Tag: scripture

  • Letter #35 (Priorities)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 both state, “Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also”.  It can also be said that you invest your time and your talents in those things that are important to you.  In other words, you will put your time, skills and money into those areas of life that you consider important enough to require your focus and devotion.  These areas can be referred to as your priorities.

         I don’t watch much television, but I recently happened to see part of a football game that was televised from a large outdoor stadium.  It was snowing and, based on the clothing people were wearing, quite cold.  According to an article from the New York Times from September 5, 2025, the average cost of a ticket to attend such a game is $279. 

         The typical pro game lasts about 3 hours.  That does not include driving time to and from the game or any side trips for meals or the famous tailgating parties.  Attending the game would essentially take the better part of a day and would, all incidental expenditures considered, involve a hefty empty space in each attendee’s wallet.

         Based on the money and time investments, I would venture to say that attending that game was a priority for the people sitting on those snow-covered bleachers. 

         Humor me and allow another example from a situation closer to home, so to speak.  A young couple we know came to worship complaining about not having enough money to repair their malfunctioning HVAC unit.  They talked about how their month seemed to always be more than their paychecks.  I knew the husband had a very nice newer truck, and the wife had her own vehicle, both with payments.  Then the wife said two statements that shed some light on their financial situation.  She first commented that they were going to be short on finances the whole season and did not know where they would get the money to pay all their bills.  Secondly, she revealed they would soon take a trip to a theme park that would cost them over $1,000 for a weekend stay at the park.  She had unintentionally revealed their priorities.

         Please do not misunderstand me.  There is nothing wrong with attending a sporting event or going to a theme park.  I have participated in similar activities.  However, I do understand we all will rationalize our “priorities” from time to time to make ourselves feel good about our expenditures of time, skills and money.  I’ve done that, and I dare think you may have, too.

         Here’s the rub with this priority topic—when we set our priorities, what do we use to establish a standard for setting those priorities?  Where do we draw the line on using our talents?  How much is too much to spend for something not already budgeted?  What is “wasting time” as opposed to “using time wisely?”

         Our priorities will determine the paths we take in life.  When we realize this fact, we should determine if our priorities are lined up with God’s will for our lives.  We must ask ourselves if our priorities demonstrate that we are living according to God’s call to minister to others for His kingdom’s sake.  We must take a serious look at those things we consider to be most important and determine if they coincide with what God says should be most important.

         Serious stuff, right?  Absolutely!  So, where do we turn to find out what God wants us to establish as our priorities?  You know the answers—scriptures and prayer.  But how often do we not go to those sources when we promote things in our lives into the position of being priorities?  How often do we do what we want, instead of seeking God’s guidance on how important something should be in our lives?

         Please do not take this letter as a personal condemnation.  It is a challenge.  Allow me to challenge you to sit down with whatever you use to take notes and begin to list where you spend your money, how you use your skills or talents and where you invest your time.  These three indicators will show you what you consider a priority.  Once you have done the identifying, then prayerfully go to scripture and seek God’s guidance on what you need to keep on the list and what you can reduce or eliminate from the list.  Remember, your priorities will motivate you and influence what you do, where you expend your energies, and how you invest your resources.  Just be sure your priorities agree with what God wants you to consider important.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #34 (Personal Study)

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         You probably have taught or preached from 2 Timothy 2:15, that verse in which Paul admonishes Timothy to study scripture so he could confidently instruct others about their meaning.  You may have done special scripture studies with your people for years, even decades.  There’s a possibility you hold one or more Bible studies weekly with those same people.

         I have some questions for you—in all those years of preparing for Bible study with your people, how has your personal Bible study progressed?  Do you even have time set aside each day in which you are not preparing sermons or group studies?  Are you studying the scriptures for your own knowledge, your own confidence, your own understanding?

         Let’s face the reality that our responsibilities as a pastor can interfere with our own personal Bible study.  Knowing we have to be prepared to preach and teach from the pulpit/platform regularly causes us to focus on that one responsibility while neglecting our own growth sometimes.  We want to be prepared with the right message at our main worship service.  We want to make sure our people are being taught sound doctrine regularly.  Therefore, we invest a great deal of time in the preparation needed for fulfilling those responsibilities.  Sometimes, however, that great deal of time uses up so much of our time that we do not study for our own growth.

         I know the Holy Spirit teaches us and preaches to us as we prepare for the sake of others.  And that does help us grow as pastors and teachers.  But that residual learning should inspire us to conduct deeper studies into God’s word for our own sake, not just theirs.

         When was the last time you preached a message and did further personal study on the main idea of that message?  How long has it been since you read through the Bible highlighting passages that seemed to jump off the page while you read?  Have you ever realized you needed to learn more about what God says on a particular topic because that topic is directly related to your own life?  Do you even have a daily devotional time when you ready, study and meditate on God’s word?

         I’m usually awake way before sunrise.  I discovered people don’t call you that early unless there is a serious emergency to be addressed.  That means there is ample time to do Bible reading and study.  One of my Bible apps sends a daily verse that is accompanied by a brief devotion.  Another one sends a passage with a longer, more detailed devotion.  I get a short spiritual reminder from someone I met while working on an intensive Christian weekend a couple of years ago. 

         I read them all, noting their main emphasis and how it applies to my own life.  And I admit I have thought about how they connect to me and prayed after reading them as the Holy Spirit pricked my heart about something.  I need these devotions.  I need these scriptures.  I need this time alone with God for my own growth.  I have learned that when I grow personally, I’m a better disciple of Christ.  And that makes me a better husband, father, grandfather and pastor.

         You may not be awake as early as I am.  But you have just as many hours in a day as I do, and you can carve out some time for personal Bible reading and study.  Your sermon and lesson preparations are good and useful, but they do not always focus on your own life, needs, joys and trials.  I encourage you to establish a personal regular Bible study time if you don’t have one already.  Don’t put this aspect of your spiritual growth off until tomorrow.  Start today.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor

  • Letter #7–K.I.S.S. Revisited

    Dear Small Church Pastor,

         In the first installment for K.I.S.S., I suggested you include the members of your congregation as ministry partners in order to simplify your life.  I pray you are encouraging your membership as they develop the gifts and talents resident in your congregation in order to accomplish that aspect of keeping ministry simple.

         Allow me to make a second recommendation toward achieving a more simple life for yourself and your congregation.  When preparing sermons or Bible lessons, focus on Jesus.  Focus on who Jesus is, what he has accomplished, what he taught his original disciples, and what he promised to do for, in and through them.  Focus on the gospel message and how to live out the teachings of Christ.  You will find that centering your message on the good news that there is forgiveness through faith in Jesus will simplify your ministry.

         Satan will try to get you sidetracked from this central message.  Remember he is the source of confusion, division and strife.  Satan will try to get you involved in arguments over controversial doctrinal points.  He will attempt to bring factional “us versus them” thinking into your congregation, and, if he can, he will use you to create unintended factions within your attenders through what seems to be innocent questions.

         Always remember Satan is a deceiver, a manipulator and a thief, and he wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy the works you and your congregation are doing for the kingdom of God.  In order to achieve his insidious purposes, he works through people to bring up “What do you think about…” kinds of questions.  He uses, “I heard…,” “I’m confused about…,” or “My friend/uncle/brother/neighbor/etc. says….”

         It’s during these seemingly innocent times that your spiritual enemy is working to complicate your life and ministry by getting you to “major on the minors” in life.  To combat these deceptions, I encourage you to always use scriptures in answering any question that might be a controversial subject.  My normal response to any doctrinal issue that arises is, “Let’s see what the Bible says about this.”  Always remember that the Bible holds the truth about any situation that arises in life.  What I think about a situation does not matter when it comes to what the Bible actually says.  Taken in its proper context, scripture always has the correct answer to any question, even the ones the devil tries to use to complicate ministry.

         When those controversial subjects arise, and they will arise eventually, attempt to steer the conversation back to the simplicity of the gospel.  If that fails, allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to speak through scriptures to those who are posing the questions.  Remember Paul’s advice to his protégé Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:20 to “…avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” KJV (“Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.” NLT)

         Allow me to give an example of this concept for maintaining simplicity in ministry.  A missionary we know operates in a country where the population is over 99% non-Christian.  He never compares Christianity to that national faith, nor does he debate the ideology of the other faith’s founder to that of Jesus.  He only talks about Jesus and his teachings.  His ministry is very successful, reaching over 9 million people monthly through various media avenues.  That success is influenced by the fact that he keeps his ministry focused on Jesus only.

         Focus on the simplicity of the good news about Jesus as much as is possible in every facet of your ministry.  If some divisive topic rears its head, go to scripture for guidance and rely on the Holy Spirit to deal with those topics as only he can by moving in the hearts and minds of those involved.  Remember:  KISS.

    Sincerely,

    A Small Church Pastor