Noble Task

Pastor, honoring widows is an important part of your assignment. Make sure you're giving proper attention to them this week.

Preaching Team member Jeremy Cummings shares a devotion for us from 1 Timothy 5.

Paul sums up pastoral priorities with a twofold focus: Yourself and the teaching. Keep a close, persistent watch on these things, and you'll do a good job.

It takes immersive practice to make visible progress when it comes to Christlikeness and effective ministry of the word. Register for App Region Pastors' Conference here. ⁠Pastor of the WeekPray for Church Planting Director Adrian Dixon and send him a word of encouragement at [email protected]⁠.

You don’t have to overtly rebel against God to neglect your ministry. All it takes is a lack of devotion to it. All it takes is the allowance of distraction. Soon, if you’re not careful, you will have drifted into a passive, weak, minimal approach to the glorious gift you’ve been given. Register for App Region Pastors' Conference here. Pastor of the WeekPray for Pastor David Sheppard of Elk Valley AC Church and send him a word of encouragement at [email protected].

Let's refocus on the public reading of Scripture, exhortation, and teaching in 2026. Pastor of the Week: Paul Bricker (Beckley AC Church) Pray for Pastor Paul this week and send him an encouraging note at [email protected] StudiesIf you want to hustle and join a book study of On Pastoring, by H. B. Charles, let me know ASAP. Pastors' Conference: January 30-31Click here for info and registration.

If someone in your church disrespects you, don't set them straight, set them an example. Beacause the best way to gain the respect is to be respectable. If you need counseling for any reason, you can receive anonymous help by calling Blue Ridge Christian Counseling at 540-404-1318. Tell them you're an App Region pastor and they'll work discretely with us to cover your counseling expenses. And don't forget to register for the upcoming App Region Pastors' Conference.

App Region pastor, in the busyness of the Christmas season, remember, you’ve been commanded to command and taught to teach.

Avoid nonsense this week. Train for godliness instead. Be sofocused on your efforts to study and respond deeply and truly to God’s word that you have no time for vanity and silliness. Work so hard on your godliness that your progress is visible to everyone. Do that this week and it’ll be a week well spent.  

You think a lot about what effect your ministry has on yourpeople. For the next few moments, let’s ask a different question: What effect is your ministry having on you?

Pastor, how do you know if you’re doing a good job? By measuring church growth? Altar calls? Sermon complements? Building projects? Pastor appreciation gifts? It’s hard to know, isn’t it? Let’s look at 1 Timothy 4:6a together and see how a pastor's goodness or badness is actually measured.

Let's conclude our conversation about expository preaching with Josh Baker, pastor of Tabernacle AC Church in Lenoir, NC. Books mentioned in this episode: Preaching and Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-JonesThe Supremacy of God in Preaching by John PiperPreaching Old Testament Narratives by Benjamin H. WaltonExpository Preaching by David Helm

Let's continue to talk about expository preaching with Josh Baker, pastor of Tabernacle AC Church in Lenoir, NC.

Let's continue to talk about expository preaching with Josh Baker, pastor of Tabernacle AC Church in Lenoir, NC.

Let's continue to talk about expository preaching with Josh Baker, pastor of Tabernacle AC Church in Lenoir, NC.

Let's talk about expository preaching with Josh Baker, pastor of Tabernacle AC Church in Lenoir, NC.

Pastor, there’s no way around it. Some will leave your church. Some will withdraw. Some will remove themselves. Some will fall away. It was happening in Ephesus under Timothy’s ministry and it’s likely to happen in your ministry too. Let’s listen to what Paul says to Timothy about it. It’ll help us better understand how these departures come about, which will help us better protect our churches.

The final segment from my conversation with Matt about praying. Book recommendations: A Praying Life, by Paul Miller Praying with Paul, by D. A. Carson Power through Prayer, by E. M. Bounds The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett Gospel Driven Ministry, by Jared Wilson The Unhurried Pastor, by Brian Croft and Ronnie Martin The Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes

Continued conversation with Matt about praying.

Let's talk about praying with Matt Rice, pastor of Dulin's Grove AC Church in Charlotte, NC.

Pastor, if you find the relational parts of ministry more natural than the teaching parts, make extra effort to develop your theological depth.

Final segment from my conversation with Heath about pastoral care. Book recommendations: The Shepherd Leader The Care of Souls

Continued conversation with Heath about pastoral care.

Let's talk about pastoral care with Heath Simpson, pastor of Advent Community Church in Mechanicsville, VA.

Pastor, it's of urgent importance that you know "how one ought to behave in the household of God" (1 Timothy 3:15).

Let's test those who wish to serve as deacons before throwing them in there. "For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 3:10).

Getting back to 1 Timothy, let's begin to consider the qualifications for deacons. They must be dignified. They must not be double-tongued, addicts, or greedy. And they must hold on tightly to the gospel with clear consciences.

Because the pastoral task is so noble, pastors must have a noble reputation outside of the church. Note: We'll take a break after this devotion until August due to my travel schedule and preaching/teaching load this summer.

Because the pastoral task is noble, recent converts should not become pastors until they've had time to mature in Christlike humility. App Region Pastors Facebook Group The Rural Pastor Podcast

Because the pastoral task is noble, the pastor must first manage his own household nobly.

Pastor, we and those we're discipling to become pastors must not be lover of money. Also, here's an article your church might find helpful when thinking about pastoral compensation: Click here.

Pastor, we and those we're discipling to become pastors must not be violent and quarrelsome, but gentle.

We and those we are training to become overseers must be irreproachably noble in our relationship to wine and other potentially intoxicating drinks and substances.

Overseers must have the intellectual and interpersonal aptitudes necessary for teaching God's word to God's people.

Because our task is noble, we must be irreproachably hospitable.

Because our task is noble, we must be irreproachably respectable.

Because the task is noble, we must be self-controlled.

Because this task is noble, we must be sober-minded.

Because this task is noble, we must be above reproach regarding our marriages. If you're struggling with pornography, here's a video you should watch.

Be encouraged by the nobility of your task this week!

Let's lead the men and women in our churches toward holiness and propriety.

Your work among your people is a vital part of God's work in the world.

You stand in a long, continuing line of those entrusted with a noble fight. Remembering this will help you fight on this week.

Let's reset our attitudes from entitlement and pride to gratitude and humility this week. That way we'll be able to carry out our work as an act of worship. ⁠⁠Click here to fill out your annual ministerial report⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Click here to fill out your annual church report

Beware of legalism in your life and ministry. Christianity is about good news, not good rules. Click here to fill out your annual ministerial report Click here to fill out your annual church report

Let's do some self-examination this week. Is your heart pure? Is your conscience good? Is your faith sincere? Is your aim love?

Be encouraged this week! Your work helps your people grow strong in their grasp of the truth. To mature in their understanding of scripture. And this understanding increases their faith in Jesus Christ. Housekeeping: Deadline to register and pay for the pastor's conference is this Friday, January 12, 2024 To receive the monthly email newsletter, email me at [email protected] (Intro music by Elias Broadway)

First episode! Couple of reminders: All registration and hotel arrangements for the App Region Pastors' Conference are due Friday, January 12 If you'd like to join the special prayer team that's praying for pastors for our open churches, email [email protected]. If you'd like to receive the monthly App Region newsletter, email [email protected] This week's scripture: 1 Timothy 1:1-2.

Welcome to the Noble Task podcast, a new podcast specifically for App Region pastors. Our goal is simple: We want to establish another avenue for building you up with God’s word. I know there are infinite podcasts and other sources for you to receive God’s word from people far more gifted than I am, but I still think there’s value in something just for us. Each week (or as weekly as I can keep up with), we’ll work through the pastoral epistles, passage by passage, applying it specifically to you as a pastor of an Advent Christian church in the App Region. My plan is to publish these every Monday morning, which is when most pastors feel the most depleted. We want you to be strong in the Lord, encouraged, zealous for Christ, and clear-minded about your work each week—and this little podcast is part of our effort to help. Who knows, maybe I’ll even figure out how to include cohosts and guests. Please subscribe now so you’re ready for the episodes to begin in January 2024. And mention it to your fellow App Region pastors when you get a chance.