Dear Mr. Trump

Dear Mr. Trump,

Congratulations on receiving the honor of being called the President Elect of the United States of America.  Earning the electoral college votes necessary to cement your victory as President is no small feat.  Your primary run seemed improbable followed by a seemingly insurmountable challenge in the general election.  You, your family, your friends, and your campaign staff must be ecstatic about such a historic win.

I want to be honest with you, while I did participate in this historic election, I did not vote for you, nor did I vote for Secretary Clinton.  At this point, however, my vote is not the matter at hand.  I want you to know that I am, and will be, leading others to be supportive of you as long as it does not conflict with biblical standards.  I am a pastor in a church in Mississippi and as such I am obligated to lead our church family to follow the admonitions of Scripture.  One of those distinct admonitions is to “…be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).

Therefore, I am confident that God placed you in this authoritative position by His good plan.  I am thankful to God that He has chosen to do what He knows best and I believe it is, in the long run, what will bring Him glory.  I am confident that while you are soon to be seated in the oval office making crucial decisions on behalf of this nation, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father making our petitions known to Him.  I am confident that while you are making speeches celebrating the victory won last night, Jesus has already won the ultimate victory by defeating death (1 Corinthians 15:57).  I am confident that while you have been given the challenge to exercise great leadership for your people, Jesus is providing perfect Lordship for us all.

I once heard an interview with you in which you said if you felt the need to repent, you would.  So let me encourage you to do just that.  Not because you are any worse than I am, but because, we are all bad in comparison to the perfection of God.  Confess that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead to receive the free gift of salvation.

So here is a brief list of the things that I commit to doing for you.

  1. I will pray that God draws you to Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit.
  2. I will pray that you confess Jesus as Lord and turn away from your sins.
  3. I will pray that God grants you wisdom and discernment in the many decisions you make.
  4. I will pray that God pours out His blessings on you and your family.
  5. I will lead others to follow the words of Scripture found in Romans 13:1.
  6. I will lead others to pray for you often.

Be Joyful,

Chad Hunsberger

 

Top 5 qualifiers for quality Music Ministers

People are stirred by music and are often lead in their beliefs by the songs they sing.  In fact, many people, mistakenly belief that the most familiar of the songs they sing are Scripture.  A good Minister of Music will be able to explain and express the difference but will highlight the truth throughout. In addition to these truths it is paramount that the Minister of Music is able to follow the leadership of the Pastor (thankfully ours does this extremely well).

Able to teach the Bible through song – Choosing the right lyric is always paramount to choosing the right tune.  When the song has both it is an incredible gift to the congregation and when the Minister of Music leads in this way it is incredibly helpful.

Able to know and understand right theology – If he does not understand theology then he will not be able to explain it or choose songs that accurately depict the church’s beliefs.

Able to read music and sing well – It is not necessary for the Minister of Music to be the best musician in the church, however, it is key for the Minister of Music to be capable of holding a tune and understanding music.

Able to display joy while singing – There is nothing more difficult to follow than a worship leader who does not seem be worshipping.

Able to stir others to desire to worship the Lord (and not himself) – Sadly, there are too many worship leaders that seek to draw attention to themselves.  This is the opposite of stirring affection toward Christ.  Do not miss out on this significant difference.

 

What a joy it is for me to list these qualifiers while thinking of Brad Brand our Minister of Music.  God is using Him well and allowing our family of faith to be stirred to worship the Lord all the more as a result of his leadership.

Top 10 Books

This list of books is not in any particular order and might change at any given time.  However, these books had significant impact on my life when I read them.

Desiring God by John Piper – When I read this book it was one of the deepest, most convicting books I had ever read.  It challenged me theologically and practically.

Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds – This is one of the first “grown up” books I ever completed.  It was one of the books that made me realize reading was worthwhile.

The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman – Not only was reading this book a game changer for me, it was a wonderful gift to get to meet Robert Coleman in person during a significant study time of my doctoral work.

Jonathan Edwards on Revival – To not include a work of Jonathan Edwards in this list would be ridiculous.  While this is not necessarily his most significant work, it is profound in many ways.

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer – This book helped me understand that the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man were not in opposition but instead were great friends.

Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon – This book is my favorite of Spurgeon’s works and challenged me significantly in sharing the gospel.

Follow Me by David Platt – Of course Platt’s first book, Radical, was a thought to place on this list, however, I believe Follow Me was more thorough and enriching overall.

Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper – Piper is the only author on here twice and while I hesitated to do that I was incredibly challenged by this book to see my responsibility to the nations.

Attributes of God by A.W. Pink – Having a bigger view of God has allowed me to understand my desperate need of Him.  This tiny book helped give me that big view.

The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken – Throughout the stories in this book I started even wondering if I was a Christian at all – not that I doubted my salvation but simply because the faith of these believers was convicting to me.

Top 5 qualifiers for quality Senior Adult Ministers

In my time in the ministry I have been able to serve in this role as well as see some of the best in this role.  I am forever indebted to men like James Edwards, Danny Epps, and Paul Lee for their leadership in this way.

Able to teach the Bible – Some may not include this here but I believe it is a necessary component to those in ministerial positions.

Able to care for the hurting – All too often Senior Adults are hurting, therefore this position must be comfortable in this scenario.

Able to grieve over loss – It is helpful for church members to genuinely sense care and sorrow in others as they mourn over the loss of a loved one.

Able to help others finish well – Senior Adults are not finished.  They need to be pushed outside their comfort zone to continue to make disciples of all nations.

Able to stay aligned with entire church – It is easy to make the Senior Adult Ministry an island off by itself.  But for it to function at its premium it must be deeply rooted in the heart of the church.

Top 5 qualifiers for Lead Pastors

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  I am so incredibly thankful to serve alongside my Pastor at Park Place Baptist Church.  Keith is a Godly man and honestly is a reflection of these qualifiers.

Able to provide expository preaching – For a church to know God they must know His word

Able to care for the hurting – I know of no one better than Keith Grubbs in this category.  He is tireless in his pursuit of the broken hearted.

Able to celebrate with the rejoicing – One of the most enjoyable parts of the job is to link arms with the congregation during times of celebration.

Able to provide vision – In order to lead a church properly one must have direction from the Lord.

Able to provide expectations – Setting a high standard is necessary for others to rise to the occasion.

7 Places to go to Share the Gospel

As followers of Christ, it is our responisbility to take the gospel to the lost.  We can find them all over the world.  But, here are 7 places you can nearby to share the gospel.

Your House – It is possible that there are people in your family or in your household that need the Lord.  These should be your first ones to share with.

Your Neighborhood – Right after you share with the ones in your house go to the houses next door.

Your Favorite Restaurant – Having brief conversations with the waiter/waitress or the person at the cash register can still give opportunity to share the truth.

Your School – If you are still in school this is where you are most of the time, use this as your mission field.

Your Job – At your work is often where you get to know people the best – use those conversations as ways to point people to Christ.

Your Church – There are people that are visiting your church that likely do not know Christ, don’t let the only time they hear the gospel be from the pulpit.

Your Hobby Group – Whether it is the baseball team, the cheerleading squad, the garden club, or hunting camp – there are people that need Jesus.

Think about it – these are some easy places to go, where you live, eat, study, work, and enjoy!

Top 5 qualifiers for Associate Pastors

As an Associate Pastor, I am not suggesting that I have all of these qualities just right.  However, I am suggesting that I need to grow in these areas as well be able realize that other Associate Pastors ought to be able to do these as well.

Able to teach the Bible – This is a biblical qualification for all that are considered elders of the church and thus should surely be on this list.

Able to support the Lead Pastor – This position is a waste if he cannot support the Leader of the church.  If these two men are in opposition it will be obvious.

Able to lead leaders – In order for the Associate Pastor to lead others his greatest asset will be to lead those that lead others.

Able to implement vision – If the Lead Pastor is the vision caster, than the Associate Pastor is the one who puts that vision into action.

Able to expect excellence – The Associate Pastor must strive to not only provide excellence in his work, but also to expect that out of others work as well.

4 Ways to Pray

When I was a young boy my Mom took time to help me grasp a deeper more focused prayer life.  She helped me journal my prayers.  She guided me to not only pray for the trinkets in life that I wanted that day, but instead to honor God by seeking His treasures.  She provided me with a guideline for this more particular prayer time and it has assisted me throughout my life as I pray to the Lord.  This is how we are to do our P.A.R.T. in prayer.

Praise – Begin your time each day in praise.  Rejoice in Christ for all that He is.  Celebrate all that God is.  Tell Him His names and remind Him of His attributes.

Admit – Confess your sin before God.  Remember that He already knows all of your inadequacies and is still loving you, and providing for you.  However, it is refreshing to have Him restore unto you the joy of your salvation as you confess your sin to Him.  Take heart, when you confess your sin to God, He is faithful and just to forgive your sin.

Request – Notice that before you even get to your request time you have worshipped God as great and honored God as Holy.  When you make your requests to Him keep His greatness and His perfection in mind.  He will do what is best for you, so pray accordingly.  Pray for areas of life concerning you as well as others.

Thanks – Conclude your time by thanking God for all that He has done to answer your previous requests.  Celebrate the great work He has done in, through, and around you.  If Praise is celebrating WHO God is, then, Thanks is rejoicing in What God has done.

10 Simple Times to Pray Everyday

James 5:16 tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  While, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians to Pray Continually.  With those two truths in mind I thought it would be good to help us think about times that we can add an intentional prayer to our daily lives.  There will surely be more times than just these but I hope that this sparks other ideas in your head as well.

  1. Before Breakfast – Think of it as the first and most important thing you do all day.
  2. As you leave the house – Not a bad idea to preemptively call out to God before the road-rage starts.
  3. When you arrive at work – Simply ask God for a good attitude and a productive day.
  4. When you begin a meeting – We always need His wisdom.
  5. When you conclude a meeting – We should give Him credit, for every good and perfect gift comes from Him.
  6. Before Lunch – Saying thank you to the provider is never a bad idea.
  7. As you leave work – For many of you this is the time for the Hallelujah Chorus to break out.
  8. When you arrive at home – Pray that you will respond to your family however is best!
  9. Before Dinner – Bring your family in on this prayer, especially if you haven’t prayed with them yet today.
  10. Before Bed – If you started out the day talking with God why not finish with Him too.

Top 5 qualifiers for Church Support Staff

I believe that I am blessed to serve with some of the most delightful, helpful, and supportive Support Staff I could hope for.  The truth is that there have been several individuals that I have had the gift of serving with in the past that would also fall into that category.  However, I have heard of others who have struggled in this area.  I want to point out what makes these folks so great at their job and what I believe are the Top 5 qualifiers for quality church support staff.

Able to support the Lead Pastor – If they cannot support and follow the leadership of the shepherd of the church (even if they are not members) then it will be evident in the work they provide.

Able to provide quality work – I am not suggesting perfection, however, I am suggesting excellence.  A supervisor does not want to have to make the same corrections repeatedly.

Able to survive under unexpected changes – In the ministry, there are always interruptions.  In the church office, many of those interruptions effect the work that is going on, therefore, flexibility is necessary.

Able to maintain composure under pressure – Many times there are high pressure situations that require a calm attitude and a non-frazzled presence in order to appropriately get the job done.

Able to demonstrate the love of Christ to others – It is paramount that the person in a support role be a follower of Christ in order for them to be able to display the love of Christ to others.  Their love for the Lord should flourish in this environment, not dwindle.