Jared Sparks Everyone knows that going to the grocery store is not all that it takes to feed a family. You must bring those groceries home. You need to know how to arrange them. Just as imperative is how you cook them. And if you value the finer things in life, how … View Post
With fruitful hands she tends her field; feeding, cleansing, mending. Never could an onlooker have told the changes she is making. They seem so small, “you’re wasting time!” The world did dare to say. But by her efforts done for the Lord The ground began to change. Not … View Post
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as … View Post
Pastoral meetings have almost become synonymous with getting coffee. Two guys, drinking coffee and discussing the Bible or a book together. That is okay I guess. But there is a more fun and effective way to do discipleship with men. A while back, I heard a pastor talk about masculine … View Post
1) Pastor, You Are Not Alone “For they say,’ His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 2 Corinthians 10:10 Pastor, you are not alone. You’re not the only one who has had church folk talk badly about you. Paul … View Post
Let me warn you! The midlife crisis is coming! I am among the older of the millennial generation and here we are. I also happen to be a pastor. So I am staring down the barrel of the looming midlife crisis along with the holy burden of caring for souls … View Post
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul When I look decades down the road, several things come to my mind. If God allows, I hope to live long enough for my wife (Jordan) and I to meet our great-grandchildren. I … View Post
I started the Shepherd’s Crook because I want to help pastors and churches. Google “Pastor Statistics” and you will find a scary picture of the state pastoral ministry today. Clearly, this is not good. We offer 4 things to help with the modern pastoral crisis. Confidential Care Counsel Resources Intensive … View Post
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is … View Post
“Never trust a pastor who does not walk with a limp.” Matt Chandler In 2015, I received my limp. I had been serving for two and a half years as an associate pastor of a church. The church was very clear from the start of our tenure that I was … View Post
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. “ 1 Cor. 13:11 I think 1 Cor. 13:11 has a lot to say to pastors. I have never be … View Post
It seems like every pastor goes through a wilderness experience. I don’t know if that is true or not but it has been a part of my story. In 2013, I felt like I was a toy in the game “The Claw” from Toy Story. Yes, that would make God … View Post
