Pastor Rusty George is the lead pastor of Real Life Church in Southern California. Operating out of five campuses, he is one of America’s greatest pastors. If you are not a reader of his blog or a listening to his podcast Leading Simple, you need to start doing so today! Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
In fact, his interview with Bryan and Cindy Muehlberger, parents of their teenage daughter Gracie who died in last year’s Saugus High School shooting, is the most compelling and impactful podcast interview I have heard. Click HERE to listen.
The thing which has always struck me about Pastor Rusty is his calm and soothing demeanor. He just makes me think God has it all under control and everything is going to be OK. When I think of all his community endured in 2020 (school shootings, Kobe Bryant’s death, COVID, racial riots and protests), I honestly do not think God could have strategically placed anyone better than Pastor Rusty to walk this community through these difficult and tragic times. He truly pastored the city of Los Angeles through a season unlike any other.
North Metro Church, a wonderful congregation in North Atlanta, has been doing a sermon series on his book After Amen: What To Do When You’re Waiting On God. Pastor Rusty was in town today to preach the final message. As a result, I was there in attendance and got to spend some time with this wonderful leader.
I’ve known Pastor Rusty for several years and even had the privilege of endorsing this wonderful book. If you haven’t purchased his book yet, you can do so by clicking HERE or on the image provided. To finally meet him in person was a special treat.
As I reflected on our time together, I was reminded of 10 Signs Of A Great Pastor whichI gleaned from this morning. This is not an exhaustive list but I want to share these specific lessons with you. All quotes are from Pastor Rusty’s incredible message:
- A Great Pastor Preaches The Bible – Pastors are not communicators and they do not give talks. The are messengers of God who give the people a message from God Himself about the issues of their life at this point and time in human history. Pastor Rusty preached an incredible message on the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine from John 2 and what this means to us today.
- A Great Pastor Captures Our Attention By Asking Great Questions – “We’re all waiting on something from God. What do we do while we wait?”
- A Great Pastor Reminds Us Jesus Is Worth Trusting – “She (Jesus’s mom Mary) just knows Jesus is worth trusting.”
- A Great Pastor Tells Us To Follow The Commands Of Jesus – “In your own prayer life, do whatever He decides to do.”
- A Great Pastor Inspires Us To Take Action – “Jesus gave them something to do before the miracle happens. God wants us to do the natural before He does the super.”
- A Great Pastor Makes Complex Ideas Easy To Grasp – “Sometimes we pray for Superman and He gives us Clark Kent.”
- A Great Pastor Encourages Us – “God is faithful not just while we wait, but while we work… Keep working while you’re waiting.”
- A Great Pastor Points You To Prayer And Bible Study – Pastor Rusty asked everyone to ask this question, “God, I’d really like you to _________________. But until then, I’ll keep _______________.”
- A Great Pastor Gives Us Next Steps – “God has heard your prayers and He is working. What’s your next step?”
- A Great Pastor Provides Resources To Help You Monday Through Saturday And Also To Bless Others – Even though I already owned his book, I purchased three additional copies to give away to others.
In conclusion, it was an incredible morning! What is one thing you learned from Pastor Rusty which will make you a better pastor?
The Top 100 Leadership Quotes From 2020 is my latest ebook. The wisdom contained in these pages from top business leaders, pastors, coaches, and superlative thinkers sustained countless leaders in the most turbulent year anyone can remember. If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource. The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.