Sublime

Martin Luther: “If I had my time to go over again, I would make my sermons much shorter, for I am conscious they have been too wordy.”

Lots of people can preach the gospel better than you; but nobody can preach a better gospel than you if yours is the true one. We are all on level ground at the foot of the cross. The question is, can you talk about it plainly and personally? This is a necessity for every disciple of Christ, so there must be a gift of teaching required for pastors

I was recently told about a man who heard me preach on 1 Corinthians 15:19–20, where Paul writes, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead.” This man was convicted that since Christ is indeed alive, he needed to live like it. So he quit his well-paying job

We have to stop viewing church leaders as people who minister to us. God clearly explained their role. It was not to coddle you but to equip you. Think personal trainer, not massage therapist.

Ulrich Zwingli,

The pastor who neglects personal holiness has forgotten who’s in charge. He believes he is an employee of his flock, so it is not holiness he is chiefly after but the appearance of success, of “having his act together.” When today’s pastors think of being an example to their flocks, they primarily think in terms of appearing well-off materially, ha

Our churches are occupied by sinners of all kinds. If the gospel is regularly being preached in your church, you will eventually become a magnet for the messiest kinds of sinners. The kind of people Jesus attracted. The kind of people church people often fear messing up their tidy church. Those are the kinds of people pastors must stay tuned in to