This Poor Pastor's Podcast

Buckle up, and remember, God loves you!

Hey everyone, in this episode, I want to continue talking to you about my faith journey.  I want to share with you honestly about my attitude of jealousy, and what I learned from the story of the prodigal son.  I also want to encourage you to lean into God's love for you.  

Yes, I know the title is provocative.  However, I really want you to listen.  I think you will be challenged and encouraged, and hopefully, laugh at yourself just a little bit. 

In this week's episode, I want to invite you to listen in on a sermon I preached recently at my church.  It is the introductory message to a new series by the title you see on this episode.  Thanks for listening!  I'd Iove to hear if this encouraged you!

In today's episode, I address some questions that I received regarding the content of my last couple of episodes. Then, we talk about the discipline of prayer, which I call "The Contemplative Prayer Model".  Learning to be still in the presence of God is one of the richest blessings you and I can experience.  Our busy lives often make it nearly impossible. But it doesn't need to be that...

Have you ever wondered why you seem so unaware of God's presence and voice in your life?  Do you find it too easy to rationalize away all of the times people say God is at work in their lives and in yours?  If so, you are not alone.  I face the same struggle.  In today's episode, I will share where I am in my own journey of learning to see God.  It seems to be the easiest...

Have you ever wondered if God actually loves you? Have you been told that you are a wicked, vile, worm and that nothing you do will ever be good enough?  That the only reason, as a saved person, that God even pretends to love you now is because of His love for Jesus, who somehow loves you more than the Father does?  Me too.  But you know what?  It's crap. God actually loves you.  He always has.  H...

Hey gang!  This will be my last new episode for 2022. In the next few weeks, I'll repost some of the most listened-to episodes from the previous couple of years.  However, in this episode, I'm kicking the doors in.  I am telling you where I am, and where I am going, and inviting you to come along for the ride, starting in January 2023.  I call it, my move toward a "messy faith"...

Hey guys!  Do you have time for a chat?  I love to share some thoughts with you from a pastor's heart related to church and the holidays.  I hope you will listen.  And, I hope it helps. 

What would change if we lived by just two commandments?  What if those commandments were both about love?  What if both Jesus and the Apostle Paul said that if we did that, we'd be golden?  Could it really be that simple?  What difference would it make if we tried?  Let's talk about it.

This episode is a little different, but I want to talk to you about beauty.  I want to ask you to think about beauty in creation, our lives, and even the buildings where we meet to worship God.  God delights in beauty.  So should we.

In this episode I continue the discussion from last time regarding my beliefs about the subject of death and whether or not it is determined by God.  The short answer is, probably not, but sometimes, and also it's hard to know the difference.  I'd love to hear your feedback.

This may be one of the most controversial discussions I have ever put out on the podcast.  Many, if not most, will probably not agree with me.  That being said, I hope you will listen, and at least consider what I say.  I believe that a tremendous amount of damage has been done by the idea that when someone dies, it is "just their time" or "God took them".  Theology matters and...

I am a pastor and a chaplain.  In my almost twenty years in this line of work, I have seen death up close and personal more times than I care to count.  I think God has given me the skill set to deal with it more than some.  It's a mixed blessing.  In this episode, I want to share some of my thoughts on this topic with you.  I would love to hear your feedback. 

It is easy to blame the listener when communication breaks down.  But what about when we are the listener?  Are there things we can do as listeners to aid in successful communication?  Indeed there are dear listeners...indeed there are. In this episode, I will share some of them with you!

George Bernard Shaw said (maybe) "The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has actually taken place."  Ouch!  Often we blame the listener for our communication problems, but it is just as often the speaker.  How can we do a better job at avoiding communication failure?  Well, in this episode I will give you three things that will help immediately.  Se...

Be careful now...don't jump to conclusions.  You might disagree with me, but make sure you disagree with what I actually mean.  What is my issue with church?  Listen and find out!

Have you ever wished all Christians could just agree on the doctrines of the Bible?  I have...but mostly that means them all agreeing with me!  It can get discouraging, but it is nothing new.  Here are my thoughts for what they are worth.

Are denominational labels as necessary as they once were?  Do they represent a consistent coherent doctrinal position? Would it matter if someone chose not to put a denominational label on their sign, is it a "sign" of compromise or apostasy?  I don't think so...but let's chat about it.

Just a question...short and sweet

Welcome back everyone!  This is the second part of the discussion we started last week on Three C's of Successful Community.  In this episode we tackle the third C.   Compromise

Hey everyone!  We made it to episode 100!   In this episode, I will be tackling the subject of community.  What is a community?  When to join one? When should I leave one?  When should the community dissolve altogether?  It should be an exciting conversation.

This is the overdue second part to our last conversation on friendship.  Enjoy!

It is really tough to develop strong friendships in the ministry.  Maybe brutal is a better word!  In this two-part discussion I want to have an informal chat with you about this topic.  I will discuss the challenges I have faced, as well as the blessings of seeking friendship in ministry.  Most of all, I want to encourage you to 

Have you ever been told that there is no need to reinvent the wheel?  Do you know who says that?  Wheel salesmen.  The people who need you to keep buying their product.  That's who. Since the invention of the wheel, it has gone through countless stages of reinvention and innovation.  Not only that, but other methods of transportation have also become available that may uti...