Sermon Central
-
Three Probing Questions Every Pastor Should Ask Himself
By Charles Stone on Sep 14, 2023
Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions to see what God reveals about your heart and motives.
Some time back I sat in a local McDonalds working on one of my books. I had set my iPhone to remind me to pause and be still each day at 10am and 3pm. I don’t always stop, but that day I did and read a portion of Pete Scazzaro’s book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day. That day Pete quoted Eugene Peterson’s thoughts about Jonah’s resistance to God’s call on him to preach in Ninevah. His words left a powerful impression on me and prompted me to ask myself three questions we leaders should often ask ourselves.
Here are Peterson’s words.
And why Tarshish? For one thing, it is a lot more exciting than Nineveh. Nineveh was an ancient site with layer after layer of ruined and unhappy history. Going to Nineveh to preach was not a coveted assignment for a Hebrew prophet with good references. But Tarshish was something else. Tarshish was exotic. Tarshish was an adventure … Tarshish in the biblical references was a “far off and sometimes idealized port.” It is reported in 1 Kings 10:22 that Solomon’s fleet of Tarshish fetched gold, silver, ivory, monkeys and peacocks … In Tarshish we can have a religious career without having to deal with God.
Did you catch the last line? “In Tarshish we can have a religious career without having to deal with God.” As I reflected on my goals and drive in minsitry, I asked myself these questions.
I encourage you to ask yourself them as well and ponder your answers.
-
Where do I find my identity, in Christ or in my ministry?
-
Am I driven to bigger and better ministries so I can feel good about myself? Or can I find contentment “that transcends all understanding” even in what appears to be a dead-end ministry or one without much potential for growth?
- Is my deepest motive to one day hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant?" Or, am I driven to hear the people in the church say it instead?
Take a few moments and ask yourself these questions to see what God reveals about your heart and motives.
Related Preaching Articles
-
Can I Evaluate My Own Preaching?
By Steven Smith on Sep 25, 2024
We do not invent messages; we proclaim truth. So we measure our effectiveness by how faithful we are to the text.
-
4 Things We Wish People Knew About Us As Pastors
By Lane Sebring on Nov 6, 2019
Being a pastor is unlike just about any other profession. Because of the holistic nature of the work, we tend to take on "pastor" as an identity and not just a career.
-
Stop The Revolution. Join The Plodders.
By Kevin Deyoung on Jan 24, 2022
It’s sexy among young people—my generation—to talk about ditching institutional religion and starting a revolution of real Christ-followers living in real community without the confines of church.
-
One Question You Must Never Ask In Ministry
By Joe Mckeever on Sep 7, 2023
Disciples of Jesus Christ must never try to calculate the cost/benefit of some act of ministry.
-
Lay Aside The Weight Of Insecurity
By SermonCentral on Apr 7, 2022
Where does our sense of identity come from? This is the crucial question, the pinnacle of the problem.
-
What Are The Internal Scripts Driving You? Part 2
By Lance Witt on Oct 10, 2023
For many Christians shame isn’t about a sordid past or dark skeletons in our closet. We live with a low-grade nagging feeling that we are never “enough”.
-
What Pastors Are Trying To Do
By Joe Mckeever on Aug 16, 2022
The church member stares and wonders what’s going on and why you’re making so much noise until the day he/she meets Jesus.
-
The Ultimate Character Test Any Great Leader Passes
By Carey Nieuwhof on Nov 14, 2023
Moral failure takes out more leaders than it should. But real success is deeper than just avoiding the ditch.
