The Works of God

The Desiring God Conference for Pastors is over and all the messages can be found here.

I met some incredible men over the three days.  Some of those men have dealt with extraordinary personal pain:

• The murder of a daughter two years ago
• The sudden death of a wife due to an illness
• A premature baby still in the hospital

There were others, and judging by attendance in the prayer room and after the Tuesday evening session, the pastors experiencing deep waters outnumbered those who are not.

There were two consistent things I observed in and heard from these leaders who are experiencing joy in God in the midst of serious trials:

1. They are God-centered, Bible-saturated, and aware of their need to fight for joy and against their sin;
2. God has given them people who love them and serve them and pray for them.

I want to be part of that second group for my pastors!  I’m not entirely sure what that means for me as I write this.  I know it includes prayer – and I love praying for the many men God has used in my life at Bethlehem.

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17

I have been ‘ruled well’ by my pastors and want to give them double honor. What can we do for these men who carry so much as they faithfully serve their churches?