Biblical preaching is as simple as remembering that you are a waiter, not the chef. Your job in sermon preparation is not to create or innovate. Your only task is to deliver what the text means by what it says.
Something for us (45 years old & under) ministry leaders to consider.
Our volunteers shouldn’t outpace us in hard work. Often, as leaders we are pushing people to volunteer in our churches and ministries on top of a 40 to 50 hour work week. But, then at the same time we’re complaining about our own work hours that wouldn’t even be considered full-time in most places.
Sadly, I’m hearing more and more from older leaders that are having a difficult time finding younger leaders that will work hard and work full-time hours. Honestly, I believe that if you’re truly called, people shouldn’t have to push you to do it.
In fact, it makes me wonder if there has been so much focus in the recent years on soul care, sabbath’ing, and rest that the pendulum has over-corrected in a way that now some of us (in my generation of ministry leaders) are beginning to spiritualize laziness.
We definitely don’t need to burn-out, but we also shouldn’t sloth-out either. Take care of yourself. Take care of your family. But, also work hard for the glory of God.
You may be very sure men fall in private long before they fall in public. - JC Ryle via my timehop by @tristanmartin 2 years ago. True then. True now. 1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your doctrine and your life closely.
Satan's checklist to quench your love for others
✅ Isolate from fellowship
✅ Assure your struggle is special
✅ Increase social media intake
🔲 Reduce Bible reading
🔲 Crowd out prayer
🔲 Stir skepticism about others
🔲 Cancel over disagreement
🔲 Forget God's love toward you