This past weekend I told you about one of the ten things that Stephen Cavness mentioned in an article entitled "10 Things You May Not Know About Your Pastor." Many of you have asked what the other nine are so I am posting the article below.
10 Things You May Not Know About Your Pastor (reprinted from Homelife Magazine/Jan. 2011)
The following article appeared in the January 2011 edition of Homelife Magazine, distributed by Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The author, Stephen Cavness, is pastor of Cave City Baptist Church in Cave City, Kentucky. His article sums up the heart of a pastor. Pray for your pastor and church staff!!! :)
Paul's New Testament letters are full of prayers for his fellow believers. Like most pastors, I'm often surprised to find that my church members don't realize that I pray for them regularly--not just when they are sick or experiencing turmoil. Here are 10 things, generally speaking, that may surprise you about your pastor.
1. HE LOVES YOU--and not just because it's part of his job description. As a pastor, God has placed in his heart a love and concern for you that you probably wouldn't believe if he tried to explain it, although, like me, he could try harder. Your words, notes and other forms of encouragement mean so much because they come from people your pastor really cares about.
2. HE GETS FRUSTRATED--because most of his church family thinks he's the first to know everything when he's often the last. Few things are more discouraging than learning there has been heartache, sickness, or turmoil that everyone else has been talking about for a week, wondering why the pastor hasn't called or come by. He could use your help in this area.
3. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU DON'T AGREE--with everything he does. He may even know that your way would be better. But sometimes, he also knows he might have to do things a certain and is way for a while longer (or change something a bit more quickly) for the greater good. He's deeply aware that it may be inconvenient or not as effective, but he's willing for some to be frustrated if it means he can prevent bickering in the church--or to make certain that he's not compromising doctrinally in an area that maybe no one else has noticed.
4. YOU FILL HIM WITH OVERWHELMING JOY--Whether it's your becoming consistent in your attendance, asking him a question that reveals you've been thinking about gospel implications, treating others with grace, smiling while you sing, showing concern when someone is missing from the church, lingering after services because you would rather spend more time together than leave, or many other great things, you make him happy. There are times when he's near tears because he sees God bringing His work to completion in you.
5. HE WANTS YOU TO REALLY KNOW AND LOVE THE GOSPEL--To have genuine love for one another, and to have your life shaped by the grace of God because when the church has this love and is gripped in this way, there is rejoicing both on earth and in heaven!
6. HE DOESN'T EXPECT YOU TO BE PERFECT and is acutely aware that he's not. In fact, a lot of times he's afraid that you may perceive he's not the man of God you thought he was. Not because of some gross sin but because he, too, can be lazy, selfish, tired, frustrated, and distracted in his walk with Christ. Pray that he won't be!
7. FOR EVERY SERMON YOU THINK HE BOMBED, HE THINKS HE BOMBED TWICE AS HARD. But know this: Sometimes, the sermon you love the most leaves him the most frustrated because what you tell him you loved about it misses the point he was trying to make. Other times, he's 100 percent certain that he proclaimed the text exactly as the Lord wanted him to and feels invigorated to have done so--until he realizes everyone hated it or was bored. Knowing that he shouldn't try to be a people pleaser but wanting his church family to be encouraged and engaged is hard to balance. Pray for him.
8. SOMETIMES, HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S DOING. It's not that he hasn't been called to the ministry, but seminary or Bible college doesn't train him for every situation. Things often come up and he has no idea what to do. Sometimes, by the grace of God, he gets it right. Sometimes, he swings and misses and it scares him to think he might miss again the next time. Pray that he would be bold in trusting Christ at all times and in all circumstances.
9. IT BOTHERS HIM WHEN HE CAN'T MAKE YOUR SITUATION BETTER. He doesn't care so much about being the hero or the great problem solver, but he's rooting for your marriage to work out. He wants your rebellious child to see the truth. He wants your parent to show you affection. He wants the memories of abuse to be swept away. He wants you to overcome doubts that God is real or that your faith is genuine. He knows that God is in control and that He alone can heal these wounds and perform these miracles. But when the answers to his prayers aren't coming, it breaks his heart for you and he would do almost anything to fix things if he could.
10. HE WANTS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, for your labor to bring honor and glory to God. He knows he has blown it sometimes, that there have been instances when he simply could have and should have done better. His calling as a pastor often terrifies him because he knows his own inadequacies better than anyone else. He longs for the church family he serves to get it right because he loves God and he loves you. And when God gets the glory and you reap the benefits, your pastor relishes in the joy that is all rooted in Jesus Christ.
10 Things You May Not Know About Your Pastor (reprinted from Homelife Magazine/Jan. 2011)
The following article appeared in the January 2011 edition of Homelife Magazine, distributed by Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. The author, Stephen Cavness, is pastor of Cave City Baptist Church in Cave City, Kentucky. His article sums up the heart of a pastor. Pray for your pastor and church staff!!! :)
Paul's New Testament letters are full of prayers for his fellow believers. Like most pastors, I'm often surprised to find that my church members don't realize that I pray for them regularly--not just when they are sick or experiencing turmoil. Here are 10 things, generally speaking, that may surprise you about your pastor.
1. HE LOVES YOU--and not just because it's part of his job description. As a pastor, God has placed in his heart a love and concern for you that you probably wouldn't believe if he tried to explain it, although, like me, he could try harder. Your words, notes and other forms of encouragement mean so much because they come from people your pastor really cares about.
2. HE GETS FRUSTRATED--because most of his church family thinks he's the first to know everything when he's often the last. Few things are more discouraging than learning there has been heartache, sickness, or turmoil that everyone else has been talking about for a week, wondering why the pastor hasn't called or come by. He could use your help in this area.
3. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU DON'T AGREE--with everything he does. He may even know that your way would be better. But sometimes, he also knows he might have to do things a certain and is way for a while longer (or change something a bit more quickly) for the greater good. He's deeply aware that it may be inconvenient or not as effective, but he's willing for some to be frustrated if it means he can prevent bickering in the church--or to make certain that he's not compromising doctrinally in an area that maybe no one else has noticed.
4. YOU FILL HIM WITH OVERWHELMING JOY--Whether it's your becoming consistent in your attendance, asking him a question that reveals you've been thinking about gospel implications, treating others with grace, smiling while you sing, showing concern when someone is missing from the church, lingering after services because you would rather spend more time together than leave, or many other great things, you make him happy. There are times when he's near tears because he sees God bringing His work to completion in you.
5. HE WANTS YOU TO REALLY KNOW AND LOVE THE GOSPEL--To have genuine love for one another, and to have your life shaped by the grace of God because when the church has this love and is gripped in this way, there is rejoicing both on earth and in heaven!
6. HE DOESN'T EXPECT YOU TO BE PERFECT and is acutely aware that he's not. In fact, a lot of times he's afraid that you may perceive he's not the man of God you thought he was. Not because of some gross sin but because he, too, can be lazy, selfish, tired, frustrated, and distracted in his walk with Christ. Pray that he won't be!
7. FOR EVERY SERMON YOU THINK HE BOMBED, HE THINKS HE BOMBED TWICE AS HARD. But know this: Sometimes, the sermon you love the most leaves him the most frustrated because what you tell him you loved about it misses the point he was trying to make. Other times, he's 100 percent certain that he proclaimed the text exactly as the Lord wanted him to and feels invigorated to have done so--until he realizes everyone hated it or was bored. Knowing that he shouldn't try to be a people pleaser but wanting his church family to be encouraged and engaged is hard to balance. Pray for him.
8. SOMETIMES, HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE'S DOING. It's not that he hasn't been called to the ministry, but seminary or Bible college doesn't train him for every situation. Things often come up and he has no idea what to do. Sometimes, by the grace of God, he gets it right. Sometimes, he swings and misses and it scares him to think he might miss again the next time. Pray that he would be bold in trusting Christ at all times and in all circumstances.
9. IT BOTHERS HIM WHEN HE CAN'T MAKE YOUR SITUATION BETTER. He doesn't care so much about being the hero or the great problem solver, but he's rooting for your marriage to work out. He wants your rebellious child to see the truth. He wants your parent to show you affection. He wants the memories of abuse to be swept away. He wants you to overcome doubts that God is real or that your faith is genuine. He knows that God is in control and that He alone can heal these wounds and perform these miracles. But when the answers to his prayers aren't coming, it breaks his heart for you and he would do almost anything to fix things if he could.
10. HE WANTS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, for your labor to bring honor and glory to God. He knows he has blown it sometimes, that there have been instances when he simply could have and should have done better. His calling as a pastor often terrifies him because he knows his own inadequacies better than anyone else. He longs for the church family he serves to get it right because he loves God and he loves you. And when God gets the glory and you reap the benefits, your pastor relishes in the joy that is all rooted in Jesus Christ.
