Stop Comparing by Pastor Bryan Saylor

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Bryan Saylor

Pastor Bryan Saylor, Melbourne, Florida, shares his advice, which is really a warning against falling into the trap of comparing yourself to others. In the world we live in today with its frenzy of social media, it can be easy to see yourself falling short in some area of your life since there is always someone somewhere who is doing life or ministry bigger and better than you are. The enemy can use this trap to make you feel embarrassed or ashamed of your own life. A better church, a cooler idea, a bigger audience…a constant barrage of me vs. others. It can be extremely destructive. “Actively eliminate comparison from your life—be vigilant about that.” Jesus talks about this type of self-discipline in Matthew 5:30: “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” It is essential that we get rid of the things in ministry that are holding us back. Stand guard against the enemy of comparison and when you recognize it, destroy it.

Friendship by Pastor Pilgrim Benham

One Piece of Advice | Pilgrim Benham

Pastor Pilgrim Benham, Bradenton, Florida, shares his advice about the importance of having a true friend in ministry. The friendship of Paul and Barnabas serves as a great example of two men whose relationship endured times of closeness as well as disagreement. It was Barnabas—son of encouragement—who first introduced Paul to the apostles after his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:27). We need friends in ministry who will pull us, push us and challenge us in discipleship. We need accountability and encouragement. “We need to ‘vent up.’ We need to share our frustration in ministry, but we don’t want to do that with someone who is ministering under our care.” Find someone who is a peer or mentor in ministry, a person with whom you can talk openly and even weather conflict, iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). This needs to be a priority. “Do you have someone in your life that’s a friend, someone that you can rely one and they can rely on you?”

Be Sincere by Pastor Neil Spencer

One Piece of Advice | Pastor Neil Spencer

Pastor Neil Spencer, Destin, Florida shares what he learned from his own father who is also a pastor. “Family matters. Ministry that doesn’t start at home, doesn’t start.” This is the standard, that who you are in private is who you are in public. And who you are in public is who you are in private. God has called you to be one person, to be authentic, to be genuine, sincere. God blesses publicly who you are privately. And God always reveals privately who you are in public. You can’t hide from that. The Bible says in Numbers 32:23 “be sure your sin will find you out.” In John 10, Jesus says that it is the thief who comes to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus has come to give life! This is life-giving advice: Be the one person God has called you to be, no matter where you are.