The Potter's Clay Podcast

Listen to "Tough Text Phil 4:13" on Spreaker. Syler... and his addiction to premium Bibles... folks, this guy is over the top! Here's his new Bible. You can find this Bible here:  https://evangelicalbible.com/product/crossway-esv-heirloom-study-bible-goatskin-dark-blue-preorder/ In some regard, Philippians 4:13 isn't really that difficult or tough, but it gets abused over and over again. Context is key when you teach. Context is key whenever you teach the Scriptures. The bible isn't written to bring you the most joy, it is about God's faithfulness and His glory! Let's face it youth pastors/leaders/volunteers... we are often guilty of having a great idea THEN finding a verse or two to back up our point. That is a flawed view of study and teaching. We want more than a verse tattooed on the body or written on a poster. We want to walk our students through the text of Scripture. That way all the topics whether more flowery or less flowery.

Listen to "Summer Planning" on Spreaker. Just a note about the blog. It doesn't always keep up with the podcast... sometimes weeks get so crazy it is just hard to pull it all off. Keep checking and at some point it will get caught up. We promise. Summer is coming! What do you have in the books for Summer 2019? Camps? Trips? For us everything slows down a lot. It is our time to let the kids go and live out what we have  taught over the last winter and it is also a time to begin teaching prep for the next season. Matthew's crew did a soft start last August and started "for real" in September. That was a really bad idea. It was a communication nightmare and pushing a double kick-off was kinda weird. Don't do it, start ONCE! If you have a solid conference/denominational camp, do you use it? It can be a great resource for you. Take advantage of the "easy" things set up for you. While there, you can take the time to connect with othe

Listen to "Bible Reading Plans" on Spreaker. Remember those days before ministry while you basked in the sermons of great men and enjoyed the word? We do! We remember those days well. Since starting to work at the church, it has become increasingly difficult to stay in the Word. It's a struggling in ministry to read the Bible! Ligonier ministries puts a number of Bible plans out each year. You can find their plan HERE . Syler is currently trying to devotionally read the Bible through what he is teaching. While not always recommended, some times ya gotta do it!  ESV Online is where Matthew generally goes for Bible reading plans. They have a couple easy plans that will send you email reminders etc. You can find those HERE . What is a Bible reading plan?  Various plans that structure reading over a period of time. The varieties of options are unlimited! Different translations, different speeds are just a couple of options for you. If you don&

Listen to "Busy or Burnt Out" on Spreaker. What is the difference between burn out and business??? Ministry Burn out looks like you doing absolutely everything you can, even the extra things! It is hard because everything looks good and you can easily try to accomplish everything. Family Family life burn out looks like signing up for everything as a family. The tricky thing is that there are  a lot of non sinful things that can CONSUME out time. Have you signed up for too much? Student Things aren't just about homework, they are about all the things you are supposed to be signed up in. Homework, sports, and the arts consume so much time. All of them can be great but life gets busy quick with all of those things. Burn out is a real issue What is the main issue and how do we fight it? Where is your heart at? Are you doing things for the wrong reasons? Have you grown numb? Burn out can feel similar to being busy yet procrastination also se

Listen to "Spiritual Heros" on Spreaker. Who is a Sunday school teacher or church volunteer who had a massive impact in your life? It is good to have people to follow. People have an impact in your life, embrace it! Always test everything with the Scriptures, but follow and learn from someone. Syler and Matthew's number ONE! The Pastor at the small church where Syler got saved. He was a man committed to faithful ministry in a little Baptist Church in Delta, Utah. The man didn't have a massive church but loved his congregation and teaches them the Scriptures. Not only did he preach it, but he LIVED IT. Matthew learned a lot from his dad. His dad was always willing to share what he believed whether people cared or not. As a model his dad would consistently read the Bible early in the morning and led family devotions later at night. Though Matthew didn't interact in those moments they were noted and had an impact later on as maturity set in.

Listen to "Preach the Gospel to Yourself Everyday" on Spreaker. How do you preach the Gospel to yourself? It is so easy to flippantly make that statement. The Gospel is the reality that God created everything, man sinned and is separated from God but God, being rich in mercy sent Jesus, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins! That is some real hope! What is the message that you are giving yourself? Is it a positive message that is anchored in the reality that Jesus saved you? Often times we find ourselves down talking and attacking ourselves but there is a better message and it is given to us in Jesus Christ. What does this look like for us? When Matthew gets down his "self talk" begins to get low. Lots of discouragement through the little things in life. In the grand scheme of things, most things are not going to impact anyone for an eternity. God is still on his throne and will not be knocked off because he forgets keys. He needs to remin