Before You Step Into the Pulpit, Read This
I didn’t write this book because I figured ministry out. I wrote it because it nearly broke me.
No one told me that pastoring would demand so much of me—not just as a preacher, but as a person. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional toll, the spiritual warfare, the silent wounds, the complicated people, or the pressure to pretend I was okay when I wasn’t. I had passion. I had gifting. I had vision. But I didn’t have wisdom.
And wisdom—not just fire—is what sustains you in ministry.
Some of these lessons came slow. Others came hard. A few I learned through painful mistakes. Others I ignored until the damage was done. If I could go back and sit down with my younger self—the one who thought zeal alone could carry him—I’d hand him these forty lessons like a survival manual.
This book is not a blueprint. It’s not a formula. It’s not a how-to guide for building a “successful” church. What you’ll find here is something more personal, more honest, and maybe more urgent: a collection of truths I wish someone had told me before I ever picked up a microphone or counseled a broken soul.
Each chapter is built around a theme I had to wrestle with—the kind of thing no one talks about at ordination services or pastors’ conferences. Things like:
Why some of your biggest ministry wounds will come from people you loved the most.
Why your marriage is more important than your sermon.
Why not every open door is from God.
Why spiritual warfare doesn’t always look like a demon—it sometimes looks like distraction.
Why your gift may take you places your character isn’t ready to handle.
These lessons are written in blood, not ink.
I’ve failed. I’ve burned out. I’ve been tempted to quit. I’ve wrestled with insecurity, ego, comparison, and confusion. And by God’s mercy, I’ve also been restored, refined, and reminded—again and again—that this is not about me. It’s about Him.
This book is for pastors just starting out—bright-eyed, full of vision, and unaware of what’s ahead. It’s for seasoned leaders who have weathered storms and silently wonder if anyone else has scars like theirs. It’s for church planters, youth pastors, associate ministers, and tired shepherds who need to know they’re not alone.