Monday’s Ministry Musing: Amen’s on Monday

Mike Leake

“Carron-shore.  My last.  Some tears; yet I fear some like the messenger, not the message; and I fear I am so vain as to love that love.  Lord, let it not be so.  Perish my honor, but let thine be exalted forever.”  -Robert M. McCheyne

I am at times so shallow in my aims and hopes for those that are within earshot of my preaching.  At times I can be tempted to think that if I get an “Amen” on Sunday that I have done a solid job and that I have been faithful in my task of preaching.  But deep down I know the truth.  I know that I know enough, and have been speaking for long enough, that I can work a crowd.  I know how to get an “Amen” on Sunday. 

But there is a work that is the point of pastoral ministry that I cannot “work”; namely, an “amen” on Monday.  The goal of a pastor and his preaching is that the sacred words of Sunday will generate an “amen” on Monday.  It is to the preacher’s honor that he gets an “amen” on Sunday.  It is to Christ’s honor that he gets an “amen” on Monday!

A preacher that pursues his owner honor will work diligently for Sunday’s amen.  The preacher that pursues the honor of Christ will work diligently to accomplish what only Christ can do—generate amen’s on Monday.  I cannot speak for other pastors but there are a few signs that I am pursuing my honor instead of Christ’s.  Here are a few:

  1. Passionless and dutiful praying or prayer neglected altogether
  2. “Changing” the message on Sunday morning mid-stream just to get a response
  3. Approval addiction rising up in my heart after the preaching event
  4. A stupid desire in my heart to “draw all men unto myself”
  5. Neutering the gospel message in places of possible offense
  6. When I lack confidence that the gospel is powerful enough to change hearts (both of believers and unbelievers)
  7. When I measure the sermon by listener response rather than biblical fidelity

Thankfully the gospel is powerful enough to redirect prideful and self-glorifying preachers even on Monday.  The Spirit doggedly pursues us gospel ministers (as he does all believers) and shines the beauty of Christ up against our half-hearted and fallen aims for ministry.  He reminds us that yes, “amen’s” are great on Sunday morning.  But they are even more valuable when the “amen” is Christ-likeness on Monday.  Perish my honor, but let thine be exalted forever.

Borrowed Light Fantasy Baseball

Mike Leake

Did your NCAA Tournament bracket get missed up over the weekend?  Has your dreams of being a fantasy champion been dashed?  Cry no more!  On March 25th the Borrowed Light Fantasy Baseball League will be drafting.  A 20 team league with an interesting scoring format.  The winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate.  There are limited spots available so respond quickly. 

How to join:

1. Email me your email address mike[AT]fbjasper[DOT]org and I will send you an invite. 

2.  Leave a comment (either here or on facebook) with your email address and I will send you the invite. 

3. Respond to @mikeleake with your email address and I will send you an invite. 

How to Save Cute Little Kittens: SBC Voices Blue Collar Blog Madness

Mike Leake 1 Comment

Last year you helped Borrowed Light make the Sweet 16.  And that was against powerhouse SBC blogs.  This year those powerhouse blogs are gone and the folks at SBC Voices are seeing which of the “little guys” should be moved up to the hallowed status of (queue James Earl Jones) FEATURED BLOG!!!! 

Here is how you can help Borrowed Light become a FEAUTRED BLOG on the SBC Voices watch list. 

Step One: Go to SBC Voices Blue Collar Blog Madness. 

Step Two: Scroll down to the Midwest region and vote for Borrowed Light. 

Step Three: Don’t bother voting for any of those other jokers.  I can assure you that everyone else in my division puts little baby kitties in wood-chippers*.  Not me.  I’ll never do that.  So only vote for the guy that would never do that.

Step Four: Let other people know about the Blue Collar Blog Madness.  Tell them to vote for Borrowed Light and save baby kitties**. 

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*This claim cannot be proven, but this is the SBC so it’s totally fine to assume that such crazy claims are true—that’s what we do. 

**If you abhor baby kitties and would actually cheer for people that put them in wood-chippers…first of all, shame on you…second of all, pretend it’s not baby kitties, pretend that they are Yankees fans, or Cowboys fans, or Hitler fans.