My father was a good preacher. People who heard my dad will tell you Junior cannot touch Senior when it comes to preaching. There are many preachers who have influenced my preaching. But my dad is at the top of the list. My dad would often tell me, “Son, I don’t want you to be a jackleg preacher.” I didn’t know what a “jackleg preacher” was. Still don’t. But I heard the term enough to know it was something I did not want to be. I hope I am or am becoming the kind of preacher my dad would be...

Do you feel like shaking hands? I am often asked this question when I finish preaching away from home. I always answer affirmatively. Sometimes I add, “If they can sit and listen to me preach for forty-five minutes, the least I can do is stand and shake their hands.” On occasion, I cannot hide how shocked I am to be asked the question, even though I have heard it countless times. Of course I am going to shake hands, whether I feel like it or not. Preaching is hard work. If a man takes his work seriously, sermon preparation is...

My secretary told me a new member wanted a meeting. His name was Phil. USC students from the campus InterVarsity ministry had started attending our church. Some joined. Phil was one of them. I was glad to have the young people in our church. But these meetings were getting on my nerves. They meetings were the same. The young person told me what he or she liked about the church. Then they told me the things that needed to change if they were to be comfortable enough to stay. It felt like they viewed my congregation as a project to...

So how did it go this Sunday? This question is asked many times each week. Some pastor talks to another pastor. And whatever the agenda of the discussion, it is likely one will ask the other about the previous Lord’s Day service. Did you have a good day? What did you preach? How did it go? The answer typically includes comments about Sunday’s attendance, offering, and steps of faith taken. Then we describe how we think the sermon went. We may feel we were not quite ready. We may feel the sermon could have been shorter. We may feel the...

  It was the last day of the revival. I had just finished my ninth sermon of the meeting. I stood to give my lasting remarks. And I said what I was thinking. Usually, I am able to mind my business when I preach away from home. But since I had no intention of ever returning to that church, I took a shot at them. Thanks for putting up with my preaching this week. And for all of your kindness and encouragement. But all the glory goes to God. Any human credit goes to the church I serve. They give...

It was only the first night of a weeklong revival. But this young preacher was wiped out. It was the first night of the meeting for the congregation. But it was my third week of preaching in a row. And I was tired. I had traveled all day without eating. I had to get a bite before I turned in. We ended up at a restaurant with a group of other pastors. To my surprise, one of my preaching heroes was there. And I had the opportunity to chat him up over dinner. Wanting to impress my hero, I began...

I studied what scripture teaches about spiritual leadership. And my eyes were opened about how the Lord governs his church. But I hit a sticking point. I had not seen what I was learning done in any church that I knew. I needed some advice. So I made an appointed with a pastor I respected. I told him what I learned and asked how he viewed the issue. He agreed with me, clarified my thoughts on some points, and affirmed that I was headed in the right direction. In fact, I discovered his congregation was operating according to the principles...

One of my associates preached our early service some years ago. He preached the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). His introduction focused on the fact that it was a story about a father who was there for his two sons and took care of their needs. As a sinner listening to the message, I was moved. As a preacher listening to the message, I couldn’t help but think that I would have never thought of getting into the text that way. It was doorway into the story that I had never even seen. Later that week, the associate...

My orientation to pastoral ministry is bent toward long pastorates. My father served the church I grew up in for more than forty years. My adopted dad has also served his congregation for forty years. My own pastor has served his congregation for thirty-five years. And most of the men who have shaped my faith, theology, and ministry philosophy have had long pastorates. Of course, not every man is cut out for long pastorates. The calling of the Lord on each person’s life is unique. And some men are not divinely wired for long pastorates. Some pastors are called to...

For many years, I served a church in the shadows of many so-called "megachurches" in my city. This was not a thing for me. I believed my congregation was, pound-for-pound, just as strong and healthy and fruitful as these larger congregations. But there were times when I felt the pressure to measure up to other congregations. This pressure was self-inflicted. At points, I foolishly accepted the deception that numbers, prominence, and apparent success were the signs of God's blessings on a church or ministry. They are not. During one of these periods, I discovered a truth that set me free:...

I am a  pack rat. My church staff is trying to go paperless. I just bought a new file cabinet to make room for all the various files I keep. Some are decades old. Not long ago, I found a filed article entitled, “What’s Really Going On?” I won’t mention the name of the author. And you wouldn’t know her if I did. But this article helped save my ministry. It was the early 1990s. And I was getting beat up pretty bad in a church fight. Actually, it wasn’t a fight – it takes two to fight. It was...

He picked me up from the airport. We headed straight to the church. I wanted to look over my manuscript once more before I preached. But I took a few minutes to chat with my driver. I asked my standard questions, including, “Where do you serve in the church?” “I'm pastor’s chief armor bearer,” he said proudly. I summoned all the self-control I could muster. But I couldn’t resist. I had to ask. “What does that mean?” He explained the various ways he serves his pastor. “I am basically pastor’s right-hand man,” he concluded. I changed the subject. But there...