Category Archives: Pastors

A Wrong Kind of Service to God

Posted on March 25, 2021 by russellmckinney

They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. (John 16:2, N.K.J.V.) Could a society ever become so warped as to think that serving God … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Discernment, God's Name, God's Will, God's Work, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching, Service, Truth, War | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Good Preaching Doesn’t Have to Take Long

Posted on February 5, 2021 by russellmckinney

Short notice was forcing a pastor to miss the next day’s Sunday morning service, and he needed to find someone to fill the pulpit for him. He called several of his preacher friends, but all of them were already committed … Continue reading →

Posted in Christ's Return, Church, Forgiveness, God's Provision, Ministry, Needs, Pastors, Prayer, Preaching, Problems, Prophecy, Salvation, Trusting In God, Worry | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Benevolence Giving

Posted on December 12, 2020 by russellmckinney

The average person has absolutely no idea how much benevolent giving the churches of America do. The reason for this lack of knowledge is the fact that much of the giving is done quietly without any fanfare. All this giving … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Deacons, Doing Good, Giving, God's Work, Ministry, Money, Needs, Pastors, Personal, Stewardship | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Does Moral Failure Disqualify a Person From God’s Service?

Posted on October 23, 2020 by russellmckinney

(“Questions From Israel’s Exodus” series: post #3) After Moses became the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he spent the first forty years of his life riding high. Acts 7:22 says: “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Backsliding, Deacons, God's Work, Ministry, Pastors, Personal Holiness, Preaching, Sin | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s Your Excuse?

Posted on September 7, 2020 by russellmckinney

Excuses are a dime a dozen, right? So, I thought I’d share a few “excuses” stories with you. Here we go. Story #1: Mrs. Smith gave her class of high school students the assignment of writing a term paper that … Continue reading →

Posted in Choices, Church, Church Attendance, Decisions, Disobedience, Doing Good, Dying To Self, God's Will, Lying, Obedience, Pastors, Rebellion, Sin, Submission | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual Leaders & Preachers’ Kids (post #2 of 2)

Posted on September 5, 2020 by russellmckinney

People tend to think that being called of God to spiritual leadership somehow causes the called to put on a magic cloak that miraculously changes everything about the person. The cloak corrects wrong thinking, fixes longstanding problems, strengthens weaknesses, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Adultery, Anger, Backsliding, Character, Church, Church Attendance, Current Events, Deacons, Depravity, Family, Forgiveness, God's Work, Hypocrisy, Leadership, Lust, Ministry, Pastors, Personal Holiness, Preaching, Sanctification, Service, Sin, Temptation, The Death Penalty, The Old Testament Law | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spiritual Leaders & Preachers’ Kids (post #1 of 2)

Posted on September 2, 2020 by russellmckinney

Maybe you’ve heard about the recent troubles of Jerry Falwell Jr. After a string of scandals, he has now been ousted as the President of Liberty University, the school his father founded. The whole story has given Christianity yet another … Continue reading →

Posted in Adultery, Backsliding, Character, Church, Church Attendance, Current Events, Depravity, God's Work, Husbands, Hypocrisy, Lust, Marriage, Ministry, Pastors, Personal Holiness, Politics, Preaching, Service, Sex, Sin, Temptation, Wives | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s a Really Good Time to Pray For Your Leaders

Posted on March 23, 2020 by russellmckinney

After a young seminary student had preached a particularly fiery sermon, one church-goer said to him, “You are a model preacher.” This filled the young student with pride until he took the time to look up the definition of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Current Events, Government, Intercessory Prayer, Pastors, Politics, Prayer | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Not My Typical Week

Posted on March 21, 2020 by russellmckinney

I spent this past week gathering as much information as I could about the Coronavirus in an effort to figure out how to conduct church services in a reasonably safe way. I also met with our church deacons Tuesday night … Continue reading →

Posted in Adversity, Church, Church Attendance, Current Events, God's Work, Pastors, Preaching, Problems, Service | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Having Good Spiritual Leadership Isn’t Enough

Posted on January 30, 2020 by russellmckinney

The pastor is usually the first person who gets blamed when a church takes a downturn. And, admittedly, many times the pastor is the problem. That’s just a plain fact. There are, however, two other facts that are just as … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Leadership, Ministry, Pastors, Preaching | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment