There is no endeavor to give priority to these, so I’ll just mark them by bullets.
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“Take heed to thyself and to the doctrine…” is more than just another Bible verse. It reveals the truth that we pastors must take care that our character and conduct underscore the doctrine we preach and call people to believe and live by. Amy Carmichael, (Gold Cord, p.37, S.P.C.K.) states: “Our Master has never promised us success. He demands obedience. He expects faithfulness. Results are His concern, not ours. And our reputation is a matter of no consequence at all.
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Regarding the family: My family is more important than my ministry – Matthew 6:24 – sooner or later the two will compete for priority. Ask God for wisdom as you face the struggle regarding the balance between the two, but never allow the siren call of “ministry” to overwhelm the biblical standard of a right family as prequalification for ministry.
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On family standards: In our family we live and act a certain way because we are Christians, not because I am a pastor.
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Regarding adherence to standards: Remember the “pendulum principle” – we tend to be on one side or the other of the exact center. Therefore, I would rather err on the side of strictness, respecting myself; and err on the side of grace, respecting others.
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“An ounce of relationship weighs more than a ton of regulations.”
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Love your people. You may be called upon to speak some very sharp, disconcerting things to your church. However, if through it all the people know and sense that you love them profoundly, they will be more likely to receive and act upon them.
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The fastest way to an adult’s heart is through his children – recognize them, minister to them.
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On complaining: “You can tell the whereabouts of a soldier by the nature of his complaints. The soldier, safe in his barracks, complains about the food, bunkmates, and his sergeant. The soldier on the front lines has only one complaint…the enemy. (Rev. Peter Church, Crisis Evangelism, p. 142)
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Regarding relationship with District or National Ministerial Fellowship: I have found that there is great value in connecting with those of like mind both in understanding of Bible truth and ministry. The value received as we think through, discuss, and even debate fresh insights of Scripture has been a welcome challenge to me. I invite you to “be always ready to give an answer…” even in a world of ever-shifting views and philosophies. Being part of the Fellowship serves to check snap decisions and commitments to some “new thing” on the theological horizon.
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Regarding relationship with non-Brethren ministers and ministries: I have found that God has some choice servants with whom I have had the special joy of fellowship of fellowship and service. While we may not “do” church together, we can walk arm in arm in coordinated efforts to reach our world for Christ.
As I conclude these thoughts, I would invite you to stand with me in the longing that (regardless of “success or failure” in the eyes of either the world or the church, others may say of you: “Here was a man who was genuine in his walk with God, family, church, and world.”
In the “easy yoke”,
Chuck Thornton
