Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sunday Enhancements


I love our church. That’s not just something I have to say because my husband is on staff.
 I truly, madly, deeply love our church.
I also love our pastors. Yes, I am partial to one of them since my kids look like him. ;) They each have their own unique style of preaching/teaching but they are always on the same page. They are a great team.  
Our senior pastor is a tremendous student of the Word.  He has shared insight about the Word that I have never known even though I have read the text he is speaking on many times. He is genuinely concerned about the people he shepherds.  He notices when people are not in services, makes an effort to know everyone by name, visits them in the hospital, takes time with them when they need guidance, he’s patient almost to a fault. 
Having said that and meaning it, let me also tell you that I listen to and read material from other pastors and speakers during the week.  Why? Because I can’t rely on what I hear on Sunday to carry me all week long.  Neither can you.  That’s not what pastors are called to do. They are not personally responsible for your daily bread. You wouldn’t ask your pastor to come cook your meals all week. You wouldn’t just eat once or twice a week. Why do we treat our spiritual food differently?
Of course, as a Christian, you must read the Word and pray daily. (I personally love the Bible reading plans offered by YouVersion online. Right now I am reading The One Year Bible plan as well as one called “A Jolt of Joy” that is a 31 day plan. You can find one for yourself here.) But in addition to these essentials in your walk, I encourage you to find other pastors and speakers who enhance what you hear on Sundays. The most amazing thing is to hear your pastor speak a message on Sunday and then hear another pastor via podcast or sermon replay online that speaks the same word in his own style with his perspective. No pastor, church, or denomination has a monopoly on the Word or the Spirit. It is only as a global Church with Jesus as the Head that we can fully carry out the Great Commission. In fact as we each use our own unique gifts and talents that we can reach the maximum amount of people.
I will list below some links to the pastors and speakers I am listening to and learning from currently.  Let me know in the comments what pastors and speakers you are learning from right now. 

Pastor Steven Furtick - Elevation Church, Charlotte, NC

Pastor Perry Noble - New Spring Church, Anderson, SC

Christine Caine - international speaker from Hillsong Church, Sydney, Australia

Lysa TerKeurst - author of Made to Crave & president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

Leading and Loving It - a virtual community for pastor's wives & women in ministry

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