Jim Essian's Blog: JimEssian.com, page 3

How Do You Have Time?

Since, Jesus For You, released I’ve been asked often where I found the time to write. And each time I’ve answered a little differently. As I’ve thought about the question, sometimes I consider the writing process, sometimes my day job leading a church, and sometimes I think of it in the context of being a husband and father of three sweet little girls. 

The short answer is: “I wrote the majority of it late at night.” 

But the longer answer could be helpful too.

 

THE WRITING PROCESS

I wouldn’...

Don’t Apologize For God

“I wish it wasn’t in here, but it is…”

“I don’t like it, but I have to stay true to what the Bible says.”

“If it were me I probably wouldn’t have it this way, but this is what God says.”

I’m hearing more statements like this as our culture moves evermore into its secular age—from Christians and pastors a like.

As we encounter friends and neighbors asking uncomfortable questions about sexuality, male/female roles, and even hell and judgement, do you apologize for God?

 

HAUNTED

I realize that...

Jesus For You Is Here!

Jesus For You: He Became Like You So You Could Become Like Him is available now!

I’m excited for you to read it. Here’s the back cover summary:

Jesus Knows What It Means To Be You

When you’re tired you can go to Jesus because he knows exhaustion. When your soul is troubled you can go to Jesus because he knows what it’s like to have a troubled soul. When you’ve been betrayed you can go to Jesus because he knows the heart punch of betrayal. You can trust him; he knows.

He became like you. 

“If...

Four Lines of Joy-Filled, Awe-Inspiring, Earth-Shattering Song

I sing the Doxology to my girls every night, sometimes softly while I hold their hands or play with their hair. Sometimes it’s more highly produced with a hairbrush microphone and each of us with our own parts; a sort of three-part harmony of adult baritone, four-year old can’t-find-a-tone, and two-year old babbling—and to God, I’m sure of it, it’s like music to His ears.

You know the song:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye he...

Emotional Health in Ministry

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.—Mark 6:34

My emotional cup runneth dry quite quickly. Physically and mentally, my capacity seems limitless comparatively. That’s not how strong I am, that’s how emotionally weak I can become. Physically I can handle a lot. And when I’m beat physically, I can still think clearly and critically. But my emotional capacity—my ability to...

Parenting: What Is Our Chief Aim?

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”—Ephesians 6:4

First, let us see to what end our parenting is aiming and take a closer look at the key that unlocks this verse: “. . . of the Lord.”

The Apostle Paul does not mince words here, he doesn’t leave us with any options; it is the father’s job to pastor and teach his children in the ways of Jesus. This would have been an enormously profound statement to his Ephesian read...

10 Signs You Are Burning Out

“Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches…I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”—2 Corinthians 11:28, 12:15

Much has been said about ministry burnout. I probably won’t say anything new, but perhaps I can curate a few mediations for you. And then I have two lists I want you to write.

Mark Sayers says something about facing the Leviathan of our busy and over-entertained culture that has seeped into how we do ministry as under-...

Do You Feel Like a Pastoral Fraud?

Do you ever feel like a fake? A fraud? Like the self-portrait you’ve painted for others is a rip-off of somebody else? Someone more holy, more pure—less Pharisaical, more Spurgeon-esque?

Sometimes I wonder if the preacher/pastor me – the one that passionately proclaims the magisterial glory of the infinite Most High God – looks like a godly man breathing in the goodness of God. Like I have just taken this holy inhale of the great and deep and mighty things of God, and my preaching, speaking,...

Anxiety – Part 5 – Answered Prayer is Not the Answer

This is Part 5 of a series on Anxiety. Read previous posts here.

What will take your anxiety away?

Anxiety comes when you don’t know how something is going to turn out, when you don’t have control. We don’t know, we aren’t in control, so we get anxious.

What, then, will take your anxiety away?

In Part 4, we talked about adding one word at the beginning of all those stressful thoughts and negative self-talk: “Jesus.” 

Anxiety = talking to yourself
Prayer = talking to God

Philippians 4:6 says t...

Anxiety – Part 4 – Turning Your Thoughts to Prayers

This is Part 4 of a series on Anxiety. Read previous posts here.

Now that we’ve looked at the ground anxiety can grow in, and considered some ways to cultivate peace, what do we do when anxiety sneaks through? Inevitably we will find ourselves stressed. What then?

This brings us to the famous verse in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God.”

What do you do instead of pray? Where do you go with your anx...