The Word and the Work: Thoughts on Preaching, Pastoring, and the Christian Life

                                                                                                           But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 1 Cor 7:32   Everyone loves to talk about discipline.  Discipline in schools, discipline for your kids, church discipline.  Right? Actually no one likes to talk about it.  I am only talking about it because God is convicting me of a lack of discipline in one area of my life.  For the official record. I have gained more discipline over the last year of my life than at any other time before.  It is a direct result of working under my Senior Pastor, one Dr. Daryl Harbin.  He believes in discipline, and because of him I have found out that I really do to.  I always thought I believed in discipline.  You know I try to discipline my children and those under my ministry if necessary, but through his guidance I have learned what is truly important.  Self Discipline.  I am now a d

I want you all to think about your pastor.I love my pastor.  I believe he is a mighty man of God that preaches truth. I am sure most of you feel this way about your pastor.  I have many men in my life that I look to as mentors and role models even in ministry.  Now, I want you to imagine that something drastic happened.  Imagine your pastor was caught doing something morally reprehensible.  I do not want to get into specifics but just tag him with the worst thing you can think of for the sake of the example.  No doubt about it he is guilty of this act.  Here is the question.  Does his action discredit wholly the message he preached? Will it end your walk with Christ because of what your spiritual leader did?  If it would cause you to walk away from your faith, then I want to tell you that you never had any faith to begin with.  Do not get me wrong, a pastor caught in sin is heartbreaking and it will shake a church, but it should not destroy it.  The problem with many Christians is th