You pray, petition, negotiate, vent, and even beg, but there is no response from God. You quickly begin to wonder, “is He even listening?” Or… “does He care?” When the answers don’t come, a sense of desperation sets in. You think to yourself, “I appear to be doing everything by the book, even though it’s not about being perfect, why do I keep getting zero results?” Zero feedback. Zero can feel like a punch to the gut when you’re in desperate need.
In the communal and ecclesiastical context of the local church, believers are accustomed to pastoral leaders who tend to their flock much like shepherds would sheep. Pastoral ministry will never become irrelevant—the Church would grind to a halt without it. However, other biblical ministries can be seen operating within the church structure…
Distractions come in many shapes and sizes, but the principle forms of distraction manifest as various degrees of busyness and time limitations. Commitment to full-time employment, children, spouse, school—all conspire together to produce a difficult equation. On top of these, a few other important responsibilities—friendships, church, and business …
Don’t aspire to be like the gilded weather vane on top of a great building. However much it may glitter, however high it may be, it adds nothing to the firmness of the structure. Rather be like an old stone block hidden in the foundations, under the ground where no one can see you…
Have you ever met someone who was exactly the same over time? 3, 5, 10, 20, or 30 years pass by and very little, if anything at all, is different. Same habits, same conversation topics, same emotional baggage. Down to microscopic idiosyncrasies, nothing …
