Author Archives: Andrew Schank

Image by Samit Roy via Flickr

Sad to say, many of God’s men are guilty of the sin of jealousy. Jealous pastors cause many problems, not only for themselves, but for their congregations. What are the common causes? What is the cure for this cancerous blot on the character of these men? How can a member, of an affected congregation, help their jealous pastor? We will seek to answer these questions in this post.

What Are Some Common Causes For Jealousy Among Pastors?

Below are some issues that pastor trip up in. Not all are like this so please do not stereotype them. Pastors are like anyone else… capable of sinning.

1. Another pastor preaches better.
2. More compliments are given to another preacher.
3. Previous pastor gets more accolades.
4. Neighboring church is growing faster.
5. Another pastor gets paid more salary.
6. Another pastor has larger congregation.
7. Another church has more offerings consistently.
8. Another pastor is better skilled at counseling.
9. Another pastor has a better benefit package.
10. Another church has more talent (music,teaching, etc.)

What Is The Cure For Jealous Pastors?

1. Acknowledge this jealousy as sin.
2. Repent of this sin.
3. Have a loved one hold him accountable with his speech, actions, and temperament in this area.
4. To again look to Jesus for everything and stop coveting what he does not have. 
5. Keep their eyes off of themselves, and get them back on Jesus Christ, and the fields of labor!

What Can A Church Member Do To Help A Jealous Pastor?

1. PRAY… before doing anything!!!
2. Pray again!!!
3. When you have finished praying a second time… pray again!!!
4. Once you are prayed up and feel led of the Lord, in a loving way, try to bring up the subject. Whatever you do, do not make things any worse than what they are. You are not the pastor, so do not act like one. Just share your concern and leave it at that!
5. No matter the result of the conversation, pray again!
6. Trust the Lord to work things out! Let God work in His heart!

Conclusion…

Yes, pastors mess up and commit the wicked sin of jealousy. It is prevalent in our day. Usually, God’s men do not see it as it can be very subtle. No matter how bad it is, jealousy will corrupt preaching. In view of this truth, all of us should pray for the pastors whom God has placed into our lives. Above all, we who are pastors should be extremely careful that we do not infect ourselves with jealousy!

The New Answers Book: Over 25 Questions on Creation/Evolution and the Bible By Ken Ham / Master Books One can either take the Bible as the basis for scientific truth or use ever-changing evolutionary assumptions as the foundation for your biblical and scientific knowledge. The Bible-as-base model resolves contradictions and gives concrete answers; the evolution-as-base model is as unsure as building a house on sand. Ken Ham knows this, and wants to provide families and individuals with the answers to questions raised by the media’s wholesale acceptance of evolution, be it human or cosmic. Unafraid to take on the tough questions, Ham and the other authors he has assembled eviscerate notions of millions of years, gap theory, dinosaurs turning into birds, and a local flood. Moreover, they give the basic facts behind the Ice Age, distant starlight, carbon-14 and radiometric dating techniques, and the supposed proofs for evolution. Perhaps best of all, and what sets this book above others of its kind, are the final two chapters which are instructional to evangelism. Showing how this information can be used in witnessing and how dinosaurs can be used in spreading the Gospel message as given in the Creation narrative. Adults, kids, believers, nonbelielvers, creationist and evolutions can all benefit from this resource.

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Years ago, while pastor of a little church in rural North Dakota, I met a pastor friend in Bismarck that shared a great ministry idea with me. I had never given thought to the idea of sending a form letter to those who were bereaved in our community. Of course, we prayed for those we knew personally, but never had I thought about trying to reach out to those not personally connected to the church.

Video Highlights…

1. Ascertain contact info about recent bereavements from the newspaper/personal connections in the community.
2. Create a form letter designed to encourage the family. It should include: (1) All Church Contact Information, (2) Appropriate Gospel Presentation (Situational Appropriate), (3) Tract Of Comfort, (4) Message That Makes It Clear That Your Church Is Thinking About Them, and (5) An Offer To Help.
3. Have a senior saint to take this on as a ministry.
4. Have ministry leader to give a weekly report on what is going on.

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Object Lessons By Charles Ryrie / Moody Publishers What good is a broken fingernail? what can you do with a frying pan, a hammer, and an egg? How is a balloon different from a brick? The world around us is full of items useful for interesting and meaningful object lessons. Dr. Ryrie uses pencils, light bulbs, sunglasses, and even the air around us to illustrate truths about salvation and the Christian life. All of the objects are simple and easy to find, and the lessons can be used for any group of any age. Children and adults alike will enjoy learning more when you present these fascinating illustrations.