We’ve all heard the stories. Maybe we’ve even experienced the pain personally – the pain of falling short of our calling because of mistakes and poor decisions; the pain of failing ourselves, our ministries and those we love.

In this three-part blog series, we’ll take a brief look at the most common reasons pastors fail and a few practical ways to avoid those failures. For a much more detailed study, check out my new resource, Why Pastors Fail: The 7 Reasons and 21 Solutions. Today and tomorrow, we’ll touch on the three biggest sins of character that bring pastors down, starting with:

Sex – A character failure in the area of sex can destroy your life and ministry. Whether through adultery, homosexuality, pornography or any other number of things, sexual sin is a landmine that the enemy loves to deploy against those of us on a mission for God. But as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, we will never be tempted beyond what we can bear (10:13).

The single best way to circumvent sexual failure is to stay strong in your spiritual disciplines. Neglecting personal prayer and study time often precedes this sin. Also, make sure to build hedges into your life to protect you from being in a situation where you may be tempted. For example, commit to never dining or traveling alone with a member of the opposite sex.

Such simple decisions can make the difference between a legacy of success and a path of painful destruction.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. Tomorrow we’ll look at the two other major sins of character that pastors most often succumb to: Money and Pride.

Part of learning how to succeed is learning how not to fail. Click here to get your copy of my new resource Why Pastors Fail: The 7 Reasons and 21 Solutions. Save 89% with over $1,313.95 in FREE Bonus Resources – today through Friday, April 24^th only!

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/7Reasons

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.