A Brilliant Communicator or a Loving Servant?

Issue 2.21

"Too often Christian leaders shut themselves in their studies, become students, bookworms, Bible works, sermon makers, noted for literature, thought, and sermons; but the people and God, where are they? Out of heart, out of mind.

"Preachers who are great thinkers - great students - must be the greatest of pray-ers, or else they will be the greatest of backsliders, heartless professionals, rationalistic, less than the least of preachers in God's estimate."

- Excerpted from E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (Moody Press, p. 33)

How easy it is to substitute learning for love, books for prayer, and sermons for service. May we ever be mindful, as ministers of God's Word, that our learning should only be a pathway toward loving God and people, a preparation for our true mission. Study is never an end in itself.

Life Action Points:

Do I make my sermons sound sophisticated in order to impress others, or do I strive to make them understandable to impact others?

Do I love the people to whom I preach? In what specific ways?

Am I known among the congregation as a brilliant communicator and lofty academic, or as a loving, prayerful servant?

Do I utilize my office time in a way that I would be happy for any church member to know about? How would God rate the effectiveness of my average day in the office?

What percentage of my work week do I spend in Bible study? ___ In prayer? ____ In hands-on service or evangelism? ____ Theological study/sermon preparation? _____ In meetings? ____ On the Internet? ____ At restaurants? ____ Taking breaks? ____ Chatting with other staff? _____

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LINK: Seeking Him Together  
"As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for thee..."   Have you learned to seek God with that type of passion?   How about the people in your congregation?   Learn to align your passions and seek God in the context of a community through Life Action's newest release of Spirit of Revival magazine. 

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(c) PastorConnect is produced by Life Action Ministries, a group seeking to promote spiritual renewal in churches worldwide.