This Sunday at Church: Encourage Your Pastors

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Encourage Your Pastors.

This passage stood out to me.  Hear 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13: “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”

The verse is clear.  Paul says believers are to appreciate those who “ have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction.”  Verse 13 even said we are to “esteem” them.

How do you esteem your pastor or show appreciation for them?  Encourage them!  How do you encourage them?

• Say thank you for their ministry.

• Tell them how has God used them to minister to your own life and spiritual life.  This goes beyond platitudes.  Most pastors by the way are joyful to hear God working in your life; if God has used them to minister to you, don’t keep it to yourself but encourage others with it, including your pastor.

• Pray for their ministry.  I imagine every pastor wants people to pray for his ministry.

• If your pastor is a Bible preaching pastor, realize that’s not a given in today’s culture where there’s a lot of false teachers and preachers.  Encourage your pastor to preach the truth and continue to preach the Truth from God’s Word.

• Get them a good book on sound biblical preaching or exegesis.  Keep that man of God sharp with interpreting the Word of God!  It’s a gift that pays back for your own spiritual life!

• Still thinking of ways to encourage them from God’s Word?  Consider reading this: Collection of Sunday Morning Motivations for Preachers and Teachers.  Read it to see different truths from God’s Word that you can encourage your pastor today by sharing those verses from God’s Word and the truth and application from it to motivate them to continue to pursue faithful ministry.  Do it today!