Every day is not a Friday, but today is a Friday.

And yesterday we talked about podcast preachers and how prominent preachers affect our evaluation

of pastors in our local churches.

One way to appreciate your local church pastor is simply to let him know that you appreciate

him.

And Pastor John, when you were a pastor, what things most encouraged you when you think

back on the pictures drawn by kids in the church or the phone calls from folks thanking

you or encouraging notes that you got in the mail, what as a pastor, what things most

encouraged you?

To go to the hospital and find a young couple holding a dead baby and trusting God.

I don't want to minimize Tony the preciousness of notes and phone calls.

Every one of us needs that kind of affirmation.

Sam Cripptree, my precious partner for 20 years or so wrote a book, I'm glad you wrote

an affirmation and Sam's good at it and I needed it from him because he makes the case.

There's a God-centered way of recognizing the grace of God in people's lives and pointing

it out to God's glory and also for their encouragement.

I want to believe that God is using me in the ministry.

Often the devil whispers your waste in your time or you're just a vain prick anyway and

all you want is the approval of men and I need sober statements from people about blessings

that have come to their lives through what I've written or what I've said or what I did.

But I'm just saying yes to that.

Yes, amen.

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