The Focused Pastor

08/20/2026

During the Down-Grade Controversy, Charles Spurgeon willingly lost influence, friendships, and public approval rather than compromise biblical truth. As he said, "For my part, I am quite willing to be eaten of dogs for the next fifty years; but the more distant future shall vindicate me."

08/18/2026

How do you minister to someone who feels beyond hope? Join us this week as host Dave Stone sits down with Kristen Jane Anderson for a deeply honest conversation about depression, shame, healing, and the life-changing power of God's grace. Whether you're walking with someone through their darkest season or carrying hidden burdens yourself, this episode offers the encouragement you need. Watch the full episode here:

How do you minister to someone who feels beyond hope? Join us this ...

08/13/2026

Spurgeon had to tell his own students to stop bragging about their numbers.

Preachers in his day would stand up and announce exactly how many people got saved the night before, like a scoreboard. He called it "counting of unhatched chickens." A conversion, he said, takes a lifetime to prove out. You can't tally it overnight.

Ministry hasn't changed as much as we'd like to think.

Has it ever tempted you to confuse fruitfulness with faithfulness?

Let us know in the comments.

08/11/2026

Would Charles Spurgeon be on Instagram today?

We sat down with Geoff Chang, curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, for a quick round of fun, unexpected questions: the single weirdest artifact in the Spurgeon Library, his favorite spot on the MBTS campus, a food showdown between Brazil, Houston, Portland, and Kansas City, his go-to coffee order, and whether Spurgeon himself would be posting on Instagram and Facebook if he were alive today.

08/08/2026

He almost walked away from ministry after this night.

Charles Spurgeon was 22, already preaching to bigger crowds than any building in London could hold. Then panic broke out mid-service. Seven people died. He wasn't hurt, but he was never quite the same.

What got him back in the pulpit wasn't willpower. It was watching God work through the worst thing that had ever happened to him.

08/05/2026

In 1858, Charles Spurgeon delivered this quote in a message entitled "Compel Them to Come In."

We all come to the same realization eventually: our best efforts can never earn God's favor. The law exposes our need, grace meets it, and Christ accomplishes what our hands never could.

As church leaders, it's easy to measure our worth by our ministry—attendance, sermons, fruitfulness, or whether this week's work felt successful. But our standing before God has never rested on our performance. Grace settled that question long before we ever stepped into the pulpit.

"The best performance of my hands, dares not appear before Thy throne."

Salvation has never been about what we bring, but about what Christ has done.

08/04/2026

What does it take to faithfully serve one church for more than three decades? In this episode of Pastor to Pastor, Tim Harlow reflects on the joys and challenges of long-term ministry, the pain that comes when relationships change, and why encouraging the next generation of pastors has never been more important. From leading through difficult seasons to discovering that our identity is found in being children of God and not just workers for God. This conversation is filled with wisdom for every pastor and church leader.

Watch the full episode here:

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "Is my identity wrapped ...

07/14/2026

What if one conversation could change the trajectory of a young leader's life? In this episode of Pastor to Pastor, Ben Cachiaras shares the story of how a simple word of encouragement helped confirm God's call on his life, and why every pastor has the opportunity to do the same for the next generation. From raising up young leaders and building healthy ministry teams to creating community centers that are transforming neighborhoods, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom and inspiring stories for every church leader.

Watch the full episode here:

When it comes to sustaining faithful communities, mentoring the nex...

07/07/2026

The pastor and his wife are super-spiritual. Spiritual maturity doesn’t preclude one from the need for God’s mercy. The pastor and his wife are intimately aware of their faults and foibles. They might, like Paul, declare, “I’m the chief of sinners!” (1 Tim. 1:15) because they know the depth of their depravity.

Follow us for more!

07/07/2026

What if one conversation could completely change the way you see families raising children with special needs? In this episode of Pastor to Pastor, Camille Joy shares her incredible testimony—from teenage pregnancy and surviving human trafficking to finding hope in Christ and becoming the mother of a son with autism and congenital heart disease. She opens up about the joys, struggles, and lessons God has taught her, while challenging churches to better love, support, and disciple families affected by disability.

Watch the full video here:

Finding a church home isn't easy, but finding one that loves, accep...