God

New Blog – Small Church Pastor

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For nearly twenty years this blog has been my personal blog. My journey as a pastor. It has been the place that I have shared my family, my devotional thoughts, and things that interest me.

I began it with the intention of just giving people a glimpse of my life as a pastor. It has served that purpose well for all of these years. Yet, as I grow older, my goal has changed. Rather than sharing about me, I would like to share about Christ’s church. Especially, the part of the church that has been a part of my life and ministry for over thirty years now. The Small Church.

For the last three decades, Sonya and I have spent our lives serving in small churches. Many of these years, we have had the privilege of being able to serve full-time. While, for some of those, I was bi-vocational. Working a more than full-time job and also pastoring a church where I had no staff and I preached three times a week. It would be an understatement to say that I understand the plight of the small church pastor.

With that in mind, the focus of this blog is going to change. It will still be similar to the life of a pastor blog, however, the shift will now be on what it means to be a small church pastor. This will be a place to encourage, to share insights that I have gained over thirty years of pastoral ministry in churches of 200 or less.

I encourage you to stay tuned to this blog page as we begin to journey together on the life of a small church pastor. The challenges of it and the blessings of it and more than anything to help us understand that God is with the small church pastor.

God Knows Your Name

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Ever feel that God doesn’t even know your name?

Paul, in writing to Timothy, shared a powerful truth, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His…”  II Timothy 2:19

Need I say more?  God who is all-knowing knows your name.  The God who is all-powerful has the power to change your life.  Too many times we go by our feelings and feel unloved.  We may not feel His presence one day, and we think He has forsaken us.  The fact is, we do not have to live by feelings but by faith.  If He said, “He knows those who are His”, shouldn’t we take Him at His word?  God loves you and cares for you.  You are special to Him!  He knows the number of tears you cry and the number of hairs on your head (and those that fall off too).  We can delight in the fact that God cares for each one of us so much that He knows us all by name. 

My comprehension is not capable of grasping the fact that God Almighty can be everywhere at one time and know billions of individual names.  Not only that, He knows every detail of those many billions of people.  Amazing, is it not?  What an awesome God we serve!  Paul relates that this is the solid foundation of God, and it stands with the seal of His ownership on our lives.  Friend, the next time you feel forsaken, unloved or unmoved, think on this verse (II Timothy 2:19).  You are special, you are chosen, you are loved.  Jesus said that God knows every time a sparrow falls to the ground, how much more does He know your needs and hurts.  Rest assured that you are the apple of God’s eye, and He knows you by name.

Check out Danny’s books, including his newest book, Cloud of Witnesses.

Convicting Verses

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I’ve been reading over these verses this week. Convicting with no commentary needed.  How do they speak to you?

http://bible.com/8/pro.6.16-19.amp These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren.
Bible.com/app