Shepherding Thoughts

by Pastor Ben Francis

Welcome to Shepherding Thoughts: An inside look at a Southern Baptist Pastor's comments on navigating popular topics in Christianity and Religion.

A Pastoral Guide to Preparing for Communion

Ben Francis

Dec 158 min read

A Pastoral Guide to Preparing for Communion

Communion ; the Lord’s Supper ; also called the Eucharist . ** A Note upfront : This guide represents the Baptistic tradition and...

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Ben Francis

Jul 126 min read

Give us Preachers, not Shepherds!

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do...

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Ben Francis

Jul 26 min read

How God Decorates our Lives

“Sunday morning worship is a Saturday night decision.” Maybe you’ve heard that said, or maybe you’ve said it yourself. And it's right. It...

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Is the Southern Baptist Convention Overstepping its Authority?

Ben Francis

Apr 511 min read

Is the Southern Baptist Convention Overstepping its Authority?

A discussion of Creeds, Authority, and Autonomy There is a growing discussion in some corners of the SBC that the Convention is preparing...

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What Are Pastors Doing During the Week? 10 Things...

Ben Francis

Mar 187 min read

What Are Pastors Doing During the Week? 10 Things...

I often get a lot of questions about how I spend my time as a Pastor. People are understandably curious about what I do. Some people are...

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10 Leadership Lessons from the Movie: Greyhound

Ben Francis

Mar 55 min read

10 Leadership Lessons from the Movie: Greyhound

In 2020, the Movie Greyhound was released on AppleTv in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a groundbreaking movie for several...

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What's Happening when the Pastor is Preaching?

Ben Francis

Feb 2313 min read

What's Happening when the Pastor is Preaching?

Every single week, 52 weeks per year (and more if you include Sunday nights and Wednesday nights), Pastors rise to speak the Word of God...

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Ben Francis

Sep 21, 20237 min read

How God is Saving Me from Preaching

Thoughts from a growing Pastor-Shepherd… I'm a Pastor-Shepherd, and I preach and teach every week; multiple times each week. And by God’s...

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An Open Letter to the Person County Library, and Person County Government from her Pastor-Shepherds.

Ben Francis

Jul 10, 20239 min read

An Open Letter to the Person County Library, and Person County Government from her Pastor-Shepherds.

An Open Letter to the Person County Library, and Person County Government from her Local Pastor-Shepherds. On behalf of the members of...

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Ben Francis

Jul 5, 20239 min read

Making Boys Into Men

“It’s easier to bleed than to sweat.” - Flannery O’Connor I was reminded recently that boys don't become men on their own. "Maleness...

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Ben Francis

Apr 28, 20238 min read

What Does it Mean to Be Pastored?

Life in the Local Church Belonging to a local Church of the Lord Jesus Christ entails all sorts of things: Membership, fellowship,...

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A Lament for the Hard Things: The Joy of Pastoral Ministry; A Follow-Up…

Ben Francis

Apr 15, 20238 min read

A Lament for the Hard Things: The Joy of Pastoral Ministry; A Follow-Up…

When I sat down to write the previous post, “A Lament for the Hard Things,” my goal was to share a tangible illustration of what I had...

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Ben Francis

Apr 11, 20235 min read

A Lament for the Hard Things…

This painting hangs in my study reminding me of days like today. Like the man in the painting, pastoral ministry calls men to come in...

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Ben Francis

Feb 27, 20234 min read

What I'm Reading - February 23'

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss Here's this...

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Ben Francis

Jan 19, 20237 min read

Sing Louder, Men!

A Guest post by Rev. Justin Morehead Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another...

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Ben Francis

Dec 22, 20227 min read

The Fragile Mission of the Church...

Can We Keep It? “The Church exists for a mission. Jesus did not give a mission to His church; He formed a Church for His mission…”. -...

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Ben Francis

Oct 31, 20223 min read

What I'm Reading - October 22’

October is my favorite month of the year, mainly because of the Autumn season and the changing of the leaves. October has also brought a...

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Is In-Person Preaching better than a Screen?

Ben Francis

Sep 5, 20226 min read

Is In-Person Preaching better than a Screen?

With the advent of new technology, new possibilities are introduced to the human experience. The rise of computers, the internet, and...

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Has Big Eva Made Too Much of her Human Leaders?

Ben Francis

Sep 1, 202211 min read

Has Big Eva Made Too Much of her Human Leaders?

“Big Eva” …Big Evangelicalism. The structures and Institutions that make up American Evangelicalism with all of its power, prestige, and...

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Ben Francis

Jul 5, 20226 min read

The Pastor and the Dietitian...

Over the last year or so—as I have been reading and educating myself about food, diet, exercise, and the like— it occurs to me that...

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