I'll just come out and say it: I missed an opportunity to share my faith. We had a superhero birthday party for our oldest son, complete with capes, decorated cardboard-box buildings, a Spiderman hanging from the ceiling, and—at my son's request—a butterfly piñata. My wife had invited an acquaintance of hers with a child around our son's age. This woman came with her two kids and her husband, whom I had never met. But we got talking, and he asked me, "So, what do you do?" And I told him, "I'm a pastor." So he followed up, "You don't hear that very often. What got you into that?"

When something is long anticipated, you prepare for it.

Today we remember sixth-century pastor Gregory the Great by reading a devotion from Celebrating the Saints.

Today’s devotional reading focuses on the Epistle and comes from Reformation Heritage Bible Commentary: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians.

On the commemoration of Joshua today, we consider how Joshua was prepared for leadership by Moses. Our devotion comes from Mentoring: A Tool for Ministry.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 ESV)

In our devotion today, we read about Augustine in an excerpt from One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism: Christians Through the Centuries, and our hymn text is based on a hymn Augustine wrote.

For the commemoration of Monica today, we read a devotion from Saints and Angels All Around.

We focus today on the Epistle, Ephesians 5:22–33, by reading about God’s purpose for marriage. Our devotion is from United in Christ: Preparing for Christian Marriage.

Recently, I was asked what advice I would give to a newly ordained pastor as he was placed into the office of holy ministry. Immediately, I said two words, “patient endurance.”