Spiritual fatigue isn’t a sign of failure; it’s a sign you’re human.
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about why exhaustion isn’t a badge of honor and how “beginning again” starts with one honest prayer—or even just a nap.
Grace doesn’t expire.🎙️ Let’s talk recovery
In this episode of The Pastor Next Door, we shift our focus from the pressure of “growth” to the necessity of recovery. Spiritual fatigue is real, and often, what we mistake for a lack of faith is simply a soul in need of rest.
We often treat burnout as a badge of spiritual honor, but in reality, constant exertion without recovery leads to:
Sabbath is more than a day off; it is a theological declaration.
“Rest is not quitting. Rest is trusting.”
If you are spiritually exhausted, you don’t need to compensate or apologize. You can return quietly.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to come to him once we’ve fixed ourselves. He asks the weary and heavy-burdened to come exactly as they are. Grace does not expire, and your worth is not a social media “streak.”
Next Week: We wrap up the season by discussing how to build a simple, sustainable Rule of Life.
I get to see the Michigan hockey team play in the B1G tournament tonight courtesy of @toddwaller@threads.net. Can’t wait! 🏒
The prophetic voice moves through anger and ends in a hope oriented lament.
You can listen to the unabridged audio here: Revelation 6 - Navigating the Storm
In our latest study of Revelation, we dove into chapters 8 and 9—a section of Scripture that is as intense as it is misunderstood. We’ve transitioned from the opening of the seven seals into a new cycle: the seven trumpets.
To understand where we are, we have to use a “fancy $10 word”: recapitulation. Revelation isn’t necessarily a straight line from A to Z; it’s a series of cycles that go back to the beginning to cover the same ground with different symbols, taking us “further up and further in” to the spiritual reality of God’s work in the world.
Pastors, let us remember that the grift from the right and from left are equally damaging. Both promise us large crowds by leveraging politics at the expense of grace centered faithfulness.
May we be faithful, whatever the cost.
Currently reading: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter A Cosmere Novel by Brandon Sanderson 📚
Starting the next read. I am enjoying Sanderson so much!
That moment when you realize that you didn’t turn on the mic for your last recording and got a cruddy phone recording instead.
Also? That moment when you realize you need to be sure to do post production on your audio recording.
Pastor life is not always what I thought it would be. 😅
The defense being played by Team USA in the WBC is unreal.
These guys are laying out for everything.
Goodness. ⚾️
Finished reading: The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson 📚
Another fun read from Sanderson. It’s not a Cosmere novel. It’s lighthearted and has a bit of a Terry Pratchett feel to it. I really enjoyed it!
I am very excited about this addition to the micro.blog suite! The potential is pretty great.
Inkwell the RSS app from Micro.blog
Great work, @manton@manton.org
I am preparing to preach Amos after Easter. I’ve never more excited or intimidated to preach a text.
To hear the full unabridged message listen here: Parables for the Long Way Home - The Loving Father’s Wide Grace
As we continue our journey through Lent, wandering toward the resurrection, there is one story I haven’t been able to escape. It’s a parable that seems to creep into almost every sermon I preach, regardless of the text. It’s the story many of us know as the “Parable of the Prodigal Son," but the more I sit with it, the more I’ve fallen in love with a different title: The Parable of the Loving Father.
Found in Luke 15:11-32, this story is a cornerstone of our cultural consciousness. We use the word “prodigal” to describe anyone who wanders away and eventually returns with their tail between their legs. But if we look closer at the cultural context and the second half of the story, we find that Jesus wasn’t just talking about reckless rebels—He was talking to the “good people” standing in the room.
Amy and I are enjoying our brief get away to Iowa City to spend some time with Ethan. We hiked Indiana State Dunes yesterday and Lake MacBride North Shore today.
In this episode, I’m digging into something I’ve been thinking a lot about in my own physical fitness: flexibility. We often talk about building “strength” in our faith, but strength without the ability to bend leads to injury. If our spiritual muscles are rigid, they’re going to tear when life gets heavy.
I want to talk to you about the difference between a rigid faith and a resilient one. Whether you’re wrestling with questions, feeling the weight of “certainty,” or unlearning things you were taught as a child, I want you to know that a faith that stretches isn’t a faith that’s failing—it’s a faith that’s growing.
