors who had more experience than I. Their insights on some issues I faced helped me avoid hiccups in my ministry. Sometimes I would see something they did well that would be beneficial in my ministry. I learned to adapt ideas for my peculiar situation. At other times, I learned from their mistakes. As they talked about what went wrong, I didn’t feel so bad about my failures. Most of the time, our friendship warmed my heart.
What’s Happening on the Inside Shows on the Outside
The first place to see the effect of my faith journey was in my family. The attitude I displayed was a thermometer of the warmth of my relationship with Jesus Christ. The words I said revealed the condition of my heart. The way I served my family revealed the transformation God was doing in me. The relationship I had with my wife was a reliable indicator of my understanding of love in action. All of this occurred before I stepped out the door and faced the public. I wish I could say I did well in all of those areas. I fear I fell short more than I would like to admit. Sometimes I handled my failure in a more Christ-like manner than others. These close relationships serve as the opportunity for God to mold and make us after his will.
Pay attention to the details of your life. They form the foundation of your preaching before you ever stand before people.
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