Starting today, you would be very welcome to follow along with the Pleased to Dwell advent video playlist. It can work alongside the book, or you can just watch the videos. Here is the playlist, please do subscribe to the YouTube channel and use the playlist to work your way through these short videos as Christmas approaches!
Preacher’s Personal Life
Making Christmas Real
The end of the year brings a strange combination of familiar traditions and genuine challenges. While we may be surrounded by bright lights and cheerful music, with parties and celebratory gatherings, we may also be struggling financially, wondering how we are supposed to get everything done and concerned about how we will handle looming difficulties. It could be navigating an awkward conversation with that difficult family member, or coping with the exuberant happiness when we are grieving a loved one, or facing particular challenges that would be hard enough at any time of the year, let alone during the “festive season.” Life can feel like too much, and Christmas sometimes makes it feel even worse.
As Christmas approaches, whether we are dealing with a particular challenge or not, we will all again be confronted with the challenge of seeing past the consumer festival and the nostalgic traditions to the reality of the incarnation. Finding the relevance of this critical doctrine is not achieved by simply revisiting familiar truths through nostalgic traditions. We also have a fresh need to explore how the old truth resonates with contemporary life – including all its challenges.
We are familiar with reviewing the great step taken by the Son of God from heaven to earth – the infinite taking on infancy, the glorious riches to abject poverty, etc. We are used to noting that He came with a purpose; He took on a human body and life so that He could experience death in that body for us. Indeed, Christmas is an arrow pointing to Easter, and it is right to think of that each year.
More than that, Christmas is an arrow pointing to a God who is revealing Himself in the ultimate way, and an invitation opened to rich and poor, local and global, Jew and Gentile. It is a story to stir our nostalgia and our worship, an inspiring example, and, if told well, a thriller with a villain, a deadly threat, and a perfectly-timed escape.
Actually, Christmas is a many-layered story, with intriguing characters, long-awaited prophecies, and profoundly moving themes woven together.
And yet, we so often end up repeating it as if it were merely a nostalgic children’s story to retell like an old family tale that gets trotted out once a year as we gather around a fire and nibble on seasonal treats.
How will you engage the Christmas story this year? How will it connect with your current experiences and concerns in a unique and fresh way in 2025?
Your life, your struggles, are very real. So was the first Christmas. It was not a pretty scene with snow falling peacefully. It contained real fear, real confusion, real hopelessness, real heartbreak. The bewilderment for Mary would have been so constant, the uncertainty for Joseph so vivid. The emptiness and despair of life for the shepherds would have been genuinely bleak. The intrigue of the wise men and all who came into contact with them must have been genuinely perplexing. The first Christmas was real.
As we come to another Christmas, let’s not just go through the motions of another ritual celebration. Let’s not think of it only in picture book scenes, nor apply its truth in nice generalities. Let’s be sure to bring the most real concerns of our time to the Christmas story and find in it a Saviour who has learned what it is to be human, what it is to enter into a world of political tensions, of the deadly inhumanity of men to one another, of the searing heartache of poverty. May we find a richer appreciation for our Lord because our 2025 Christmas realities meet with His first Christmas realities.
The reality of the incarnation is big enough to maintain its relevance and to shine forth its significance, no matter how difficult our current experience might be. May we honour God by bringing our real mess up close to the very real messiness of the first Christmas. There we will find a true Saviour, who is Christ our Lord, and that really is good news for all of humanity.
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Peter’s book, Pleased to Dwell, is an ideal read in the Christmas season. To buy in the UK or Europe, click here, and to buy in North America, click here. Please do subscribe to the podcast, and let others know about it too:
Catching Up With The Podcast
It has been a busy few months and I haven’t posted links to the podcast on here as much as I had planned. But let’s do a quick catch-up:
After a sequence of weddings, I shared some thoughts on preaching at a wedding. The last months included some great interviews, including:
Andy Paterson – Firstly, on how the Word does the work of ministry, and then, the relationships of a preacher.
Marcus Honeysett – First, on painting with fire, then on the nature of true transformation, and finally, on the heart of the preacher.
Steve Mathewson, we crossed the ocean to hear from Steve on the importance of all scripture in our preaching, and then we reminisced together about lessons learned from our mutual mentor, Haddon Robinson!
Jonathan Lamb – back to the UK to hear from Jonathan on crossing cultures as we think about preaching, and then we thought about how preaching models for listeners!
Rick McKinley – and once more back to the US to hear from an experienced pastor in the Portland metro area on connections required to connect with our listeners, and a great discussion about the role of humility in preaching.
Along the way, we have had some bitesize episodes on specific subjects, like adding to the text, is something missing in your preaching?, preaching the prophets, preaching at Christmas, and highlighting historical accuracy when we preach.
Mike and I have also enjoyed some helpful discussions: thoughts on being a guest preacher – something we’ve both done quite a bit of over the years!, landing a message, bad preaching (another area where we have experience!), a chat about Pleased to Dwell in anticipation of the advent season, and a chat about preaching at Christmastime!
We hope these episodes have been helpful for you, and if you have missed any, please do catch up! As ever, we really appreciate any help in getting the word out about the podcast – sharing links, liking, subscribing, etc., is all really helpful. If you particularly like an episode, please do let others know about it on social media – thank you in advance!
The Day
I can remember the first time I saw a Star Wars film in the cinema. This was back in the 1980s. With popcorn in hand, we found our plush velvet seats and tried to get comfortable. Then we were plunged into darkness. A slight pause. And then it began. In just two minutes, I was transported into another world. Everything normal seemed like a distant memory. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” Then the blast of the brass section of an orchestra as the film title appeared. Three paragraphs of background story to orient us, and we were there. The start of the Star Wars movies was genuinely epic.
The Bible can, and should, have that same effect on us. Lifting us out of the everyday rhythms of life and helping us to see another whole realm of reality. For instance, consider the theme of The Day of the LORD. It is mentioned eighteen times in the Old Testament, plus dozens of other references like “on that day.” It is that future moment when God would step into history, bringing judgment for the wicked and blessing for His people.
Not only is it anticipated in the Old Testament, but it is also still anticipated in the New Testament. Consider, for example, 2 Peter chapter 3. There, Peter describes how scoffers will ridicule the idea of anticipating that day. Their tactic? They will suggest that “nothing really changes.” And how effective that tactic can be. Nothing really changes. So why should we be concerned about anything happening in the world? Nothing really changes. Why should we try to influence what is going on around us? Nothing really changes. Why look for something to break in from outside of our world? Nothing really changes. Today is like yesterday, and tomorrow will be more of the same. As one fiction writer put it, “it is a pity that thoughts always ran the easiest way, like water in old ditches.”
And yet, the Bible wants to lift our eyes and our hearts beyond our psychological preference for predictability. It wants us to know, and live in light of, the reality that one day, God Himself will step into history again.
Consider one of the passages that anticipates “that day” – Malachi chapter 3. For the first few verses, we read of how God is coming, the messenger of the covenant who will come like the purifier’s fire, like fuller’s soap. Two vivid images of cleansing, purging, separating – that fire so hot that metal melts and the impurities are separated; that lye that pulls out the impurities from fabric and bleaches it clean. The Lord is coming to cleanse and purify. Yes, the focus is on restoring proper worship, but the imagery is imposing and intimidating.
We might expect the passage to conclude with a call to run. Run for your lives! Flee this terrible day that is coming! And yet, as in so many of the “Day of the LORD” passages, we find an invitation. This God, who is coming to purge and to cleanse, is a God of grace who invites His people to draw near to Him.
In verses 6 and 7, God speaks of His character. He does not change, which means they are not consumed (because He keeps His promises). But they should change. They should change direction. They have gone away from God, but if they return to Him, then He will return to them. As James later put it, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
They asked how they could return. So God raised the issue of their giving. In verses 8-12, God describes how they should test Him (an unusual concept in the Bible!) by seeing if they could outgive God. They never would be able to do that! As we come to the end of the chapter, we find that some of the people who were challenged to give of their treasure, which really belonged to God anyway, were also moved in heart to fear God and be responsive to Him. So they are described as being God’s treasured possession.
A chapter that begins with such overpowering imagery of judgment is so full of God’s overflowing grace. Yes, the Day of the LORD is terrifying, and many in this world should be shaking with fear at what is coming. And yet, for those of us who know what it means to belong to this God, we can look forward, waiting, anticipating, hoping. We live today in light of that day, knowing that the old ditches of life are not forever. We understand that the “nothing really changes” mindset is doomed to be proven profoundly wrong. We wait, knowing that with a blast of the brass section of heaven’s orchestra, we will be transported into another time.
Honestly, I am not concerned with whether we agree on the details of what is to come in the future. I am worried that we are discouraged by the scoffers who claim that nothing really changes. Let’s read God’s Word and let it lift our eyes and our hearts. We have a God who has stepped into time and history and who will again. His coming will shake up everything. And we who live in anticipation of that day should live differently today.
In light of Malachi 3, let’s be sure to turn to God now and be ready for that day. Let’s consider our “tithing” – that is, our giving and investing in eternity today. And let’s rejoice at the privilege of being His treasured possession. May the Lord use us now as we live for Him, and wouldn’t it be great if He came back soon!
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With Christmas coming soon, it is time to start making plans … especially if you are involved in preaching or teaching! Check out the latest episode of the podcast, and please do subscribe so you don’t miss any of the forthcoming episodes!
5 Ways to Personally Enjoy the Bible More Than Ever – Webinar
On Wednesday 29th October, I will be doing a free webinar on enjoying the Bible. You are very welcome to join if you are free. Click here for more information and to register.
When You Cannot Keep Going, Can You Go Again?
Speaking truth in a world of lies is not easy. Serving God in a world that hates Him is not comfortable. Standing for what is right in a world hell-bent on evil is anything but pleasant. We all know this. We all feel it. And there are times when we feel it more vividly.
What causes discouragement? Of course, there is the insidious work of the enemy to tear down our resolve and distract our hearts. Then there are the people who stand opposed, with their ideologies, threats, and apparent power to harm. But perhaps the greatest discouragement comes from those who should know better. As the years pass, I see time and again the difficulty posed by other Christians and their reasons why we shouldn’t speak truth, serve God, and stand for what is right quite so boldly.
I have been encouraged by reading through Jeremiah again in recent days. God called him to speak God’s message to God’s people. What could be difficult about that? In Jeremiah 11:18-23, we see the men of his own hometown conspiring to kill him because he spoke for God. In Jeremiah 26, he speaks God’s message in the temple courts. Surely there, the people of God would be responsive to the truth? No, the prophets, the priests and all the people wanted to kill Jeremiah. Is it possible to imagine a time when speaking the truth brings condemnation and calls for elimination and death?
In Jeremiah 37-38, we see the prophet being lied about, beaten, imprisoned, and thrown into a cistern to die. And yet, Jeremiah continued to speak truth, to serve God, to stand for what was right. Yes, his message was controversial; it was unpopular, as it went against the prevailing narrative, and he knew the consequences of continuing to speak. And still, he continued to talk about truth, to serve God, and to stand for what was right.
The passage that grips my heart and lifts me to speak again is Jeremiah 20. In this passage, it was also a priest who opposed Jeremiah. Pashhur the priest beat the prophet and humiliated him at the gate. And yet, Jeremiah continued to speak the truth, for God, boldly. From verse 7, we get a glimpse into the suffering heart of the weeping prophet. It was not easy to speak God’s truth and to stand for what is right. We read his cry to God as he is humiliated. We read his despair as the words he speaks don’t land in the hearts of his listeners, but seem only to rain down blows on his own soul. Jeremiah seems worn down, his reserves gone, his motivation in tatters. Later in the lament, he is cursing the day he was born, even the man who came out and announced the news of his birth to his father. Sometimes the despair can be so vivid that you despise the fact that you were even born at all. And yet . . .
And yet, there is verse 9. If it is so hard to speak the truth and stand for what is right, serving God amidst the hostility of the enemy, and even of God’s own people, then maybe it is not worth it? Perhaps lying spent on the ground, his fuel tank emptied, his inner drive stalling, his motivation poured out in his tears, maybe he should stop speaking? And yet . . . “there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot.”
The tears soak the ground. Tears of grief, of anger, of hurt. Tears not just at the evil of the enemy, but at the blindness and unwillingness to see among those who are supposedly on the same side. Tears of loss, tears filled with fear for the future, anger at injustice, weariness from the fight. The tears may soak the ground, and our energy may be all spent. And yet, is there not a burning fire still burning in our hearts and shut up in our bones? We cannot hold it in.
And so, like the weeping prophet of old, we rise to our knees, prayerfully resolute. We stand again. We take a breath. And we speak. We speak the truth, we serve God, we stand for what is right. Will those who should be with us change course and start to agree? Maybe. They can be won, one heart at a time. But perhaps they will continue to whisper and plot against us. Is it worth it? Can we, like Jeremiah, go again? We can if we remember who is with us. “The LORD is with me as a dread warrior.” (Jeremiah 20:11)
Are you wearied from the battle? That may be because of opposition from our spiritual enemy, or human forces arrayed against God’s truth, or even from “friendly fire” that sucks the motivation from you. Pour out all the angst that is built up inside. Pour it out until there is nothing left. And then ask yourself, is the fire still burning in my heart and shut up in my bones? “Alright then, Lord, if you will go with me, I will climb back onto my feet and go again. I will speak the truth. I will serve my God. I will stand for what is right. The LORD is with me as a dread warrior.”
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Confidence for the Storms (Psalm 27)
During a storm in life, people often look back to the calm moments before everything turned chaotic. It is strange to look back on a moment of tranquility when you had no idea what was about to take place. Psalm 27 reflects that experience. In the first half of the Psalm, David appears to be filled with faith and peace. Then, in the second half, there is more than a hint of fear in his words. Where other psalms begin with fear and end with faith, this psalm seems to reverse that pattern.
However, it may be helpful to see the psalm differently, not as part 1 followed by part 2, but as an outer layer and an inner layer. In the outer layer, David seems gripped by the reality of God’s greatness. He knows that God is greater than any enemy. He has seen it in the past, and he has confidence for the future. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (v 1)
He begins the psalm stating that God is the refuge of his heart (translated “life”), and his heart will not fear, even in the face of enemies, armies, and wars! (Psalm 27:1-3) Then at the conclusion of the psalm, he declares confidence in his future experience of the goodness of God and calls on others to strengthen their hearts by waiting for the LORD. (Psalm 27:13-14)
We live in tumultuous times. Whether we are in an active war zone or not, it seems that most of us are living in countries where tensions are running high. How can we have confidence in the Lord, strengthening our hearts as we wait for Him? Perhaps it is not enough to know that our God is bigger than our enemies, although that is undoubtedly true. Perhaps we should examine what happens in the inner layer of this psalm.
In verse 4, David describes his devotional determination to dwell in the house of the LORD and gaze upon the beauty of the LORD. It is in the security of God’s presence that he can get to know God for who He is. To be close to God is to be hidden in God’s shelter, concealed in His tent, lifted on a rock. The word translated as “shelter” carries the sense of a lion’s lair. Is there anywhere safer, presuming the Lion is good and is for you?
The secret to confidence in God is to meet God in the secret place. To gaze upon Him. To know Him. Jonathan Edwards wrote of Christ that He “has infinite loveliness to win and draw our love.” He went on to say that the angels in heaven, who can look on His face all the time, have never run out of reason to praise Him, even to this day. How lovely He must be! And so it is that we too can draw near to God in the person of Christ, and day after day, gaze upon the face of our God.
In fact, in troubled and tumultuous times, our people need us to do just that. If we are going to lead our families, our ministries, our churches, then we need to be spending time hiding in God’s presence, gazing on and getting to know the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Not only does David declare that he will seek God’s face, but God invites him to do so. It is a bit like playing hide and seek with a small child. Hide and seek is a classic children’s game. One person counts to 100, while the other players hide. Then the seeker goes hunting for the hidden. It can be frustrating if the players are too creative. But when you play the game with a toddler, it can be so much fun. They want to be found! All you need to do is say out loud what you are thinking, “I am thinking she might be behind the armchair?” And a little voice will giggle behind the curtain. “Is she behind the television?” And a little voice will say, “No!” It is all about the moment of discovery, the unbridled joy when two faces meet.
“Seek my face,” God says. And as leaders of God’s people, may the cry of our hearts be, “Your face, O LORD, do I seek.” We need to gaze on the beauty of His character to have confidence in His strength. The greatest one is for us, so let’s not hold back. Draw near, gaze, and grow in confidence. Fearful times will come, but faith-filled leaders will emerge from God’s presence confident and ready.
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Not less preaching, but better preaching – Interview
Evangelical Focus just published an interview with me. Lots about preaching in here, so I hope you find it helpful!
“The solution is not less preaching, but better preaching”, Evangelical Focus
Mentored by the Text
I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Josiah Venture Spring Conference. What a joy to spend those days with great people in a beautiful place, enjoying an excellent Bible book! In light of that time, I have been pondering the idea of being mentored by the biblical text.
To begin the series of messages, I suggested that if we could time travel, we would be changed by spending half an hour watching Jesus, Moses, Daniel, Paul, or whoever. If we could just be there and see them in action, we would be mentored by the experience. But we have the Bible! So why not allow the experience of the text to mentor us? Time spent watching Jesus (in this case) should surely mark our lives in significant ways.
Here are some thoughts on “Preaching as Biblical Mentoring” –
1. The move from then to now is essential, but the move from text to sermon can be overdone. I have seen sermons so crafted that listeners may marvel at the sermon construction but lose the passage. Maybe our sermonic work of art is not as valuable as the inspired text. After all, whatever we can do with the text is not as good as what God did when He inspired the text. So perhaps we need to consider how to let the passage drive the message more in our preaching.
2. Overly crafted wording can hide rather than reveal the inspired text. In the detail of the sermon, do we demonstrate our linguistic skill rather than elevating the text itself? Our wordcraft may impress listeners, but is our goal to impress them? Surely our pastoral goal should be for them to encounter God Himself in His word? Let us make it our goal to communicate rather than to exhibit our craftsmanship.
3. The shape of an overly crafted sermon can hide rather than reveal the shape of the text. I remember one moment as a student in a class. I was the member of our group who went up to write our outline on the whiteboard. “That is incorrect,” the teacher declared, “you have to make all the points parallel.” I was taken aback and responded, “But, isn’t that the shape of the passage?” The teacher looked at the Bible. “Yes, it is the shape of the passage, but your outline has to follow the rules of rhetoric, so it is wrong.” I politely pointed out that Haddon Robinson (who was in charge of the preaching department at that seminary for many years) had taught us to reflect the shape of the text in our sermons. It became clear that there was a point of difference between these two excellent teachers. I’m with Haddon. Let’s aim for sermons that reflect the shape of the text rather than squeezing the text to fit our rhetorical expectations and standard sermon shapes.
4. Overly crafted rhetoric can hide rather than reveal the experience of the text. As we preach, we should communicate clearly, with good organisation and a thought-through structure. But sometimes, our sermons can hide the text and keep listeners from experiencing the tensions and contours of a passage. So let’s use whatever skill we can, but remember that our goal is not to present the work of art that is our sermon. No, our goal is to bring our listeners into a rich experience of the passage and, in doing so, to encounter God as He reveals Himself there.
5. We should preach so listeners can “see” the movie projected in their hearts. I find it helpful to imagine every listener with a movie screen in their hearts. If I prayerfully and carefully present the message to them, a movie should form on that screen. It is easy to offer theological insights and speak theoretical truths. But those screens will remain blank. However, suppose I can effectively describe what is on the page. In that case, my prayer is that they will not only understand it but also experience it. And when they experience it, it will change their lives. It can be like being mentored through the text by God revealing Himself in that passage.
I am sure there are more angles to consider on this subject. Perhaps too much of our ministry uses the Bible, begins with the Bible, or connects to the Bible, but what people really need is to experience what God has given us in the Bible. Supremely, the Bible reveals Him. Let’s prayerfully shape our ministries so that people can encounter Him and not simply learn theological truth at arm’s length.
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Biblical Ministry?
Most people in Christian ministry would like to think they have a biblical ministry. But what does that mean? Is it simply an evaluation of whether what they do is in the Bible? Or maybe better, an assessment of whether their values and methodology reflect biblical qualities? This would be a good question to ponder prayerfully.
Let’s take a few minutes and consider what role the Bible plays in your ministry. I will start with some troubling ones I have observed, then move on to better options. I have seen all of the troubling Bible roles over the years. Perhaps one or two have crept into my ministry at times. How about you?
5 Troubling Bible Roles:
1. Token Requirement – This is where a Christian ministry uses the Bible here and there because it is expected or required. The driving energy for the ministry comes from the individual’s drive, the rhythm of habit and tradition, or the necessity of keeping their position. But the Bible seems inert, a lifeless requirement quoted here and there to endorse what is happening in the ministry.
2. Quotes and Springboards – This is a slightly more specific version of number 1. This is where the Bible gets used to either endorse the message or to launch the message. Please understand me: the Bible is capable of both roles. However, in this case, it feels more used than living. The person makes their point, then adds a proof-text. Or the preacher reads a bit of the Bible, then launches away from it to preach what is essentially their own set of thoughts (often leaving the Bible far behind in the process).
3. Magic Charm – This is where the Bible is used superstitiously to “guarantee” the effectiveness of the ministry. The people of Judah treated the temple as a guarantee in the days of Jeremiah, but they didn’t know what God was doing in their day. So, Christian ministries can hold up the Bible or quote a verse, thereby guaranteeing that their ministry should be successful. Again, the Bible seems to be used rather than alive.
4. Blunt Weapon – This is where the Bible gets used without precision. Instead of being the sharp scalpel wielded by a careful and kind surgeon, biblical words get plucked out of context and used for delivering blows to the poor recipients. Without God’s grace, character or plan, and tangible reliance on the Holy Spirit’s work in the heart, the Bible gets used to beat people into behavioural submission.
5. Self-Support – Maybe you have come across this one too? It is where the person doing the ministry uses the Bible to affirm their personal limitations and quirks. Instead of being humble, teachable, and open to help, the minister quotes the Bible to self-affirm, self-support, and defend from criticism or concern.
5 Better Bible Roles:
A. A Rule Book (An Instruction Manual) – I will start here because this could easily slip into the troubling list above. It is good to recognise the authority the Bible has in life, ministry, etc. We should be looking to see what God’s Word has to say about each issue we face and each difficulty we navigate. At the same time, I hope you can also feel the awkwardness that can come when the Bible is seen as just a rule book, an instruction manual, or a guide for life. It can so easily lose its vitality and begin to feel lifeless – one common factor in the list of troubling Bible roles. So yes, the Bible does have authority, and we should submit to what it says, but let’s not be satisfied with that. Let’s go on to the rest of this list!
B. An Inspiring Book – Again, this could be an inadequate label. Sometimes, a work of art can inspire those beholding it, but the Bible is much more than a well-written collection of books. It is inspired by God, meaning it uniquely comes from God, breathed out by him. The writers were not just inspired by something divine, pulling out a pen to try to capture their feelings at that moment. They wrote Scripture, carried along by the Holy Spirit, giving us the unique Word of God. And if anything that has ever been written should stir our hearts and change our lives, it is God’s inspired and uniquely inspiring Word.
C. An Equipping Book – Whatever your ministry may be, the Bible has been given to you so that you may be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Tim.3:17) Whatever your ministry may be, if it is biblical, there will be an element of helping equip others for life and ministry. When the Bible is active in a ministry, both the one doing the ministry and the recipients of that ministry will be fashioned and formed for ministry in some way by the life-changing Word of God.
D. A Life-Giving Book – Because the Word of God is alive, it is also life-giving. An encounter with biblical ministry can draw a dead heart to Christ, it can call back a drifting believer, it can motivate greater godliness, inspire Christlike sacrifice, launch cross-cultural missionaries, lift drooping hands, strengthen weak knees, and comfort the grieving believer. When people encountered the Word of God incarnate (Jesus), their lives were changed. In the Gospels, many people meet Jesus and leave more alive than when they came. The same can and should be true of biblical ministry. After all, the Word of God inspired (i.e. the Bible), is a life-giving book. Biblical ministry should result in many leaving more alive than when they came.
E. A Him Book – Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for thinking they were so Scripture-saturated that they knew God and had life. His rebuke? They thought they would find life in diligent Scriptural study, but the Scriptures were “about me” (see John 5:37-40). Above all else, the Bible’s role in life and ministry is to reveal God to us, ultimately in the person of Jesus Christ. While we may treat the Bible as a me-book (what I need to learn for my life), actually, it is a Him book (whom I need to meet to know life). As someone involved in ministry, I need to come to the Bible and look for Him.
My God, I need you. More than I need anything else, I need you. As I open your Word on my own, show me your heart, your character, your plan, your Son. Captivate my heart afresh with yours. Then, by your grace, would you allow me to share that life with others in my ministry? May they see you because they need you, just as I need you. Amen!
Final thought – One time, a friend and supporter gave me a very generous gift. I still remember his words close to three decades later: “When others speak, I can tell they are repeating their notes from when they went to seminary. When you speak, I get the sense that you have been studying the Bible fresh.” I pray that I will not grow stale but have a freshness to my preaching. Let’s encourage one another in that!
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Click here to listen to a recent episode of The Biblical Preaching Podcast. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel, or follow on Spotify, Apple, etc. We would love to stay connected as we think about preaching together:
Biblical Preaching 