Why Pastors Burn Out (and what to do about it).

Posted on September 15, 2016 | 2 comments

I’ve noticed several cases of minister burnout recently. Maybe these cases are more common, or perhaps the nature of social media has caused me to see these cases more readily. But either way, it is cause for concern.

I’m concerned for a couple of reasons. One is because I am a pastor and I know something of that danger in my own life. I’d like to avoid this problem and be able to remain effective in God’s work. Another reason for concern is because I love the church and those who lead the church. They matter to God’s work in our world and they matter to God. I grieve to see my fellow ministry leaders sidelined no matter the reason.

Let me suggest some reasons for minister burnout and what can be done to help alleviate this problem.

1. Ministers are wearied by conflict and complaint.  Ministers love people and want to help them. But their very love for people makes them vulnerable Continue reading →

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5 reasons pastors should read the whole bible each year

Posted on September 6, 2016 | Leave a comment

I began reading through the bible at least once every year for more than 25 years now and it has been a great blessing to my life and ministry. Let me suggest 5 reasons why all pastors and bible teachers would benefit from this spiritual discipline.
1. It helps us see the whole story. How does the OT and NT fit together? After 7 or 8 times through the bible you will begin to see that better. I visited my grandmother while in seminary. She was a Sunday School teacher and so she peppered me with questions wanting to better teach her class. I knew some things she didn’t know- Greek and Hebrew and such. But I quickly realized that she knew the bible in a way I didn’t yet because she read it so much. I determined to know the bible like that.
2. It gives us a sense of context. Taking the bible Continue reading →

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Evangelism Lessons

Posted on August 29, 2016 | 3 comments

I recently gave our church ministry staff an assignment. Share the gospel with at least one person during the next week and report back. Here are some lessons we learned together.
1. We can easily be around only other believers. We work with other believers (at least we think the rest of our ministry team is saved!), serve in ministry with other believers and Continue reading →

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The Value of State Conventions

Posted on August 18, 2016 | 2 comments

The Southern Baptist Convention is organized through state conventions. (Though some of the “state” conventions combine multiple states.) I suggest to you that these state conventions play a helpful, but underappreciated role in the work of our faith and denomination.
I’ve heard people predict or even advocate the demise of state conventions for years now. Are they necessary? Do they add a level of redundancy? That sort of thing. While I always appreciate efforts to make our work more effective and efficient, there are some benefits to the work of our state conventions that ought to be considered. Here are just a few.
1. They keep us locally focused. I appreciate a big picture approach to SBC life. But that big picture is made up of many smaller portraits. State conventions have the pulse of churches in their region that national entities can’t. No one knows more about the needs of my state better than my own state convention staff. The very fact that they live and worship here allows them to understand our needs in church planting and revitalization and discipleship in a way that is difficult for others. Continue reading →

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Undoing What’s Been Done

Posted on August 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

Great thoughts from my sweet wife!

Vickie Munton's avatarwateringcanblog

Parenting is, without a doubt, THE hardest job in the world, but undeniably, the most rewarding.  Not many would argue with me on that…

But when your children are small and you are tired and frustrated, and think it can’t possibly get any harder–you put them to bed, breathe a sigh of relief, and navigate your way through to the end of another day.

… Only to wake up and realize that the time is gone, and they have become men and women who are living out their own frustrations, making their own decisions, raising their own children–and you wish you could go back.  Not really go back in time and relive it all, but maybe just go back long enough to treasure some of those precious moments just a little longer–and spend time repairing some of the things you wish you had done better.

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What Humility Isn’t

Posted on August 9, 2016 | Leave a comment

Humility is a confusing concept in our self-esteem generation. Perhaps thinking about what it isn’t can help us to consider what it is.
1. It isn’t winning an honor. Probably the most common usage Continue reading →

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Pastors Need Friends

Posted on June 28, 2016 | 4 comments

Pastors struggle to have deep and meaningful friendships. Note the words “deep and meaningful”. Most pastors would say they have lots of friends but often they are more shallow than deep and more superficial than meaningful. There are reasons for that. Deeper friendships can be betrayed. Deeper friendships take effort. Deeper friendships can cause jealousy. Lots of reasons.
I recently finished a Continue reading →

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Those who don’t attend the Southern Baptist Convention

Posted on June 16, 2016 | 10 comments

I just got back from attending the Southern Baptist Convention. It was an unusual and interesting and exciting meeting.
My wife served as the president of the Ministers Wives Conference with about 1,200 ladies attending the luncheon. It was awesome but she is worn out. (Shout out to all who helped her- we love you!)
I was elected the 1st Vice President of the SBC. Don’t you have some suspicions about an organization that would do that?
But I noticed some people who weren’t there. In fact, several Continue reading →

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If You Give A Mom a Minute

Posted on May 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

Love this from my sweet wife!

Vickie Munton's avatarwateringcanblog

If you give a Mom a minute,

she might just take a breath.

And though she could spend it on herself,

she will probably do laundry.

If you give a Mom a minute,

She might just take a bath,

but she will see the toilet,

and she will feel an incredible urge to start cleaning.

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When Revival Comes

Posted on April 21, 2016 | 1 comment

The great need of our day is for genuine revival to come to believers in our nation. I’m delighted to see Ronnie Floyd’s emphasis on revival (sometimes called a “spiritual awakening”) in my own denomination. It is desperately needed.
Revival is specifically about the revived spiritual commitment of those who know Christ as Savior and Lord. While it leads to evangelistic concern (and often an awakening among those who are not saved to their need for salvation) it is specifically about reviving those who have already been “vived”.
Here are some results that will follow a genuine revival should it come to our churches and believers.
1. A deepened love for God and the Continue reading →

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