For the Sake of the Gospel 9.25.2025

Tell me the Story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word.

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus, Stanza 1

    The most robust and accurate test for our knowledge and understanding of scripture is the fruit-bearing evidence of our life. As a preacher you study the Bible to prepare and preach sermons designed to disciple your congregation. We invest in the understanding of Scripture because if we do not do the work with integrity, we risk making the Bible say things it does not or to emphasize issues outside its purview. And ultimately this symbiotic relationship between Preacher, Congregation, and Bible is for the sake of the Gospel. For out of all the stories in the Bible and all the truths it tells, it is the story of Jesus that yields salvation. 

    And the measure of our adherence to the story of Jesus, His Gospel is a transformed life. There are places in the Bible where we read of this consequential impact of the Gospel. 

The Beatitudes

 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

(Matthew 5:2-12 ESV)

James’ Meditation on the Words of Jesus

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

(James 3:13-18 ESV)

Fruit of the Spirit

  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, Galatians 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5:19-23 ESV)  

    There are many other passages in the New Testament that remind us of the impact our behavior has on the reception of the Gospel. Each of these speakers or authors is recasting the central truth that a relationship with Jesus changes our relationship with everyone else and our relationship with everything else. It is for our own sake that we seek to grow into the image of Jesus. It is for the sake of our people that we work diligently in the text and grow more able as a writer and more capable as a speaker. It is for the sake of the Gospel—the saving story of Jesus that we master the text. It may have taken several essays to lay all of this out but there is a single holistic message. Jesus came into the world to save us. His story is the central plot of our life changing gospel, recorded in scripture, taught in His Church, told by those called to preach. 

    It does not matter how smart we are, how deeply we are educated, how clearly, we write, or how eloquently we speak if our lives do not reflect a saving regenerative relationship with Jesus. And please understand, I’m not talking about the risk to, or impact on our own personal salvation. I am talking about the consequences for the Gospel story itself. If the messengers are not transformed by the message, if we are not impacted and altered by the words of Scripture, why should others listen to us? The issue here is not merely rooting out hypocrisy but trying to arrive at basic consistency. When we bear fruit, it magnifies the Gospel. When we live rightly it reflects upon the impact the story of Jesus. When we live peaceably and meekly and hunger for God’s own righteousness our behaviors are an endorsement for the saving message of Jesus. 

    A part of this process of regenerated living--for those who are called to preach is remaining faithful and diligent to the task. If it is the saving Gospel of Jesus, as we believe it to be, then it deserves our full attention, our best efforts, and an honest approach. Again, not just so you and I are thought to be good guys, but because it brings honor to this saving story when we treat it like the treasured message that it is. 

    Let’s live our lives, our whole lives for the sake of this saving Gospel. Trusting Jesus, not only to save us from our sins, but to use us to proclaim His message far and wide. When we live for the sake of the Gospel, and labor toward the impact of the Gospel we can rightly expect God to bless those who hear, respond, and obey.

For the Sake of Scripture 9.18.2025

     The inspiration of scripture is not just a doctrine to be trotted out to make brownie points with certain church groups. It is not a mere theological point to be checked off a list when hiring a staff person or selecting a special speaker or to be deployed as a means of avoiding (or provoking) controversy. The doctrine of inspiration is derived from our conception of God and His authority. The Bible is not a magical book. The authority of scripture is an extension of the authority of God. Consequently, (You knew there would be a “consequently”, right?) for those who preach and teach scripture, there is a preliminary, behavioral aspect to our use of Scripture. 

    In short, there is no point in relying upon the authority or referencing the inspiration of scripture in theory— if you debase it in practice. Inspiration is not a substitute for the understanding that comes from the hard work of study. In fact, without clarity and understanding, without discipline and focus the concept of inspiration can actually be counterproductive. How? By giving the impression that we in fact don’t need to understand. Which is, of course, an unbiblical concept. 

    So, this work we do in the text, this exegetical and hermeneutical circle we traverse is not only for our benefit, nor solely for the sake of the congregation, it is also for the sake of Scripture itself. By taking the Bible seriously we ensure that our perception of its truthfulness and its internal witness to its inspiration work together to form an accurate impression of its authority. 

    In the contemporary “evangelical” world much is made of Christian world-view thinking.  As important as it is to think Biblically and for disciples to imitate Jesus, we are also called to discern the difference between concepts which are truly Biblical and derived from the primary focus of Scripture,  and those which usurp or encumber Biblical authority with accrued cultural or tribal baggage. Many of the typical tropes which are presumed and presented as the common knowledge of the historic Church are simply not. Half-baked, uncritical, culturally driven, and purposefully polarizing these issues use the authority of scripture as a shield for otherwise unbiblical thinking. They expand the application of Scriptural passages beyond the intent (and often the possible knowledge) of the author of a given text, in order to intimidate or control the target audience. Much of this thinking is driven by cultural forces far removed from the local Church and the concerns of the actual communities in which each congregation is embedded. Preying upon fear of the unknown, platformed influencers, media personalities, and parachurch “stars” make vast amounts of money erecting ersatz silos of misinformation that actually prevent believers from understanding the Bible correctly. 

    Part of the issue is that real, Biblical thinking requires a personal touch in the context of embedded community. As preachers and teachers, we do not merely tell things to people, we also show them. We live with them explaining with words and deeds not just the conclusions of our Biblical reasoning but the process of drawing those conclusions.  It is in the local Church that a congregation witnesses the process of asking critical questions, struggling with them in the real world, and constantly revising our understanding as we grow in maturity.  In this ongoing engagement, preaching and teaching segues into discipleship. People trust the Bible best when they trust the person in their pulpit and when they see him as the local expert on God’s Word. 

    One of the initial benchmarks of the Restoration Movement was an insistence on using Bible Words for Bible Things. This assumes Biblical Definitions for Biblical Terms. This critical distinction is lost on those who wish to use Biblical terminology as a kind of lacquer that is separate from, different than, and exterior to the actual meaning of Biblical language. Obviously, I find that somewhat offensive. It is not however the primary problem. The real issue is the surrender of local, Biblical, authoritative preaching to the influences of external mega and media cultures. As a preacher my responsibilities are not primarily global. My influence in the broader Church begins with faithful study and preaching in the Church to which I am called and for which teaching I am accountable. By its very nature Biblical truth is bottom up. Scriptural authority is rooted in local proclamation, or it is nothing. There are obvious examples of attempting top-down Biblical authority, and they mostly fail. Not because the Bible is in any way false but because the witness is not authentic. Authentic Christian witness, true and discernible Biblical authority starts in the local assembly of believers who gather regularly to give their Amen to the locally articulated “Thus says the Lord.” The global Church is an aggregation of local, embedded, engaged congregations bearing witness to the fallen community—or it is nothing. 

    We preach Christ…and Him crucified. We read and teach Scripture which bears witness in its entirety to God’s work in Christ Jesus. We live lives of relational accountability for the sake of the Scripture. We need to understand the Bible and dare not take its authority for granted by recusing ourselves from hermeneutical engagement within our local community. Our local Biblical congregation contributes to that of the global Christian community bearing Kingdom witness to God’s Authority through faithfulness to His Word. 

    It is for the sake of the Scripture that we do not sublet our task to others. Outsourcing this trust to others is one small step in surrendering the authority of Scripture. If you are called and equipped to do this job, if it is in fact a sacred trust, as we believe it to be, then you must guard what has been turned over to you. In this you not only serve with personal integrity you also serve the Church by protecting the doctrine provided it by the Apostolic deposit. Yes, you will feel better. Yes, it will benefit the congregation. And when we study and speak for the sake of Scripture the authority of the Word and the clarity of God’s will, will become more evident to our listeners.

For the Sake of the Congregation 9.11.2025

    The work of preaching not only brings personal fulfillment through answering God’s call on our lives, it also is necessary, critical work for the health of the Kingdom. The Church flourishes when it is nourished by preaching both in the global and local perspective. The whole church thrives, and your local congregation will be healthier when fed with fresh, timely, locally prepared preaching. 

    Since the task matters so much good preaching is for the sake of the congregation. There are abandoned libraries of works detailing how to “Grow your Church.” Some of what they recommend is common sense, much is outdated, and lots of it is unbiblical. Let’s get the Lede out of the way. The Holy Spirit creates growth and health. Church leadership provides structure and accountability so that the Spirit can act through people. Preaching is essential and indispensable to this work. The indwelling Spirit works with the Spirit-inspired Word of God to not only bring about individual regeneration but also to grow the whole Body of Christ (The Church). 

    When we spend time, talent, and treasure investing in our long-term preaching ministry we are making a significant statement about, not only our personal stake in the Christian faith, but in the corporate nature of the faith. Good preaching matters, not only because we are called to do it, but because the Church needs it. 

    It is for the sake of the congregation that we invest in the tools of exegesis, hermeneutics, theological analysis, and the various other departments of learning. It is for the sake of the congregation that we invest the time needed to master the tools and deploy them. It is for the sake of the congregation that we chose vocational ministry over other vocational opportunities which would been served just as well by the very talents and abilities the Holy Spirit leverages in ministry. We are committed to the task because it matters. Because it matters, how we do it is important. Since preaching is for the sake of the congregation the congregation has a stake in how we do the work and our investment in improving. Today let’s discuss a couple of issues that are too easily overlooked when we think about the congregation’s stake in our work. 

Specificity

    There is only one you…so what should you do? Complete the hard work until it is through! 

    Sorry, I never intended to go all Dr. Seuss on you, but the rhyme does a good job of introducing what I mean about specificity. You are called to this place, these people, this pulpit, this moment. You are called to preach Scripture from the work that you do on the text and the work the text does on your heart. If you are preaching material written by Sermon Central or stealing material from famous (or infamous) preachers you are not only cheating you are deceiving the very people who have called you to their town, their church, their pulpit, their family. 

    Do not rob your people of the specificity of your personality dedicated to ministry and focused on the task. Do not try and reheat or microwave “leftover” lessons from a life that you have not lived. Do not foist laziness off as some shared service. Just stop. Do it right or don’t do it. This is for the sake of the Church. 

Regularity

    The 52 weeks of the year, excepting a Sunday or two for vacation, should basically be the same. I have heard and read that for some reason we preachers are overworked, overtaxed, and overextended. Perhaps we are. All that overexertion should come from doing the work of preparing to preach. 

    This may seem unnecessary but let me say it anyway. (My essay, my rules.) You need to want to be in the pulpit 45-50 weeks out the year. Yes, there are circumstances with multiple staff that will require other individuals to fill the pulpit. They need to do so according to the plan you have established for the teaching office of your congregation. If you absolutely must do this, then make your plan easy for others to follow. It is ok to feel uncomfortable being absent from the pulpit. You will take greater pleasure as the work of your colleague’s benefits from your experience and oversight. But always keep in mind, the Church needs a regular voice in the pulpit. It needs regular rhythm, timbre, and flow. No congregation should come into the facilities on a given Sunday wondering “what’s going to happen today?!” It’s not a fair or a circus. There should be regularity and predictability, that begins with the pulpit. What goes on in the pulpit is your responsibility. When you are laying out your Sermon Calendar lay out the 52 weeks. Account for vacations and make the plan clear enough that if you need to be away from the pulpit or if a member of your staff is preaching that they know the plan and the role their sermon will play in moving that plan forward. 

    This is for the Church, for the sake of the Kingdom. Make it habit in reporting your work to your Elders and Board of making the heart of your report about preaching, teaching, and preparation. If you minimize its importance and reduce your expectations, they reduce theirs. Teach your people what to value, maintain your preaching schedule and help them to understand the benefit of predictable Biblical preaching. 

    A last note on this topic. If you move to a new Church, make your expectations for yourself with respect to your pulpit work absolutely clear. “I expect to be in the pulpit no less than 50 Sundays a year, and I prefer 52.” If that congregation has a long list of other speakers, events, occasions, or guests, you will need to directly and pointedly ask them whether they are willing to change their expectations for their regular preacher. If not; do not go there. They don’t want a preacher they want a Master of Ceremonies. For the sake of the Church, do not be that guy. 

Accountability

    So, we come to accountability. When we say that it is for the sake of the Church, we subsume that expectation under the reality that the Church is the Body of Christ. Accountability then begins as a faith issue related to the specifics of our own discipleship and our own Christian growth. The 21st Century Church has largely been captured by unbiblical ideologies derived from cultural narcissism, and individual adhocracy. Driven by Therapeutic Deism and Theological childishness. Far too many congregations have essentially become the plaything of a strong man. The preeminent model for leadership in the Megachurch movement is the autocrat. This is not NT Church leadership; it is lethal to the Gospel and is undermining nearly 2000 years of work. 

    The preacher functions within an accountability structure. A Biblical preacher participates in the work of the Eldership and extends it in the specific area of preaching. As I like to describe it the preacher is primarily responsible for the Teaching Office of the Church. We are called to know who is teaching, what they are teaching, and how what they teach contributes to the overall instruction of God’s people in this place. 

    You are not called to be a ringmaster. You must at some point do administrative work, but you are not purely an administrator. You will need to spend time investing in programming (largely by investing in the people who will run those programs). There are times when institutional issues will bubble to the top. Most adult human beings have jobs that require a modest set of skills beyond the central defining task of the job. The preaching ministry is no different in that respect. The issue is balance, focus, and intent. If you want to preach, make it your priority and the definitive benchmark of accountability.  

    When I was younger, none of the preachers who influenced me were called or wanted to be called Reverend. I was never a huge fan of the term “brother”. It always sounded sort of stilted, making a title out of a term of endearment. Another term which the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ rarely used was Pastor. Now, it is not inaccurate to call me or anyone else in this position pastor (Yes, small “p”). I am a pastor. We have many others at our Church. My specific pastoral task is preaching. Pastor is functional/descriptive. Preacher, now that is a purely functional term. That is what I do. I preach. All the other ministry tasks I perform flow from the work I do in my study which bears fruit for the pulpit. All other Pastoral, Professional, Planning, or Programming work is like a spoke connected to the central hub of Preaching. 

    Because I have made this model of ministry clear, because I have focused every report that I have ever given my leadership on this model of ministry, because I constantly update the Elders and congregation on my intent and goals from the pulpit there is a clear pathway for accountability. 

    The job of ministry is heartbreakingly satisfying. It can be hard on a family, testing for a marriage, and tough on your blood pressure. Why do it? For the sake of the Church. The Church for whom Jesus died. His body. His bride. His building/temple. His flock. For your sake, do it right--for their sake.

For the sake of the Preacher 9.4.2025

     Cui Buono? Is a Latin legal maxim which still informs contemporary jurisprudence. To whom the benefit? Who profits? Or even more colloquially, who does this help? My concern is not legal theory but preaching. I do my best to provide guidance and coaching to help preachers become better at the task. If you stick with me, I think you will benefit. If nothing else I try and provide food for thought whether you agree with me or not. That is, after all how we learn.  Thinking through the issues during the process of composition is helpful to me. I hope this thought process helps you as well. This is our task and doing it well matters. 

    During September 2025 I want to drill down and consider the question I invoked at the beginning of this essay. Who benefits? Specifically, who benefits from good preaching? Throughout the month I want to address several “constituencies” that benefit from focused attention on the task of preaching the gospel. Clearly the congregation benefits from good preaching. There is little point in even discussing the inspired authority of Scripture if those tasked with preaching it do not understand it or misapply it, so Scripture itself is a beneficiary.  And the Gospel benefits as well. The actual message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love to us. It is more accessible and engaging when it is preached faithfully, accurately, and powerfully. 

That covers the rest of September. Let us begin at the beginning. For the sake of continuity and sanity, good preaching is for the sake of the preacher. What exactly does that mean? Let’s start here:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV)

To which we may add:

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV)

     These two passages would appear to (at least minimally) encourage Timothy to 1) Be good at his work. 2) Be prepared for doing that work. In a world brimming with seemingly unbounded self-promotion, often masquerading as false modesty it is tempting to be demure and self-deprecating. Avoid that allurement. Paul also writes these words in the Epistle to the Romans:

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3 ESV)

The goal is not false modesty but appropriate self-evaluation. This is necessary for identifying and rectifying weaknesses. This is essential, not only for the sake of your congregation, but for your own sake. It can be catastrophic to a person’s self-image to become complacent at their work and uninterested in improvement. Let’s take a few moments to consider briefly these two motivating statements. 

Be Good at Your Work

    Obviously, there are differences in temperament, style, and even approach. There is, however, no room for slovenly, purloined, apathetic, or ill-conceived work. There is nothing so encouraging to the preacher as simply doing his or her best work. In fact, I know of no way to improve without doing the work. I know of no way to enrich your learning or expand your palate of expression other than doing the hard work of ministry. Much of that work, as we often discuss, is invisible to your congregation, known only to you. And that’s how it should be, that’s how it must be. 

    When you are good at your work you will more readily withstand criticism and grow from it. When you are good at your work you will sleep better and deal with stress more adequately. When you are good at your work you will be more aware of your weaknesses and do what you can to improve. When you are good at your work you will not only feel better about yourself, but you will also please the one who called you to this ministry.  

Be Prepared for Your Work

    Since you can’t preach the Word without doing the work you will need to prepare. Your preparation is your work. Never apologize for spending time in study. What will you possibly preach if you don’t spend high-bandwidth time in preparation?  We are called to declaim the Word of God every week. Our weekly journey through the text will provide a variety of messaging strategies. Throughout the typical week there will be other teaching opportunities and many of them will require us to be more agile in our approach and cognizant of the understanding of our audience. The only way to be ready then--is to be ready always. You may not have a specific thing prepared but if you have your mind regularly in the Scripture the partnership between the Spirit-inspired Word, and the Spirit-in-dwelt teacher will result in your readiness to speak for God whenever the time comes. 

    You have been called to teach which requires you to study. Study takes time. Time is an investment. There is nothing worse for the preacher than routinely finding that time has been misspent, stones have gone unturned, and significant textual information has been neglected due to lack of preparation. There will be occasions when you will be so overwhelmed that you will be at the bottom of the well. Those times should be infrequent. If they are common in your ministry—you are doing something wrong and you need to develop new habits. You are called to preach. A constant arc of improvement and growth will not only give you more confidence it will also encourage your congregation to improve their listening skills and their own habits of study. 

    Who benefits from good preaching? Everyone. The whole congregation. I think it’s good for your town. Not for the sake of pride or bragging rights but for the sake of the Kingdom. For too long we have mistaken inferiority for humility. No one benefits from that. 

    Every one of us knows when we do a poor job. Bad lawyering loses cases. Bad farming leads to starvation. Poor driving leads to accidents. Poor preaching leads to depressed preachers and ill-informed congregations. Let’s set the bar high and depend on our faithful God to inhabit our work. He can only do that when we do the work. We can talk about attitude and work-life balance till we are blue in the face. For your own sake, preach the word—preach it well.