Leaders have to make difficult decisions that are often met with criticism and resistance. At times, they become the target of unfair attacks and false accusations. Given these realities, it’s not surprising that many leaders struggle with loneliness.
“[In 2025]… about 54% were optimistic Trump’s policies would have a positive impact on the work they do—in the most recent poll, that number dropped to 39%.” - MinistryWatch
“We can’t plant a church there. We don’t have sponsorship and funding to do things for people to get them to come to church. No one will believe on Christ unless we have something to offer.” When local believers think this way, there is no real future for sustainable gospel ministry in missions.
Maintaining a consistent spiritual focus in ministry, especially in places where poverty is the norm, is not easy. Faithful proclamation of the Gospel requires deliberate effort to ensure that generosity never overshadows or confuses the message of the Gospel or hinders the obedience of local churches.
“I want to accomplish two things: (1) further define ‘sacred cow’ so we can recognize them, and (2) lead you to ask if your church has any sacred cows – including ministries you may lead. In a future post, I’ll give attention to how to address these issues. ” - Baptist Press
“The thing that people don’t know is that after every sermon for years until he started preaching in multiple sites, Tim would have a Q&A after every service and invite people to stay….Most of those sessions weren’t recorded, so only the memories of those who attended will be able to attest to the variety, complexity, and occasional ferocity of those questions.” - C.Lea
“But what about my aspiration to pastor? Was that something I’d have to give up on? No, far from it! In fact, in God’s kindness, the fits and starts of my journey made my pastoral aspirations even more clear. My aspiration was to be a lay elder.” - 9 Marks
It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
Lest he drink and forget what is decreed,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted. (LSB)Proverbs 31:4–5
I’ve noticed with increasing frequency that not only are more pastors and even Christians in general drinking more openly, there seems to be a growing number that are using social media to promote their newfound freedom, with some even encouraging others to join in.
“Is it possible that you should try to build a bigger platform? By platform, I only mean some position of influence. This broad sense of the word would include a social media following or a podcast, as well as publishing a book or even taking a pastorate…. but might also include planting a church or getting a PhD to publish or teach.” - London Lyceum
“It won’t be enough to white-knuckle the ego into submission like a wrestler pinning his opponent. We need to have our desires for peace, love, and purpose met. We need to fortify our gospel identity, besieged as it is by circumstance and public opinion” - TGC
The passing of John M. Perkins last Friday marked the loss of a man who not only shaped me from a distance but whom I also had the privilege of meeting a few times over the years. He was a civil rights activist, a preacher, a community developer, an evangelist, and a discipler and developer of Christian leaders, among many other things. Historian and Theologian Charles Marsh from the University of Virginia has called him the most influential African-American leader since Martin Luther King.
