Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart is as simple and straightforward as its title. To assemble this volume, editor Douglas Connelly (author of The Bible for Blockheads) combed the annals of a publication called The Minister's Manual, which has served for more than 75 years as a source of sermon wisdom and anecdotes for Protestant ministers. Wisdom draws from the best of these texts and groups them into 30 subject headings, such as Forgiveness, Marriage, Parenting, Money, Anger, and Joy. In the process of assembling this Bartlett's-style anthology, Connelly was guided by one question: "In what areas of life do we Christians need the guidance of a wise pastor, and what would that pastor say to us?" The result, he says, is a book that will be a "pastor in your pocket" for those seeking spiritual guidance. Christians with a healthy appetite for inspirational aphorisms, such as "The best cure for shaking knees is kneel on them" and "With God, failure is never final," will likely find Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart to be a feast. -Michael Joseph Gross

Busy Christians everywhere will appreciate Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart, Douglas Connelly's compilation of clergy members' thoughts on topics such as family, baptism, money, grace, suffering, fear, failure and temptation. For the quotes, Connelly combed through 75 years of The Minister's Manual, a sourcebook of reflections by clergy and for clergy. The result is what he calls "a pastor in your pocket," a useful little book that offers spiritual wisdom in bite-sized morsels.

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"Soul-Chef, Doug Connelly, serves up a smorgasbord of wisdom in palatable pieces to heal the wounded, give hope to the hurting or just whet the appetite of nibblers who will taste and see that the Lord is good!"
—Phyllis Wallace, "Woman to Woman" radio show host

"As a talk show host, writer and public speaker, I am always scratching for pithy quotes, keen insight and noble sentiments. Doug Connelly graces me with just such a collection in Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart."
—Al Kresta, "Kresta in the Afternoon" radio show host

"Douglas Connelly gives us wise counsel for our deepest inner needs from his own observation, faith, and experience, and he buttresses his convictions with the carefully selected testimonies of many others. Every important juncture in the human pilgrimage is faced with sensitivity and challenge. Wisdom from a Pastor's Heartis a wonderfully helpful and inspiring book either for ordinary times or for times of crisis and special need."
—James Cox, author of the annual Minister's Manual

"Soul-Chef, Doug Connelly, serves up a smorgasbord of wisdom in palatable pieces to heal the wounded, give hope to the hurting or just whet the appetite of nibblers who will taste and see that the Lord is good!"
—Phyllis Wallace, "Woman to Woman" radio show host

"As a talk show host, writer and public speaker, I am always scratching for pithy quotes, keen insight and noble sentiments. Doug Connelly graces me with just such a collection in Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart."
—Al Kresta, "Kresta in the Afternoon" radio show host

"Douglas Connelly gives us wise counsel for our deepest inner needs from his own observation, faith, and experience, and he buttresses his convictions with the carefully selected testimonies of many others. Every important juncture in the human pilgrimage is faced with sensitivity and challenge. Wisdom from a Pastor's Heartis a wonderfully helpful and inspiring book either for ordinary times or for times of crisis and special need."
—James Cox, author of the annual Minister's Manual

Does your spirit need lifting? Do you sometimes feel distant from the Father's love? By picking up this book, you've made a step in the right direction.
What we discover in the midst of life's choices, says pastor and author Douglas Connelly, is that God promises to give us wisdom, not answers. "We want God to tell us what is best or which choice will bring happiness and security," he writes in this heartfelt little book. "We want 'voice-from-heaven' direction; God offers quiet, unspectacular, one-step-at-a-time wisdom."
At once sensitive and challenging, Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart collects the most comforting and inspiring thoughts of hundreds of Bible-centered pastors who have contributed to The Minister's Manual. For more than seventy-five years, The Minister's Manual has provided insight and inspiration to pastors as they led their flocks. Now that wisdom has been sifted and selected to speak to the hearts of Christians in the twenty-first century, meeting them where they are-every step of the way.
Grouped into categories that reflect faith, community, and personal challenges, the readings cover all aspects of everyday life, from temptation to disappointment, from failure to forgiveness, from parenting to peace. The words of these wise men and women, help us to keep our footing on the solid rock of God's unchanging love and his unfailing promises.

Do you long for a closer walk with God? Let Wisdom from a Pastor's Heart help rekindle the spark of joyful living through the collected thoughts of hundreds of pastors. Refreshingly simple and surprisingly wise, this little gem is full of solid biblical direction that will satisfy the soul, challenge the spirit, and encourage the heart.