Opening a funeral service can feel as awkward as those first words you speak to the family who has just lost their loved one. Yet because of the attentiveness people give in those moments, we must seize the opportunity to choose carefully these words.

I still feel that Sunday is the Lord’s Day and should be focused on the Lord, but here are a few ways I have learned we can still encourage those who have served in the military over this holiday weekend without compromising our convictions about Sunday worship:

How many people now attend a church versus ten years ago and why does give us some helpful insight into why a church is struggling, but that does not always tell the full story.

Scripture must first be our guide when evaluating a young man’s desire for pastoral ministry. Here are 10 characteristics that help me gauge this.

One of the most dangerous times for a pastor are the hours following his Sunday sermon. During that time, evaluation can be tough, but these steps will help.

The charge to guard the truth of the gospel and the apostle’s teaching has been passed down and entrusted to faithful men—undershepherds of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words…pastors.

A funeral sermon should not exceed 20 minutes and should highlight these three categories, preferably expounded from a text(s) of Scripture.

A funeral sermon should not exceed 20 minutes and should highlight these three categories, preferably expounded from Scripture...

I want to mention one answer that is commonly overlooked when considering the power of preaching and what produces a moving sermon preached that brings spiritual fruit from God.

Because a pastor is called to be involved in the lives of the people in his congregation, he must learn to juggle his own schedule with the busy and hectic schedules of his church members as well.

Modern evangelicals would answer this in a variety of ways. Let us allow A.W. Tozer to cut through the superficial and cultural emphasis of our day in regard to preaching with these insightful words.

The only way for a pastor to avoid the many distractions of life and to remain steadfast throughout his life and ministry is to know what God has truly called the pastor to do.

While I was in Zambia, I missed a very important funeral and a sudden open heart surgery of one of our elderly members. Because of this, my time in Zambia reminded me of the importance of my “motto” for pastoral ministry: