Episode 59: Evaluating Criticism
In this episode, Rob and Jody discuss how to evaluate criticism when it comes your way.
In this episode, Rob and Jody discuss how to evaluate criticism when it comes your way.
Evangelical pastoral ministry is in crisis. Since the Sixties various pastoral models have been tried and found wanting, and none more so than the celebrity mega-church pastor, which has recently been at the heart of serious questions being raised about the integrity of Evangelicalism in North America. A key part of the solution to this crisis is found in the admonition of Hebrews 13:7, where the recipients of that ancient, yet timeless, letter are urged first to “remember [their] leaders, those who spoke to [them] the Word of God,” then to reflect deeply on the “way of life” of these...
Do you desire to be a pastor or a Christian leader? If so, we need to be good. We need to preach Jesus and live according to his Word. For our charge is a serious one: we must guide people through life into the kingdom of God. So how can we know whether or not we are (or will be) a good leader or pastor? Here is one way to answer that question: can we see ourselves as a spiritual parent who lovingly and firmly guides others along the Way of Christ? If so, we are a good leader. Let...
Reproof is hard. But when practiced well, it’s a ministry that’s a gift to individuals and the church.
“Do you ever get frustrated by how many people don’t seem to change?” I asked. It was Monday. I’d just finished preaching another sermon. I’m encouraged by what’s happening in our little church, but to be honest, I sometimes feel discouraged too. People listen politely, but it’s hard to measure growth in people’s lives in the short term. It’s much easier to measure disappointment: people engaging in sin, people struggling with issues, people generally not doing the things that they most need to do. It’s the pastor’s dilemma: growth in grace can be hard to measure, but disappointments abound. Our...