Anyway, I had the privilege to preach at a youth retreat at Camp CoBeAc for my good friend Jeff Kahl. The Lord has used Jeff to do a remarkable job face-lifting the camp both aesthetically and numerically. The spiritual atmosphere is amazing as well! Always the innovator, Jeff recently launched the Walk Right Bible Institute, an intense Biblical studies program for high school graduates.

Just this past week I was again in Michigan, this time on the campus of Grace Baptist Church and College for their annual and marvelously attended (1,100 teens) teen spectacular. The Lord met with us in a wonderful way with dozens of teenagers trusting Christ as Savior and hundreds making tremendous decisions for Him. Because of an uncooperative flight schedule, my final message was all of 15 minutes! (Don’t get your hopes up, church members! I can assure you that was an anomaly.)

Even now I am returning from Baltimore, Maryland, where I finished preaching several nights for my dear friend, Scott Tewell. Scott is the pastor of Rosedale Baptist Church, a thriving church north of Baltimore. Not only has the church experienced astounding numerical growth under Pastor Tewell’s leadership (1,400 average), but also Rosedale possesses one of the greatest spirits of a church that I have encountered. Known for his passion for the Bible and expository preaching, Pastor Tewell has lovingly led the good people of Rosedale for the past 13 years. And the future looks glowingly bright with yet another building expansion in the works!

This past Sunday at Harvest I talked to our people about choices. Using perhaps the most famous illustrative passage in all of the Word of God on the subject of choices, we explored just the kind of choice God expects for His people to make in serving Him.

Joshua was at the end of his life, and having led God’s people in the conquest of the Promised Land, he affirmed before his people the choice he had made to serve God in sincerity and truth. You might have the words of his choice prominently displayed on a plaque in your home. In all likelihood you have them memorized:

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b)

Think about the magnitude of this great choice! In just one pithy statement, Joshua crystallized the essence of one submitting himself to the will of God. Let’s consider the depth of this timeless affirmation of General Joshua.

As for me

The choice Joshua made was demonstrably personal. Those who follow God–truly follow God– are those who choose to follow Him of their own volition. Like Paul, they say, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. The aged Joshua made a personal choice that affirmed the decision he had made as a youth years before. The aging leader of Canaan was simply reiterating the faith he had exhibited years before as the youthful spy of Kadesh. Moreover, he announced his personal choice. Only as we publicize our commitments to others do we invite the necessary accountability to keep those choices. And it is quite clear that his choice was adamant. He did not await the crowd’s decision or check the current worship trends. With individual resolve Joshua displayed a contentment to live in the minority if need be.

and my house

We must all stand before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ one day. We will give an account of our lives to Him who purchased them with His own blood. Pulpits should therefore stress the truth of and need for personal accountability. Not only are we responsible for ourselves, but also we are responsible for those over whom God has given us authority; e.g., our families.

The choice that Joshua made was a parental choice. Obviously Joshua understood his liability as a family leader. Every mother and father will stand accountable to God one day for the property He has entrusted to them. Simply stated: If I own it, I’m liable for it! Shovel the snow off the sidewalk if you don’t want to be sued; and lead your family to serve the Lord if you don’t want to answer to the contrary before God one day.

Our generation must experience a resurgence of godly leadership in the home, leadership that will chart the non-negotiable course of following God. When parents take the helm and steer their children in the ways of God, disciplining them when they drift, they are exhibiting a genuine love for their families. Love makes the hard choices. Love is willing to be misunderstood in the short term. Love sees serving God as the indispensable choice of life.

we will serve the Lord.

Joshua’s choice was a purposeful choice. It is a choice that says, “This is what we’re going to do. We reject any other option.” Too many of our choices have escape clauses. People have no trouble saying, “I will serve God,” but they do have trouble making that statement in an unqualified way. Often it sounds like this: “I will serve God, but.“ Or, “I will serve God unless.” Or, “I will serve God until.” Purposefully we must avow, “I will serve God.” Period. Serving God purposefully is the sensible choice. The verses in chapter 24 preceding Joshua’s choice enumerate the incredible ways by which God had blessed the people since He called them to the Promised Land (vv. 1-13).

Nor should our service be merely external. No, Joshua insisted that we serve Him in sincerity and truth (v. 14). No room exists for hypocrisy; we must serve God with a pure heart. And don’t forget the action verb ‘serve!’ Ours is not to be a sedentary life; it is to be a serving life. To serve God is to acknowledge His authority as our Master and the privilege we have to interact with Him.

Choose you this day whom ye will serve.

Lastly, we must each remember that serving God is a pressing choice. It must not be procrastinated. It cannot be avoided. It will not be dismissed. This day is the only day I have, the only day God promises me. I must reaffirm in it the sober choice to serve Him. Now, you choose.

Ministry Expectations is a teaching series comprising principles from the book of 1 Timothy

One teacher astutely commented that the duty of a Christian is to do God’s will, in God’s way, with the right heart motive. I don’t think that any of us are naive enough to believe that one’s motives are not important. Somebody might foolishly say, “As long as the job gets done, I don’t really care how it’s done!” But that Somebody certainly is not the Lord!

“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling. Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.” 1 Timothy 1:5-7

Timothy was surrounded by people who were clamoring for the ministry spotlight. Ostensibly they were doing a good thing; i.e., teaching the very law of God. But in actuality, they burned with an ambition for positional titles in order to be admired by others. Their deceitful hearts and their misunderstanding of God’s truth caused their words to become little more than meaningless sounds and vain jangling.

Modern ministry is full of duplicitous types like these. With no real regard for God or their would-be followers, they merchandise the ministry for their own benefit, whether that is money, power, admiration, or a combination of all three. I’m sure that we all shrink back a bit at the televangelist’s spiel. Closer to home, we’ve probably interacted with people like this in our very own churches. Closer yet, if we are painfully honest, even our own motives tend to degenerate quickly unless we guard and govern them by the regular application of God’s Word.

Paul made it quite clear that the end–the purpose–of the commandment is charity. Charity of course is God’s agape love, a love that is selfless and entirely concerned with the wellbeing of another. Its description is among the most well known verses in the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:1-13). A preaching and teaching ministry that does not emphasize, educate, and encourage listeners to a life of charity is an exercise in futility. Keep in mind that Jesus encapsulated all truth in the context of its value to enable us to love God and love each other (Matthew 22:37-38).

Consider the three checkpoints for our motives: a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. At all times we must strive to serve God with a pure heart with no ulterior or self-serving motives. Our conscience should affirm our service, not accuse it. God has given us the wonderful gift of a conscience in order that we might have an inner sense of right and wrong. In fact, believers have the double benefit of a Holy Spirit-enlivened conscience (see Romans 9:1-3). Our faithful service to God must be unfeigned–rendered with no trace of hypocrisy. Simply stated, we just need to be genuine, betraying no signs of the increasing plasticity we readily see in so many modern ministries.

Bear in mind that often the hardest person to scrutinize is that person you see in the mirror. Like King David we all seem to see clearly the sin of the hypothetical sheep stealer, and see cloudily the deep and destructive sing plaguing our own lives. In better days David’s heart sought the inspection and cleansing of God’s Spirit.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me. (Psalm 139:23-24a)

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalm 19)

Improper motives rob from us the joy of serving the Lord in our local churches. They also filch from us any potential rewards that the Lord may offer for our service. Perhaps most dangerously of all, they tend to expose themselves to those with whom and for whom we serve, thereby damaging our credibility and influence, and discouraging their commitment to the Lord as well.

A proper motive ennobles every good deed we perform, no matter how small it is! It sets its sight upon the Lord Himself and refuses to be dissuaded by the cheap and temporary motives of men or materialism.

“Not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” (Ephesians 6:6)

1. How early should I arrive in order to save seats on one of the front three rows?
2. Would it be too much to ask if you’d add ten minutes to your sermons? The time passes by much too quickly.
3. Pastor, I know it’s the Super Bowl tonight, but would it be possible to add the Lord’s Supper to the end of the service?
4. It’s been awhile since you’ve preached on tithing, Pastor. Would you consider doing a series in the near future?
5. Thank you for taking time to counsel me, Pastor. Now could you help me identify the ways by which I might be part of the problem in this situation?
6. I heard that Bro. Janitor is sick, have you found anyone yet to clean the toilets, because I’m available?
7. Isn’t the temperature in the auditorium always just right?
8. Would you pray for safety on the roads as we travel back from our vacation this *Saturday*?
9. I’m having trouble hearing you preach, could you turn the volume up?
10. Would you put me on the nursery schedule for Mother’s Day?

What a remarkable testimony he shared, and what a passion for our state he articulated! I know that I will be praying for God to bless him and his campaign for our Commonwealth’s highest office. For more information about his record and vision, please visit www.samrohrer.org for yourself.

Sunday night’s service focused primarily on ministry involvement. In a job fair type format, we highlighted the many ministries of our church. Each ministry set up its own display and presented its needs for workers. From what I saw, the night was a smashing success with numerous new members embarking down exciting paths of ministry in the local church.

To set the tone for the evening, I preached a simple message entitled, “Ministry Mindedness” from Ephesians 6:5-8. I suggested four components of the life of one who is genuinely ministry minded. A ministry-minded person is (1) servant-minded. We learned that servant-minded people are they who understand the value of serving. Did not Jesus testify that the servant is the greatest of all? (Matthew 23:11) Our society tends denigrate servanthood, relegating it to “entry level” status. Jesus elevated servanthood and underscored that elevation by becoming the quintessential servant Himself. But serving–if it is to be truly serving–is voluntary. From a heart of love a person decides to serve God and others. Such voluntarism requires the submission of the will and the filling of the spirit (see the larger context in Eph. 5:18-22). Paul declared that he had made himself a servant to all men (1 Corinthians 9:19). May our lives humbly mirror his.

A ministry minded person is also (2) submissive-minded. He understands the true meaning of obedience to an authority and renders that obedience with the right attitude. In fact, the word obedience in Ephesians 6:5 means “to hearken, as a porter would open a door.” Those who are submissive-minded respect those who have been placed in positional authority over them. They do not speak of them critically or seek to undermine their God-given status, whether that be at home, church, work, or government. They also possess a readiness to obey. Theirs is not a reluctant and half-hearted obedience. It is promptly, completely, and pleasantly accomplished.

Along with these first two characteristics, ministry-minded people are (3) sober-minded. With fear and trembling they serve their God-appointed authorities. Too often our approach to ministry is cavalier and flippant. We must constantly culture an awareness of the sobriety of our task. To Titus (Titus 2:1-12) Paul stressed the need for every age group in the church to rekindle this attitude of sobriety toward the Lord and His work. Are you aware of just how important your service to God is? Not only must we be aware, we must be accountable. In Philippians 2:12 Paul instructs us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The bottom line is that we will all be serious about serving God some day, either now or at the Judgment Seat of Christ. How much better it is for us to be serious about our service to God and others now, so that we can approach that Judgment Day with confidence instead of fear? (I John 4:16-18)

Lastly, ministry minded people are (4) single-minded. They’re not seeking the attention of the boss or the favor of the people. No, with an undivided heart they are striving to maintain a Christ-focus. When one truly does what he does for the Lord Himself, there exists no danger of being overlooked, feeling under-appreciated, or growing discouraged. After all, I’m doing this for Jesus and He sees it all! Such intense focus will give the single-minded person confidence–confidence that He sees, He knows, and He rewards in His time.

So, ask yourself: “Am I truly ministry minded?”

Motivate him by reminding him of his God-given potential.

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6

Nothing appeals to me any more on a cold wintry day than the prospect of some delicious, homemade beef stew! You know, the kind full of potatoes, carrots, beans, and especially meat, all bathed in a savory broth. Mmmmm. Mmmmm. Good! Of course, the secret to getting the good stuff is to stir up the pot, because all of the best food tends to sink to the bottom.

So it is in our lives that the good stuff tends to become sedentary. Unless we “stir it up,” our lives can become little more than a savory broth lacking the substance others need. Despite Timothy’s doubts to the contrary, God had supernaturally equipped him for the task to which He had called him. Always we must remember that “wherever God guides, He provides.” Or, as the songwriter remarked, “God will never lead me where His grace cannot keep me.”

For years Timothy and Paul had labored together. With an intrepid spirit they had forged the Gospel trail from city to city. Perhaps, with Paul at his side, Timothy felt a camaraderie that provided a sense of boldness. Now in his absence it seems that Timothy had resorted to a character trait reminiscent of his life before his calling–the trait of timidity. Let’s face it: we all have besetting sins. For Timothy it just happened to be a lack of boldness.

With the leaders of the church at Lystra, Paul had laid hands upon Timothy to ordain him to the ministry. The ordination council simply recognized and affirmed that God was at work in young Timothy’s life. It could be that the gift about which Paul speaks in this verse is simply the gift of being called into God’s service. Probably though it refers to the fact that God provided a special, gracious enablement for an otherwise timid young man to be a mighty proponent of the Gospel and an indefatigable worker in the ministry of church planting.

For those of us in ministry–and really we have all been commissioned by God for some aspect of His work in the local church–this verse has a ring of personal familiarity. Think about it: when was my service to God most vibrant, outspoken, and bold? Typically when I first trusted Christ or first recognized His special calling for service upon my life. But like that pot of stew, the good stuff settled. Didn’t it?

So what do I do? And how do I encourage a teen whose heart for and service to God has waned? The answer lies right in the text: stir up that gift of God by calling to remembrance what God did! Maybe that’s why the Apostle Peter said that he would not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. “Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance.” (2 Peter 1:12-13)

To a teenager your “stirring up” words of encouragement might sound like this:

“Hey, I know that you’ve been struggling, and I want you to know that I’ve been praying for you. I love hanging out with you, and I’m confident that God wants to bless you in a great way. Listen, I know you’re not perfect–neither am I–but I appreciate the fact that you’re real. I was just thinking about that service at teen camp when you surrendered your life to the Lord. Wow! That was a great night! I’m so glad that I was a part of it. Let me encourage you to remember what God did that night. You know, His gifts and calling upon your life have not gone away. They’ve not changed one bit. Why don’t you spend some time alone thinking about what God did for you, and how God wants to use you?”

The “Apostle Paul” of our life will not always be with us to encourage us. We must learn to stir ourselves up by calling to mind the awesome plan God has for our lives, a plan to which He has attached His mighty enabling power and grace.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a sudden craving for a bowl of hot beef stew!

“Ministry Expectations” is a teaching series comprising principles from the book of 1 Timothy. In discovering the expectations God had for Timothy and the church at Ephesus, we uncover the expectations He has placed upon us as well.

For what purpose had Paul instructed Timothy to abide at Ephesus? It’s true, Paul had challenged him to faithfulness, but faithfulness to what?

“As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.” 1 Timothy 1:3-4

I’m so glad that Harvest Baptist Church is a busy church. Admittedly, a danger does exist in busyness, but properly prioritized, any God-honoring church will inevitably be busy. If, however, in all of our busyness, we see the need to pare down the number of activities we conduct at our church, which activities would go and which would stay? Tough question, huh?

It is my contention that the most important ministry and exercise of any local church—one that simply cannot be shunned or shortchanged–is that of preaching and teaching the Word of God. Paul underscored this priority when, on his proverbial deathbed, he soberly challenged Timothy to “preach the Word.”

How quickly churches become entangled with activities that choke their effectiveness and trip up their progress! The church at Ephesus was in danger of just that kind of entanglement. In the place of solid, edifying preaching, teachers arose who were more concerned with their status and popularity than they were with the truth. Their man-centered approach to the truth was causing confusion among the hearers and eroding the foundations of that good assembly.

Instead of offering straightforward, powerful teaching and preaching, they were engaging in “fables and endless genealogies.” Fables amounted to their tendency to focus on fanciful traditions and spurious stories, a tendency that has unfortunately emerged in our generation as well. Too often our sermons are based upon stories, illustrations, and traditions. As appealing as these can sometimes be, they ought never to serve as the foundation for a message to God’s people. Simply put, people need the Word of God! God has promised that His Word will not return void; He makes no promise concerning the effectiveness of our opinions, regardless of how logical and persuasive they seem to be.

Moreover, their preoccupation with “endless genealogies” posed a dangerous trend as well. Jewish teachers especially were fond of establishing their teaching authority by making much of their biological or educational family tree, neither of which guarantees a person to be a true Bible teacher. Sometimes we fundamentalists fall into a similar trap:

“I attended such and such school.”

“My father was a famous pastor.”

Thank the Lord for your alma mater. Praise God for your godly family pedigree. But neither your degree nor your surname guarantees the scriptural validity of your message. Each church, along with each message delivered at that church, must stand the test of the eternal Word of God.

How do we apply this ministry expectation to our practice in church?  Every Sunday school teacher, junior church worker, adult Bible class leader, Wednesday night children’s worker, Bus captain, etc., must recommit himself to the chore of preparing and presenting Bible-based, Bible-saturated messages. By the way, Preacher, it is your job (for which you will be held accountable) to ensure that your church is Bible-centered. Church members simply will not and cannot be edified orbiting anything else.

Every three months we host a baby dedication service here at Harvest Baptist Church. This quarter we were honored to dedicate five babies to the Lord. Lord, bless them indeed and help them to know nothing but the joy of being in the center of Your will all of their lives.

I preached this morning on the topic, “He restrained them not.” Using the tragic life of Eli (1 Samuel chapters 1-4), I stressed the urgency of prioritizing the proper rearing of our children.

Although Eli was a man known for his FINE CHARACTER, God seriously chastised him for his inattention to his sons’ behavior. How sad that an otherwise good man would be rebuked so! Eli was a man familiar with the things of God. His was the priestly responsibility. He was the curator of God’s law. He had literally grown up around the things of God. Moreover he was faithful to the things of God. For his 98 years of life he served in the duties surrounding the tabernacle. Forty of those years he spent judging Israel. To be sure, he was fond of the things of God as evidenced by his interest in Hannah’s prayer, Samuel’s call, and the endangered ark of God.

But fine character in parents does not automatically transfer to his children, a lesson that Samuel learned all too well later in his own life. No, although Eli possessed fine character, the glaring deficiency of his life was a FAILURE IN CHILD REARING. Regarding his sons there was no conversion. Plainly the Scripture states that they knew not the Lord but were the sons of Belial. Parents must make the salvation of their children the chief end of their training and the dominant theme in their praying. It is not enough for children to know about God; they must know God as their own Heavenly Father. Because no conversion had taken place, there existed no consecration either. Hophni and Phinehas attended to their spiritual duties but their immorality served only to make a mockery of them. Their “service” caused true worshipers to resent serving God. Sound contemporarily familiar? Perhaps the greatest deficiency of Eli’s fatherhood was the fact, that in spite of his sons’ licentiousness, there was no confrontation. He simply refused to restrain them, thereby honoring them more he honored God. A key to health of any relationship is the proper implementation of loving confrontation.

What a shame that Eli’s otherwise stellar testimony was marred by his inattention to his sons and that the FINAL CHAPTER of his life was written under such a black cloud. Eli lived his final days with the sad knowledge of God’s disfavor upon him and his ministry. The man of God made it clear in chapter 2, and Samuel reiterated the sad rebuke in chapter 3. Because of such disfavor, Eli enjoyed no real peace; his life was one of distress. He could only ask the incredulous “Why?” to his sons and lament their regrettable actions. Finally, his life ended in destruction with the death of his sons in battle, the stealing of the Ark of the Covenant, his own pathetic death by falling backward, his daughter-in-law’s death in childbearing, and the descriptive naming of his grandchild born to her: “Ichabod.” The glory has departed. That’s what Ichabod means. The symbol of God’s presence had been stolen, but Eli lost his sons years before when sadly he restrained them not.

As the ideal model for every parent, our Heavenly Father has expectations for His children. Within the context of His local church, He outlines behaviors and best practices for His people. As I considered the book of 1 Timothy again recently, it occurred to me that Paul’s letter to his young protégé is literally packed with expectations for Pastor Timothy and his flock.

No longer serving with Timothy side by side as he had during the second and third missionary journeys, Paul now wrote the still relatively young Timothy about how he and his people ought to “behave themselves in the house of God.” God has expectations for the local church, and many of them are clearly outlined in this power-packed book of 1 Timothy.

I’ve traveled sufficiently and participated in enough ministries to know that we fundamentalists make a big deal about standards (leadership requirements, ministry expectations, etc.) And well we should. However, our mistake sometimes lies in the way we explain and communicate those standards. At times we unnecessarily elevate a standard to the level of a Bible principle and are thereby guilty of overstatement. Other times we fail to offer helpful guidelines whereby our people may more readily and effectively obey the Bible and are thereby guilty of understatement.

The key to communicating ministry expectations effectively is to painstakingly connect them to the Scriptures from which they are derived. The book of 1 Timothy is full of just these kinds of ministry expectations, and local churches would do well to establish the footers of their ministry expectations in the solid bedrock of its truth.

Ministry Expectations

Using the book of 1 Timothy as our guide, the following points comprise some expectations for those who serve in the ministry of our church.

1 Timothy 1:1-4 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

1. Be faithful

For 2½ years Paul and Timothy labored together to plant a church at Ephesus. When it came time for Paul to leave Ephesus, he left Timothy with the daunting task of leading the work. Timothy’s work not only involved the instruction of new believers (and all of the other work one would associate with a new church), but also entailed the confronting of strong personalities who endeavored to fill the teaching positions in the Ephesian ministry.

God never promised that the ministry would be easy; in fact, He promised just the opposite! (See 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:l2.) As Paul had instructed Titus to stay in Crete, so he instructed Timothy to abide still at Ephesus. Christian workers need to view the oppositions of ministry as a necessary storm on the way to the destination, not a reason to abandon ship!

The writer of Proverbs promised that a faithful man would abound with blessings (Proverbs 28:20). Faithfulness in ministry means that I am engaging in my call to service in good times and in bad times, when I feel like it and when I don’t. Leadership can trust me because I am reliable. Unlike the unreliability of a broken tooth or a dislocated foot (Proverbs 25:19), I can be called upon and counted upon. I understand that faithfulness means that I am (1) in my place (2) on time (3) all of the time (4) fully prepared to (5) competently render my service.

Faithfulness often seems mundane and frequently goes unnoticed and unappreciated by people. It was (and is), however, a benchmark of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Himself Who promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrew 13:5). Not every one can sing, teach, preach, cook, or lead. But everyone can, by God’s grace, be faithful!

Recently, Pastor Dan Weber and I reminisced about our respective experiences pastoring small, start-up churches. I hope these thoughts bring a smile to your face! In no way am I denigrating small churches or their pastors, I am simply reliving some precious memories. I hope you agree!

1. If you have ever thanked the quartet for the good singing, and you were talking about the congregational music, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

2. If your weekly pay is mysteriously similar to what you personally put in the offering plate, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

3. If your special meeting with the nursery staff also doubled as a date night with your wife, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

4. If you have ever said, “Head [singular] bowed and eyes closed” at the invitation, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

5. If you speak of growth in terms of percentages instead of actual numbers (i.e. Instead of “Last week we had 20, and this week we had 30,” rather it’s, “Hey, we were up 50% this week!”), you just might be the pastor of a small church!

6. If you’ve ever scheduled a “big day” on the day you invited the missionary with 17 kids, just so your attendance would double, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

7. If the church pictorial directory also serves as the family picture album, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

8. If you can praise people for sitting in the front row and rebuke people for sitting in the back row, and they are the same people, you just might be the pastor of a small church!

9. If the pianist calls you, “Dear,” and the ushers call you, “Dad,” you just might be the pastor of a small church!

10. If the voice message on your cell phone begins with the words, “You have reached the office of Bible Baptist Church” – you just might be the pastor of a small church!