Pastor Rich Lusk
@Vicar1973
Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church (CREC) - Birmingham, AL
This is very true: “Pastoral ministry requires a man who loves both the people of God and the Word of God, and who has (or can develop) a gift for applying that Word to real life.” The rest of post is really good too - pastors need wisdom about conflict resolution, boundaries,…
The Overlooked Skills That Make or Break a Pastor, Part 1 Keeping Critical Distance in Familial Conflict A lot of people want to be pastors because they love ideas, doctrines, and abstractions. They enjoy talking about these things, whether behind a pulpit or over coffee. But…
“Worship is warfare, and worship is also the welfare of the city.”
The CREC D.C. plant is going smoothly, and I can only hope for more of God’s kindness through the worship of his people. We should also note in case it was not clear in my last sentence that this is all about worship. Worship is warfare, and worship is also the welfare of the…
One of the problems with feminism is that its stated goals are impossible to achieve. They conflict with reality. Take Emma Watson‘s definition of feminism: “For the record, feminism by definition is: ‘The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It…
This reminds me of the old Mark Twain line: “The worst advice you can give someone is, ‘Be yourself.’” I suppose that’s doubly true for pastors. Sometimes you should most certainly NOT “be yourself.” You should be what God calls you to be for the sake of the people you serve.
The Overlooked Skills That Make or Break a Pastor, Part 2 Choosing Your Quirks Well A few years ago, I was staying with a friend who was training for the ministry. I had traveled in from out of town, and my shirt was wrinkled from the suitcase. I asked where the dryer was so I…
The case for paedobaptism does not rest entirely on the circumcision/baptism link. That link is real. Paul tells the Colossians they do not need to be circumcised because they have been baptized. Both circumcision and baptism are tied to the cross: “In him also you were…
In John 13, the standard for loving one another is Jesus’ service - in washing the disciples’ feet and in going to the cross. Christian love is Jesus-shaped and cruciform. In John 17, the bar for Christian love is set by the Trinity - we are to love one another as the Father…
Preachers need to preach the extremes. (HT: Rob Rayburn) When preaching free grace, make it as radically free as you can make it. Make grace amazing, astonishing, marvelous. Pour on the love and mercy. Give them comfort and consolation. Give them peace and assurance. When…
How pastors teach their congregations on suffering is crucial to the faithfulness of their ministry. Teaching on suffering effectively requires wisdom. We should not assume all sufferers are innocent, nor can we assume they are all guilty. Sometimes people do suffer for their…
The world makes more sense if you remember: Most men are scared of their wives, most mothers are scared of their children, and most pastors are scared of their congregations (especially the women). Everyone lives under someone’s gaze - whoever it is they are desperate to please…
We need the gospel of the kingdom, not gospel centeredness. The gospel of the kingdom > gospel centeredness The “gospel centered” movement ended up giving preachers a pass to not preach on culturally controversial topics because those topics are not “the gospel.” The “gospel…
“Foreign aid takes money from poor people in rich countries and gives it to rich people in poor countries.” — Ron Paul As necessary as it can be to critique libertarianism, there are some things libertarians get right, and this is one of them. Foreign aid has done more to prop…
A few notes on paedobaptism from Acts 2: Acts 2 is a pivotal passage in baptism debates because it’s the first time the apostles preach the gospel in the new covenant age and perform new covenant baptisms. Note that Peter is preaching specifically to the men (2:14, 29). Just as…
Martin Luther: "You must by no means make Christ to seem paltry and trifling to us, as though he could be our helper only when we want to be rid from imaginary, nominal, childish sins. No, no! That would not be good for us. He must rather be a Savior and Redeemer from real,…
What is forgiveness? To keep it simple, forgiveness is a promise. When God forgives us, he promises to not use what we have done against us in his law court. God promises to remember our sins no more (Isa. 45; Jer. 31). This does not mean God actually gets amnesia and forgets. He…
When you refuse to forgive, you are burning your only bridge to heaven. "He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for every one has need to be forgiven." -- George Herbert
"Faults are always thick where love is thin." -- Charles Spurgeon "Fault finding is the easiest thing in the world." -- Thomas Watson
Luther’s final words: “We are all beggars, this is true.”
C. S. Lewis on forgiveness: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.”