Peace 107:7

Uplifting & Encouraging

Seven Questions with a Pastor: Wade Phillips of Madisonville Christian Fellowship

by

What caused you to want to be a Pastor?

If I’m to be honest, I never wanted to be a Pastor. I accepted Christ at the age of 31 and if you would have asked me then if I would be a Pastor one day, the answer would have been a resounding: “are you crazy?” I had worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for over 12 years and had every intention of staying thirty years and drawing a full retirement. But, God had other plans for me. About three or four years after I accepted Christ, He revealed the need for youth workers in our church and my wife and I answered the call as a Bi-vocational youth Pastor. Then in 2008, I began to feel the call to preach the Word. The rest is history. God called, I answered, and He used me to do His bidding. So, basically the answer is “God.”

 

As a pastor, how do you balance church, your family, and your personal walk with God?

This is the greatest struggle for any Pastor. At first, I allowed the church to take up every minute of my time. I thought that I had to be at everything since I was the Pastor. It wasn’t long that I began to feel the stress of the job weigh me down.  I quickly figured out that God had set an order of things for a reason. He comes first, family comes second, the church comes third. I start off most days in my office praying and studying the Word. It’s vital that I am filled with the Word so I can impart it to the people. I also keep a weekly calendar and I try to make sure I don’t overload myself. Finally, I take vacations. I went three years without missing a Sunday because I thought I had to be there. But, now I realize I must take time for my wife and myself. It took a while, but God revealed the right path for success without too much stress.

What is your church’s vision for people?

Matthew 22:37-40 says, “And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Our vision statement is “Loving God and Loving People.” So, the answer to the question is simply, “we plan on Loving People.” Loving them to Salvation through Christ. Loving them in fellowship with fellow believers. Loving them in Discipleship through biblical training. And, loving them into service for the Kingdom.

 

Which Bible character do you relate to the most, and why?

I most relate to Paul. Paul was a person who was determined to tear down Christianity because he was focused on religion. While he knew who God was, he, like most other religious leaders of the time missed the Messiah.  He was so blinded by his religion that he couldn’t see the Son of God right in front of him. I was so blinded by my sin, I couldn’t see Jesus. But like Paul, I had an encounter with Christ. Paul encountered Him on a road to Damascus, and I encountered Him at a men’s meeting on October 9th , 2001. And just like Paul, the scales fell from my eyes and I could truly see for the first time in my life. He was then able to use me to spread His truth.

What does a typical Sunday morning at your church look like?

The first word that comes to mind is “friendly.”  Yes, while we have a lot of pre-service rehearsing, and lots of preparation at the various service areas, what really sticks out about Madisonville Christian Fellowship is that it’s a friendly, welcoming experience. We believe people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. When you walk into our church you will find a microcosm of our community. We have people from various ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds and they are all engaged in Love. So, the short answer is, it looks like Love.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to grow in their relationship with Jesus?

In the song He Lives, the chorus says “He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and He talks with me Along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.” To grow closer to Christ, you must realize that He is with you every step of every day. He is in your heart through the Spirit. Yes, you need to be in the Word. Yes, you need to be in prayer. Yes, you need to be in church. But, most importantly you need that daily walk with the Son of God. Once you realize He is with you everywhere you will begin to talk to Him in every circumstance. And when you begin to have that daily communication, He will fill you up in a way that causes you to grow deeper in His love.

 

What is something that the Lord has been teaching you recently?

The decisions I make don’t have to please people, they only must please God. Human beings automatically want to please each other. We long for approval from our peers.  If I have learned anything over the years of my ministry it’s that you can’t please everyone on every occasion. Our decisions must be focused on pleasing God and not our congregations. Even if something isn’t popular; if it’s biblical, it is necessary.  As a teacher of God’s word, James tells us we will be held to a higher accountability by God. Lately, the Spirit has been reminding me that God’s will far outweighs man’s.

7 Questions with a Pastor

by

By: Pastor Keith Castleberry | Victory Church – A United Pentecostal Church

Castleberry2

 

1.   Easter Sunday is right around the corner. In today’s culture, amongst the egg-hunts, candy, and frilly dresses, the true meaning of Easter can be overlooked. Could you offer some clarity concerning the real reason we celebrate Easter?

Our New Testament Easter (Acts 12:4) corresponds to the Old Testament Passover (Exodus 12), which dates back to the night the Jews were to leave Egypt. As long as the blood of the sacrificial lamb was applied to the door post of the home, in which the Jews prepared for their exodus, the death angel would pass over the home and not slay the first born. This is a type of the blood of Jesus Christ applied to the doorpost of our hearts and the death of the lamb slain for our redemption (1 Corinthians 5:7). Easter is not a celebration of the cross, or of the grave, for if that was the end, Easter would not be complete nor a celebration, but the resurrection is where the true hope comes into play; anyone can die and be buried, but only Jesus came to life again, thus declaring a power not seen in mortal men before (Romans 1:4). Our Easter, a holiday of new life, is our celebration of the true life we find though and in Jesus Christ. By his death, burial and especially the resurrection, Jesus Christ conquered death, hell and the grave (Revelation 1:18) and those of us that choose to follow him are given opportunity to new life through obedience to the gospel (John 15:14). What a great opportunity and reason to celebrate!

 

2.    Why did Jesus have to die and come back to life?

Jesus Christ is our Savior due to the sacrifice he paid at Calvary. As the perfect lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) only he could pay the price required to remit the sins of lost souls (Luke 1:77, 24:47, Acts 2:38, Romans 3:25). The blood sacrifice of Calvary was precedented first by the blood sacrifice made by God for the covering of the sins of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21) and again accepted and respected by God himself when Abel brought a blood sacrifice (Genesis 4:4). These and more early sacrifices, throughout the Old Testament, show us the need for the blood, but the blood of animals was never enough. It was only the sacrifice of this perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:19), that could wash away the sins of humanity. In writing to the church, the Apostles stated multiple times that the Church was bought by the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14). His blood, as seen in the shadows of old, serves to sanctify our hearts to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14) when we obey the gospel preached by the Apostles (John 17:20). According to Hebrews 2:14, Jesus’ experience was more than just a sacrifice of blood, but was to take the power of death and hell from the devil, thus purchasing hope for the church. While much of mankind spends their life in fear of death, Jesus gave us power over that fear (Hebrews 2:15). Though the death of Jesus Christ was necessary, the resurrection holds the promise of life and that eternal (Hebrews 9:15).

 

3.    What are your goals as a Pastor on Easter Sunday?

More than anything, Easter Sunday at Victory Church is to celebrate the salvation we have through Jesus Christ and to teach all people the good news, that Jesus Christ loved humanity so much that he came to earth, lived to experience our struggle, died for our sins, was buried and rose again, all for our salvation and hope. We Christians celebrate this work by emulating the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in our own lives (Romans 6:3-6); though everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23), everyone has a door to salvation through Jesus Christ (John 10:9). Our goal is to motivate others to live, like Paul, so they can know the Lord, through not only his death and burial but through His resurrection. In doing this, we encourage all to repent of their sins (death to the flesh – Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30), be baptized in Jesus name (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48 & 19:5) and be filled with the Spirit of God (Acts 2:4, 2:38, 8:18, 10:44, 19:6, Ephesians 5:18). In obeying the message preached on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) we follow the pattern set by the early church and Jesus Christ himself (Matthew 3:15). Knowing then that those that are baptized into Jesus Christ, are baptized into his death (Romans 6:3), we place special emphasis on baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. If we can do this through plays, skits, programs or other tools, we will, but the goal should end at the same result, people need to know Jesus in a way that really matters and changes them.

 

4.    How do you keep the true meaning of Easter alive in your home as well as your church?

Though somewhat traditional, Easter Sunday at Victory Church is spent like many other churches; we put forth special effort to reach and support our guest as they reach out to the church, as many only come to church on Easter. But our real effort to keep the true meaning of Easter alive in our home and church comes on a day to day relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, we do dress in our best, make special preparations, presentations and spend our entire day at the church celebrating on Easter Sunday, and sadly, many do celebrate just that day, but I believe Christians should celebrate Easter with a new life, every day, every week and every year. With the Spirit of God in our hearts, the joy of salvation in our souls, and the hope of eternal life in our minds, we no longer desire what we used to desire, our focus is now, at all times, on the things of God (Ephesians 5:8). So the new life, celebrated only on Easter by many, is our whole life.

 

5.    Some people want to strengthen their relationship with Christ, but simply don’t know where to begin. What are some first steps that you would suggest for these individuals?

As addressed above, and common throughout the New Testament church, we must all repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and to be filled with the Spirit of God, and this obedience brings peace. Though we do these spiritual things, we remain in the flesh, thus we have to mortify the flesh (Romans 8:13). In order to strengthen our relationship with God, we must often weaken our relationship with the world. John the Baptist set a great example; though having not the Spirit, he served God to the best of his ability, using the simple motto “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Thus we must abstain from some things that war against the soul first (1 Peter 2:11), then we must embrace the things that bless the work of the Spirit (2 Peter 1:3-8). One thing that is a good medicine for the soul is regular reading and studying of the Word (2 Timothy 2:15-18, 3:16). But possibly the most important thing to strengthen a person’s relationship with Christ is found in simple fellowship with the body, His Church (Ephesians 5:23) and the church has been given the Word, and ministers for the perfecting of the saints, to build up the body (Ephesians 4:11-13). Like a coach at the gym, they should challenge us, push us and perfect us, if they don’t, they aren’t doing their job.

 

6.    Churches are made up of people, and people aren’t perfect. What advice would you give to an individual that is wary of trying church because they were hurt by the church in the past?

Come back, please… we do love you, and we care that you have been hurt before. Yes, there are people that seem to be able to mess up the beauty of the church and yes, there is some hard teaching and preaching that must be endured. But, just like at work or even within our family, that happens. Realize, though, we all do what we want to do; we all go to work because we want the reward of work, we go to the doctor because we desire what the doctor can do for us, and if we want the reward of being part of the body, we will go to church (Ephesians 1:18). If any person wants to be a living part of the body of Christ, a relationship with other parts of the body is demanded (1 Corinthians 12:12-25, Ephesians 4:16). Just as each part of our physical bodies can have less desirable parts, there are parts of the church that seem to be less desirable. We must also recognize another very important fact; there must be flaws, even false teaching, among the church, to expose the beauty of the truth (1 Corinthians 11:19). In other words, the test of persecution, suffering and shame, are not just test from the world, often times they can come from within the church. Find a church that truly loves souls, that is one that preaches against sin and stands for truth no matter what the world does, and there you will find a church that loves you (Hebrews 3:12-13). Neglect feelings, embrace the Word, walk by faith and not by sight. A simple understanding of the divisions of the New Testament will help one understand the need the body has always had for correction and instruction; the New Testament is divided into four types of books, the first is the gospels, conveying the birth, life and sacrifice of Jesus, the second is the book of Acts, which stands alone as the foundational history of the church, and setting an example to the church today, then Romans through Jude tells us, by letters from the apostles to the Church (most addressed “to the church at ___”), correction and instruction on how to live for God and lastly, the book of revelation declares the triumphant end for Christ and His bride (His Church). 21 of the 27 books of the New Testament are directed at instruction or correction of the church. Come back, we love you.

 

7.    What is something that the Lord has been teaching you recently?

It seems that I am a work in progress, with the Lord constantly teaching me something. Of course, many lessons come into focus as we go through trials and seasons in our lives, and lately I’ve been reminded of three points to one simple principle; 1) some things only God can do (healing, miracles, infilling of the Spirit, etc), and some things only we can do (go to work, church, eat, etc) but some things we have to work together on (salvation, works of the church, etc). While scripture is full of the miraculous power of God and humanity has just enough power to work and care for himself, much of the miraculous occurred when humanity, in its weakness, bent to God’s will and way. Whatever you and I are going through, we must recognize that if we do our best, God will do the rest. With the will of God being that we not be satisfied in our present at the cost of our salvation in the future, we must recognize the part we play and never give up on trying to live righteously through all situations. Let God be God, don’t try to manipulate and manage Him for your good, manage yourself for His good and you will be better off. Yes, we must do our best and let God do the rest, but we can’t expect God to carry us when we don’t try.

Castleberry1

victory church

13107 State Highway 30

College Station, Texas 77845

(979) 774-9690

www.victoryupc.com

A Youth Pastor’s Guide for Parents – Evaluating Four Components Your Current Youth Program Must Have

by

photo courtesy of iStockphoto

photo courtesy of iStockphoto

It was my seventh year in youth ministry when a dad walked into my office and changed everything. He pulled out a chair and asked if we could talk. He looked me right in the eyes and said something that I have never forgotten. He said, “As a father, I take the role of instilling Christ into the lives of my children very seriously. Because of that responsibility, I want to make sure that my kids are involved in a youth program that is Jesus focused. So tell me, why I should trust you and the program you run?” I was speechless, then a big smile came over my face, and I told him, “Thank You.” After about an hour of conversation, he left feeling comforted and assured that our ministry was a great fit for his daughters. I had only been at this church for a few weeks and never met his girls until the following week at our youth gathering. This man understood and valued the incredible influence a youth leader and his/her program can have on children. I was a veteran of youth ministry and have been a leader of hundreds of students. That was the first time a parent had ever taken a serious interest in my ability to lead.

The problem is, most parents make the assumption that when their child attends their church’s youth program they are going to be surrounded by Godly people, be equipped as a disciple of Christ, and be in a Christ-centered environment. Most youth leaders have a calling for ministry, and their programs are successful, but there are situations that are not so healthy. Parents need to take a serious interest in the youth ministry their child is involved with and take time to evaluate and examine four crucial components before making a family commitment to the program. As a parent, you are responsible for your child’s spiritual development. This responsibility is so great, just assuming your child is in a great program isn’t enough, you need to be sure.

Four Components Your Current Youth Program Must Have

1. Leadership.
For many churches, when they are looking to hire a youth leader, the main focus is on education. While education is a great quality to look for in a youth leader, it is not the most essential. There are many youth directors with a wealth of education, but fail at being a positive impact in the lives of students, because they lack an essential ingredient. Passion! Your youth leaders need to have a passion for Christ and for students. Being passionate about something means it is pursued with great enthusiasm. If your youth leader is chasing after God’s own heart, they will be a tremendous asset, mentor, and example to the child that you are entrusting them with. As a result of their passion for Christ and students, they have a desire to make sure your child is being fed spiritual truth. They accomplish this by being in constant prayer about the direction the Spirit is guiding them. They will surrender their plans for the ministry for God’s much greater plans. They will fight for your child not only on a spiritual level, but a personal one as well. Most importantly, they will make sure that everything in the ministry God has handed over to them will be authentic. When a program has Godly leadership, is authentic, and seeks God’s wisdom, it will become spiritually healthy. When that happens, it will naturally grow and you will see spiritual fruit growing in your child.

2. Equipping Rather than Entertaining.
While having fun is important, it should not be the focus of the youth ministry. Introducing your child to Christ, developing your child as a disciple, and providing your child with tools that will allow him or her to grow into a Godly man or woman should be the top priority. Your leader needs to have an overwhelming understanding and dedication to fulfilling the five purposes of the church. These purposes are found in The Great Commandment and The Great Commission, which are passionately explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, and are part of Christ’s prayer in John 17. The five purposes are worship, discipleship, fellowship, evangelism, and ministry. These should be the driving force behind everything your youth ministry does, because that is what scripture commands. In Acts 2:42-47 the five purposes of the church are mentioned: “They fellowshipped, discipled one another, worshipped, ministered, and evangelized.” As a result, verse 47 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

3. Culture
There is nothing more discouraging than when your child feels like they cannot relate with a youth leader or the other students. This happens more often than one would think, and the reason is the culture that is in place. The culture of your youth program should be one built on love, acceptance, accountability, encouragement, and transparency. When your child is enveloped into a safe and secure environment the walls they have built up begin to fall and they become more comfortable with who God created them to be, and as a result, your child will be more willing to share their life struggles, and spiritual journey with others. Creating and living out this culture in your youth ministry is also vital when new students attend. They feel like they are in a place that fully accepts them for who they are, regardless of where they are in their relationship with Jesus or the story they come from, and that is an incredible feeling for a young person to have. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 “so we cared for you, because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” This can only happen when a safe, secure, and healthy culture is in place.

4. A Partner With Parents
As a parent, you are the most important influence your child will ever have in his or her relationship with Jesus. However, many parents struggle with setting an example at home, not because they can’t or are unwilling, they just don’t know how. That’s why it is essential that your youth program has a partnership mentality. Your youth staff stresses the importance of working together with parents to set Godly examples in the church, but more importantly, in the home. This is accomplished by encouraging and equipping parents with tools that they can practice at home. Provide them with unlimited resources that best fit their family. Your child’s spiritual life will be much greater if he or she is influenced not only during youth gatherings, but also at home.

Your child faces incredible influences every day, many from earthly standards. It is time we rise up and take our children’s spiritual health and guidance seriously. As a youth ministry veteran and a parent, I cannot emphasize the importance of these qualities enough. Please take the time to sit down with the leader of your current youth program and investigate these components. If you feel like your child is in a great place after your meeting, that’s fantastic. But if you walk away with any doubt, seriously consider finding a new place for your child to spiritually thrive. Don’t assume, be sure.

by Jake Andrews

EEO
Terms of Use
Public Inspection File
Bryan Broadcasting

RSS Bible Gateway Blog