It has been said that there are three stages of ministry for a preacher in a local church, and a verse of Scripture that goes along with each stage.

First comes the honeymoon phase. The preacher is new and exciting. Everyone loves him, and he can do no wrong. The verse for this stage is “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

After a while the preacher wants to make some changes. He questions some of the traditions of the congregation and suggests some new ways of doing things. People start quoting a different verse—“By whose authority are you doing these things?”

If the church isn’t careful, they could deteriorate into stage three, best described by this verse—“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Let’s pray that the family of God will be able to work together in harmony as the Lord continues to transform us into the people he wants us to be.