About two years after becoming a Christian, I sensed the tug on my heart to be in pastoral...
The Gospel and the Ministry
How to Pray When You Want to Give Up in Ministry
Battles that the Pastor Fights Every pastor is a unique person with his own gifting and...
Why Pastors Should Be Good Readers
Why Pastors Should Be Good Readers from Crossway on Vimeo. Reading Literature for Better...
The Gospel and Teamwork
This material has been previously published in Jeff Mingee’s Called to Cooperate: A Biblical Survey and Application of Teamwork. (Ichthus Publications, Apollos, PA., 2016). Reprinted with permission. “Whether or not one realizes it, the gospel is – by its very nature...
Did You Know That Charles Spurgeon Struggled with Depression?
A Surprising Truth It comes as a surprise to some that Charles Spurgeon had a lifelong battle with depression. His reputation as a famed and powerful preacher, his cheery wit, and his cigar-smoking manliness might lead us to imagine there could never be a chink in his...
Pastor, Don’t Quit—Learn to Lament
When Ministry Wears You Out Years ago, I remember hearing a seasoned pastor say, “Ministry would be a cake-walk if it wasn’t for people.” His tongue-in-cheek statement revealed what people know: pastoral ministry is hard. It isn’t long until the passionate calling...
How the Psalms Saved My Life
In Psalm 121, the Psalmist is in a valley and looks up to the hills and in desperation, asks, “From where does my help come?” During my first pastorate, I entered into a season of severe depression. Every day, I woke up to a mind full of fog. Every task I completed...
Depression and Lament
“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres.” (Psalm 137:1, 2) Depression is a complex condition that no single formula can heal—and we should not pretend that any can. I have too much...
When the Pastor’s Wife Needs Prayer
Christmas Eve found me sitting behind a table with a sign on the front, offering prayer to those who wanted someone to pray with them or for them. As the quiet, instrumental Christmas carols played in the background, my heart cried out, “What if I am the one who needs...