Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
15 Temptations for Pastors
Published by: Sam Crabtree
February 3, 2010
Paul Tripp lists the following temptations that are either caused by or exacerbated by pastoral ministry:
Familiarity—loss of awe at holy and amazing things.
Identity amnesia—forgetting you are a person and have a life apart from the ministry vocation.
Missional confusion—losing sight of being an ambassadorial representative of Christ at all times.
Mediocrity.
Self-righteousness.
Fear of man.
Formalism—when public ministry overwhelms private devotion (no s).
Self-promotion.
Family neglect.
Numbing—TV, food, escapism, banal entertainment
Politicizing—politics aims at preserving positions; pastoral ministry isn’t concerned with position.
Bitterness—against obstructors.
Envy—looking over the fence at some other ministry.
Self-rule.
Loss of zeal.
If you are reading this blog entry, pray for Sam Crabtree.
Pastor Sam Crabtree is Bethlehem's Executive Pastor and Lead Pastor for Life Training.