The gospels record that Jesus fed 5,000 men (Matthew 14:21) once and 4,000 men another time (Matthew 15:38). Each time, he took a small amount of bread and fish, and then he miraculously fed an enormous number of people.  

At our final Senior Adult Luncheon of the year at the Church I lead, 33 adults came and enjoyed a fried fish dinner. Throughout the spring and summer, I catch lots of fish, and I keep them to feed our senior citizens twice a year. The last few times I have done it, one of the men in the group also contributed fish, and we had more than enough to feed the whole crew. Often, there are leftovers for people to take home and enjoy later. 

For this lunch, I cooked 180 pieces of fish and fed the 33. It was not miraculous, but it was splendid. Every time I have the opportunity to spend time with this group, it is humbling for me. I look out at them and see all those years of life experience. They have seen love and loss. They have known war and peace. They have watched the world change in more ways than I can fathom. And yet, they are still holding onto faith. After a lifetime of joy and pain, they still cling to Jesus as the only hope for eternity.

During the first seven years I was at this Church, I led the youth group. That demographic is thriving in our community, with more than 75 kids coming every Wednesday night now. Recently, six of them have placed their faith in Jesus and were baptized. I love watching them learn and grow. They hold so much potential for the future.

But those 33 are the joy of my ministry. Those people who follow Jesus for a lifetime. I hope and pray all 75 of those teens will one day enjoy a senior’s ministry, too. My desire is for them to spend their whole lives clinging to their faith.

Youth group is an incredible ministry, but feeding the 33 touches the depths of my soul.

I understand that you don’t like how I do some things as a Church leader. I don’t like how I do some things either. I would probably agree with your criticism. 

Show me what you are doing better, and I will gladly watch and learn.

Empty critique does no one any good. Telling others what they are doing wrong without personal experience is not helpful. It only serves to pull others down.  

Abraham was promised that his descendants would receive the land of Canaan. From then on, it became known as “the Promised Land.” It was described as a place flowing with milk and honey. That is not a literal statement but a metaphor for a place with excellent natural resources and where livestock would flourish.

The only problem is that people already live there. The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites dwell there. These tribes have been living in total rebellion against the God of creation, and Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, will have to defeat them in battle and drive them out of the land. They will serve as an instrument of God’s judgment on the evil people who live there.

Here is the tension: for the people of God to receive the blessings he had promised, they are going to have to trust God as they fight evil and drive it out of the land.

This imagery is symbolic for the followers of Jesus. We, too, are seeking out the blessings of the Lord, but to find them, we have a battle on our hands. We will have to fight the evil in our own lives and push back all the sins that have taken possession of our hearts.

God’s blessings are beyond imagination, but it always takes strenuous effort to receive them.

I trust in the Lord with all my heart, but I am not reckless.

There is no reason to believe that being a Christian or a Church excludes you from the harsh realities of living in a fallen world. We are susceptible to the same tragedies that impact the rest of humanity. That means when sinful people make sinful choices, it touches the lives of people who follow Jesus and those who don’t alike.

As a result of this thinking, our Church invests lots of money in safety and security. We have purchased security cameras, a substantial first aid kit, and radios with earpieces. Background checks were submitted on all children’s workers. Recently, we spent a significant amount of money updating fire extinguishers, indoor security lights, and exit signs. In the very near future, we hope to have lights all over the parking lot for visibility at night. We are trying to do everything to keep our Church community safe and secure.

I am sure there will be a few people who say that we should just trust in God. They might feel we are wasting our time and money. The Church leadership and I firmly place our faith in God and his power, but we also know the depravity of humanity, so we use our resources to make sure no one gets hurt without us being prepared.

At the Church I lead, we have total faith in Jesus, and we keep our eyes open and facility prepared for when someone or something goes rogue.

Nostalgia is defined as a sentimental longing or affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

The older you get, the more places you have that create feelings of nostalgia. For many people, one of those places is the Church. It gives us fond memories of our grandparents or parents as we think about their lives and faith.

One sad side effect of this is that people get attached to buildings, pews, decorations, and instruments. They do not want to change anything for fear of losing those pleasant old feelings.

The challenge is that the Church should not look back but rather look ahead. Instead of focusing on warm feelings about old times, how about we create a place that our children and grandchildren will love? Rather than clutching tightly to outdated tools, why don’t we grab ahold of new tools so that the next generation will be engaged at our gatherings?

I am happy that my grandparents and parents left me a legacy of faith. I know it was a battle for them to cling to Jesus with a community of believers. But holding onto nostalgic feelings will only make me feel good momentarily. My children and grandchildren knowing Jesus will produce good feelings for eternity.

The goal of my ministry is to lead people into a fully committed relationship with Jesus through the local Church.

For me to do this, it requires everything.

I picture it like a coach on a team. They want to win the championship, so they use every tool at their disposal to make it happen.

Sometimes, that requires quiet instruction and other times, it takes in-your-face tactics. Sometimes, it is early morning playbooks with donuts, and other times, it is late at night with caffeine. Sometimes, it requires being a cheerleader, and other times a drill sergeant.

I see this in Jesus’s ministry. Sometimes, he ministers with compassion and understanding. Other times, he seems angry and flips tables. One minute, he is praising Peter for his good confession, and the next, he is calling him Satan. He casts out demons in disgust and embraces sinners with grace. One thing I have learned from reading about Jesus’s life is that his tactics seem all over the map.

For me, the problem is that I never know what will work best. What works with one person sends another into revolt. But I must keep trying. Sitting back and casually watching people walk a path toward Hell is not an option for me.

I want everyone to know Jesus and the power of his resurrection and live the rest of their lives with him as their Lord. I will stop only short of sin to make that happen.

People frequently will tell me, “Our Church needs to …”

There is a long list of the ways that sentence ends. Our Church needs to help the homeless. Our Church needs to do more outreach. Our Church needs to be more compassionate to the hurting. Our Church needs more people serving the kids. Our Church needs to do this, and our Church needs to do that.

Usually, they mean, “Other people need to be more like Jesus in our Church community.”

A simple response is to ask, “Tell me your people.” I would like you to tell me the last needy person you helped, tell me who you are sharing this gospel with right now, or tell me who you are contacting regularly as an act of compassion.

Generally speaking, they have no names to share. What is implied in their statements is, “I am not going to do these things, but other people should.” They think if the pastor, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders would just put in more effort, then everything would be better at our Church.

The reality is that ministry is for everyone. Every. Single. Person.

Whenever your mind gets filled with “Someone should do this,” just know that maybe you are that someone.

Be fully aware that you are only hearing part of the story. Every story has multiple layers.

There are hidden backstories. Different perspectives impact interpretations. There is the mental distortion that comes from varying experiences.

Take everything you hear with a hint of skepticism. If possible, go to the source. Ask other people who were there for their insights. Gather information before you draw conclusions.

Because Churches are a community of people, they are often known for sharing stories with one another that paint themselves in a positive light and others in the dark. However, reality is not always so black and white.

Cultivate discernment and empathy when encountering such narratives. Recognize that complex situations seldom have simple explanations.

Recently, I was questioned about a couple of my articles. I was told that I wrote them after an incident, and they seemed reactionary.

Here is the honest truth: The idea for those posts was written in my blog journal months ago, and the complete article was written a week before any of the events happened. (I swear that is true.)

The fact that something similar happened a few days after I wrote them is a mere coincidence.

Or is it?

Perhaps we worship a God who is working both before and after the events of our lives.

When you read an article, hear a sermon, or find a video that speaks directly to a situation in your life, my guess is that it is not there by coincidence but by providence.

I am totally convinced from my conversations with other pastors, along with my personal experience, that the forces of evil hate it when a Church community succeeds.

Personally, my soul is lit on fire when guests come to our worship, when people are being baptized, and when lives are being transformed. My enthusiasm can go through the roof as we have significant events and see new people or when certain holidays lead to a packed building. As the gospel’s impact grows through my ministry and the Church I lead, I feel joy deep inside at the fantastic work of the Lord.

Then, when I get up in the morning, the first thing I do when I get to the office is hit my knees in prayer. That is because, with every life transformed, I know evil will hate it and attack. My emotions will be tested as they run from apathetic to depressed to angry. Temptations will lurk around every corner. Critics will rise, and criticism will flow. Disunity will permeate the leaders, and we will be tempted to turn on each other. The darkness will try to devour new believers and kill their enthusiasm for Jesus. Some days, it will seem like nothing is going right.

As the Church attacks the gates of Hell, there will be ugly battles that develop within the Church and its leadership, both internally and externally.    

When the light grows, the darkness will use every trick and tactic to push it back. That is why you need to pray for the Church staff, Elders, Deacons, and ministry leaders regularly. We fight not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces that do not want us to succeed.