https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/rss.xml Pastor Features Copyright https://www.crosswalk.com 2026, Crosswalk.com Mon, 25 May 2026 20:05:13 -0400 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/christian-heroes-to-honor-on-memorial-day.html https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/christian-heroes-to-honor-on-memorial-day.html Carrie Lowrance https://www.crosswalk.com/author/carrie-lowrance/ Memorial Day is a profound reminder of the sacrifices made by countless individuals for our freedoms through their service. This day is primarily about honoring those who have fallen, but also taps into deeper realms of faith and spirituality.This day reminds believers to consider entwining faith with national identity. Christian doctrine highlights the importance of sacrifice, selflessness, and loving one’s neighbor, all attributes of those who have served and are serving in the military.In honor of this day, here are some Christian Heroes to remember this Memorial Day.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/kieferpix Mon, 25 May 2026 14:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/dangers-of-condemning-worship-styles-we-dont-like.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/dangers-of-condemning-worship-styles-we-dont-like.html Cindi McMenamin https://www.crosswalk.com/author/cindi-mcmenamin/ The Bible speaks of the dangers of putting ourselves and our preferences over others, and even though we might believe we’ve got a good spiritual reason for liking or disliking a certain form of worship, God’s Word gives us reasons not to condemn something that is ultimately for Him. Here are four dangers of condemning worship styles we don’t like. Mon, 25 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/4-ways-modern-christians-can-find-meaning-in-pentecost.html https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/4-ways-modern-christians-can-find-meaning-in-pentecost.html Elizabeth Delaney https://www.crosswalk.com/author/elizabeth-delaney/ When most people think of Pentecost, they think of the second chapter in the book of Acts when followers of Jesus were gathered in an upper room. The Holy Spirit showed up as a mighty rushing wind, the flames of fire appeared over the heads of those in that room, and they began to speak in languages they never learned. Pentecost had its roots in an Old Testament feast day called Feast of Weeks. The word Pentecost comes from a Greek word that means "fifty," and Pentecost takes place fifty days after the holiday prior to it, Passover. When the Lord initially instituted this feast, it was connected to harvest festivals, which had the focus of expressing gratitude to God for delivering the Israelites out of Egypt and giving them their own land, according to Jews for Jesus. There are many ways modern Christians can still find meaning in Pentecost today -- here are 4 of them. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/middelveld Fri, 22 May 2026 14:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/giving/biblical-benefits-of-giving.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/giving/biblical-benefits-of-giving.html Cindi McMenamin https://www.crosswalk.com/author/cindi-mcmenamin/ Whenever there's a crisis that causes a drastic downfall in our economy, is it really wise—or required of us—to give? Certainly, God knows when we don’t have much money and He wants us to be wise with what we have, right? Besides, if God owns it all...why does He need our money?The answer is He doesn’t. We don’t give out of God’s need for anything. We give out of ours.While on this earth, Jesus talked more about money than hell.That tells us it’s an issue that’s pretty important to Him. But not because He cares about or has need of money. He knows how important it tends to be to us. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). That means with our money, too, especially if it owns (or occupies) much of our hearts.There are many teachings in Scripture to give sacrificially—not just of our time and abilities, but of our money, too. And in the middle of crises everywhere might be the best time of all to consider giving more. Of all the reasons Scripture gives us to part with what’s closest to our hearts, here are just seven biblical reasons to give—especially now:Photo Credit: © Getty Images/valio84sl Fri, 22 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/10-signs-you-might-be-legalistic.html https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/10-signs-you-might-be-legalistic.html Jennifer Heeren https://www.crosswalk.com/author/jennifer-heeren/ Galatians 5 doesn’t mince words when it comes to legalism. It happens when we get so tied to the letter of the law that we forget to incorporate God’s love, mercy, and grace. It’s far too easy to let legalistic thoughts slip into my mind. Even a tiny little bit of that destructive yeast can spread through the entire batch of dough.I must work very hard not to let legalism infiltrate my thinking. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day were ruled by the law and Jesus didn’t like it one bit. He agreed that they knew the law well enough to teach it but they didn’t always practice what they preached. They oppressed their listeners with unbearable burdens and did nothing to ease those burdens. Legalism can lead to only doing good things for show (Matthew 23:1-5). I must refuse to give in to it! Compassion must be added in to the equation. Prayer and the Holy Spirit’s power also need to be mixed in. This is how burdens get relieved. When I add those things to the law, I am preserving the Truth of the Gospel.Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Xavier Lorenzo Thu, 21 May 2026 14:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/family/finances/-bad-church-approaches-to-good-money-stewardship.html https://www.crosswalk.com/family/finances/-bad-church-approaches-to-good-money-stewardship.html Kile Baker https://www.crosswalk.com/author/kile-baker/ Andy Stanley once asked this brilliant question: "If your money could talk, what would it say?" What might your money say about you? Would it say things like:"I could use some friends. Could you go make some more?""I don't seem to stay with you very long.""You've held onto me for so long; I'm not sure you'll ever let me go.""The more you have of me, the more you're worried about losing me."These are probably some of our greatest fears regarding money — constantly trying to get more but never having enough, making enough but not keeping enough, having money but not putting it to good use, or fear of losing all of it. If you're a Christian, there is a second part that is pivotal as you think about what your money might say about you:"How has the Church influenced your relationship with money?"Every church has to talk about money at some point. Some churches and pastors love to talk about money; some are scared of the subject, and a few build it into the message rotation at the exact same time every year. Surprisingly, Jesus talked about money (in various ways, even as illustrations for other things) more than anything else besides the Kingdom of God. Money itself is neutral, but Jesus was absolutely clear that money in people's lives is never neutral. All of us have to pick a side when it comes to money. This means that church leaders must have the same attitude as Jesus does when we learn about, have a relationship with, and teach on the subject of money.This may sound like hyperbole, but you'd be surprised by how true this statement is: Your relationship with money may be the greatest indicator of your relationship with God.Sadly, so many talks, teachings, and theology around money in the church have been misunderstood, misused, or used as a manipulation tool that its driven people away from God; or towards the wrong God. To get some perspective on what our relationship with God and money should look like, here are three bad approaches to good money stewardship and one good one.Photo credit: ©Nagesh Badu/Unsplash Thu, 21 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/christianity-questions-answers/what-are-some-practical-ways-to-handle-stress.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/christianity-questions-answers/what-are-some-practical-ways-to-handle-stress.html Dr. Roger Barrier https://www.crosswalk.com/author/dr-roger-barrier/ I’m worried that life as we knew it is gone forever. I no longer read the news, because it seems that the same scary things are being repeated over and over. Everything seems to be in crisis. What are some practical ways to handle my stress? Wed, 20 May 2026 14:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/awesome-promises-in-moses-burning-bush-encounter.html https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/awesome-promises-in-moses-burning-bush-encounter.html Palitha Jayasooriya https://www.crosswalk.com/author/palitha-jayasooriya/ I was 24 years old and battling severe pain, with serious discomfort when walking, due to a problem on my spine. I had been hospitalized for about 3 weeks by then, with hopes that I would get better soon and be able to leave the hospital.The message I received from the doctors, however, was that I would have to prepare myself for surgery on my spine. This was a shattering moment for me and for a few hours things went blank as I grappled with the information I had just received.It was then that the Lord spoke a word of faith into my heart: He challenged me to trust Him for complete healing. It was a special moment and a clear message from the Lord that I could not ignore. I, therefore, placed my complete trust in His ability to bring healing to me.God speaks to each of us in different ways as we walk with Him through life's journey. He also speaks to us through His precious Word. There are specific moments, however, when we encounter Him in such an intimate way that the pathway of our life is drastically impacted and altered; like that moment for me at the hospital when he spoke into my desperate situation.Consider one biblical senior citizen who had likely given up on his youthful dreams and ambitions and settled down to a quiet, nomadic life in the desert—until he had a life-changing encounter with God. That senior citizen was Moses.Moses was intrigued by the sight of a bush clearly on fire, but somehow not burning up. As he went to take a closer look, the unusual sight before Moses in Exodus 3:1-4 probably reflected a modern-day television. He saw the visual of a burning bush, with a voice speaking from within the bush!Through that powerful encounter, Moses became the leader of the historic Exodus, and of the deliverance God had planned for His people.Today, as we explore Moses’ unique experience with a burning bush, consider these four powerful lessons his story reveals:Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Orla Wed, 20 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/5-resources-for-new-believers-to-develop-a-solid-faith-foundation.html https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/5-resources-for-new-believers-to-develop-a-solid-faith-foundation.html Tessa Emily Hall https://www.crosswalk.com/author/tessa-emily-hall/ If you’ve recently welcomed Christ as your Savior, first—congratulations! This is the most important and life-altering decision you will ever make, so I’m joining the angels in celebrating you (Luke 15:10). Now that you are officially a member of God’s family, you have the amazing chance to live out the plan He has for your life in a way that glorifies Him.But here’s the deal: While this is a huge turning point in your life, your faith journey is just that—a journey—rather than a one-and-done affair. Every believer is growing in their relationship with the Lord every day, regardless of how long they have been a Christian.This should be a never-ending journey of growth, one that requires daily, intentional time and effort. We should never feel as though we have “finally arrived” as Christians at any point in our relationship with God, simply because there should be no end in sight! Our entire life can be an adventure of walking with Him and living for Him.However, as a new believer, it’s especially crucial to be intentional about how you will lay a firm foundation for your faith. Fortunately, there are resources created just for new Christians to help you do just that! These tools have been designed to accompany you as you first begin to develop your relationship with Christ. Here are five resources that can help you along this journey. They will support you as you study the Bible, develop your relationship with the Lord, strengthen your theology, and overall gain a fundamental understanding of Christianity.Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Oleksandr Yakoniuk Tue, 19 May 2026 14:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/tips-for-launching-your-womens-ministry.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/tips-for-launching-your-womens-ministry.html Rachel Baker https://www.crosswalk.com/author/rachel-baker/ If you’re considering launching a new group at your local church, or have already launched one but need a little refresher course on how to maintain a healthy ministry check out these three tips to keep your ministry grounded and goal-oriented. Tue, 19 May 2026 13:00:00 -0400 2026-05-25T20:05:13-04:00