Paul Tripp

Latest

• 
  Nov 4, 2012

  Being a Pastor Is More Than Preaching, It's About ...

  Life in this fallen world is hard. It's easy, at the end of a long day of ministry, to try to numb or distract yourself by whatever temporary pleasure lies within reach. But it's important for you to remember that life and ministry in the fallen world are hard, not only for you, but also for everyone in your care.

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  Oct 28, 2012

  To Pastors: Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Self

  Pastor, many things nip away at your attention and schedule. You know many people who love you and have a wonderful plan for your life. You know that many conflicting motivations, thoughts, and desires give shape to your life and ministry. Sometimes you lose sight of why you're doing what you're doing. So this question is vital: do you live with singleness of focus? Is your life and ministry shaped, structured, and directed by the pursuit of one glorious, fulfilling, heart-satisfying thing?

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  Oct 21, 2012

  How to Know Sin When It Masquerades as Good

  In order for sin to do its evil work, it must present itself as something that is anything but evil. Lust masquerades as a love for beauty. Gossip lives in the costume of concern and prayer. Craving for power and control wears the mask of biblical leadership. Fear of man gets dressed up as being a peacemaker or having a servant heart. Pride in always being right masquerades as a love for biblical wisdom.

• Sep 12, 2012

  Anger Is a Calling?

  Suffering must not, cannot be okay with us. Injustice must not, cannot be okay with us. The immorality of the culture around us must not, cannot be okay with us. The deceit of the atheistic worldview – the philosophical paradigm of many culture-shaping institutions – must not, cannot be okay with us. Righteous anger should yank us out of selfish passivity. Righteous anger should call us to join God's revolution of grace.

• Sep 2, 2012

  If God Weren't Angry...

  Called to represent God's work of grace in the lives of others, many of us in ministry need to reevaluate how we think about the anger of God. Sometimes we can treat God's anger like the embarrassing uncle in our extended family. It's as if we're working hard to keep this attribute of God away from public exposure.

• Aug 25, 2012

  Why Anger Is Essential

  In a world that has been terribly broken by sin, where nothing operates as was intended, and where evil often has more immediate influence than good, it would be wrong not to be angry.

• Aug 19, 2012

  How to Be Good and Angry

  Tom and Jim are two angry men whose lives are radically different, and whose angers produce radically different results. Tom is angry because he wants to be God, so he has reduced everything in his life down to the size of his little kingdom of one. His anger is leaving a legacy of fear, hurt, and separation. But Jim's anger honors God by putting God and his kingdom in their rightful place. Jim's anger is leaving a ministry legacy of love, compassion, provision, and healing.

• Aug 16, 2012

  5 Reasons Why God Calls Us to Wait

  In ministry you will be both called to wait and also find waiting personally and corporately difficult. So it is important to recognize that there are lots of good reasons why waiting is not merely inescapable but necessary and helpful. Here are a few of those reasons.

• Aug 5, 2012

  Unrealistic Ministry Expectations: What's a Pastor to Do?

  Unrealistic expectations. I am convinced we have them because, at street level, we don't take seriously what the Bible has to say about the condition of this world. Sin has cast this world into trouble. You see the smoke and dirt of this trouble spread throughout the pages of Scripture.

• 
  Jul 29, 2012

  When Should You Grieve in Ministry?

  Ministry, this side of eternity, will be marked by moments of grief like Samuel's. Perhaps it will be the death of a vision, the need to discipline a trusted and influential leader, the knowledge of someone plotting against your God-given authority, sinful division among leaders, a resistant congregation, or a catalog of other difficulties that can obstruct and divert the ministry of a pastor and his congregation.