Leadership

Pastoral Leadership 101

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What is pastoral Leadership?

“What do you do during the week?” a friendly, but curious church member asked their pastor. The pastor felt as though the question accompanied a perception that being a pastor doesn’t have much work to it.  However, those who have served in pastoral roles know that pastoring a church is more than merely showing up on Sunday and preaching inspiring messages and then making a few phone calls during the week. 

Pastoral leadership begins with following Jesus the Good Shepherd who called his disciples to “follow him” and promised that he would make them “fishers of men”.1  Following Jesus is the priority for any pastor or person who is going to effectively lead others in the “Way” of Jesus. Spiritual leadership, John Piper says, is about “knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to use God’s methods to get them there in reliance on God’s power”.2 As one gets closer to the Lord taking daily steps to follow his revealed will, they will increase in their awareness of God’s will for others and experience the empowerment to care for and lead others to follow Christ. And as the pastor cares for the church he too is being pastored and cared for by the Lord. The pastor is to take his marching orders for the Lord through Scripture and he declares what God has said. 

Pastoral leadership requires that one not only lead by instructing with words of exhortation and teaching but also lead by example. Pastors must model a life of godliness, prayer, and devotion to God. They must exhibit a fervor of spirit and priority for the gospel that they preach accompanied by conduct that adorns their message. As their cup overflows from their relationship with God, they will have what they need to give the people they lead spiritual nourishment, encouragement, and instruction.  Jesus appointed 12 disciples first to “be with him” so “that he might send them out to preach”3 .  Pastoral leadership is first about being with Jesus the “Chief Shepherd”4 and then being with the people entrusted to your care for the sake of their development and conformity into the image of Christ 5. Perhaps if we were to summarize what pastoral leadership is in a few words we might say it is a loving truth-filled influence6. This is what we experience from our relationship with the Lord and this is what pastors are to give their church family, helping them move towards God’s agenda for their lives.  God has designed pastors to represent Himself by declaring God’s word and ways and demonstrating character and conduct consistent with their message7 . Pastors are designed to lead, feed, protect, and care for the flock. 

Why is pastoral leadership designed to function as it does?

The Apostle Paul gave his spiritual sons Timothy and Titus the responsibility of setting in pastors or elders within the local church. And in doing he gave them specific qualifications and characteristics for those who serve in pastoral ministry.8  Here is the list that Paul outlined: blameless as a steward of God, above reproach, a faithful husband to his wife, self-controlled, sober, vigilant. sober-minded, prudent, of good behavior, orderly, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, and not a drunkard. The primary emphasis Paul had for pastoral leaders who were ordained in the church was a portrait of godly character. Only one qualification emphasized competency, and that was being able to teach the word9. The character of the pastor is to serve the local church ministry as a foundation does for a building, holding up the rest of the structure. The larger the building the stronger and deeper the foundation of that building needs to be to sustain its weight of it. Those who serve in pastoral roles and lack the character needed, end up faltering under the weight of the various responsibilities and end up hurting and disappointing themselves and others whom they lead. They dishonor the name of Jesus, whom they represent. Pastors are not necessarily required to be the smartest, strongest, and most disciplined in every area of life as if they are the special forces of Christianity. Still, they are expected to be mature followers of Christ, whose lives are marked by love, truth, and discipline. By living out an example before the church they set the pace for the rest of the flock to follow. Pastors must be mature and healthy both spiritually and emotionally. Healthy pastors are motivated by love and energized by grace as they seek to make disciples and care for souls10.  The primary role of the pastor is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry so that the entire church is meaningfully involved in the mission11. Pastors are not designed to do all the ministry for the church just as an athletic coach isn’t to jump in a game and run plays for his team. On a weekly rhythm, the pastor is to faithfully proclaim the truths of Scripture with a gospel-centered lens and point the saints to Christ and his will for their lives. As the pastor exposits the life-changing truths of Scripture week after week the people of God are equipped for every good work12 and they are empowered to appropriately apply those truths to their relationships, work, finances, rest, and every area of their lives. Churches that have pastors fulfilling their role of equipping through faithful preaching and teaching move the church towards relational unity, spiritual maturity, doctrinal stability, and ministerial mutuality13.    

What does it look like in practice? 

Though preaching and teaching are very important aspects of pastoral ministry no pastor will complete his duty to care for God’s people without the ministry of presence and listening. Many wounded Christians seeking healing and wholeness from their broken past need more than just a spiritual leader who is going to tell them what to believe and what to do. They also need someone who cares enough to listen as they pour out their hearts and share their griefs, disappointments, hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations. Many Christians need a shoulder to cry on and a lingering embrace when their child’s life is taken or their spouse is taken away by death or divorce. Pastors must learn to lead in doing what every follower of Jesus is called to do, namely “weep with those who weep” and “rejoice with those who rejoice”.14 Pastoral ministry is accompanied by many heartaches and joys15 resulting from being on the frontlines, spending and being spent, for the gospel’s sake. It’s certainly not an occupation to pursue for the one who is seeking comfort and security, for it requires risk, sacrifice, humble dependence upon the Spirit, diligence in study, relational commitment through conflicts, responsibility to address doctrinal and moral error and it necessitates the hard work of prayer and intercession.16  As the Apostle Paul expressed his gratitude for and commitment to praying for the churches in many of his epistles. So the pastor must do for his church family.  Perhaps many pastors would do well to adopt the commitment and conviction of the prophet Samuel who identified the necessity of intercession and instruction of God’s people when he said “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right”.17 This is what spiritual leadership and pastoral ministry require. Though the standards are high and the requirements are great for pastors the rewards are even greater. 18

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:19 ↩︎
  2.  Piper, John, The Marks of a Spiritual Leader 22-23, Desiring God 2014
    ↩︎
  3. Mark 3:14 ↩︎
  4.  1 Peter 5:4 ↩︎
  5. Romans 8:29 ↩︎
  6.  John 15:9, 17:17,17:26 ↩︎
  7.  1 Timothy 4:12-13 ↩︎
  8.  1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 ↩︎
  9. 1 Timothy 3:2 ↩︎
  10. Colossians 1:28-29, 1 Corinthians 15:10, 2 Corinthians 5:14 ↩︎
  11. Ephesians 4:11-12 ↩︎
  12.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 ↩︎
  13. Ephesians 4:14-16 ↩︎
  14.  Romans 12:15 ↩︎
  15. 2 Corinthians 6:10-13 ↩︎
  16. Colossians 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:1-3 ↩︎
  17.  1 Samuel 12:23 ↩︎
  18. 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:8-9 ↩︎

Why Start With A Genealogy?

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During Advent, we take time to reflect on the birth of Christ which was a historical and miraculous event that took place to fulfill God’s promise of sending a Messiah King to rescue His people and reign in their lives.  

Have you ever wondered why the Book of Matthew begins with a genealogy? Many of us may skip over these sections when we read through them in Scripture, yet the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors to include them for good reason. There a several implications as to why Matthew began the Christmas story this way under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and here are some of them to consider:

  1. It points us to God’s Great Redemption Story.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Matthew 1:1-2 ESV

“He is the Son of Abraham both because it is in him that the entire history of Israel, which had its beginning in Abraham, attains its goal (1:17) and because he is the one through whom God will extend to the nations his blessing of salvation (8:11; 28:18-20). . . .“Just as the title ‘Son of Abraham’ characterizes Jesus as the one in whom the Gentiles will find blessing, so the title ‘Son of David’ characterizes Jesus as the One in whom Israel will find blessing.” – Jack D. Kingsbury

  1. It affirms the historicity & humanity of Christ.

Matthew does not begin the story of Jesus’ birth by saying, “once upon a time.” That is the way fairy tales and legends and myths and Star Wars begin. “Once upon a time” signals that this probably didn’t happen or that we don’t know if it happened, but it is a beautiful story that teaches so much. But that is not the kind of account Matthew is giving us. He says, “This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ.” This means he is grounding what Jesus is and does in history. Jesus is not a metaphor. He is real. This all happened.    – Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas  

  1. It validates the credentials of Jesus to be the Messianic King

“Jews kept extensive genealogies to establish a person’s heritage, inheritance, legitimacy, and rights. Matthew demonstrates Jesus’ legal claim to the throne of David, emphasizing Jesus’ legal descent from David to Abraham, while Luke’s genealogical record (Luke 3:23-38) emphasizes Jesus’ biological descent from David to Adam.” – Michael Wilkins

  1. It displays the faithfulness of God in keeping His promises.

Matthew wants us to see that Jesus fulfills the prophecies foretold about the Messiah King.

  1. It highlights the grace of God towards sinners.

“That women’s names should even be in this list is extraordinary—and then when you see the names, you’re doubly surprised. The first is Rahab, who was a harlot of Jericho. The second is Ruth, who was not even a Jew but a hated Moabitess. The third was Tamar, who committed adultery with her father-in-law. The fourth was Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, who participated in David’s great sin… Each of the four names is a person who was foreign or immoral or undesirable, yet in spite of this, was included in the messianic family tree. Redemptive history is inventive and incorporative. It doesn’t make any difference who your mother was. Anyone can get into the family. Which is good news… for us all.” Eugene Peterson

God cares about people and he wants to them to accurately know His story of redemption.

May you find your place in God’s great story by trusting Jesus as the Savior who came in this world as child and lived a life free of sin and then died for your sins and rose from the dead, so that you might be forgiven, free and live with him for eternity!

The Redemptive Reversals Of Advent

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The Advent season is often accompanied by increased stress and pain for many of us. Knowing our tendency toward hurry and to accumulate mental and emotional weights during this time of year. Let us slow down and sit quietly this week and reflect on God’s ways. Mary’s prayer helps us see the nature of God’s Kingdom and His redemptive work.

“and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭47‬-‭55‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Consider some of the elements of her prayer juxtaposed to this prayer of Jesus several chapters later in the gospel of Luke.

“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”” Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Advent Prayer

Father, thank you for the ways that you work! We rejoice with Mary and Jesus over the way you reveal yourself to the humble and child-like, yet you conceal yourself from the proud know-it-alls. You  lift the lowly and bring down the proud. You help the humble. 

During this advent season we remember that you King Jesus  have shown us the ultimate expression of humility in the incarnation and in suffering (Philippians 2:5-8). 

We thank you Father that because of Christ’s humility expressed by coming down to us and suffering on our behalf we have been raised up with Christ (Colossians 3:1). Thank you that through the coming of Christ “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low….And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed… (Isaiah‬ ‭40‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

May our hearts be humbled this advent season as we reflect on the grace that has been brought to us in the first advent and the grace will be brought to us in the second advent (1 Peter 1:13). 

May we be quieted before you as we reflect on your holiness and great redemptive work (Luke 2:19) and become aware of your presence with us, Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23)

Advent Purpose & Prayer

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During Advent, we reflect on why Jesus came into this world. It is good to be refreshed in the story of our rescue, the story of Christ coming into our world to bring light amidst darkness, hope among despair, freedom amidst bondage, peace amidst fear, joy amidst sorrow, and love amidst hatred and war. Our King has come and has conquered evil and destroyed the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). For this reason he came. He came to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).

What was the purpose of the first advent of Christ? 

To Save Us, Sinners 

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 ESV 

To Destroy Evil In Our Lives

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 ESV 

To Reveal God’s Love To Us

 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 ESV 

To Give Us Life Eternal and Abundant 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 ESV 

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 ESV 

To Be The Atoning Sacrifice For Our Sin

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1John 4:10 ESV 

These are some key reasons why Jesus came but you may be able to find several more purpose statements about why Jesus came. I exhort you to search out these reasons in the Scripture and see how many you can find and reflect upon them this month. 

Prayer 

Father, we pray that your Kingdom will come on earth as in heaven. We ask that your righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) would increase in the hearts and lives among us and our families, communities, cities and beyond. We pray the truth of your word would spread rapidly in this Advent season and be heard, received and honored (2 Thessalonians 3:1). 

May the word of Christ dwell in us richly this Advent (Colossians 3:16). May the influence of the word of truth increase in our lives and sanctify us (John 17:17).

The Gifts Of Advent

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One of the common traditions during this time of year is the practice of gift-giving. Though this is not enjoyed by all this practice is fitting since we are celebrating the greatest gift ever given, Jesus.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 ESV

Each of the advent themes focused on during the four weeks of December leading up to Christmas are hope, peace, joy and love. These too are gifts from God that the coming of Jesus into the world has also brought us. We now have hope because of Christ (1 Timothy 1:1) who is our hope and through his resurrection, we are born again unto a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). We now have peace because Christ has brought about reconciliation between us and God and has made “peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20-21). And through faith, we have been made right with God and thus we have peace with God (Romans 5:1). We have joy because Christ brought with him “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10) and has brought the joy of salvation into the lives of his followers through both his words and his redemptive work (John 15:11, Luke 24:52). The love of God has come down and been manifested to us through the coming of Jesus (1 John 4:10) and the Holy Spirit has poured out the Father’s love into our hearts (Romans 5:5).

Since this hope, peace, joy and love are gifts brought to us with the coming of Jesus and accompany his redemptive work in our lives we must first receive these gifts. May we not miss out on these wonderful gifts that we have in Christ during this season. Receive them, unwrap them, enjoy them, and share them with others. Don’t allow the busyness or materialism of this season diminish your exaltation of Christ and enjoyment of Him and the gifts that accompany his advent. Receive the advent gifts and resolve to cultivate these graces of hope, joy, peace, and love in your life, as the Apostles exhort us to do.

We are called to cultivate these characteristics in our lives. Abide in hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13, 1 John 3:16). Rejoice in the Lord in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) and be at peace with others (Romans 12:16,18, 14:19, Hebrews 12:14).

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 ESV

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment… Philippians 1:9 ESV

Repentance & Repercussions

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One of the things I appreciate about the Bible is that doesn’t hold back from revealing the sins and failures of people, even the great men and women who are held as leaders and examples to imitate. We learn both from positive and negative examples of biblical characters and many times we read about the positive and negative examples to learn from in the same person.


King David is an example of this. Though he is called a “man after God’s own heart” and “with upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand”(Psalm 78:72), David sinned and failed greatly. In 2 Samuel chapters 11-12 we see the tragic moral fall of a great leader. We see that he committed great sin, concealed his sin, was confronted in his sin and confessed and repented of his sin. He found God’s gracious forgiveness immediately upon his repentance (2 Samuel 12:13), yet he still had to experience the painful consequences of his sin (2 Samuel 12:10-12,14) This reminds us of the biblical truth that man will reap what he sows. Eugene Peterson paraphrases this NT truth well:

“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.”
Galatians 6:7-8 MSG

One of the applications we learn from David’s example is to confess of sins both to God and others (1 John 1:9, James 5:16). Confession is the path to forgiveness and freedom, healing and community. When we humble ourselves through prayers of confession and confession in our community, then we are met with gospel grace. Pastor J.D. wrote that:
“Grace frees us from the paralysis of guilt to the possibility of true community”.

So let’s be a people who walk in the light of truth and transparency since we truly have been made children of the light (Ephesians 5:8).

The Fear Of The Lord Vs. Unhealthy Fear

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How do you reconcile the many passages of Scripture that call God’s people to not be afraid and those which call them to fear the Lord? The Old Testament has much to say about the fear of the Lord and contrary to what some people say the New Testament also has a good deal to say about the fear of the Lord.  

Here are some passages in the OT that may puzzle some of us:

Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” Exodus 20:20 ESV 

“And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart… 

Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”1 Samuel 12:20, 24 ESV

So which is it? Fear or don’t fear? 

There are also NT passages that teach us to fear the Lord such as:

Jesus On the Fear Of the Lord 

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:26-31 ESV 

Here again, we see coming from the lips of our Lord do not be afraid and fear God. You and I are designed for awe and wonder and this is to be centered around the Lord, who created us for Himself. If we fail to live in awe of God, or in the fear of the Lord, then we will be subject to all sorts of other fears dominating our life.   

Peter of the Fear of the Lord 

The Apostle Peter wrote: Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.  1 Peter 2:17 ESV 

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile. 1 Peter 1:17

Paul on the Fear Of the Lord

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. 2 Cor. 5:11 ESV 

…They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. Romans 11:22 ESV 

John On The Fear of The Lord 

The Apostle John hear an Angel say:

“Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Revelation 14:7 ESV

So it’s evident that both the NT and OT teach the fear of the Lord and call God’s people to not fear evil, people, trouble, death, etc…

Some passages are also very clear about us not walking in a certain type of fear such as these:

  • For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15 ESV 
  • for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
  • There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  1 John 4:18 ESV 

So what do we make of these two concepts that the Bible teaches? We have all seen enough of unhealthy toxic fear in our lives that robs us of quality of life. Clearly, a tactic of Satan is to use this kind of fear to keep people in bondage. Yet the fear of the Lord is clean and pure (Psalm 19:9). The fear of the Lord describes a life that is oriented towards God and worshipful of Him.

Luke wrote about the early church walking this:

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Acts 9:31 ESV 

Here are so ways that godly men have distinguished between the two fears that Scripture addresses:

 • A forbidden fear vs. a fear commanded- John Bunyan 

•  Bondage fear vs. reverential fear – Stephan Charnock 

•  Filial fear vs. servile fear – George Swinnock 

•  Idolatrous fear vs. worshipful fear – John Gill

•  Fear that draws men further from God versus fear that drives men toward God. – Charles Spurgeon 

  • Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved- John Newton 

This last quote from the most loved hymn Amazing Grace has been so helpful for me as I’ve wrestled with seeing the compatibility of the fear of the Lord and New Testament grace. It reminds me of the powerful words of the Prophet Jeremiah when he wrote about the New Covenant:

I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.  Jeremiah 32:39-40 ESV 

The reality that God puts a holy fear of Him in us is a gracious gift. And that fact that through this holy fear, we are kept from departing from Him is also God’s grace, which helps sustains us. 

The gospel of Jesus addresses our deepest fears, such as fear of death, rejection, and judgment, by Christ taking the punishment for sin, tasting death for us, and becoming sin for us that we might become to the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Knowing what Christ has done for us relieves us of the paralyzing toxic fear, while at the same time, we are awestruck by who God is and what great things He has done for us at the cross. We respond as Psalm 2 instructs us to:

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Psalm 2:11-12 ESV 

We are those who have fled to Jesus for refuge and reverently welcome his reign in our lives, knowing that he has bore the wrath of God’s judgment for our sin (1 Peter 3:18, 1 John 2:1-2). Our hope is in Christ alone. 

Note the fear of the Lord is accompanied by hope:

  • Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:18 ESV
  • …the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
        in those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 147:11 ESV

Perhaps some of us need to recover a healthy fear of the Lord and be relieved through the gospel of the unhealthy fears in our life. 

The Scripture highlights several benefits to walking in the fear of the Lord and the consequences for not doing so. Here are some benefits:

  • The fear of the Lord leads to life,and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. Proverbs 19:23
  • Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land.The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. Psalm 25:12-14 ESV
  • …by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil. Proverbs 16:6 ESV
  • In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. Proverbs 14:26-27 ESV
  • Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! Psalm 34:9 ESV

May you and I experience all the benefits of this holy fear in our lives as we ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God who works in us, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’ Philippians 2:12-13 

May we be delivered from every toxic fear that Scripture calls us to courageously resist so that we might glorify God more fully with our lives (Psalm 34:4).

If you’re inclined to worship the Lord in light of these biblical truths here is a great song to lead you in your worshipful response.

Processing Tragedy

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After hearing about the school shooting in Nashville on Monday, where a 28-year-old woman who identified as a man walked into a Private Christian school and killed three 9-year-old children and three adults, my heart has been heavy. It’s not something that I can hear about and just move on without feeling affected by it. If that’s so then I might either be too busy or too numb and indifferent to feel sad for the family and friends who have been devastated. I can only imagine the pain this father must feel right now. Being a pastor of a church and having two girls around 9 years old. I can imagine what it might feel like to suddenly lose that precious daughter.    

Some of the common emotions that accompany the aftermath of an event like this are anger, anxiety, and grief. Many people are processing those feelings alone, others are publishing them on social media and others are having conversations with friends and coworkers. 

There are some helpful ways that I learned to work through the mental and emotional burdens that come from such events. 

First and most important is prayer. I appreciate that we have a scheduled prayer meeting on Tuesday morning to pray. Because I personally needed to pray with others about this dark situation and roll the felt burden off to God. Doing that with others is even more helpful, though I also need adequate time alone to reflect, pray, and process. Journaling is helpful in this process or writing like I am now. And it’s important to do this with Scripture in view. What reality about God, myself and the world do I need to cling to through these feelings of grief, anger or anxiety. Kyndall and I processed and prayed with our children on Monday night knowing that they too would need a space to work through the most recent event. 

My 4-year-old son Justus came to me with a CT magazine opened to a troublesome picture in Haiti and he said “Dad look expooson…them can’t live…their home is gone”. He wasn’t moving on to the next thing and didn’t want me to move on either. He wanted to pause and ponder for a moment this sad situation and he felt that something needed to be done by us at that moment. We did do something at that moment. We stopped to think about the situation and the people in Haiti. And prayed for them. Often it’s difficult to keep my 4-year-old quiet and focused during times of prayer but this was a sweet moment in which he was moved to participate and it was sweet for me to watch as his father. My son is learning to respond to the brokenness of this world with prayer and compassion. When he sees an ambulance or fire truck with lights and sirens racing down the street he usually tells us to pray and that’s what we do in the Dollar family.  We are training our children to pray so that their knee-jerk reaction to the tragic moments around us is to call on the One who is our source of help and rescue. While the gesture of “sending out thoughts and prayers” may be like white noise in the background that doesn’t seem to mean much to some because they’ve read or heard that so many times in recent years, but praying faith-filled prayers that are focused on the revealed will of God Scripture is actually doing something. It is inviting the Almighty into the situation that He might do something. Praying for others is one of the most important things we can do for them and sometimes the only way to help them. Avoid underestimating or undervaluing the necessity and power of your prayers. Praying for others is a labor of love and each of us would be do well to excel in this as they Scripture exhorts us to (Luke 18:1, Colossians 4:2, Romans 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:17…). It is a rewarding activity through which we experience God and He brings His will and kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:9-13). Prayer is our duty and privilege. Prayer is part of our engagement in the spiritual battle which we all are involved in (Ephesians 6:18). 

Second, I’ve found it helpful to have conversations with trusted friends about situations like this. The listening ear of another is such a gift when you feel overwhelmed and so is the godly perspective and encouragement that your friend may share. They may also give some corrective insight of something we aren’t seeing accurately. Mourning with people in their grief is something the Bible exhorts Christians to do as well (Romans 12:15) and this involves our thoughts about them, sympathy, and empathy for them. This requires a chunk of our time, mental space, and emotional energy. We also need others to mourn with us in our grief and through conversations about hard things in life. As sinners who live in a Post-Genesis 3 world, we experience brokenness in various parts of our lives, including the emotional part of our lives. This often leads us to respond in ways that would be contrary to Christ if he were here. Dane Ortlund wrote about this in the book Gentle And Lowly, “Fallen emotions not only sinfully overreact; they also sinfully underreact”  (Pg. 107). He used the example of himself when he saw a person suffering from leprosy in India. He observed that his lack of response to seeing someone up close suffering highlighted something wrong within himself. The overarching response of Jesus that we see in the gospels when he encountered people in their suffering was compassion. Look at this powerful snapshot into the ministry of Jesus:

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38 ESV 

Notice how Jesus addressed the sinfulness and brokenness of this world:

  • He taught and proclaimed the gospel of the Kingdom-V35
  • He healed every disease and affliction -V35b
  • He had compassion on them -V36
  • He directed his followers to pray for laborers to be sent into the harvest- V38

That’s our Savior! He is the answer to the rescue needed for the lost, the healing needed for the sick, the freedom needed for the captives, the hope needed for the hopeless, the comfort needed for the afflicted! And he has trained and raised up and sent out disciples to represent him and be his hands and feet in this broken world. He sends us into our workplaces and communities to be salt and light, to proclaim his message of repentance and reconciliation. He sends with the good news of great joy, the gospel of grace and peace. He calls us to be moved with compassion, to pray and moved to share the good news, and show his love with actions that express his heart.      

Christ entered into our pain and suffered on our behalf. He took the weight of our sin and died in our place. He rose from the grave and defeated death. He did something about the brokenness, sinfulness and need in our world. He is working through his church to bring his message, show his love and be his hands and feet. He is doing something about the brokenness, sinfulness and need in our world. Christ coming back to make all things new remove our suffering and sorrow, wipe every tear from our eyes and restore all things. He is going to do something again about the brokenness, sinfulness, and need in our world. 

Prayer 

Father, how long will the evil of violence and murder prevail. Come and bring justice and righteousness into our world. Let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. We grieve for and with those who have lost their loved ones in this senseless shooting.  Comfort them and meet them in their mourning with your loving presence. Steady them with gospel hope. Please grant wisdom and guidance to all the leaders involved in making decisive decisions in this situation that would be most helpful and both righteous and just. Give us your heart of compassion for the hurting and move us to action in helping those near to us. May we not pass them over without looking at them with the compassionate eyes and heart of Christ. May we each be faithful to pray, love and serve among those you have placed us.

You may want to listen to Pastor Chad Scruggs share about the emotions of Jesus and the hope that we have through his victory over death in a sermon he preached a few weeks ago titled Death’s Conqueror. As I listened to this my heart was comforted with gospel hope. I grieve with and for this father and pastor. I’m confident of and pray that his story and journey through the valley of the shadow of death will bring much healing, hope and comfort to many. 

Reflections On God’s Providence

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“Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.”” Genesis‬ ‭41‬:‭52‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This beautiful verse is loaded with truth about the providence and goodness of God in the life of Joseph. God was with Jospeh through all the pain and grief he experienced in betrayal by family, injustice being sold to slavery, false accusation by Potiphar’s wife, injustice again due to false accusations, yet the Lord was with Joseph. God’s presence was with Joseph in his pain and God produced something good and beautiful in and through Joseph’s life. In the story of God told through Genesis we see the faithfulness, goodness and providence of God.

Through this story we are to be reminded that we can trust God with our lives as the faithful one who fulfills His promises & purposes for our lives. And we can forgive those who have wronged us, as we consider God’s goodness & favor towards us (Colossians 1:13-14, 3:13).

“Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

• Reflect on God’s gracious heart for you and identify where you have seen His goodness working towards you & for you as you listen to the song below titled Canvas & Clay.

• What is one thing you need from Him right now? Ask Him for it and expect Him to answer.

Spiritual Amnesia

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“They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,” Psalm 106:21 ESV

How could a person forget the Lord who has done so much to bring rescue to their life? Spiritual amnesia was an issue with the Israelites hundreds of years ago and it is still an issue with God’s people today. To remember the Lord one must be intentional about recounting His works, reviewing His word and relooking at His character. We all need daily reminders of who God is, what God has done and what God has said. If we are not careful it won’t take long for a you and I to coast into spiritual forgetfulness & indifference. When we forget God, His word and His works then we tend to make the same mistakes the Israelites made. When we forget God we tend to tempt him rather then trust Him. We tend to complain about Him and to Him rather than cry out to Him for help. We tend to rebel against His commands rather than jofullly obey God. And we tend to create idols to worship rather than giving our adoration & allegiance to the one Savior who is worthy of our worship!

Jesus Came To Bring Change

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As we begin this year many are seeking to make changes for the better in their lives. Multitudes desire a change of life whether it’s physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, vocational or relational change. And the start of a new year brings fresh motivation for that change. As Christians we recognize that lasting change for the better in our lives comes from the perfect Unchanging One, Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Jesus went to Galilee preaching the Message of God: “Time’s up! God’s kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

In the Gospel of Mark we see Jesus in action bringing change into the lives of those whom he came in contact with. The change we need and the world needs implies that something is wrong with us and with the world. The message Jesus proclaimed was repent, which means to change your mind. A change of mind leads to a change of actions, attitudes and living. Coupled with that call to repent was the call to believe the gospel and this is where one experiences the power for change. Paul wrote that the gospel is “power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes “(Romans 1:16). Change is required and empowered by Jesus. When people truly encounter Jesus and believe in Him, He changes their lives. This happens at the beginning of our Christian life and the entire life of a Christ follower is a process of ongoing change that theologians call sanctification.

In Mark Chapter 1 we see Jesus changing the life of his first disciples calling them to become fishers of people (Mark 1:17-18). Then we see Him changing the life a demon possessed and controlled man (Mark 1:21-28). Then Jesus changed the life of a leper by healing him, which made it possible for him to be apart of the community again. He became “clean” after being “unclean” for many years and treated as an outcast. The change Jesus brings into our lives restores us to relationship with God and to others. Jesus healed many who had various diseases and he drove out demons that were oppressing people (Mark 1:34). Jesus brings the change into our lives that we could not accomplish on our own strength, discipline, smarts and skill. With Jesus change is possible because what He prescribes He empowers. Jesus offers you and I the change that we really need. He brought change to this broken, dark and hopeless world. He will return to finish His redemptive work and make all things new (Revelation 21:1-5)!


Two means of change we see Jesus using in Mark chapter 1 is prayer and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom (Mark 1:35-38). May we in 2021 embrace that change that Jesus wants to bring into our lives through prayerfulness and saturation and proclamation of the gospel! May we preach the gospel to ourselves and to others. May we pray for ourselves and others and see the Kingdom of God come on earth as it is in Heaven!

Leading & Living In Grace

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“Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—”

Philemon 1:8-9 ESV

In Philemon we see the effects of gospel of grace on the social norms of the 1st century. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to another Christian, Philemon, who had a runaway slave, Onenismus. This slave, Oneismus, became a Christian and a companion of Paul. Philemon must have had mounting anger and animosity towards Onenismus for leaving his responsibilities. Slavery was a social norm in the 1st century and Paul didn’t specifically address that social structure here but he did address how a Christian was to operate within that social structure, namely with love and forgiveness.

I so appreciate the Apostle Paul’s pastoral heart. His approach to leadership was one of grace and love, yet he wasn’t a soft pushover. He led with deep biblical conviction. Here we see Paul making a loving appeal to Philemon to do what is right. Paul had enough backbone to address the social issue by calling attention to what the Christian thing to do, yet he gave proper space to Philemon to respond in love willingly, not merely out of obligation. There is a great principle of grace here for the leader, whether it’s a parent aiming to shepherd the hearts of their children in showing love to their siblings or if it’s an employer seeking to build harmony and unity among their staff. The way of Jesus is one of grace and truth (John 1:18) and Paul walked that path, calling others to join. Let us do the same. The gospel of Jesus transforms our lives and brings about such beautiful effects of grace. In the NT we are not only commanded to love like Jesus, we are also empowered to do so by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within (Romans 5:5, 8:13-16, Galatians 5:22). The Lord not only shows us the right thing we ought to do, He also grants us the desire and power to do it (Philippians 2:13). The gospel of grace effects our social lives in how we treat others. It teaches us to treat people with dignity and love regardless of their social status.

Here is how the Apostle Paul taught the Colossians Christians to live in the grace of the gospel:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 3:12-13 ESV

Because God has treated us better that’s we deserve we are to treat others with that same grace and love. This is fitting for us who are chosen, holy and beloved. This fitting for us who identify with Jesus as our Savior and Lord. He is the One who is full of grace and truth.

May the gospel of grace lead us to live in grace! May the “fellowship of [our] faith become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in [us] for Christ’s sake.” Philemon 1:6 NASB

How Long O Lord -Psalm 13

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In Psalm 13 the psalmist demonstrates raw honesty with God in prayer that many Christians feel uncomfortable with. He doesn’t act as if everything is ok when it’s not ok. He teaches us how to be realists concerning the brokenness of this world and the brokenness that touches our lives. Many seek to cope with the brokenness, sickness, suffering and evil in the world by escapism, ignoring the reality of the world in which they live. Many do this by entertaining themselves numb with movies, games & social media. Some even do this in the name of faith, thinking it pious to ignore the feelings of painful abandonment, loneliness, fear, discouragement and despair. The psalms teach us not to ignore these emotional heart- struggles within us caused by the brokenness of this world, but rather they teach us to face them by acknowledging the pain, disappointment, discouragement, fear, and then pouring our hearts out to God and trusting Him with these struggles (Psalm 62:8).

Psalm 13 is a prayer song of lament that teaches us several lessons about our prayer lives.

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” Psalms‬ ‭13:1-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

  1. Express Your Grief to God in Prayer (v1-4)
    The psalmist gives the people of God permission to be real with God by communicating to him feelings of abandonment, discouragement, pain, sorrow and grief. God knows how we feel and what we really think, so it doesn’t surprise Him when we communicate honestly with Him because He already knows everything. However, He desires for us to have intimate relationship with Him and this requires honest communication. Any married couple who doesn’t have the freedom to communicate honestly, even if it’s painful truth, will miss out on deep relational intimacy. And so it is with our relationship with God. We need to feel the freedom to communicate how we really feel and what we really think, otherwise our relationship will remain at surface level. God calls us to deep intimacy with Him through honest communication.
  2. Trust In God’s Steadfast Love (V5a)
    When we know the One True God of the Bible we will cling to, trust in and delight in His glorious, unchanging character. He is rich in love which is constant, steady, never-failing and never-changing. He is 100% for us! He is not against us! He delights in doing good to us! He knows everything about us including every shameful secret sin, weakness and failure, yet He loves us more profoundly and fervently than any other being in the entire universe. And there is nothing we can do to make our God love us more. His love for us is perfect and full. So let us trust in His steadfast love. Let us trust that He will continue to show us His love daily and eternally!
  3. Rejoice In His Salvation
    The psalmist has moved from anguish to assurance in God’s steadfast love and salvation. He delighted and rejoiced greatly in the salvation that God so graciously gave him. Jesus instructed his disciples to do this in Luke 10:20. The disciples were rejoicing because demon spirits were subjected to them. They were doing what Jesus did, casting demons out of people. That’s pretty cool! But Jesus redirected their joy towards something less subjective and towards something more steady, heavenly and eternal, namely their salvation. Their names were written in Heaven and that wasn’t going to be taken away from them. When you and I allow Heavenly realities be the basis for our joy and rejoicing then we won’t be so subject to having our joy taken from us when earthy possessions and comforts are taken from us. God’s people are called to rejoice in all circumstances (Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16) because our Good Heavenly Father continues to remain the same (James 1:17) and our identity as His children remains secure (1 John 5:18).
  4. Sing to The Lord (V6a)
    Throughout the psalms the psalmists resolved themselves to sing to the Lord regardless of what difficulties came their way in life. This is how the psalmists fought their spiritual, emotional and mental battles. And this is how we are to fight our battles. Praise is one of our weapons against the onslaught of the enemy. In our praise we respond to the revelation of who God is as He has been revealed in Scripture and we respond to what He has done historically and in the our own lives.
  5. Reflect On How God Has Dealt Bountifully with You (6b)
    The Lord has been so good to each of us. Even if He were to take us home today, God has been good to us. Everyday of life we have had with our families and friends has been a gracious gift from the Almighty’s hand. And though our days here on earth are numbered, He has promised life everlasting with Him in the resurrection. God has been good to us by daily providing breathe to our lungs, food for our stomach, clothes and shelter for our bodies, music for our ears, beauty for our eyes and loving relationships to enjoy. God has been good to us by delivering us form near deaths experiences where we seemed to be one moment away from death. God has has ultimately displayed His goodness through sending His Son Jesus into this world to rescue us from sin and death. He has dealt bountifully with us who are in Christ. He has lavished grace upon grace on our lives (Ephesians 1:3-14). As we look back to reflect on the numerous ways our God has been good to us we are filled with confidence that He will continue to be good to us throughout all eternity.

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32

We have and will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13), and we are confident that because the Father sent Jesus to rescue us He will graciously give us all things, chase us down with His goodness and mercy and grant us to dwell in His house forever (Psalm 23:6).