Minister's Toolbox

Ken Gray, a long-time pastor, and friend share his journey through depression to victory. It is not the road you might expect. Thousands of ministers suffer in silence the same malady which affects millions. You will be inspired! At the end of the podcast, I mentioned a 4-minute video sharing my recent trip to Zimbabwe and how you might become involved. You can view it here.  You can contact Ken @gkenneth@sbcglobal.net

You have a vision for ministry anchored by the promises God has given to you. Peter told us that these and other promises enable us to become partakers of God's character and nature. How do the promises God gave you become a present reality?

We continue our discussion about spiritual authority. How does it function through you in your church? What is legitimate authority and when should it be exercised? During the podcast, I mentioned my books. I also shared an upcoming book to be used as a handbook for pastors. Let me know if you would like to receive an advanced copy. At the end of the podcast, I also spoke about Wells For Zimbabwe. Click the link to learn more or contribute. Thank you for your support!

How much authority should pastors use to fulfill God's mandates for their ministry? What does genuine spiritual authority look like and why is it that few pastors understand it? If we are unsure whom God has called us to be, we will also be unclear about the authority He has called us to exercise. On today's show, the first in a two-part series: Who Do You Think You Are? During the podcast, I mentioned my book, When a Good Church Goes Bad available in paperback, Kindle and narrated on Audiobooks. 

Jesus gave a very specific strategy for attracting new people to our churches. During today's podcast, I share the secret in plain sight which will yield results if followed. During the show, I shared a link for more information about an upcoming trip to Zimbabwe. You can access it here. In addition, I mentioned our free download page where you can access all our free downloads.

One attribute guaranteed to destroy any church of any size operates in stealth mode. To the trained eye, it is most visible in denominations or associations of churches. Can you guess what it is? We discuss it during today's show. A few of the links I mention:  My first book, When A Good Church Goes Bad. My upcoming missions trip to Zimbabwe in August 2018.

Templates are forms that help us be efficient with our time and presentation of the gospel. They can also become great hindrances to the activity of the Holy Spirit in our churches. How do we use templates in a way that glorify God and thus enhance our ministry? During the podcast, I mentioned you can get an example of a useable sermon template here. I also mentioned that all previous downloads are available here.

Anyone can select new leaders. That is easy. However, choosing the right people for leadership is critical. Failure to put the right people on the bus according to Jim Collins (Good To Great) can and will destroy any organization or church. How do we select the right leaders to carry on the vision we set in place? During the podcast, I share four key characteristics essential for choosing new leadership. During the podcast, I reference: Episode 75 addressing the issue of taxes for pastors and MileIQ, the free app that helps you keep track of your ministry miles without ever lifting your pen. Try it for free. If you like it, the professional version is just $60/year.

Jesus told Peter that upon his confession of faith, He would build HIS Church. Without realizing it, most pastors are building their own kingdoms, not God's. How can I say that? During the podcast, I will share the unmistakable reason why this is unfortunately true with help to change. During the podcast, I mention a free download that you can access here. 

We who lead will be judged to a higher standard than everyone else because of what and even how we teach. We looked at Calvinism last week. We turn our attention to Arminianism now. Arminians hold forth the idea that man is not spiritually helpless, but has the free will to choose or reject God. While the lost sinner needs God’s grace to repent, man can choose using his free will. According to Arminianism, man can resist the Holy Spirit and reject the grace of God. Therefore, Arminianism holds that it is possible to lose one’s salvation. The Bible is not a weapon against each other but a weapon against darkness. Darkness is not defined by adherence to Calvinism or Arminianism but by straying from the teaching of Christ and his word. We delve more deeply into the contrast between Calvinism and Arminianism during the podcast.  Read more about the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism Want to take advantage of all our free downloads? Just go to ministerstoolbox.com/downloads    

Sound doctrine are two words that are foundational to the work of any pastor.   Many of us attended seminary, Bible School or some training system where we were eventually ordained. Other leaders attested to our call to ministry and in most cases validated that our doctrine was sound enough for us to teach others. I am going to deal with two sacred cows, and it is likely you have not heard or will ever hear someone speak the way I intend. Both philosophies, if fully embraced lead to doctrinal error. That is a pretty strong and heady statement, and I hope you will give me time to explain myself both this week and next. This week, we'll examine Calvinism. I also mention a new feature on our website allowing you to access all the downloads we've offered during the first 98 episodes. You can access them for free here.  

Have you ever felt discouraged enough in ministry to want to quit? If you’ve never felt like that, I doubt you’ve been in ministry very long! Ministry is challenging for several reasons. Church members often fail to live up to your expectations. They don’t seem to care about lost souls or dedicating themselves to the work of ministry. They view the church as just another event to compete with their crowded schedule. How do you encourage yourself in the Lord? I share some insights that will help you reignite your passion for ministry during the podcast. I also referenced Episode 13 about friendship with Ramin Salehi. Episode 20 shares more insights about how to beat the blues. I also mention quick tax advice for ministers here, and reference MileIQ, a free app to keep track of your miles with a pencil, calculator or notebook.  

Prophetic ministry played a major role in my trip to Zimbabwe in November of 2017. I share my journey today to illustrate the value of present-day prophetic ministry. this. Prophetic words caused my African mission to have a specific focus. I Did not travel there to bring American culture to the Zimbabweans or give them western ideas or advice. Instead, I was there to observe, hear God and do my best to deliver what I heard. Paul commands to desire and pursue prophecy for one reason only: to bless and help other people. The ministry of the prophetic here in the United States is often more pathetic than prophetic. That is because people pursue prophecy and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit to gain recognition. They want to be seen as super spiritual or in touch with God. As a result, many share their personal feelings and ascribe these feelings to the Holy Spirit which confuses everyone. During the podcast, I talk about the practical application of prophecy in everyday life.  During the show, I invited people

When I say the word, prophetic, you may react in a variety of different ways depending on your theology or personal experience. For some, the word prophetic means someone who is emotionally unstable making outlandish statements that don’t square with scripture. On the other extreme, prophetic might mean a supercharged understanding of precisely what God is doing in your life. Prophetic by definition simply means to speak forth. Isn’t that what you do in the pulpit? I certainly hope so. Seekers of God come to churches hoping that they will hear from God directly through your words. That seems to me the very definition of prophetic ministry. Timothy was transformed through the proper use of prophecy. During the podcast, I contrast true and false prophecy in our day. 

God intends to use your voice to impact the world. Our calling demands we deliver words aimed at the conversion of our hearers. Those words should be prophetic. In other words, as we preach, people should not just hear our ideas but should be able to hear God speaking directly to them when we preach. However, they never talk like that otherwise. It’s a preachers voice designed for a particular performance. Once the performance is over, the voice is gone. During today's podcast, I talk about different preachers voices we use and why so many fall into this trap.

When we elect leaders, we often look for certain things: A charismatic personality Excellent speaking skills A solid education An understanding of scripture Someone who knows how to respond positively to authority. All these characteristics have merit, but Paul instructs Timothy to look out in his congregation and find people who are above reproach. If someone is not willing to face rejection for standing up for what is right, they do not belong in leadership. I delve more deeply into the things God requires of leaders who serve His Church in the podcast. During the podcast, I mentioned MileIQ. You can learn more here.   Leave a review for iTunes here.  

Paul advises his protege Timothy to select leaders that are above reproach. What does that mean? Does today's church use improper standards to select its leaders? We live in an age when people change partners like they change clothes. Psychologists are telling a naive public that as we evolve as a culture the normal way of life will be to have marriage partners for every phase of life. In Hollywood, celebrities divorce regularly saying that they grew apart as a couple so got divorced but will remain friends. The health of a leader’s marriage is fundamental to his or her ability to impact and influence the lives of other believers. I speak about the factors that determine whether we minister above reproach during the podcast. During today's podcast, I asked if you will give us an honest review on iTunes or Google Play. Would you do that now?    

Many pastors put aside quite a few hours to counsel individuals and couples. How much counseling should you do? Some pastors do a lot; some very little. Is there a right balance? Is this practice effective? In other words, does it produce life? People come to us with addictions to alcohol, drugs and sometimes mental disorders. During today's podcast, I talk about dealing with different when and when not to counsel.     If you have a reasonably good sense of humor, you owe it to yourself to click the link. The comedian Bob Newhart did a bit years ago that is frankly hysterical.   Celebrate Recovery is a ministry founded by Rick Warren. Using similar tactics as Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery is essentially group therapy designed to uncover and address lifelong behavior dysfunctions.      

One key reason pastors leave the ministry is lack of financial resources. Typically, that occurs because only a small percentage Christians commit to tithing. Tithing is prickly subject in most churches.  Jesus spoke about money often; so did Paul. Why? Stewardship is a key component towards becoming a bona fide disciple. If people do not honor God with their income, they have never submitted to His Lordship. I speak more about tithing in the podcast. I also mentioned my book, When a Good Church Goes Bad, which is available in three formats. The book comes with a free audio course for the serious student. Finally, I mentioned MileIQ which is an excellent app for keeping track of your personal and ministry miles without all the hassle. You can learn more about it here.

In this second seminar, I address the issue of ethics a leader must display to the public. Our character speaks much louder than our sermons, and how we conduct ourselves among our neighbors has a huge impact. The next issue is how we relate to fellow spiritual leaders. Truthfully, this is the Church's greatest scandal as pastors compete with each other like immature school children for attention and recognition. Is it any wonder that God does so little with us collectively in a region? How do we forge meaningful and lasting relationships with leaders we disagree with? During the podcast, I mention my book, When A Good Church Goes Bad. You can access information about this and other books here. Be sure to spread the word about this podcast on Facebook and Twitter! Thanks.