Seminary gives you the tools. It's kind of like basic training. I think that's a good parallel.

It gives you skills that you will need for the rest of your life to prepare to teach and preach to others and to yourself.

And to even, I mean, my theology helped me come to grips with all these things.

And ultimately by God's grace, the theology, what I believe pulled me out of that sort of quagmire that I'd fallen into and convinced me,

know I am called a ministry.

But seminary just simply can't prepare you 100%. It doesn't make you a pastor.

I mean, God makes you a pastor.

And in the foxhole of local church ministry.

Welcome to the Crossway podcast, a show where we sit down with authors each week for thoughtful interviews about the Bible, theology, church history, and the Christian life.

I'm Matt Tully, and today I'm talking with Jeff Robinson.

Jeff works as a senior editor for the Gospel Coalition and serves as the lead pastor of Christ Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

He also teaches as an adjunct professor of church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,

and has contributed to a number of books including Faithful Endurance,

The Joy of Shepherding People for a Lifetime from Crossway.

Today, Jeff and I discuss the unique blessings and burdens of pastoral ministry.

He reflects on the challenging seasons of ministry from his own life,

seasons when he contemplated leaving the pastor at all together.

He highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the life of a pastor,

and he offers encouragement for the pastor who feels overwhelmed and exhausted right now.

Let's get started.

Well, Jeff, thank you for joining us on the Crosswood podcast.

It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you.

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