For many, a life of prayer and spiritual depth is not for them. It’s not that they do not desire it; it’s that they believe it is out of reach. There’ve been too many false starts in their spiritual life. A lot of well-intentioned declarations of commitment that puttered to stalls and stops. Humming under the hood of the heart is the belief, A deep and satisfying prayer life is not for me. Do you believe that? I want you to know it’s not true.

Taken from The Possibility of Prayer by John Starke. Copyright (c) 2020 by John Starke. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com

So, you’ve been handed the job title of “directory administrator.” The job at hand can feel daunting and overwhelming, especially if you feel all the responsibility lies on your shoulders. But this is a great opportunity to remind yourself that you don’t have to go this alone. You can take this project and organize a directory team to make the process of creating and updating your church directory fun and uniting instead of isolating.

Instant Church Directory offers a 30-day free trial. You can learn more by visiting InstantChurchDirectory.

My Fellow Fakers,

I have assembled you here today for the purpose of preaching a short sermon on an amazingly effective way to improve the public image of a Christian minister in most communities around the world.

This is the day of short sermons, so I will make this short and sweet to your ears. When you see how obvious my three points are, you will not doubt that I am a fine prince of preachers, and a fine prince of darkness!

For the full article go to https://www.pastorresources.com/a-short-sermon-by-the-devil-on-improving-the-ministers-image-in-the-community/

by Dennis D. Frey, Th.D.

President of Master's International University of Divinity

the.mdivs.edu

You may be a political junkie, searching out every possible partisan nugget in media and among friends, and looking forward to the bare-knuckled skirmishes of the new election year. Or you may find the sharp rhetoric and endless parsing of political points already tiring, and you are dreading nearly a full year of wall-to-wall political forays, assaulting every print, broadcasting and online communication. Or you be somewhere in-between.

Read full article at https://www.pastorresources.com/our-god-is-a-relational-god/

Adapted and abridged from Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream by Brian Fikkert and Kelley M. Kapic (©2019). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.

Having just come through the Christmas season I thought it would be a good time to look at an age old debate that always resurfaces during that time. I am speaking of the use of “Xmas” rather than “Christmas”.

As any of you who have been in Christianity very long know, this subject can be very polarizing. The secular world, in an attempt to avoid any mention or use of the Savior, have preferred the use of “Xmas” as it does not contain the name Jesus or Christ, unlike the use of “Christmas”…or does it?

Read the full article at https://www.pastorresources.com/ignorance-is-dominant/

Written by

Will Sharples

R.A.G.E. Ministries, INC

www.rageministries.org

All married couples experience anger. The tragedy is that thousands of couples never learn how to process anger productively. Marriage becomes a battlefield, each spouse accusing the other of firing the first shot. If a couple do not learn to properly handle their anger, they will never have a satisfying marriage.

Read the full article at https://www.pastorresources.com/angry-at-your-spouse-six-ways-to-handle-this-emotion-productively/

Excerpted from Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion, ©2015 by Gary Chapman. Used with the permission of Moody Publishers. www.5lovelanguages.com

When we’ve been hurt, when we’ve been battered, sometimes anger and bitterness give us a sense of control. But the truth is, our bitterness and anger often control us. They keep our perpetrators close at hand, keep the wrongs they’ve done to us in the front of our minds...

Read the full article at http://www.pastorresources.com/the-power-of-forgiveness/

Written by

LATASHA MORRISON is a bridge-builder, reconciler, and a compelling voice in the fight for racial justice. Ebony magazine recognized her as one of their 2017 Power 100 for her work as a community crusader. Tasha has spoken across the country at events that include: IF:Gathering, Justice Conference, Youth Specialties, Catalyst, Orange Conference, MOPS International and many others. A native of North Carolina, Tasha earned degrees in human development and business leadership. In 2016 she founded Be the Bridge to inspire and equip ambassadors of racial reconciliation. In addition to equipping more than 1,000 sub-groups across five countries, Be the Bridge hosts a closed, moderated online community of bridge-builders on Facebook with more than 20,000 members.

Excerpted from Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation. Copyright © 2019 by Latasha Morrison. Used by permission of WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison, narrated by the author.

It was a small act, really, but one that was significant to this music-loving gal. A year or so after I became a Christian at twenty-three, I had thrown all of my CDs in the trash. I would have a fresh start and begin a new collection...

Read the full article at http://www.pastorresources.com/sacred-endurance/

Taken from Sacred Endurance by Trillia Newbell. Copyright (c) 2019 by Trillia Newbell. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com

I dream big, I pray big, and I don’t settle for anything. If I pray for someone to be healed, I pray in faith for a miracle. If someone needs encouragement, I’m their biggest cheerleader. When Lucy wanted to be president, I bought her a hat that had “Future President”...

Read the full article at http://www.pastorresources.com/settlinga-little/

Taken from: SHE RISES LATE AND HER KIDS MAKE HER BREAKFAST

Copyright © 2019 by Kerri Pomarolli

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97408

www.harvesthousepublishers.com   

Kerri Pomarolli is a writer, comedian, speaker, and the ultimate Proverbs 32 Woman. She tours nationwide with clean comedy at top Christian and secular venues, with film and TV appearances. Known as “Hollywood’s Favorite God Girl,” she lives with her daughters in LA by the sea. She is the author of two books, Confessions of a Proverbs 32 Woman and She Rises Late and Her Kids Make Her Breakfast, available now from Harvest House Publishers. kerripom.com

All churches focus on missions, right? All churches support missionaries, right? All churches care for missionaries, right? Probably not exactly, though no church (or pastor) wants to admit where there might be some gaps in the care being given to the missionaries that they support.

Read the full article at: http://www.pastorresources.com/how-do-you-spell-care/

Written by:

Kirsten McClain serves in church missions mobilization for OMF. She has been serving churches and mission agencies for the last 20 years. She has a heart to see the church realize her potential in missions and is driven to be a mobilizer to this end. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three children, and she is ready to direct pastors to the various resources that OMF uses to come alongside churches and individuals so that they can do missions well. [email protected]