For the Church

Wisdom Rarely Makes You Famous

By jlumley / Dec 5

I know many Christians who want to live wisely—and I do too. The rich tradition woven throughout the Old Testament calls us to embody the fear of the Lord in a way that transforms us into wise people. This is all great . . . when it “works.” That is, when we get the promotion, gain respect at church, and receive the podcast invitation. But we live in a fallen world, and both Ecclesiastes and C.S. Lewis remind us of the subtle dangers of living for recognition and praise. Wisdom is a noble and right pursuit, but we should not be shocked when it doesn’t earn us recognition or prestige.

In 1944, C.S. Lewis delivered a lecture at King’s College, University of London. The talk he delivered to a group of young college students has become a famous address entitled “The Inner Ring.” In it Lewis states:

“I believe that in all men’s lives at certain periods, and in many men’s lives at all periods between infancy and extreme old age, one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside.”

In a stroke of religious and psychological brilliance, Lewis unpacks with arresting clarity the deep desires of the human heart to be loved, included, regarded, listened to, and accepted into the various “inner rings” of our lives—from friends, to co-workers, to politics, and even church. The temptation to live life striving to be accepted by our peers or our community can become an all-controlling feature of life. The desire for the inner ring is real. So, what does Lewis propose as an answer? Wisdom and work.

“The quest of the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it. But if you break it, a surprising result will follow. If in your working hours you make the work your end, you will presently find yourself all unawares inside the only circle in your profession that really matters. You will be one of the sound craftsmen, and other sound craftsmen will know it.”

Lewis here describes work done with skill and focus. This is not the path of self-promotion or maneuvering, but of wisdom and skill that warrants praise. The death of the desire to be in the inner circle is to pursue skill and wisdom with diligence, and Ecclesiastes 9–10 help us see why this is necessary: wisdom rarely makes a person famous.

Wisdom is Greater than Might

Ecclesiastes 9:13–18 tells a fascinating—albeit commonly overlooked—little story about a poor, wise man who delivered a city through his wisdom. This little story is one of my favorites in the book. There is something profound and strikingly realistic about the poetic justice of a great king with great siege-works being overtaken by the skill of a poor man in a little town by his wisdom. There is really no way to know what historical event the Teacher is describing, nor does it really matter. The point here is that wisdom has the power to protect and deliver. And this is a point for us to reflect upon: Do we believe true wisdom can protect and deliver? We live in a culture full of “shouting fools” (9:17), but do we believe that wisdom is greater than volume? Wisdom does not believe that the end justifies the means, but that the way we live shapes the end—the path of wisdom leads to life and deliverance.

The old man in the story is not celebrated or remembered (apart from this account in Ecclesiastes). He did not become the ruler, his name was not passed along, and he did not get a statue commemorating his accomplishment. One of the main ideas in these verses is that in a fallen world, we should not expect wisdom to be celebrated. But does this lack of recognition make his efforts in vain? No, he delivered the city! But he did not receive praise, glory, or honor. We live in a culture that sees shows of power and aggression as supreme, and wisdom as a waste of time. Wisdom is indeed greater than might, but don’t expect the mighty to admit it. The subtlety of wisdom is its own reward, and the wise know it.

Foolishness is Powerful

The Teacher of Ecclesiastes instructs us that another reason wisdom does not always get the recognition it deserves is because foolishness can reside in high places (10:5). In 10:1–11, the Teacher argues that while wisdom can deliver and is truly more powerful than weapons of war, foolishness also has its own ability to spoil things—like a dead fly in perfume!

This is true, right? How many headlines have we read where a life of good deeds was destroyed by a few moments of folly? Forty years of a virtuous career can be ended by one illegal decision. Foolish decisions have powerful consequences.

But folly not only has power because of its consequences; it is also powerful because of its ability to deceive. Ecclesiastes 10:3 describes an individual walking, lacking sense, and saying to everyone he is a fool. The passage is a bit ambiguous, but the idea is that either through his own words or actions he reveals he is a fool to all around him. The great power and irony of foolishness is that it is most often unobserved by those who display it most proudly.

In our current culture that values power, strength, shock value, and control, do not think that because folly hangs out in high places it is permissible—or benign. The Teacher explains that it will destroy a life… and a little goes a long way. There is no sin beyond the grace and forgiving power of the gospel, but talk to any longtime Christian, and they’ll tell you that being forgiven doesn’t mean that the consequences and memories of sin disappear. Wisdom recognizes the power of foolishness and counters it with a deep desire to walk in the paths of wisdom.

Go After Jesus, not the Inner Ring

In an Ecclesiastes-like fashion, Lewis warns of the vanity in pursuing the recognition of the inner ring:

As long as you are governed by that desire you will never get what you want. You are trying to peel an onion: if you succeed there will be nothing left. Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain.

In Ecclesiastes, fools desire what they cannot have. Refusing to recognize the temporariness of this world, they seek ultimate fulfillment in things that cannot give it. In Lewis’s analogy, fools spend their lives peeling onions, only to find themselves empty-handed in the end.

Wisdom does not live for the inner ring, but for something more substantial. Ecclesiastes explains to us the power of wisdom and the disproportionate praise it receives in this world. But, like the Teacher of Old Testament wisdom, our Lord Jesus also calls us to a path of wisdom and virtue that is often not celebrated in this life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matt. 7:24–27)

It is amazing how difficult and strange Ecclesiastes can feel at times, and yet how similar the message is to Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. The first temptation of the serpent in the Garden of Eden was, “Did God really say….” The temptation to stray from God’s word continues through every generation. Wisdom is not crowd-sourcing. Wisdom is not trying to guess what the next big thing will be before everyone else. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and building our lives upon his words. Wisdom believes that God’s instructions are good and life-giving, even though wisdom rarely gets a trophy.

Trusting God When He Seems Behind

By jlumley / Dec 1

Ten years ago, I was working at a job I thought was meaningless. I was twenty-three, engaged, and hoping to enter pastoral ministry. The Lord led me to become a member of a healthy church in my college town. I aspired to be a pastor but wanted to serve faithfully as a church member while taking some seminary courses online. I observed the lives of our three pastors, took opportunities to teach, helped set up for Sunday services, and led a Bible study for college-aged young men.

Two years later, my wife and I moved to Kansas City for seminary. I was twenty-six, sitting in class with many young twenty-somethings, and I felt behind in ministry because I had never served in a vocational church role.

As a twenty-six-year-old, I noticed friends starting families, purchasing their first homes, or beginning their first pastorates—and I felt left behind. Being in a seminary bubble, you see God work in individuals’ lives, calling them to serve churches at a young age or in ministry contexts immediately after graduation. I was thankful for my role in our church, even though it was only part-time. It was a paid ministry position, but before long, I found myself dwelling on the fact that I was not a pastor. In my selfish, fleshly mind, I thought God was behind—that He was not doing for me what He was doing for others, and they were much younger than I was.

Friends, whether you are in ministry or not, we can be tempted to think our sovereign, all-knowing, governing Lord is behind in placing us where we want to be. Here are three encouragements for those who struggle with contentment in the here and now.

Remember: God Is Always at Work

In a viral tweet, John Piper stated, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” For those in Christ, knowing that God governs your life should be the most peaceful news. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” God is always at work in our lives, guiding and directing our steps. Most of the time this is a mystery we spend long periods worrying about, but we are told in Matthew 6:34, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

People often say hindsight is 20/20—and providence proves this to be true. There are ways God is working for my good that I am completely unaware of. My knowledge is limited because I do not stand outside of time, but God does, and I take comfort in this. While here on earth, God may seem behind according to the timeline we want. We have ideas of what our life will be like in five years, but God alone has true and complete knowledge of this. That is why we can trust His timing and be content where He has given us opportunities to serve Him, whether in a local church or a nine-to-five job.

I worked many odd-and-end jobs that God used to provide for the next steps He had for me. We may never understand the purpose of God’s present placement in our lives. I never understood why I worked at a pantyhose factory while taking seminary courses online. Looking back, God was shaping me for service in His church. Human beings are meant to have limited knowledge, and that limitation should direct our gaze to the One who knows all things.

Trust: His Timing Is Not a Mistake

I can’t help but think of John 11 and the two grieving sisters who were convinced Jesus was behind. When Lazarus grew ill, they sent word to Jesus—yet He stayed two days longer. By the time He arrived in Bethany, Lazarus was dead, and both Martha and Mary said the same thing: “Lord, if you had been here…” To them, Jesus was late, operating on His own timeline instead of theirs.

But Jesus knew exactly what He was doing. Martha’s faith is shown in her words, “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Yet even she didn’t grasp that the One standing before her was “the resurrection and the life.” They were not prepared for the glory He was about to reveal.

Jesus didn’t send a messenger ahead to reassure them. He didn’t heal Lazarus instantly from a distance, as He had done for others. He waited. Why? Belief. He delayed so that His disciples—and these beloved sisters—would see more clearly who He is. His apparent slowness was actually purposeful love.

And isn’t that our struggle? We often assume God is behind on the healing, behind on the provision, behind on the rescue. But what if He is holding back because we are not yet ready for what He intends to show us? What if, like the father in Mark 9, we are meant to cry out, “I believe; help my unbelief”?

What would it do to our faith if God revealed everything He was doing in our lives?

Rest: Trusting in God’s Timing

Throughout my path to pastoral ministry, these Scriptures on waiting have steadied my heart:

Psalm 27:14 – “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”
Psalm 130:5 – “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope…”
Proverbs 20:22 – “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.”
Isaiah 8:17 – “I will wait for the Lord… and I will hope in him.”
Isaiah 30:18 – “The Lord waits to be gracious to you… blessed are all those who wait for him.”

Now, at thirty-three, serving as an Associate Pastor in Arkansas, married nine years with three little girls who fill our home with life, I look back and see the Lord’s fingerprints all over my story. Every challenge, obstacle, and unexpected turn was preparing me for what He had called me to. I’m still on that journey, but one truth has become unmistakably clear: trusting His providence always leads to good—even when the road feels slow.

Lamentations 3:25 declares, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” That is my counsel to the aspiring pastor, to the single young man longing for a wife, to the college student eager for the mission field.

God is not behind. Wait for Him.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

By jlumley / Nov 24

Maybe this question echoes faintly in the back of your mind. Perhaps it slips in unnoticed as sorrow fills your heart and quickly becomes something to dwell on. Even if this question has never consumed you, my guess is that you’ve asked it before. It’s a functional rite of passage for those interested in apologetics or taught in the school of suffering. Maybe you haven’t asked it out loud, but you’ve likely felt the tension of this question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

“No one is good but God.” Perhaps you can even hear that answer. It’s how we tend to respond to this question, isn’t it? We point to Jesus, the perfect God-man who died for our sins, reiterating that there are no good people and that all of us deserve the judgment of God.

And this is correct. Paul tells us in Romans 3 that no one is righteous. Everyone has sinned. Sin incurs the wrath of God, and if everyone has sinned, then we all deserve the judgment of God.

People die because of sin. Judgment happens because of evil. Bad things happen because God is just.

And yet, even as I affirm this answer in its entirety, two passages in the Bible have reshaped how I view this question.

The Mystery of Justice

The first passage is Genesis 18. In this passage, God promises to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. Abraham, knowing that his nephew Lot lives in Sodom, intercedes with God.

“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” he opens (18:23).

What could perhaps be taken as innocent curiosity soon begins to show its true colors: “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?” (18:24).

Abraham believes that the entire city of wickedness should be spared on account of a few righteous. His question borders on assuming the answer: “Of course God would spare the whole city on behalf of the righteous.” The next verse tells us why.

Abraham continues in 18:25, “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

Abraham isn’t accusing God of being unjust. He’s saying that because God is just, he can’t wipe away the righteous with the wicked. It would be unjust to do so, and this is why Abraham seemingly assumes the answer in his question. But, of course, Abraham is merely a man, and we see examples throughout Scripture of people who have skewed perspectives.

Yet, I don’t think Abraham has a skewed perspective here. For one, far from rebuking Abraham for his strong words, God promises that he will not destroy the whole city if he finds fifty righteous, seemingly indicating his agreement with Abraham (18:26). Additionally, Lot—whom Peter calls righteous (2 Pet. 2:7)—is indeed saved by God from the destruction of Sodom. Finally, Abraham never repents, nor does the narrative ever seem to critique Abraham’s words. By all accounts, Abraham’s words seem to be true: the righteous should not be punished alongside the wicked.

The passage leaves Abraham ignorant of the outcome. God’s departing promise is that he will not destroy the city if ten righteous people are present in it. The next time we see Abraham is in Genesis 19:27, where he goes up the mountain to speak with God and watches smoke rise from the ashes of Sodom. We have no record in Scripture of him meeting Lot again, no promise from God that Lot would be spared. Amid the mystery, Abraham is left with his faith in a just God. Abraham may not know that Lot survived. He may not know why God chose to destroy the city even with Lot there. But he does know that God is just and faithful, even when it seems like bad things might happen to good people.

The Mystery of Death

The second passage that speaks to this question is Ecclesiastes 8:14, where Solomon writes, “There is an enigma[1] that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is enigma.”

The context reveals that Solomon is speaking of death. Here, like Abraham, Solomon wrestles with the mystery of the death of the righteous. How can this happen? How can the wicked survive in all their sin while the righteous die what seems to be the sinner’s death, despite their righteousness? How can bad things happen to righteous people?

Solomon doesn’t give us answers. Quite the opposite, in fact. He tells us that regardless of how hard we try, we will not find out all that God is doing in the world (8:17). We know he is still talking about the death of the righteous because he returns to this subject in 9:2, telling us again that “the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,” that is, death. He doubles down, saying, “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all” (9:3).

Solomon, writing inspired words of Scripture, tells us that the same death happening to both the righteous and the wicked is not only mysterious, but evil.

Assurance Greater Than Answers

When people come to us with questions of theodicy, seeking to understand how a good God could allow bad things to happen to people he saved, we can tend to be dismissive. We rightly cast focus onto Christ who, though innocent, suffered on our behalf, all the while unintentionally dodging the very question Scripture itself asks.

But when we come to Scripture with this question, it doesn’t blink. “You are asking the right question,” comes the reply from its pages. It gives us some answers—enabling salvation, producing holiness, refining faith—but much is left a mystery. It is a mystery why God causes bad and good to fall both on the righteous and unrighteous, but it is not a mystery that God does it.

Perhaps that’s scary for you. You know God as a comforter, not a pain-giver, and the thought of him knowingly causing bad things to happen is uncomfortable. But to you, my friend, I say this: God is a good God. He is sovereign and in control, and that’s a very good thing. We don’t always know why God brings bad upon the good, but we know that he is always just, and he will ultimately more than make up for anything we’ve lost or any pain we’ve felt.

This makes all the difference.

So often when bad things happen, we turn to Scripture with our questions. We want answers, but instead we find promises. Promises of eternal life, of pain becoming a thing of the past, of wrongs made right, and of justice that will be done. And this means that even in the enigma of pain and suffering, even in the mystery of bad things happening to righteous people, we don’t have to fear.

You don’t always know what God is doing in your life. But he does. So you can trust him.

[1] I understand the Hebrew term hebel, often translated “vanity,” to refer more accurately to “mystery.” See Jason S. DeRouchie, “Shepherding Wind and One Wise Shepherd: Grasping for Breath in Ecclesiastes,” The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 15.3 (2011): 4–25.

Changing a Church’s Culture: 3 Essential Factors

By jlumley / Nov 19

How does a church create a healthy, biblical culture? No church wakes up one morning known for evangelism or its thriving young adult program. Some aspects of a church’s culture depend on its context—the urban church will have a different makeup than the rural church. But much of a church’s culture is shaped by what it consumes, celebrates, and is intentional about.

You Are What You Eat

No doubt you have heard this expression before. It is used to encourage healthy eating so as to make one healthy. This is also true for the local church: the church will become what it “eats.” What does your church consume the most? The sermon? Missionary testimonies? Culture-warrior diatribes? Political debate?

If we audited the average church’s ministries and services, we might be surprised to find that what they “eat” is mostly sides and desserts. Imagine Thanksgiving dinner. I love mac and cheese, dressing, and mashed potatoes as much as the next guy. But isn’t the turkey what makes Thanksgiving special?

Sides shouldn’t overshadow the entrée at Thanksgiving. Sunday morning, like Thanksgiving, is special in large part because of the entrée—the Word. When we prioritize the sides and desserts, which aren’t bad in themselves, we miss out on what makes the meal truly substantive. A church is what it eats, and if we want the church to be special, we ought to prioritize consuming that which makes it special.

You Are What You Celebrate

I have heard the essence of this expression a number of times. “Celebration” doesn’t necessarily mean cheering or giving a standing ovation for a particular topic. It can simply mean what is most positively talked about in your church. Your church will become what you celebrate.

It is easy to become the church that celebrates ________. What dominates your announcements time? What is most discussed at the church business meeting? What are the “wins” mentioned in staff meetings—attendance, giving, visitors, community outreach events, baptisms, new discipleship groups?

Many churches celebrate the “sides” mentioned earlier, and their culture begins to reflect it. They become the church of missions, or young people, or amazing kids’ programs, and so on. Churches that celebrate the ministries God has given them are in no way wrong, but how does that same church speak about the Word? Is time in the Word spoken of positively?

You Are What You’re Intentional About

I first heard this expression spoken of in reference to the University of Texas football team. Over the last few seasons, they had been known for losing close games late in the fourth quarter. So, they became very intentional in practice about making the last 30 minutes or so the most intense and focused part of the entire session. They focused specifically on late-game situations, and it paid dividends.

This principle is no less true of churches. Perhaps the most obvious example is the common Wednesday night prayer meeting. After a potluck dinner, those gathered sit down to hear a 15 to 20-minute sermon, followed by prayer requests.

Of the requests, 95% are for health-related concerns. Of the praise reports, another 95% focus on positive health updates. Whether by conviction or coincidence, many churches are intentional about praying for health-related concerns, and it shows during their prayer meetings.

Praying for health-related concerns is not bad in itself. At my own church’s prayer meeting, we regularly pray for physical ailments. But we also want to be intentional about praying for the many other things that God cares about, particularly the Word. So, we intentionally pray for the preaching of the Word at our church and other sister churches, as well as for our own desire to hear the Word. Intentionality goes a long way.

Changing a Culture

Many churches and pastors wonder how they can change their church’s culture or reputation. Surface-level changes may occur with a new logo or an influx of young people who prefer a certain style of music. A critical way to change a church’s culture from unhealthy to healthy is by changing what they eat, celebrate, and are intentional about.

Feed Your People God’s Word

How can a church eat God’s Word? Change your diet. Add in fruits and vegetables and remove the extra calories. Ensure your services are filled with God’s Word so that your people leave full and satisfied. Many people leave church “full” the same way they leave a plate of cookies—they are stuffed, but quickly realize they are uncomfortably full. Fill your service with God’s Word so that your people leave full, and because it isn’t junk food, they will leave satisfied.

Celebrate God’s Word

How can a church celebrate God’s Word? Simply put, make sure time in God’s Word is positively spoken about. I have seen churches that, despite having a dedicated sermon time (perhaps even a whole hour!), don’t celebrate that moment. Talk to members, and you can quickly discover whether they celebrate God’s Word or merely tolerate it until they move on to things they like more. Pastors have a tremendous ability to teach the church how to celebrate God’s Word. Speak positively about the preaching moment before your sermon. Speak positively about it even when you’re not scheduled to preach. Model what it looks like to sit under a sermon with a positive attitude.

Be Intentional About God’s Word

How can a church be intentional about God’s Word? A dedicated sermon time with little to no other mention of God’s Word will work against intentionality. The healthy churches I’ve had the privilege of being part of intentionally placed scripture readings throughout the worship service. Beyond Sunday gatherings, they were intentional about keeping the Word at the center of lunch tables, staff meetings, discipleship groups, men’s ministry, mom’s Bible study, and so on. Churches that are intentional about the Word become centered on the Word.

A church that is serious about eating, celebrating, and being intentional about God’s Word will become a Word-centered church. If you want to change the culture of your church, consider intentionally changing both their diet and their celebrations.

Preaching That Connects: Why Delivery Matters More Than You Think

By jlumley / Nov 17

The Overlooked Art of Delivery

Delivering a sermon is an aspect of preaching that often receives insufficient attention. Much of this stems from the reality that pastors rightly do not wish to focus on entertaining their congregation. Rather, a pastor seeks to glorify the Lord, who uses the “foolishness of preaching” (1 Cor. 1:21) to spiritually nourish his people. Yet, effective sermon delivery can enhance this impact. Most people can learn to speak dynamically, but doing so on the Lord’s Day without theologically sound or edifying content is a mistake preachers must avoid.

No matter how much importance one places on compelling sermon delivery, failing to maintain a congregation’s interest—or speaking primarily to entertain—poses significant problems. Unfortunately, too often, pastors give little thought to delivery until they step into the pulpit. How, then, should a pastor approach improving delivery, and how can he balance content with the act of delivering it effectively?

Not every pastor is a dynamic or gifted orator. But, as Spurgeon noted, “It is not the work of a shepherd to strike his sheep, but to feed them.”[1] Pastors are called to be attentive to how the Word is exposited and proclaimed so that a sermon spiritually nourishes the congregation. Elements of delivery—emphasis, rate, volume, tone, and non-verbal cues—reveal the pastor’s heart and are essential to an impactful sermon. These concepts can, however, be overlooked because a pastor doesn’t want to appear all show and no substance. What, then, are some faithful reasons for considering improvements in delivery?

Poor Delivery Distracts a Congregation

Everyone has heard preaching that could be delivered more effectively. This is not always a result of poor exegesis. Sometimes, a preacher’s communication habits distract, bore, or detract from the message of God’s Word—and no pastor wants that.

Every Sermon Is a Matter of Life or Death

A faithful pastor preaches Christ and Christ crucified—the message that saves souls—and learning to convey this truth is worthy of every pastor’s effort. Preaching God’s Word well is essential (2 Tim. 4:2), and effectively communicating the Word is a central element of the gathering on the Lord’s Day. A pastor must engage his congregation in a way that keeps them attentive to God’s Spirit—something that is strengthened by dynamic delivery. When a pastor proclaims God’s Word with clear and compelling delivery, the gospel is more likely to resonate in the hearts of the congregation.

Delivery Demonstrates the Word at Work in the Preacher

The weight of preaching led Spurgeon to observe, “Preaching has often driven me to my knees, and chained me to my Bible.”[2] Compelling delivery helps a congregation perceive the pastor’s sincerity, while the pastor’s ethos connects him with the congregation and the congregation with God. When a pastor has internalized the sermon’s content and written God’s Word on his heart, the congregation can see this and be moved by it—an effect often achieved through sermon delivery.

God’s Word Deserves Powerful Delivery.

Powerful delivery reminds a congregation of the power of God in His word. Yet effective delivery begins with a pastor internalizing a passage and guiding the congregation to think deeply about the God of the Word. Because the gospel has impacted the pastor personally, the pathos of the sermon is conveyed with the conviction of one transformed by God’s Word. Rather than drawing attention to the sermon itself, compelling delivery displays the saving power of Christ.

How to Improve Sermon Delivery

So, how can a pastor improve delivery in a way that allows the congregation to focus on God’s Word?

Practice the Sermon

Be thoroughly familiar with your manuscript or outline, and ensure the sermon is carefully planned and rehearsed.

Preach to Yourself

Enter the sanctuary before Sunday, stand behind the pulpit, and preach either the introduction or the entire sermon. This practice encourages reflection on how God’s Word resonates in your own heart. In this act, God often works uniquely and powerfully within the pastor’s heart. And one never knows who might be present in the audience, even when it seems the sanctuary is empty.

Invite Feedback

Invite a young aspiring pastor or a retired pastor from the congregation to listen to part of a sermon rehearsal or provide feedback on a section of the manuscript. This creates an opportunity to mentor—or be mentored. Every pastor can use sermon rehearsal time as a moment for discipleship. Moreover, the person invited will sense the significance of their role, recognizing this as a chance to contribute to ministry on the Lord’s Day by helping enhance the sermon’s impact.

Watch or Listen to Your Sermon

It is difficult for most pastors to listen to or watch their own sermons, yet doing so is highly beneficial. Every preacher needs an honest critic, and as the adage goes, “You are your own worst critic.” By observing a sermon they have delivered, a preacher can notice elements that others might miss. Both effective and ineffective practices can be identified by watching a video of—or listening to—one’s own sermon.

Revisit Public Speaking Basics

Review the primary components of effective public speaking. Look through an old textbook or notes for the essential elements of strong delivery, considering aspects such as volume, pace, eye contact, hand gestures, tone, poise, and skills learned in a Public Speaking class that may have been forgotten. A pastor can gain valuable insight into improving sermon delivery by reflecting on how one enhances public speaking. While a speech and a sermon are different, many of the same principles apply.

Learn from Other Preachers

Spurgeon noted, “Study successful models. I made Whitefield my model years ago. Buy his sermons.”[3] Even the Prince of Preachers studied diligently to improve his sermon delivery—not to gain an audience, but to magnify Christ. Few things speak to a congregation as powerfully as a pastor’s love for God’s Word, expressed with passion and conviction.

[1] W.Y. Fullerton, Charles Haddon Spurgeon: A Biography (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 221.

[2] Ibid., 220.

[3] Ibid., 221.

Keeping Your Well Full: Pouring Out Without Running Dry

By jlumley / Nov 14

I once stumbled upon an old well that was about 30 feet from an old farmhouse and 100 feet from a creek bottom. It seemed about 20 feet deep and 10 feet wide with brick walls and a brick opening. At the time, it had about two feet of crystal-clear water in the bottom, but it was also littered with old trash, dead animals, and other items that had been tossed in over the years. The water was clear, but because of the pollution, it had become contaminated.

That old well comes to mind when I think about our spiritual lives. God’s people are not hoarders of spiritual blessing—if we can pour ourselves out, we will. Paul says as much when he is summarizing his ministry to Timothy at the end of his life: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come (2 Tim. 4:6).” We pour ourselves out in service, teaching, care for others, good works, and in a number of other ways. Pouring ourselves out is a good, Christlike thing to do, but we must be careful lest we fail to pay attention to what pours into us and we become contaminated like that old well.

Like that old well, if we aren’t careful about what we put into our hearts and minds, we might find that our well is contaminated. Contaminated water is as useless as having no water at all. Likewise, our spiritual outpouring is useless if it is mixed with worldliness or falsehood. Thus, we must be diligent, discerning, and intentional about how we refresh ourselves when running low.

What You Are Filled with Matters

If you take the deepest well and begin to pump water out of it at the highest possible volume without ceasing, you will eventually exhaust that well’s resources. It may recover, but it will take time, and the following output levels will be much lower than they originally were. In fact, serious damage may be done, and the well may never return to what it once was. It is the same with our own spiritual output. We must pour ourselves out, but we must also fill ourselves up with what is honoring to God. If we pour ourselves out but never fill ourselves up, then severe damage can be done.

Continual ministry without refilling leads to consequences like burnout, half-hearted service, tainted care, and sin. Though called to pour ourselves out for Christ’s sake, we are not infinite creatures. We are finite, dependent creatures in need of recharging. We are reminded of our limited output every time we require sleep, water, and food; therefore, we need to be constantly recharged. So how can we be recharged?

Sources of Water for the Thirsty Soul

We can’t be filled by just anything—what you are filled by is equally important. We must be recharged by spending time with Christ. Below are three ways that we can be filled in a way that honors Christ:

We Must Fill Ourselves with the Word (1 Peter 2:2).

We must not wait until we have run dry before we seek to be refilled. Every day, we must continually replenish ourselves with God’s Word. We must let it encourage us, strengthen us, guide us, and mold us. Then, when we pour ourselves out in service to Christ, what will come out will be the pure water of the Word.

We Must Cultivate Our Relationship with Jesus Through Genuine Prayer.

Reading the Bible for the sake of intellect will not replenish a thirsty soul. However, Bible intake paired with genuine, relational prayer will fill up a parched soul with eternal springs of water (John 4:13–14). If we are walking with Jesus, the source of eternal life, we will be satisfied by his water. We must be connected to the Lord’s supply. We will be of minimal use if we are ministering from something other than a thriving relationship with Jesus.

We Must Be Replenished in the Context of the Local Church.

Our own personal Bible reading and prayer life can be a source of constant fruit and energy, but our efforts of walking with Jesus are incomplete apart from walking with a congregation of believers. This is by God’s design. Therefore, the local church is the final piece of the puzzle—the icing on the cake—to a full and abundant life of enjoying the treasures of Jesus and pouring them out in service to his name. Every time the church meets together, there is opportunity to be filled up, encouraged, strengthened, enabled, and sent back out to serve the mission of Christ.

Dear Christian, you are called to spend all your resources for the sake of Christ’s glory. But if you do not digest the Word of God regularly, have a vibrant walk with Christ, or be regularly filled in a local church, then your well will run dry. If your heart dries up, then bad things may happen. But Christ is an endless source of life. He can enable us to continue in our service to him. Let us remain connected to him that we may be useful in the King’s service!

The Secret Lives of Teenagers

By jlumley / Nov 7

Your teenager has a secret life.

It’s not all bad. Secret crushes, prayers, wishes, hopes, and ambitions are all normal for young people with optimism about the future and an appropriate desire to become their own person.

However, some secrets should be revealed, not concealed.

They may have secret insecurities, like questioning their salvation.
They may have secret doubts about issues like the authority of Scripture.
They may have secret disciplers—social media influencers who demean women and celebrate greed.
They may have secret relationships—friends you would not approve of, or a boyfriend you have forbidden.
They may have secret sins, like pornography or eating disorders.

Why Satan Likes Secrets

It’s easy to see why Satan would want your teenager to keep these struggles a secret. Throughout history, he has always schemed new ways to separate the immature from godly authority. That’s why the enemy of your children’s souls wants them to keep turning to TikTok and Quora for wisdom and counsel, rather than going to their own parents or youth pastor.

But these secrets come with a cost: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (Prov. 28:13).

So how do you crack open the secret life of your teenager? Ultimately it must be a work of the Lord.

Helping Teenagers Bring Secrets Into the Light

While my wife and I have made plenty of missteps in this stage of parenting, here are a few strategies we found especially effective in moving our teenagers from concealing to revealing their shameful secrets.

1. Encourage Confession. Starting around age 11, I took each of my boys out for weekly “Bible Time.” We would grab a cheap breakfast or coffee treat, go through a book, and ask some accountability questions. And here was the key: I promised my boys that anything they confessed during Bible Time would receive amnesty. Sure, we may implement some common-sense changes to help them with their struggles, but there was no punishment for anything they voluntarily confessed. The message was clear: Confession will be met with grace.
2. Establish Barriers. Pornography will find your children whether they’re looking for it or not. We put several layers of filtering on all our devices (Canopy being the best), and our only regret is that we didn’t do it earlier—really, as soon as our children were using any internet-capable device. It is important to know that filters need to be monitored carefully because—be warned—they don’t solve the problem of temptation. Some teenagers get an added thrill from getting around the filter and “outsmarting their parents.” Such is the nature of the sinful heart.
3. Partner with your church. Your children keep secrets from you for two reasons: one, they love you deeply and crave your approval; and two, they fear the consequences of their sin being discovered. This is why I am so thankful for our church. The youth staff see a side of our children that we don’t see. Sometimes we get reports of how they welcome the newcomer and show deep spiritual earnestness, and we rejoice! Other times we are told that our child has been confronted for being a bully or a flirt—and this is where our response is key. If we rally to our teenager’s side and defend them from the youth staff—often with indignant phrases like “My son would never…” or “You don’t know him like I do”—we are stepping between our teenager and the people God is using to help him. We need to remember that adults don’t join youth staff so they can arbitrarily correct kids they don’t like. They join youth staff because they love these kids and want them to follow the Lord. If you receive a bad report about your child, take it seriously. Encourage them to listen to life-giving reproof so they may be wise (Prov. 15:31). If you privately believe the staff to be in error, support them in front of your children, and then address your concerns in private because they may know something you don’t know. Instead of standing with your teenager against the youth pastor, stand with the youth pastor against your teenager’s sin.
4. Have the Courage to Confront. There is something “off” about your son—he’s always tired, he zones out at church, and he gets angry when you ask him to do anything. You sense something is wrong, and a quick look at his internet history confirms the worst. What to do? You know that if you talk to him about what you found, he’ll lash out and make your home miserable with his surliness. But this is where you need to love your son more than you love your own peace and comfort. When Paul confronted the church of Corinth about their sin, he insisted that he did so “not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you” (2 Cor. 2:4). Confrontation is an act of love. No matter how they respond in the moment, forcing their secret life into the light is absolutely necessary for the good of their souls.
5. Rejoice in Repentance. When your child comes forward, their revelations can be painful—shocking, even. You may weep over the severity of their sin. It may change the way you look at them. You may feel betrayed by their deception and wonder whether you have failed as a parent. But there is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents, and it should be our goal to join in that joy. Realize that it took tremendous courage for your teenager to reveal his secret and bring his dark deeds to light. He now stands before you naked and very much ashamed, and in this moment you have an opportunity to demonstrate your Father’s love by running to him, hugging him, placing your own robe on his shoulders, and slaying the fatted calf to celebrate that what was lost has now been found! Your joyful, gracious response may be the most tangible expression of the hope of the gospel your child has ever experienced.

Ultimately, it is always the kindness of God that leads us to repentance, and I pray that these steps will help you to offer your children God’s own kindness.

How to Recognize Insecure Spirituality

By jwilson1 / Oct 1

Editor’s note: The following article was adapted by the author from his book Pour Out Your Heart: Discovering Joy, Strength, and Intimacy with God through Prayer (pp. 20-29). To celebrate Pastor’s Appreciation Month, we are giving away the ebook of Pour Out Your Heart for free throughout the month of October here.

There’s an epidemic in our churches, and it seems to be true across evangelical, charismatic, mainline Protestant, and Catholic churches. Like most epidemics, it’s invisible but widespread. It’s an epidemic of insecurity. We believers are remarkably insecure. Before you take that as an insult, let me explain. It might just be the key to discovering a freshness, depth, and secure love you’ve never known before.

Insecurity is a state of life where we are not safe and sheltered in someone or something’s strength and affection. Many places are quite unsafe: prison, an open body of water, middle school. And Christianity can also be a deeply insecure place, that is, if we haven’t fully grasped the good news of our union with Christ and adoption.

This is the good news of Christianity: when we put our faith in Jesus, turning from our sins and following him, we are joined to him as one. The Father accepts the Son’s death in our place—the payment for a penalty that our sin has created. We are restored to the Father; he forgives our sins and receives us into his vast and unending love. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, he welcomes us gladly and calls for a celebration. Even more, we have inexhaustible spiritual riches in Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit, and, one day, we will be raised with renewed, resurrected bodies to live with God for all eternity in the new creation. Good news, right?

So why then do so many of us struggle to grasp this remarkable life with God? Why do so many Christians believe in Jesus, get their salvation secured, and then go on living a generally unchanged life? Why are so many of us still so timid toward God and others?

I believe it has to do with a limited understanding of God’s love for us, a failure to fully grasp the beauty, power, and security that comes with being a beloved child of God.

Recognizing Insecure Spirituality

Richard Lovelace, a church historian and theologian I have spent the past decade reading and re-reading, put it like this:

Christians who are no longer sure that God loves and accepts them in Jesus, apart from their present spiritual achievements, are subconsciously radically insecure persons—much less secure than non-Christians, because they have too much light to rest easily under the constant bulletins they receive from their Christian environment about the holiness of God and the righteousness they are supposed to have.

Consider what Lovelace is saying. If we believe our standing before God depends on our spiritual achievements (that is, our obedience, our recent Bible reading, our service to the church, tithing, and so on), then we will be radically insecure. In fact, we will be more insecure than even non-Christians, whose conscience doesn’t continually convict them of sin and who aren’t regularly reminded of their need of the gospel.

If this is true (and I believe it is), just think of the way it will shape our lives. A spirituality uncertain of God’s love will always have to perform. It will always have to prove. It will always have to defend. It will always be scheming and striving, and it will never be at rest. An insecure spirituality is a brutal type of life.

Insecure Spirituality Is Always Performing

In our church, we use the phrase “performative spirituality” to describe the default position of our hearts toward God and prayer. I’m not exactly sure where this phrase originates, but I’ve heard it from New York City pastors Jon Tyson and John Starke. Most simply, performative spirituality is performance-based religion. It’s living to get God’s approval and affection. It’s an act to convince yourself you’re becoming a better Christian and more useful to God and others.

Let me be clear: performative spirituality comes straight from the pit of hell. Nothing robs us of more joy. Nothing is more assured to give us either religious pride (if we’re performing well) or spiritual despair (if we’re performing poorly). Nothing is better at producing superficial, impersonal, and powerless prayers.

Why? Because the performance-based approach to Christianity puts us on a stage to earn God’s acceptance and approval. That’s the extent of our relationship with him. That’s the best we get with this spiritual posture. It’s an exhausting posture, and Scripture says nothing good of it.

Diagnosing Our Own Hearts

Have you been living by the wrong posture? Have you been prevented from receiving the embrace of the Father because you’re too busy trying to impress him and others? Have you been held back from a deeper life with God by your ownincessant need to strive, hide, and try every possible path of self-improvement?

Millions of believers read their Bibles, (sort of) pray, and go to church with decent regularity, and yet they are simultaneouslydry spiritually and unchanged in their Christlikeness. They may read of God’s power and love every day. They may hear the gospel week after week. But none of it seems to make a practical difference. They are still insecure, day after day. Despite all they know and do, their natural posture in life looks like this:

Posture
God is my boss, I am his servant;
God is the critic, I am the performer

Default mode
I’m on my own;
nothing good happens unless I make it happen

God’s view of me
God wants me to do better;
he’s a bit disappointed, or He is distant and busy;
he’s not actively engaged in my life, or
God is fine with things as long as I perform decently enough

Toward others
I live to be seen by others, craves their approval
I greatly fear being exposed as a fraud
I tend to be critical, comparative, competitive, easily angered, easily hurt
I often see others as a threat or a burden

Present to others
I am conditional and distant
I am always comparing—constantly aware of where I (and others) rank

Finds comfort
I find comfort in busyness, addiction, distraction, and empty religious activity—whatever makes me look good or feel appreciated

Toward time
I am typically in a hurry, I struggle to slow down and rest

In the church
I seek positions of honor, power, and influence

Prayer
My prayers are sporadic, scattered, and distracted
I often feel guilty: “I should pray more”

Suffering
I am non-resilient, unable to handle challenges and trials of life without bitterness
I view suffering as a sign that God is not with me or against me

Unfortunately, this chart wasn’t difficult for me to create. I am so familiar with the orphan’s heart that it’s still so regularly my default mode. I’ve been grinding all my life. I’ve been working and scheming and defending and protecting and projecting. Why? Because I assume everything depends on me. Even when I say otherwise, my actions and stress level suggest it. And from my years of pastoring, I know that I’m not alone in this struggle.

So, what can we do?

Releasing and Replacing Insecure Spirituality

If I remember anything from my infectious disease studies in college, in an epidemic, we must notice common symptoms, identify the cause, and find a cure for the infection.

Lucky for us, we’re two-thirds of the way through. We’ve already listed the common symptoms above (insecure spirituality list), and we’ve already identified the cause (performance-based living). What’s left is to embrace the cure: putting off the orphan’s heart and regaining our child’s heart – one trained in receiving the love of our Father.

Said another way, the cure is to release insecure spirituality and replace it with something much better. After all, the orphan’s heart will never be satisfied. It’s looking for its Father all along. Nothing else will do. Getting the love of the Father deep into our hearts is the only way.

At this point, we might see the presence of insecure spirituality in our hearts and turn to guilt and obedience. “Don’t be insecure!” we tell ourselves. Sadly, many sermons and counseling sessions can do the same: “Stop worrying!” The subtle message we can turn to is just another version of performance-based religion—“Just try harder.” But this is not a work of willpower; it’s a gift of the Holy Spirit, one that we participate in by God’s grace, releasing and replacing insecurity spirituality.

The gospel reminds us we already have everything we need—and we have it in abundance in Christ!

Once we recognize our insecurity, then, we can also release and replace. We can release insecurity and replace it with the Father’s love. While it sounds too simple to be true, it is a pattern that will be fruitful over and over again as we walk in the childlike faith that Jesus commends.

In other words, another kind of life is available to us. Once we have identified the source of our insecurity, and traced how it shows up in a performance-based lifestyle, we’ll be able to pull it up from the roots.

This lie from the pit of hell can be dragged out into the light and left to suffocate and die in the light of God’s love. And instead, a different type of life can take root in the good soil of Jesus’s life.

And once we’ve identified, broken, and released this insecure, performative spirituality, a confident new life of prayer can be opened to us.

As my mentor-friend Scotty Smith likes to say, “You can hear the lyric of the gospel and still not feel the music.” This is what performative spirituality does best; it robs our lives of its rhythm and dance. But if we can identify and uproot this performance-based mentality, we can break the cycle and be renewed in our minds.

This, then, is God’s invitation for you and for me: Release your insecure spirituality and enjoy life as a beloved child!

Every Member is a Worshipper

By jwilson1 / Sep 26

Imagine you’re at a friend’s party one night, where you’re introduced to a man in his late 20s. Let’s call him Rico. You ask him what he does, and he says, “I’m a quarterback.”

As a football fan, you’re immediately interested and begin to ask him questions. “Really,” you say. “Who do you play for?”

“Oh, I’m not on a team,” he responds.

“Well, who did you play for in college?”

Again, Rico answers, “I didn’t play on my college team.”

“How about high school?”

“No, I didn’t play on my high school team.”

At this point, you’re a little puzzled and ask, “So, what team do you or did you play quarterback for?”

“I’ve played quarterback my whole life, but I’ve never been on a football team. Teams are full of hypocrites. I don’t need a team to play.”

“Help me understand. If you’re not on a team, how do you play quarterback, Rico?” you ask.

“While they’re at the stadium playing games, I usually go out in the woods by myself and throw the football through a tire swing. It clears my mind. I feel like I’m connecting to the essence of football. It’s more authentic than those quarterbacks who play on teams.”

The quarterback in this story sounds delusional, doesn’t he? After all, a self-proclaimed quarterback who never joins a team and only plays alone isn’t really a quarterback at all, is he? The lone woodsman claiming to be a quarterback makes about as much sense as a Christian who never attends a church service but only worships alone.

Now, you may be thinking, “Worship is much broader than gathering with God’s people on Sunday.” In one sense, that’s true. All of life should be lived in worshipful response to God’s goodness and grace. The Apostle Paul urges believers to offer their whole life to God as spiritual worship and to do everything including eating and drinking for God’s glory. However, Scripture holds forth a clear expectation for all Christians: God expects His people to worship with His people.

When we say that “every member is a worshipper,” we mean that every Christian should be committed to attending the weekly gathering in order to listen to the Word of Christ with one another, sing with gratitude together, and then walk in wisdom alongside their fellow church members. This is the pattern of the first Christians, who gathered regularly for worship.

A holistic life of Christian worship is only possible within a local church because the church is not “simply a bunch of individual worshippers who happen to be in the same place and time. Individual worship is a subset that flows out of corporate worship,” as David A. Currie writes in “The Big Idea of Biblical Worship.” You can’t offer all of your life to God as worship if you refuse to offer Him Sunday morning to worship with the church.

Theological Rest with Books: On Taking Reading Days Each Year

By jwilson1 / Sep 10

Before I became the lead pastor of my church, I stumbled onto an idea that quietly reshaped my approach to ministry. It came from two very different voices: Bill Gates and Michael Reeves.

Gates, the tech giant, famously takes one or two weeks a year to retreat to his secluded cabin on a lake and read as much as possible — no phone, no meetings, no distractions, just a towering stack of books.

Reeves, the theologian, once shared his rhythm of deep reading: one hour a week, one day a month, one week a year. Both men, in their own fields, had seen the fruit of setting aside time for slow, undistracted, focused reading.

That vision stuck with me.

So now, as a pastor, I take what I cautiously call “reading dayz” each year — usually two to three weeks in the summer. It’s not a formal sabbatical, and I try to communicate that clearly to both my family and my church. But it is carved out, protected time to read deeply, think theologically and let the Lord recalibrate my heart through uninterrupted, aggressive study.

The Shape of the Days

Each year, I choose one doctrine or theological theme — justification, the Holy Spirit, Lloyd-Jones’ sermons on Ephesians, etc. — and build a reading plan three to six months in advance. My days typically follow a rhythm: intermediate-level material in the morning, heavier or more intensive works over lunch into the afternoon and conclude the day with beginner-level material.

During those reading days, I cancel or delegate my usual pastoral responsibilities, including counseling, sermon prep, formal and informal meetings, adult Sunday school and even preaching. Trusted men from within our church step into the pulpit. I still lead the liturgical elements of the service, but I’m not carrying the sermon. I work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., either in my office or in a quiet space at a friend’s house. Evenings are reserved for family, journaling, the gym or phone calls with friends.

Thanks to the generosity of a friend, my family and I usually schedule a one- to three-day retreat in the middle of my overall reading days period. We’ll stay at someone’s home, where I keep reading during the day while the rest of the family rests and plays. In the evenings, we regroup for dinner, do bedtime with the kids and enjoy late-night gospel conversations with friends. It’s both restful and rich.

The Fruit It Bears

These reading days sharpen me, but more than that, they shape our church. Hopefully, over time, the congregation will see that the study of theology isn’t just for the pastor’s time in seminary or for the professor in an ivory tower. It’s for both pastors and the church today. It’s certainly helpful for preaching. But it’s also for life, like in sports, where athletes devote weeks of intense practice, drills and workouts before entering the stretch of a long season.

Reading days remind our members that a pastor should be theologically sharp, biblically astute and spiritually renewed. It creates space for other men to teach and grow as they preach. It gives me a break from preaching — but not from ministry. If anything, it deepens my commitment to it.

Most importantly, it fills me with gratitude — grateful to the God I’m reading about, and grateful for the people I’m reading for. I’m thankful for a church that values study and depth, my elders who champion and defend the time, and a wife who believes it’s good. I’m thankful for a rhythm that keeps me from running on fumes. And I’m grateful for a God who forms pastors not only through preaching, but also in the quiet corners of a study.

What It’s Not

These aren’t vacation days. I gently remind my wife (and myself) that when I hole up with Edwards or Kuyper or Smeaton, I’m not “off.” Our church has entrusted me with time to work differently — but still diligently.

And I don’t read for anyone but my church. I’m not building a platform, prepping for publishing or expanding my ministry. I get to read as a pastor of my local church — for the people I know, love and shepherd week after week.

Final Word

You don’t need an official policy to start dedicated reading days. Just start small. Block out a few days. Or a week. Or even one afternoon. If there’s no one else yet in your church to take the pulpit, swap with a like-minded brother across town. Find a space. Make a plan. And open the books.

Deep reading isn’t a detour from ministry — it serves to sustain it. Reading days may not be flashy, but they are fruitful. They can be a hidden yet profound way God uses to make your calling more thoughtful and joyful.

“Give yourself unto reading. … You need to read.”
— Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, “The Minister’s Self-Watch”

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