Churches are embassies of the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel. They are not the property of any one country.

In the end, acquiring debt isn’t the end of the world, but be wise about it and think twice before you sign on the dotted line. Don’t unnecessarily hobble your chances of taking a pastorate because you are too laden with financial debt.

Martin Luther warned people about the theology of glory versus the theology of the cross. In our day, we should be worried that we don’t become theologians of comfort, always looking for the path of least resistance and eschewing the way of the cross.

Of all of the images that we find in the Scriptures, I think it’s fair to say that pastors, shepherds, are never supposed to beat the sheep. They are not there to scold or berate the church. When Christ confronted Peter with his threefold denial, his tone was direct, but nevertheless gentle.

Don’t be defined by your past. Christ has forgiven you, freed you from the guilt and shame of your sin, and is presently sanctifying you, conforming you to his image. This means that your past sins no longer define you, but Christ defines who you are.

When I’ve preached from the New Testament one of the most important things is recognizing how the author uses the Old Testament

In my own ministry I was very concerned about my sermon content, so for the first ten years or so I used a manuscript when I preached. This didn’t mean, of course, that I was slavishly committed to my manuscript when I preached, but it did give me peace of mind to know that I had my remarks planned out in detail.

One of the biggest dangers in the pastorate is growing bitter towards your church. Ministry can wear on you very quickly. Whenever I’ve heard a pastor tell me that they’ve served for twenty or thirty years, I always comment that I’m impressed. Why? Because years in the pastorate are dog years—they take a toll.

In my interaction with these various levels of the church I found that one of the most important is the session, or my elders. In the life of the church I quickly discovered the importance of keeping my elders close.

One of the complaints I sometimes hear from some graduates is that they believe their seminary education did not adequately prepare them for the various counseling challenges they face in the pastorate.