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Practical and Valuable
So much practical and valuable information can be found in Christ at the Center of Pastoral Ministry by Dr. Richard Vann, currently a professor at Dallas Baptist University. Every chapter takes a different aspect of pastoral ministry. Each section is broken down into an easy-to-read discussion of many topics, such as gifted Christians in ministry, the pastor’s home life, leadership, ministerial ethics, and more. Even issues not mentioned in most religious books are noted, such as child dedication, etiquette, and the need for breath mints! The author’s humble spirit and love for Christian ministry shine through as Vann graciously teaches and describes what pastoral theology, spiritual leadership, and ministry practices are all about.
This book is for pastors, those preparing for ministry, pastors’ wives, and even lay people who would be wise to understand the many hats a pastor wears. By combining historical views, contemporary thoughts, and tried-and-true applications, the reader can best decide how to view pastoral ministry. This book is also a great gift for those considering a calling in Christian ministry. I highly recommend Dr. Vann’s book. You will be glad you purchased it.
Bible Verse:
Timothy, protect what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—which some have professed and thereby have gone astray from the faith (1 Timothy 6:20-21 NASB).
I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas. May this Christmas season be filled with joy, gratitude, and a dependence upon the Lord for everything.
This year I decided to write a “Christmas Devotional” that my friends can use year after year with their family. Sharing it with you is my pleasure. All you need to do is copy and paste, print it, follow the instructions, and you are ready to lead a Christ-centered devotional for your family. It can be adjusted to your family needs and time allotments. My prayer is that you will enjoy it, share it, and save it! [Scroll down to devotional.]
In case you missed my last few blogs, see below. Always know you can share any of my blogs with your friends and family.
And thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21
Preparing for Your Christmas Devotional
– Find a fun Christmas song for the family to listen to.
– Decide on a Christmas song to sing as a family.
– Locate music/instruments as accompaniments.
– Locate a Bible. Family Bibles are fun to use.
– Decide on a Devotional Leader.
Prelude
– Play a favorite Christmas song or hymn.
– Open with a prayer thanking God for the Christmas season and the celebration of Jesus’ birth.
– Read Luke 2:1-20 from the Bible
[Children and teens love the opportunity to read the Bible.]
Responsive Reading: Leader: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hears My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Leader: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Family: Jesus is Savior of the World.
Song/Hymn Sing your chosen Christmas song or hymn with optional instruments. Note: Young children can use any noisemaker; i.e. maracas, children’s instruments, guitars.
Sharing Time Leader: As we celebrate the Christmas season, let’s not lose the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas does not rest in finely-trimmed trees, expensive gifts, or in the hustle and bustle that fills the Christmas season. Christmas is about the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Through Jesus, all mankind can experience forgiveness, and freedom.
Leader: Ask family members if they would like to share what Christmas means to them.
Family Prayer
Leader: Pray and thank God for the coming of Christ. Consider your family joining hands and allow each member of the family an opportunity to pray.
All human beings experience inconveniences every now and then. The word “inconvenience” and its derivatives come under different terms such as disruption, aggravation, hassle, trouble, stress, difficulty, and more.
This past week (Thursday, to be exact), I had my day scheduled—Bible study, writing my blog, cleaning closets, working in the yard, but in the afternoon, my mother became very ill: the kind of “ill” that required a trip to the Emergency Room.
After evaluation, my mother was admitted to the hospital. Being the only daughter, I am the designated sibling to stay at the hospital with my mother each evening—not that I minded in the least. During the four-day hospital stay, my schedule was disrupted and I didn’t accomplish anything on my “to-do” list.
This is NOT the kind of inconvenience I am talking about.
The kind of inconvenience I am talking about is the annoying inconveniences that cause one’s stress level to heighten, one’s blood pressure to elevate, and one’s heart rate to become erratic. These usually happen because our mind is set on what we want to do, but then something gets in our way and produces a different schedule other than our anticipated one.
To Illustrate
On Tuesday, I went to the drug store. I arrived home only to realize that I forgot to pick up a medicine I really needed. I sighed and berated myself because I had to drive back to the store during Houston’s horrendous rush hour traffic. It was inconvenient!
On Wednesday, my computer wasn’t cooperating. My husband wasn’t home to fix it. I moaned and groaned. Why? Because I wanted to do what I wanted to do right then and there without having to wait—because waiting is inconvenient!
It sounds foolish that I stress out over trivial and insignificant things. I am a Christ-follower who is supposed to be patient, kind, and self-controlled, but just a small inconvenience can upset my spiritual life, my thought processes, and my physical health dramatically.
I know God sees my inconsequential aggravations and stress. I wonder, though, what He thinks about my petty annoyances while He is handling big problems like wars, death, floods, earthquakes, false prophets, shootings, child abuse, drug abuse, and evil.
The Bible is full of people who were inconvenienced. Some are only inconvenienced for a short period of time—others for years.
Saul was inconvenienced when he was charged to look for his father’s lost donkeys. When Saul decided to return to his father without locating his donkeys, Saul’s servant suggested they look for “a seer” in a different town to inquire about the journey they had set out upon. In those days, seers were also known as prophets. Saul had been inconvenienced again by having to go to a different city than he had planned. However, while there, God arranged for the prophet Samuel and Saul to meet and Saul was anointed to be the King of Israel. Here we see that disruptions and inconveniences of are often part of the Lord’s plans for our life. (1 Samuel 9-10)
Jesus was inconvenienced when the people kept following him wanting His attention, but He welcomed and ministered to them in love. (Luke 23:27-29)
The disciples were tired and wanted to rest, but Jesus inconvenienced them by asking them to feed the 5,000. (Matthew 14:15-21)
Paul was inconvenienced by being arrested and put in prison time after time when all he wanted to do was spread the gospel. (Acts 21:31-37)
In each of these situations, the Bible reveals that great things occurred out of inconveniences. A king was crowned. Ministry took place. People were miraculously fed. And the gospel was spread through Paul’s writings in prison.
Have you ever thought about how we should respond when we experience difficulties?
How to Respond to Inconveniences, Disruptions, Aggravations, Hassles, Inopportunity, Troubles, and Difficulties
Recognize that the inconveniences we encounter are there to grow us closer to the Lord and to prepare us for what else might come in our future.
Pray immediately by giving the situation to the Lord and seek His purpose for it.
Understand and meditate on the Word of God with thanksgiving.
Look at inconveniences as divine opportunities.
Control anger.
A Look-Back
Referring to my earlier illustrations . . .
When I returned to the drug store, I found a lonely soul who needed my smile.
When my computer didn’t work, I was able to find something more constructive to do.
If only I wouldn’t have allowed those inconveniences to get the best of me before I saw the benefits.
Well, maybe next time I will!
Bible Verses:
“In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
“Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Please let me look at my inconveniences and disruptions through Your eyes. Let me understand that everything I experience is meant to draw me closer to the destiny You have for me. Thank you for the plans You have for me. Grant me the ability to accept what comes into my life. Let me follow where You lead and let me become closer and closer to You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God Bless,
Member Inspirational Writers Alive; Bible Gateway Blogger Grid Member #bgbg2
Edited by E. Johnson; Bible verses are taken from the NASB if not noted otherwise.
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Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer by Patti GreeneAnchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and PrayerAwaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer
Five Simple Steps for Making Your Own Devotional Prayer Journal / Patti Greene, Greene Pastures by Patti
[From Email notifications, click the title for best web viewing]
For the past 44 years I have put together a prayer journal of one type or another. During that time, I have improved my journals each year until I felt that I had perfected them. These journals change from year to year depending on my personal and spiritual needs. The photo above shows my personal homemade journal for 2017! It’s easy to make. You can be as creative as you want or not creative at all. As Nike says, “Just Do It.”
Five Simple Steps to Make a Comprehensive Prayer Journal
1. Purchase or find a 3-ring notebook.
2. Purchase some notebook paper, dividers, pens, and/or markers if needed.
3. Come up with several categories and write them on your dividers. A good starter-set of categories might include “Prayer Requests”, “Bible Study Notes”, “Notes from Christian Books”, “Dear God Letters”, “Sermon Notes”.
4. Place the titled dividers and notebook paper in your binder. Put some notebook paper behind each divider. You may need to buy more notebook paper during the year.
5. Then, commit to using it daily with your Bible!
And, VOILÀ! You have a comprehensive devotional prayer journal!
You can add a zippered three-ring pencil holder for pencils, pens, and markers. This year I added a three-ring envelope for cards and special correspondence from friends and family.
And if you don’t like creating your own, I have written three devotional prayer journals that are already formatted and on sale at Amazon. They are Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer; Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer, and Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer. Click here to read more.
The important thing is not what type of prayer and Bible study mechanism you use, just use one. There are different options for keeping track of your prayer requests and Bible Study. Not everyone likes to start from scratch designing and organizing their own journals. But, for those of you who do, go for it! And then, please let me know how the Lord uses it in your walk with Him!
And, I’d love to see photos of your own created devotional prayer journal!
Heavenly Father, thank you for all the ups and the downs in 2016. All that happens to me works for good according to your purposes if I allow it. Let me follow your steps in 2017. Show me power in your word and when I pray. Convict me of my sins – both big and small. Let my studies seep so deep into my soul that I will not fear whatever is put in my path. Allow me to be consistent in my quiet time and please help me to honor you by having daily devotions. In your holy name, Jesus, I pray.
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