Im done.

[usmilret]

Thank you so much for what you do. Thank you for being a teacher and thank you for serving others. I am one who is very grateful for those who are called to pastor a church. Pastors get beat up quite a bit. Many christians understand this and are grateful for people like you.
This may or may not be advice because I am not a pastor.
Keep a closer watch on your spiritual life. If you find yourself burning out so to speak, are you still placing the Lord first in your life as a pastor? Or are you placing your ministry first? If you are placing your ministry first is for spiritual life suffering for it?

Again thank you for what you do.

 

[WOFFER]

My former pastor (Rod Parsley) once said to us (the students at the bible college) "If you can do anything else in this life and be happy other than pastoring, do it!"

 

[liferiver]

I think the Lord himself understands.

Jesus Himself was tired. At one point, even His disciples wanted to leave Him. On the cross, only a few were remaining, some ran away. By most standards, His message did not sit well with the majority.

Take heart. You're in good company.

 

[gypsygirl]

I appreciate you voicing your opinion about how a lot of people don't truly want to deal with their sin, which really is the root of virtually all our problems. A lot fewer Christian self-help books would be read if we really stopped trying to make excuses for ourselves on a very deep level. As far as I am concerned, in the deepest recesses of our hearts, we all violate the Ten Commandments at least in our souls, if not outwardly, yet do we really want to admit that we covet or pity ourselves? It's such a blow to our pride, and sin that can be so humiliating or painful and personal to admit can only be confessed when someone is broken or desperate enough. Accepting accountability to our Creator can be gut wrenching.

The only real lasting help I ever got from a church leader was from a home ministry wherein the leader (pastor, I guess) and others attending finally gave it to me straight about my sin. Yet, they balanced the message with an emphasis on renewing the mind through the Word of God.

In reality, I wonder if exasperated pastors like you should just leave the traditional church and start home ministries. I really, really miss the one I used to go to - we all felt like outcasts and freaks because we actually recognized the pathetic darkness of our unrenewed souls that required transformation.

Remember, your reward from the Lord will ultimately come but here on earth know that you will be persecuted and hated by others for standing up God's Word because it goes against our flesh.

 

[plmarquette]

John Maxwell Pastor's Most Valuable Partner... Prayer Team ....as with Aaron and Hur holding up Moses' arms during the battle...

Can you delegate authority and responsibility....
Can you speak to fellow pastor / pastorial association
can you focus on the ones who listen ... ezekiel 3.18-24 ; Matthew 18.15-21 says to speak and if do not listen, then intercede for them and go on...