Sat
Mar
10
2007
Encourage your preacher
Even though my son stole my thunder on this one, I’m going to post it.
Again, from Exiled Preacher, Ten Ways to Encourage Your Preacher:
- Be there! Preachers need congregations.
- Be an alert and attentive listener.
- Follow the message in your Bible.
- Pray for your preacher.
- Tell him that you are praying for him.
- Never say, “That was a nice sermon.”
- Say why you were helped or challenged by the message.
- Make friendly and constructive criticism when necessary.
- Don’t just listen, do it!
- Never fall asleep.
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Ways to know if you might be worshipping your pastor (taken from the ‘Christian culture survival guide’)
01. If you look around during ‘closing prayer’ for the quickest route to where your pastor will be after the service.
02. If you own tow or more books written by your pastor.
03. If you have your pastor’s cell phone on speed dial.
04. If you’ve ever caught yourself picking out your Sunday outfit based on a previous compliment from your pastor.
05. If you have a special cd holder for his sermons only.
06. If you travel mor ethan one hour to church each Sunday morning.
07. If you have ever skipped Sunday mornings because you know your pastor is out of town.
Stay tuned for ‘The six signs your pastor may have an ego problem’
Cheers, Chris
— Chris · Mar 17, 06:10 AM · #
Oh! Ouch! Cut to the quick!
— NeilA · Mar 17, 10:19 AM · #
Ok I did promise this…
...again from the ‘Christian culture survival guide’.
Six signs your Pastor may have an ego problem;
01. Instead of regular spoken anouncements, your pastor stars in his own pre recorded commercials that advertise the Bible study he’ll be teaching on Wednesday nights.
02. Your pastor not only preaches the sermons, but he’s also the vocal- savy praise and worship leader, saxophone soloist, and the church’s self proclaimed comedy relief.
03. Your pastor’s fashion sense brings to mind a Banana Republic minimum wage employee rather than a slightly overweight southern politician.
04. Your pastor has read from his own book during one of his sermons.
05. Your pastor has a booking agent, publicity representative, and his own stylist.
06. Your pastor is a member of the Hair Club for Men, is a self described metro sexual, does most of his ‘ministering’ at the gym, or can’t walk by the ‘Sunglass Hut’ without at least going in.
Cheers, Chris
— Chris · Mar 21, 05:59 AM · #
You know I have seen people worship the Pastor and his wife. I visited a church in Detroit MI where the congregation literally gave the wife of the Pastor an appreciation service but they bought her several suits from New York and gave her a mink coat and jewelry. Then they paraded down the isle holding up envelopes of money. I was in awe. Later we found out they had given her $15,000. They also gave the Pastor a new suit and alligator shoes. I just watched as they worshipped their Pastor and his wife. Some member also bought the Pastor a new car.
I thought about this situation and several points came to mind. First there is nothing wrong with being a blessing to your pastor. I feel it is a duty for the church to do their best. After all that parade and trust me they paraded for them. Will they be able to pay any of their bills afterwards? Will they have money for their groceries? After all the parade and going broke in an overkill situation how is their personal relationship with Jesus. The pastor should not allow his congregation to do overkill. They do this every year and they showboat everything. Fact is in the church I notice a level of unruliness. The congregation had a feel good preacher that would not preach God’s word to convict of sin. People need to know what God expects and many persons don’t study God’s word. So the preacher may be all they hear.
This is not good in many ways. How can one grow? After all the speaking in tongues, shouting and screaming and hollering what memory verses do they know? Have they learned how to resist the enemy and speak God’s word through hard times? These are the lessons of God’s word that make us have power through Christ. Oftentimes I have seen the weakness in Christians from not building up their relationship with Christ. You know it is not easy. I would love for the Christian life to be easy and we get everything we want. But God is not giving us a bed of roses down here.
I have struggled for the last 2& ½ years with the ideas about what I want God to do in my life. I don’t like what he has done in certain areas and I have had to accept the truth that God is in control and he knows what is best. Yet I still pray to him for everything and still ask him to move in areas. No matter what happens to me I still keep staying with God and praying to him. Sometimes I sound desperate in prayer because I am. But Neil you know God allows me to come to him and be bold and seek him.
Through my Pastor and church I have learned to begin with praise in prayer. I have learned to praise my way through things. I am not perfect and still learning but when you have a Pastor that teaches you how to worship God and he puts all emphasis on the Lord it really makes the difference. I have grown so much and I am grateful. I have to take one moment at a time.
People have to learn about God and know and understand the role of the preacher. They need to learn and know his will and not their own. This is the constant struggle but it is the focus of knowing who you are in Christ. I love my Pastor but I don’t worship him. If one does then he even tells them who to worship. Fact is my Pastor cannot solve my problems and neither can his wife. There job is to teach and preach God’s word.
I have a huge respect for ministers who do just that. It is what I need and I pray for them.
— EDEN · May 7, 08:43 PM · #