My first year of [paid] ministry

Traci and I have just wrapped up our first year being lead pastors at Victory Fellowship Church here in good ol’ Blackwell, Oklahoma.  It’s been great, to say the very least, and it has been an amazing adventure.  I could write a lengthy review and summary of the past 12 months, but who would read it? [I probably wouldn't]

Some things I’ve learned:

• God is faithful, ALWAYS.  Seriously, He’s relentless. We have been through a lot, and Jesus has never let us go without and provided more than we could ask for; I guess that’s grace right?
• Ministry is hard work!  Like Driscoll puts it, ministry isn’t just a way to work inside and avoid manual labor.  It’s rough, stressful, and also rewarding knowing that you are working for Jesus directly.
• Your wife is more important than your job.  Always.  Jesus is God, not the church.   It’s okay to love your wife more than the church; in fact, God wants it that way.
• Get a planner and manage your time, because it runs from you.  Either software to plan your time, or old-school day planner [I use both], just something to make sure you do something.  I have a problem with procrastination; this is one way to try to kill it.
• Read.  A lot.  Immerse yourself in the scriptures.  Absorb everything you can from guys who have been there before.  Who cares how much wisdom and experience you lack, you can learn from great men in books, blogs, tweets, conferences, etc… It’s so easy to learn from some of the greatest minds in the world, block out time to read.
• Communicate.  The only time you talk to people in your church can’t be on Sundays during your sermon.  I have to try [that means put forth the effort] to be plugged into the heartbeat of my congregation.  God created us for fellowship; do it.