Category Archives: pastor

Understanding Your Pastor

I think that most of us in the Church fail to get a real grip on what pastoring is all about. And that is sad and bad. Not only do we stunt our pastors growth, but we cripple ourselves, and … Continue reading

Posted in advice, battle, believer, Bible promises, blessings, christlikeness, church, church life, compassion, complexity, correction, darkness, difficulties, discernment, discipleship, distinctiveness, encouragement, endurance, evil, faith, Father God, fellowship of the saints, flock, following Jesus, friendship, fruits of the Holy Spirit, frustration, giftedness, God, grace, helpful, Holy Spirit, honor, Jesus Christ, lessons learned,, life, love, ministry, pastor, power, prayer, preaching, shepherd, spiritual lessons, spiritual warfare, strength, understanding, wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bearing One Another Up

And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Mark 2:3 Sociologists are quick to point out that the healthiest people mentally and physically, are those who are functionally aware of others.  These people often find themselves in … Continue reading

Posted in advice, believer, caregivers, challenges, community, devotional, discipleship, faith, faithfulness, following Jesus, grace, helpful, Jesus Christ, lessons learned,, lordship, love, ministry, pastor, peace, personal comments, power, prayer, pride, servanthood, Serving Mentally Ill Christians, understanding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mental Hospital Blues

I must tell the truth.  I have been in a hospital for my mental illness. Actually seven times. And each time was bitter, but I learned something.  They would take me of shoelaces, and belts, and fingernail clippers.  Basically, I was stripped of … Continue reading

Posted in believer, biography, bipolar disorder, comedy, delusions, devotional, discipleship, following Jesus, hospitalized, Jesus Christ, life lessons, medications, mental illness, paranoia, past, pastor, personal comments, quite useful,, scars, schizophrenia, self-centered, self-deception, self-harm, Serving Mentally Ill Christians, sorrow, spiritual lessons, spiritual warfare, stigma, suicide, symptoms, tangled up, understanding, unreality, Very helpful, waiting, will of God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The One Percent Solution

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  … Continue reading

Posted in believer, church life, confusion, depression, despair, devotional, discipleship, flock, following Jesus, Jesus Christ, mental illness, pastor, personal comments, Serving Mentally Ill Christians, shepherd, spiritual lessons, understanding, Very helpful, weakness, wisdom | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Here and Now, With His Grace

It is a bad habit to try to teach without personal knowledge. We can preach, but we do not possess. This is one of the occupational hazards of those of us in our profession. It seems to carry a horrible … Continue reading

Posted in advice, affliction, battle, battle wounds, believer, Bible promises, blessings, brokenness, Bryan's editorial, Bryan's comments, depression, desperation, despondancy, difficulties, discernment, discipleship, faith, Father God, fear of death, following Jesus, God, grace, Holy Spirit, hope, intensity, intimacy, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, lessons learned,, life, life lessons, lithium, lordship, mental illness, mercy, ministry, miracle, mood swings, obedience, outside source, pain, paranoia, past, pastor, pathetic, personal comments, promises, quotes, refining, reformation, repentance, rest in God, scars, Serving Mentally Ill Christians, sin, spiritual lessons, tangled up, teaching, transparency, understanding, Very helpful, working out, zeal, Zoloft | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments