​Fasting isn’t about proving our devotion to God; it’s about positioning ourselves to receive him.
October 20, 2026
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Welcome to our weekly roundup of articles, podcasts, videos, and links curated by pastors, for pastors—to equip and encourage you in your ministry. You don’t have to shepherd alone. Let’s go.
WORD OF THE WEEK

Fasting, a Powerful Tool for Renewal

Written by Jamaal Williams, lead pastor of Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, Kentucky

Fasting is one of the most neglected spiritual disciplines because, for most people, it’s challenging. Yet fasting is a powerful tool God has given believers for renewal. Scripture never presents fasting as an end in itself. It always points us beyond our desire for food to a deeper desire for God.

The prophet Joel calls God’s people to “return to [him] with all [their] heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12). Isaiah reminds us that true fasting isn’t simply abstaining from food but aligning our hearts with God’s heart for justice and mercy—“to loose the bonds of wickedness . . .  to share your bread with the hungry” (Isa. 58:6–7). When Jesus speaks about fasting in Matthew 6, he assumes we’ll do it. He says, “When you fast . . . your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (vv. 17, 18).

Fasting humbles us. It reminds us we’re not sustained by bread alone but by “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). When we eliminate meals, we open space in our days to intentionally listen for and hear God’s voice. In this way, fasting can deepen our dependence on God’s Spirit and realign us with his kingdom purposes. For pastors, fasting can help us sharpen our spiritual clarity, fuel our prayer, and cultivate compassion for the people we shepherd. It’s also a practical way to experience God’s power through our weakness.

If fasting feels intimidating, start small. Try skipping one meal, a sunup-to-sundown fast, or a partial fast like Daniel’s (Dan. 10:3). What matters most isn’t the form but the posture—a heart that focuses our hunger on God and longs for his presence and power. Pair your fasting with Scripture, prayer, and intercession for your church and community.

Fasting isn’t about proving our devotion to God; it’s about positioning ourselves to receive him. In a ministry landscape filled with noise and pressure, fasting can be a means God uses to renew our hearts and revive his church.

—Jamaal
Fasting Isn’t for the Spiritually Elite. It’s for the Hurting.

Resource Roundup

Whatever Became of Original Sin?

Steve Bateman shows why this man-humbling doctrine taught by the apostles, developed by Augustine, and recovered by the reformers must be defended today.
Transparency Is the Answer to Conspiracy Thinking

As Sean DeMars makes clear, faithful leaders don’t just make good decisions; they help the church understand why those decisions are made.
Voddie Baucham (1969–2025) on the Resurrection

In this sermon at TGC’s 2015 national conference, Baucham explains how in 1 Corinthians 15:35–58, Paul showed how the resurrection shapes pastoral ministry by transforming our anthropology, soteriology, and missiology.

Around the Web

Here are links to other great resources worth your time:

  • Ryan van der Avoort offers five essential categories—contextual, clear, concrete, compelling, and Christocentric—to help preachers evaluate and strengthen their sermons beyond simply “getting the text right.”

  • Michael Bird and his wife Naomi draw on their personal experience parenting an autistic son to offer practical guidance for both families and church leaders navigating neurodiversity in congregational life.

  • Thabiti Anyabwile vulnerably recounts how his crisis of faith in preaching transformed his ministry, leading him to rediscover that effective proclamation requires not just sound exegesis but genuine belief, love, and pastoral sensitivity.

Find more resources for pastors at tgc.org/pastors.
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