Check These Out (3/6/2020)

I often read great blog posts and articles that are good for my soul and may benefit yours, too! I read blogs for pastors, parents, and Christians in general. I share these with the hope that you'll be blessed by the ministries of other Christians around the country and across the globe. Feel free to share some other good blog posts with me in the comments or on social media!

Brothers, Preach Your Heart Out — No Matter How Few People Are in the Room​
This post was a well-placed reminder to preach my heart out in my small church plant. As pastors (and members), it's easy to get caught up in the numbers game. We must never forget that "the value of preaching Christ is not dependent on the number of your listeners. The value of preaching is in Christ himself. His supremacy over all things makes all preaching valuable, whether it’s to 30 or 3,000 people."

Waiting On the Lord to Renew Our Strength: Reflections on Pastoral Burnout
Though written to pastors, we live in a burnout culture. From childhood we are taught to be go-getters and do everything we can to get to the top of whatever ladder we are climbing—whether ministry, motherhood, or corporate. Ortlund reminds us that, "when we sink into the lowest of the low, we will find God himself waiting for us down there with deeper grace 'to revive the spirit of the lowly' (Isaiah 57:15)."
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Come Away and Rest Awhile​
"As weak people, we need regular time of rest, refreshment, and relaxation. Vance Havner said it well: 'If you do not come apart and rest, you will come apart.'" Seeing myself and ministry friends on the verge of burnout has reminded me of the value of rest. God didn't create us to work endlessly, and it isn't more spiritual to burn out.

Parents, Take Note of the Spiritual Practices Common to Kids Who Flourish As Adults
Nothing we do can save our children's souls, but since parents are the primary means of discipleship for our children, we should model faithful Christianity. "The research... indicated that children who remained faithful as young adults (identifying as a Christian, sharing their faith, remaining in church, reading the Bible, and so on) grew up in homes where certain practices were present."

When Parents Feel Like We Are Mostly Failing Most of the Time
I can agree with this! "​I’m convinced the great majority of us feel like we are failing most of the time. We’ve got this deep gut feeling that our kids are spending way too much of their childhoods tapping on glowing glass rectangles. We feel a lot of guilt that our kids aren’t spending more time playing in the great outdoors or reading great books. We feel frustrated that mostly they don’t even want to."

Spurgeon and the Cholera Outbreak of 1854
The 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a serious global illness. Christians are not exempt from the deadly effects of pandemics, but we don't have to live in fear. We must be wise and trust our wise and loving Father. "As pastors and church leaders consider their response to COVID-19 in our present day, there is much to figure out practically and logistically. But the core of our ministry remains: Preach the gospel."