This week the blog is sponsored by Desiring God and the post is written by David Mathis.

Some doomsdayers might say the church has a leadership crisis.
Perhaps a previous generation gave its presidents (and pastors) too much benefit of the doubt. But it that still our temptation today? Our criticisms of recognized leaders, cynicism toward them, conflicts with them, and controversies about them fill our feeds, queues, and real-life conversations. Are we becoming a society of discontents trying to take it to the man?
Whether in the world or in the church, both a fascination with and a negative mood toward our leaders and celebrities (we’re increasingly unable to draw clear lines between them) pervades our age. Many today are confused, and for good reason. Stories of use and abuse abound, and multiply, with the aid of our technologies.
While our list of what to beware grows longer and longer, do we have any corresponding list of (more positively) what to look for, and pray for, in our leaders?

No Confusion from Christ
For Christians, we have our conflicts and controversies to grieve and address, but the risen Christ has not left us to confusion for what to expect, pray for, and hold our leaders to account for. Scripture has a lot to say about our current crisis.
To my count, 1 Timothy 3 provides fifteen requirements for pastor-elders — the lead or teaching office in the church. Another list (again I count fifteen) comes just pages later in Titus 1, with most of them mapping on precisely to the first list. Added to that, we have, among others, 1 Peter 5:1–5; 2 Timothy 2:22–26; Hebrews 13:7 and 17; and the words of Christ in Mark 10:42–45.
Jesus has not left us without clarity.

Paul Really Knew
For more than a decade now, I’ve given unusual time and attention to lingering over the pastor-elder qualifications. Not only am I a pastor seeking to regularly rehearse what Christ requires of me (and grow, with his help, in these graces), but since 2012 I’ve been assigned “the eldership class” at Bethlehem Seminary. This class is typically a cohort of 15–16 seminarians, training to be vocational pastor-elders.
Over time, we’ve found the lists of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 to be worthy of far more than a brief review or a single session of focus. In fact, in seeking to present to the class and explain what Scripture teaches, and what I’ve learned to be significant in pastoral ministry, I’ve found again and again that essentially all the relevant practical issues in preparing for eldership pair with one or more of the traits Paul lists in 1 Timothy 3 or Titus 1.
Imagine that. Paul really knew what he was talking about — not just as a list of prerequisites to become an elder but as a catalog of the kind of virtues that elders need day in and day out to be healthy, effective elders in the long haul for the joy of the church.

What Kind of Men?
Semester after semester, we have found much life, much to learn, much to say, much to discuss, and much to apply in these elder qualifications. For one, the graces mentioned here are not devoid of reference elsewhere in Scripture. Rather, in most cases, the Bible, from Old Testament to New, has much to say about these traits.
In studying these traits — and local-church leadership through them — I’ve come to organize the class (and now the book Workers for Your Joy) under three main headings: humbled, whole, and honorable. Or we might say, the devotional life (before God), the private life (before those who know us best), and the public life (before the watching church and world).
My hope is that such a study will be helpful, first and foremost, for current pastor-elders and especially for young men aspiring to the work. Under God, I’d love to see a new generation of pastors rise-and-fall proof their ministries, under God, long before the crises come.
But I also hope that congregants — church members — might enjoy finding new clarity about what they can expect in their pastors and hold them to. What does Christ call Christian leaders to be?
Christ has not left us without clarity. Christian leadership exists for the joy of the church. Such a vision may turn some of our churches upside down, first for pastors and then for the people. That’s the vision I hope to impart, and linger in, in Workers for Your Joy.

Easter will soon be upon us, and I know that many Christians will take the opportunity to specially reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are extremely well-resourced when it comes to books on the subject and I thought I’d list a few recommendations here. In each case I’ve linked to the appropriate page on Westminster Books, though you’ll certainly find most of them at other stores as well.

I will begin with some devotional works (most of which are meant to be read over the 30 or 40 days leading up to Easter), then provide some full-length books.

As for full-length books, here are some options:

There are many others besides, but this is at least a partial list of books that will bless you!

I’m very thankful to Ligonier Ministries for sponsoring the blog this week. Be sure to stream their free Luther documentary and also to consider their 90-day devotional on the 5 solas (for a gift of any amount).

Today’s Kindle deals include some classics (and at least one newer work).
(Yesterday on the blog: 10 New and Notable Christian Books for October)
The Body Is Bigger Than You Think
I very much agree with Trevin here. “One of the best things that could happen to the rank-and-file churchgoing Christian is to get a better sense of the bigness of the Body of Christ. The Church is bigger than your church. The kingdom is bigger than your denomination. God’s people are all over the world, united by a shared love for Jesus and confession of his lordship.”
A Bruised Reed
I appreciate Aubrynn’s reflections on living as a Christian with OCD and scrupulosity. “The only thing the Lord requires is faith. He doesn’t quantify this faith; he doesn’t say ‘this much’ or ‘this strong.’ He just says faith. And faith is expressed even in the questions, in the struggle, in the wrestling. God does not treat us differently depending on our degree of faith. His eyes are not only on the raging fires, but on the faintly burning wicks. And he promises he will never quench them.”
Four ways to help your children love the church more
Many children who are raised in the church eventually drift away. Stephen considers how parents can help their kids love the church before that happens.
From Burden to Image Bearer: How God Changed My View of Children
At a time when so many young people seem uninterested in having children, articles like this become even more important.
Heart Matters
Kristin: “The condition of our heart matters. God is observing those chambers where motives are born, swell, and give way to actions. A healthy heart will be soft, tender, and malleable, eager to submit to the Lord, while a hardened heart is cold, rebellious, and bitter. It rages against God and becomes incensed when faced with truth.”
The Ministry of Public Bible Reading
I so appreciate this call to emphasize the public reading of Scripture. “It’s this devotion to ‘the public reading of Scripture’ that I want us to reflect on in this article. Where does the reading of Scripture rank in your church’s ‘lifeboat’ priorities? Is it seen as vitally important, or would it be thrown out of the boat before the music ministry or maybe the sermon?”
Flashback: Why Are You Friends with Your Friends?
Are you friends with your friends for the sake of your friends? Or are you friends with your friends for the sake of yourself? I suspect you don’t really know while you derive some clear benefit from the relationship.

Before we can stand before Satan, we must bow before God. Peter resisted the Lord and ended up submitting to Satan! —Warren Wiersbe