Author: Paul Santhouse

I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m also a husband, father, and grandpa. And I’m part of the Moody Publishers* team. Since I've worked with books for nearly four decades, and I believe the local church is where we become the kind of people Jesus would be in our shoes, that's mostly what this blog is about. Thanks for visiting. Paul *As this is my personal blog, the views and opinions expressed herein are my own, not those of my employer.

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I have expectations. They go unmet. I have a will. It gets crossed. Circumstances. Decisions. Other people. I can’t control any of it. Pride is involved. My sense of worth. What people think of me. And the whole matter of waiting. Waiting to find out. Waiting to move. Waiting to get. Waiting to do. Waiting […]

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Abraham, walking for three straight days to reach the place where his son would die. Three days with nothing to do but think about losing his son, whom he loved (Genesis 22). Jesus, the Messiah, seized, tortured, and killed by His enemies. Loved by His Father. Dead, buried, and gone (John 18-19). The burdens we […]

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The Bible uses shepherding as a metaphor for pastoral work. Shepherds take care of sheep, and spiritual shepherds take care of people. It’s a straightforward metaphor — but what does it look like? Here’s a description pulled from Ezekiel 34. Scan the list and note the impression it makes. Then, reread each point and ask […]

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We’ve made four assumptions so far, and here I’ve added a fifth. 1. Wherever believers gather, some are accountable for the well-being and protection of the group. Specifically, of their souls. 2. The metaphor most often used to describe this accountability is shepherding — an activity rich in analogy and example. 3. Shepherding is a […]

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If you’re responsible for the well-being of others there’s one thing you know. Shepherding takes time. It’s not done on the fly or covered in a meeting. Think through the descriptive list from Ezekiel 34. Searching for the lost. Strengthening the weak. Healing the sick. Dealing with discipline. Providing abundant food. This is hard work […]