“I missed it.”
I spoke these words to my wife one Easter evening as another church holiday slipped away into the night. It can be easy for pastors to personally miss the most important days of the church calendar because we are so focused on helping everyone else.
We want the service to be perfect. We want the hospitality of our church to be warm. We desire salvation decisions, authentic worship, and a meaningful celebration of the risen Lord. We are present for our church—but when the day is over, we could say we missed it because we never let the importance of that day permeate our hearts.
What would it take for us to prepare our hearts for Easter? As of now, our sermons are in the works, and our services are well-planned. We’ve almost completed preparation for Easter Sunday, but the question is, have we prepared our hearts well?
For nearly two decades, I’ve pastored in various roles and learned valuable lessons about ensuring I do not miss Easter. Here are some things I think you should consider when it comes to keeping watch over your own soul this Holy Week (Acts 20:28):
Get out a good study Bible or even a different translation than you are used to and read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John’s accounts of the days leading up to and including the Resurrection of Christ. Take time each day to thank God for Jesus’ finished work on the cross and the empty tomb (Eph. 5:20).
Be honest with God about your heart and mind. Ask Him to open a new level of understanding in His Word, presence, and power in your life (Eph 1:18). Make yourself available to whatever He wants to do in you during this season. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is yours today (Rom. 6:10-11). Don’t forget that!
We should live in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Eph. 4:1-6), but let’s use the remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection to prompt us to confess any sin to God and seek His forgiveness. There is freedom and power in our lives and ministries when living right with God.
Easter Sunday is important, but it isn’t the end-all-be-all of our pastoral ministries. Let go of any anxiety you may have to ensure everything goes perfectly, and trust that God will use whatever He wants in your church to make His glory known.
Tell your family and closest friends to pray for you in the days leading up to Easter. Share your heart with them and ask them to intercede on your behalf. Be specific about a part of your sermon, the church’s ministry, or your life that they could pray for this week.
Easter Sunday is busy, but also a time when your church needs you. Talk to your family about what would be meaningful for them and plan to celebrate on a different day, such as Good Friday or Saturday night, when you can be present with them (and not exhausted after the Easter services are over).
You don’t need to overspend on a new suit, but make sure you are presentable and ready for the day. Your physical appearance matters and shows others that you take the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection seriously. Get your outfit needs taken care of early so you are not worrying about what you’ll wear on Saturday. Also, eat and sleep well as you prepare for the big day. Think of it as training for a marathon or big game— don’t let your outer man hinder your ministry (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
As you prepare for Easter Sunday, ensure that the Gospel is clear in your sermon, outreaches, and conversations (Col. 4:4). The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection should be unmistakable to everyone who hears it. We must ensure we don’t miss the true importance of Easter in how we speak of it to others.
This week is packed full of opportunities to remember and reflect on the story of Jesus. From Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, there are many ways to get lost in Christ’s love for us through his coming and death. Pray with friends and family. If possible, attend a service you are not leading. Or just spend some time alone with God and recount the importance of this week.
This is a great way to remind yourself of the incredible gift of grace offered through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Take some time to curate songs that speak to the sacrifice, beauty, and joy in Christ’s redemptive story.
Easter is a time to reflect on the incredible gift of grace that Jesus has given us. As pastors, we have an important role in leading our congregations this season and preparing their hearts for Easter Sunday. By taking some simple steps such as reading the resurrection accounts afresh, praying for God’s power to be made real, relieving any pressure to perform, asking others to pray for you in specific ways, planning family celebrations on a different day, and creating a playlist of resurrection songs, we can make sure that we and those around us do not miss out on what truly matters at Easter—the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Pastors, let’s not miss Easter for ourselves.
8 Daily Devotionals from Palm Sunday to Easter
The Importance of Pastoral Care for Pastors
Fighting Pastoral Anxiety: Fearing God More Than Our People
The post Ten Ways Pastors Can Prepare for Easter appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
I spoke these words to my wife one Easter evening as another church holiday slipped away into the night. It can be easy for pastors to personally miss the most important days of the church calendar because we are so focused on helping everyone else.
We want the service to be perfect. We want the hospitality of our church to be warm. We desire salvation decisions, authentic worship, and a meaningful celebration of the risen Lord. We are present for our church—but when the day is over, we could say we missed it because we never let the importance of that day permeate our hearts.
What would it take for us to prepare our hearts for Easter? As of now, our sermons are in the works, and our services are well-planned. We’ve almost completed preparation for Easter Sunday, but the question is, have we prepared our hearts well?
For nearly two decades, I’ve pastored in various roles and learned valuable lessons about ensuring I do not miss Easter. Here are some things I think you should consider when it comes to keeping watch over your own soul this Holy Week (Acts 20:28):
1. Read the resurrection accounts afresh
Get out a good study Bible or even a different translation than you are used to and read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John’s accounts of the days leading up to and including the Resurrection of Christ. Take time each day to thank God for Jesus’ finished work on the cross and the empty tomb (Eph. 5:20).
2. Pray for God’s power to be made real
Be honest with God about your heart and mind. Ask Him to open a new level of understanding in His Word, presence, and power in your life (Eph 1:18). Make yourself available to whatever He wants to do in you during this season. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is yours today (Rom. 6:10-11). Don’t forget that!
3. Repent of any sin and live in the light of Christ
We should live in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Eph. 4:1-6), but let’s use the remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection to prompt us to confess any sin to God and seek His forgiveness. There is freedom and power in our lives and ministries when living right with God.
4. Relieve any pressure to perform
Easter Sunday is important, but it isn’t the end-all-be-all of our pastoral ministries. Let go of any anxiety you may have to ensure everything goes perfectly, and trust that God will use whatever He wants in your church to make His glory known.
5. Ask others to pray for you in specific ways
Tell your family and closest friends to pray for you in the days leading up to Easter. Share your heart with them and ask them to intercede on your behalf. Be specific about a part of your sermon, the church’s ministry, or your life that they could pray for this week.
6. Plan for your family’s Easter celebrations on a different day
Easter Sunday is busy, but also a time when your church needs you. Talk to your family about what would be meaningful for them and plan to celebrate on a different day, such as Good Friday or Saturday night, when you can be present with them (and not exhausted after the Easter services are over).
7. Get your outfit and outer man prepared
You don’t need to overspend on a new suit, but make sure you are presentable and ready for the day. Your physical appearance matters and shows others that you take the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection seriously. Get your outfit needs taken care of early so you are not worrying about what you’ll wear on Saturday. Also, eat and sleep well as you prepare for the big day. Think of it as training for a marathon or big game— don’t let your outer man hinder your ministry (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
8. Make sure the Gospel is crystal clear
As you prepare for Easter Sunday, ensure that the Gospel is clear in your sermon, outreaches, and conversations (Col. 4:4). The good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection should be unmistakable to everyone who hears it. We must ensure we don’t miss the true importance of Easter in how we speak of it to others.
9. Follow the rhythms and reminders of Holy Week
This week is packed full of opportunities to remember and reflect on the story of Jesus. From Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, there are many ways to get lost in Christ’s love for us through his coming and death. Pray with friends and family. If possible, attend a service you are not leading. Or just spend some time alone with God and recount the importance of this week.
10. Create a playlist of songs that focus on the story of redemption
This is a great way to remind yourself of the incredible gift of grace offered through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Take some time to curate songs that speak to the sacrifice, beauty, and joy in Christ’s redemptive story.
Easter is a time to reflect on the incredible gift of grace that Jesus has given us. As pastors, we have an important role in leading our congregations this season and preparing their hearts for Easter Sunday. By taking some simple steps such as reading the resurrection accounts afresh, praying for God’s power to be made real, relieving any pressure to perform, asking others to pray for you in specific ways, planning family celebrations on a different day, and creating a playlist of resurrection songs, we can make sure that we and those around us do not miss out on what truly matters at Easter—the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Pastors, let’s not miss Easter for ourselves.
Related:
8 Daily Devotionals from Palm Sunday to Easter
The Importance of Pastoral Care for Pastors
Fighting Pastoral Anxiety: Fearing God More Than Our People
The post Ten Ways Pastors Can Prepare for Easter appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...