Men in Progress

04/09/2026

‼️ The Weekend Word
Delighted: Exhaustion

“…but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” (Luke 13:17)

Serving in ministry can be a delight. We get a front-row seat to what God is doing in people’s lives. We see people saved, restored, encouraged, and changed.

But sometimes we are too tired to enjoy it.

Ministry can be exhausting because it can drain us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Physically, there are early mornings, late nights, rehearsals, meetings, setup, teardown, and long weekends.

Emotionally, we work with people. We celebrate with them, listen to them, encourage them, deal with conflict, and sometimes carry their disappointments home with us.

Spiritually, we are not simply completing tasks, we are standing in the spiritual gap. We are praying against strongholds, believing for miracles, and exercising faith when others faith is lacking.

All of that requires something from us.

If we continually draw from those wells without intentionally refilling them, eventually they will run dry. When that happens, something we once considered a delight can begin to feel like a burden.

We wrongly assume that this loss of delight signals that we need to change ministries. Sometimes the problem isn’t that we need a new ministry. Sometimes we just need a nap.

Pastors, leaders, and volunteers, it is okay to take a week off. It is okay to rest. It is okay to allow someone else to carry the responsibility while you recharge physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Jesus is still doing wonderful things when you are resting.

As we serve this week, let’s guard our delight. Pay attention to your physical, emotional, and spiritual wells. If they are getting low, take the time to refill them so you can once again delight in the wonderful things Jesus is doing. - Keith Garner



Join our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaandministryforum

03/09/2026

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN MINISTRY DOESN’T GO AS PLANNED?

Ministry doesn’t always go according to plan. Join the Black Shirt Crew as they talk about the unexpected turns, challenges, and lessons that come with serving.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify! Episode #32: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/GpGKOlQQ75b

▶️ YouTube Podcast: https://youtu.be/OmurNELHYBU

28/08/2026

‼️ The Weekend Word
DELIGHTED: ARROGANCE

📖 “…but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” (Luke 13:17)

There have been times when I knew I needed a break from ministry but was reluctant to take one. I thought I had plenty of good reasons not to take a break.

Who will do my job?

Who will make sure everything gets done correctly?

What if something goes wrong?

What if they need me?

Those questions can sound like dedication. But if I am honest, sometimes they came from something else.

Arrogance.

I had overvalued my contribution. The church has survived for two thousand years, but somehow everything is going to fall apart if I miss one Sunday.

Have you ever felt like everything depended on you?

That sounds ridiculous when we say it out loud.

There is nothing wrong with recognizing that our responsibilities are important. Faithfulness matters. Preparation matters. Doing our jobs well matters. But there is a big difference between believing that what I do matters and believing that everything depends on me.

It doesn’t.

That kind of arrogance can actually rob us of our delight. It convinces us that we cannot rest. It makes it difficult to trust other people. It can even feed our tendency to compare ourselves with others.

Most importantly, it puts too much attention on what we are doing and not enough attention on what Jesus is doing. In our passage, the people were delighted with all the wonderful things He was doing. I want us to share that delight too.

Maybe one of the healthiest things we can occasionally do is step away and discover that Jesus continues working without us.

As we serve this week, let’s guard our delight. Serve faithfully, work hard, and give your best. But remember, everything does not depend on you. - Keith Garner



Join our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaandministryforum

27/08/2026

31/07/2026

‼️ THE WEEKEND WORD
Be Ready

📖 “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Luke 12:40)

The book of Titus describes the return of Jesus as our “blessed hope.” If it is our blessed hope, then it seems like it should be something we are ready for and even long for.

If I am honest, I want Jesus to return, but part of me says, but not until. Throughout my life, I have said things like, “Come, Lord Jesus, but not until I get my driver’s license. Come, Lord Jesus, but not until I graduate. Come, Lord Jesus, but not until I get married, have a child, see my kids get married, or have grandkids.”

Have you ever had similar thoughts?

At other times, life has seemed so normal and routine that I have lost the expectancy that Jesus could return at any time. It almost feels like things will always be the way they are right now. I can become so consumed with serving the Lord that I begin to lose my expectancy of seeing the Lord return. It’s funny, because isn’t the hope of His return the very reason I am serving Him?

Reading the preceding parts of Luke 12, Jesus confronts many of the excuses I have used for why He should delay His return. Then He hits me with verse 40: “You also must be ready.”

Sometimes I need that reminder. Today is one of those times.

Countless times during prayer and worship, I have expressed the idea that Jesus is my all in all, or that nothing compares to knowing Him. Have you ever sang or prayed similar thoughts? The rub is, if those things are true, then why do I say, “Come, Lord Jesus, but not until...”? If His return is my blessed hope, then why do I so easily allow that hope to be overshadowed by other things?

I am not writing this to make anyone feel guilty or to tell you that you should stare at the clouds all day, looking for Jesus to return. I am writing this because, maybe like me, you just need a reminder today.

Life is a gift, and we should enjoy it, but the One who gave us life is an even greater gift.

As we serve this week, let’s remember that Jesus is coming. Let’s live expectantly. Let’s be hopeful. Let’s be ready! - Keith Garner



Join our community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaandministryforum

24/07/2026

‼️ THE WEEKEND WORD
Lift A Finger

📖 Jesus replied, “And you experts of the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” (Luke 11:46 NIV)

We live in a culture where people in authority sometimes assume certain privileges simply because of their title. I am not speaking about normal things like higher pay or better benefits, but the self-absorbed assumption that because they have a title, certain rules no longer apply to them. Sometimes these assumed privileges could be classified as corruption. This attitude is described well by the old phrases, “Rules for you, but not for me,” and “I’m the leader. Just do as you’re told and mind your own business.”

Jesus’ example of leadership was very different. He did not assume a new set of rules and expectations just because He was the Messiah. He didn’t avoid contact with the masses or expect His disciples to wait on Him hand and foot. Regardless of His title and authority, Jesus continued to serve. For example, He washed the disciples’ feet, and He willingly stood in the blazing furnace with the three Hebrew men in the book of Daniel. Jesus always served and was willing to step into the struggles of His people.

There will always be divisions of labor between those in leadership and those they lead, and the nature of that work can be drastically different. But if we are in leadership, may it never be said that we do not work hard. May our team members never grumble that we only ask them to do the jobs we do not want to do. May people never be able to accuse us of failing to uphold the same rules and standards we expect everyone else to follow. May we never earn a reputation for being insensitive to the struggles of the people working with us and fail to create an environment that helps them succeed.

If you are a leader, do not be like the experts of the law. Do not place burdens on people while refusing to lift a finger to help them carry the load.

It can also be very difficult when you find yourself working for someone who leads this way. Until you have clarity and wisdom about how to address the situation, remember that ultimately you are not serving them, you are serving Jesus. So continue to serve well.

As we serve this week, let’s never allow a title to place us above serving others. Whether we are leading or following, let’s follow the example of Jesus: willing to work, and willing to lift a finger to help those we serve. - Keith Garner



Join our community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaandministryforum

20/07/2026

20/07/2026

17/07/2026

‼️ THE WEEKEND WORD
Fear

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more." (Luke 12:4 NIV)

Why does it seem so easy for us, as followers of Christ, to conform to the world around us? Sometimes we explain it with good intentions. We say we're trying to be relevant, to build relationships, or to meet people where they are. Those can all be valid motivations.

But if we're honest, sometimes the real reason is fear.

We fear rejection. We fear being ridiculed. We fear being left out. We fear losing opportunities, influence, or even friendships. The pressure to be accepted can quietly shape our words, our actions, and even our convictions.

That is why Jesus reminds His disciples not to fear people. Their power is limited. They can affect our comfort, our reputation, and even our physical lives, but they cannot touch our eternal identity in Christ.

The fear of people is often the fuel behind hypocrisy. We begin saying what others want to hear and acting the way others expect us to act, all to gain approval. But the approval of people is temporary. The approval of God is eternal.

As we serve this week, let's not be driven by the fear of people's opinions. Instead, let's find the courage to faithfully follow Jesus, even when it costs us the approval of the crowd. - Keith Garner



Join our community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mediaandministryforum