Pastor Matters

In this episode of Pastor Matters, the conversation centers around the theme of longevity in ministry, featuring Dr. Al Jackson, who served at Lakeview Baptist Church for over 42 years. The discussion explores Dr. Jackson's journey into ministry, the challenges he faced, and the importance of staying committed to a church community. He shares insights on the call to ministry, navigating difficult...

In this episode, Dr. Chuck Lawless and Caleb Iversen welcome pastors Jeff Isenhour and Andrew Clark of Arran Lake Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC. They share their experience of making and implementing a succession plan after Pastor Jeff's 35 years of ministry at Arran Lake. They discuss the process of co-pastoring, mentorship, and the challenges of transitioning leadership roles. As more and m...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, the team reflects on the highlights of 2024, including the successful Christ-Centered Exposition Workshop and the preaching conference. They discuss the upcoming events in 2025 for pastors, pastoral students, and aspiring pastors. Pastor Matters and the Pastors' Center have an exciting year ahead, and we hope our listeners plan to be a part of it! We hope this ep...

For this week, we have the audio recording from Dr. Tate Cockrell's October webinar "The Emotional Health of the Pastor." Dr. Cockrell discusses the importance of emotional health for pastors and church leaders. He identifies signs of emotional unhealth, offers practical solutions for improving emotional health, and stresses empowering ministry leaders in knowing when to say no to maintain a healt...

In our recent mentorship lunch, we welcomed Dr. Tom Elliff virtually to share about the preacher's character and prayer. Dr. Elliff highlights the importance of integrity, the role of scripture in shaping character, and the consequences of neglecting one's spiritual life. He shares a powerful testimony of redemption, demonstrating the transformative power of prayer and the Word of God in the lives...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board (IMB), returns to discuss the vital role of pastors in fulfilling the Great Commission. He shares his personal journey from pastoring to leading the IMB and emphasizes the importance of mobilizing church members for global missions. The conversation highlights the responsibilities of pastors in calli...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Lawless, Caleb Iversen, and Zac Menser share personal reflections on Christmas worship and traditions. They touch on the precarious balance pastors must maintain between church commitments and family commitments at Christmastime. Dr. Lawless shares some of his Christmas devotions, emphasizing the awe and wonder of the all-too-familiar story of Jesus's birth....

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board (IMB), discusses the vital role of the IMB in addressing global lostness through missionary work. Dr. Chitwood shares insights on the IMB's history, its current challenges, and the exciting advancements in gospel outreach amidst global crises. The conversation emphasizes the importance of prayer, sup...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Lawless, Caleb, and Zac welcome back Dr. Dwayne Milioni to discuss the critical role of sermon application in preaching. Dr. Milioni addresses understanding the text correctly to avoid misapplication, knowing your congregation to tailor applications effectively, and delivering grace-driven sermons. Are you a pastor looking for ways to improve biblical applica...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Lawless, Caleb Iversen, and Zac Menser discuss the importance of gratitude in ministry, especially as they approach Thanksgiving. They reflect on their personal experiences of gratitude, share insights on cultivating a thankful heart, and emphasize recognizing simple blessings in life. The conversation also touches on the challenges pastors face in maintainin...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, we welcome back Mike Young, director of Noble Warriors, to discuss fatherhood and raising the next generation. The conversation covers delighting in every stage of parenting, maintaining open lines of communication with children, and creating quality moments through shared experiences. Mike shares valuable insights on balancing family life with church responsibil...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, we welcome Mike Young, founder and executive director of Noble Warriors. Mike shares his journey into men's ministry, the mission of Noble Warriors, and practical advice for pastors looking to disciple men effectively. We discuss the importance of equipping men in the church, common pitfalls in men's ministry, and the need for intergenerational relationships. We...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, hosts Chuck Lawless and Caleb Iversen talk with Dr. Randy Mann and his wife, Melanie, about the intricacies of a pastor's marriage. They share their journey from meeting in nursing school to navigating the ministry and parenting. The discussion highlights the importance of prioritizing family, the unique challenges facing the role of a pastor's wife, and practica...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Chuck Lawless, Caleb Iversen, and Zac Menser discuss the critical topic of Bible intake for pastors. They explore the struggles many face in maintaining a consistent and meaningful engagement with Scripture amidst life's busyness. Dr. Lawless shares his personal methods for Bible reading and the overlap between personal devotion and sermon preparation, encour...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, hosts Chuck Lawless and Caleb Iversen welcome Dr. Dwayne Milioni, lead pastor of Open Door Church in Raleigh, NC, and associate professor at Southeastern Seminary. The conversation explores Dr. Milioni's journey in preaching through the entire Bible, his upcoming resource, Jesus Daily Bible, and insights on effective sermon preparation and the importance of commi...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Chuck Lawless, Caleb Iversen, and Zac Menser express their gratitude to pastors in celebration of Pastor Appreciation Month. They reflect on the impact of influential pastors in their lives, discuss the importance of faithfulness in ministry, and highlight the challenges pastors face, including the need for preaching the Word and serving in difficult circumstance...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Chuck Lawless, Caleb Iversen, and Zac Menser discuss the topic of rest for pastors. They share their own struggles with finding rest and the temptation to be constantly busy. They talk about the importance of embracing limitations, learning to delegate tasks to others, the theological aspect of rest and the need to trust in God's sovereignty. Are you a pastor str...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Lawless and Caleb Iversen speak with Keelan Cook, the director of the Center for Great Commission Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They discuss the vital role of pastors in fostering a mission-minded culture within their churches, the importance of international missions, and practical steps for mobilizing church members. Keelan shares hi...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Dr. Hershael York, the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary, discusses the importance of finishing well in ministry. He emphasizes the need for older pastors to continue growing in sanctification and to focus on raising up successors. Dr. York shares his own experience of stepping down from his role as a pastor and highlights the importance of prio...

Dr. Herschel York, Dean of the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, discusses his book Pastor Well and shares insights on pastoral ministry. He emphasizes the importance of thinking through pastoral issues before encountering them, the fishbowl life of a pastor, and cultivating a strong home life. Dr. York also shines a light on important issues like pornography addicti...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Chuck Lawless, Caleb Iversen, and Zac Menser discuss their summer experiences and the upcoming school year. Caleb shares his role as a college director and the importance of forming relationships with college students. They provide advice for pastors who have college students in their church and for pastors whose students have left for college. We hope this episo...

In this episode, Dr. Chuck Lawless reflects on his 50 years of being a believer and shares the lessons he has learned along the way. He talks about the joy of mentoring and discipling others and the impact it has had on his life. Additionally, he shares insights on the power of prayer and the privilege of preaching the Word.

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Pennington, author and professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Seminary, discusses preaching the Gospels and the key themes and emphasis of each Gospel. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing the Gospels as narrative and shares his approach to preaching through the Gospels. We hope this episode is encouraging to you today! Let us know how this episo...

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Pennington joins Dr. Lawless and Caleb Iversen to discuss his book 'Small Preaching: 25 Little Things You Can Do Now to Become a Better Preacher' which emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement in preaching and highlights the power of incrementalism in a pastor's growth. We hope this episode is encouraging to you today! Let us know how this episode encourage...

In this episode of Pastor Matters, Chuck Lawless and Caleb Iversen continue their conversation with Dr. Eddie Moody, the executive secretary of the National Association of Free Will Baptists. They discuss the challenges that churches and pastors are facing in 2024, focusing on the topics of getting members to put their faith into practice, effectively evangelizing people contacted through outreach...