Article Library

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By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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Watch Out for Boars in the Vineyard

“Be aware. As a shepherd, keep your eyes open. Pay attention to those, especially those, who are influencing others in the church, not out of jealousy. You’ll find delight in those that teach the Scriptures well. They are a part of the team. But those who do so with wrong motive will soon reveal themselves as among those boars in the vineyard.”

Sensitive and Firm

“We must be patient and sensitive with newborn lambs as they are getting their sea legs and learning to walk in the Spirit. At the same time, we must be firm and strong with legalistic sheep, ornery church people and for sure, treacherous wolves.”

Reject People-Pleasing

“Being a faithful minister of integrity has nothing to do with being a people pleaser. Some of you are already forming that habit, thinking that’s what a good minister is called to do. Not so. You are not called to cultivate a popularity cult through flattery of others or softening the truth or compromising the message as you tell people what they want to hear rather than shaping your message based on the Scriptures and delivering what they need to hear. There’s a great difference between the two.”

Faithfully Exposit the Scriptures

“You must learn not to adapt your words to what is politically correct, though there will be those in your congregation who guide their lives according to that standard. You must not keep in step with those who urge you to keep everything relevant. You’ll hear that a lot these days. If you’re committed to preach the Word, you’ll need to be determined not to pay attention to anyone who tries to pull you away from becoming a faithful and consistent expositor of the Scriptures.”

Be Alert, Strong, and Stable Against Problem Individuals

“If you do not get a handle on this, chances are good you’ll become a victim. And you’ll leave the church a broken man or woman, disillusioned, deeply, deeply disturbed. Your whole frame of reference will have changed because you didn’t ready yourself for difficult people. My hope is that God will keep you strong, stable, positive, determined, committed to work the work of the ministry, but never gullible. Not passive. On the alert, watching out, being ready, when necessary, taking charge. Remember Jesus’ words. The one who was so gracious to say, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28).”

Protect Defenseless Sheep

“Every church has both mature and immature saints. Those who are less mature, I call innocent. They don’t know that they’re around people that can’t be trusted. They don’t realize how innocent they are, how gullible. They are like defenseless sheep seduced and led astray. That’s why they need you. That’s why they need a strong shepherd, a faithful shepherd.”

Additional Resources

First, sign up for our Chuck’s Insights on Ministry email where we bring you his best thoughts on preaching, leadership, and ministry each week. By signing up, you’ll instantly receive a one-page checklist with 20 preaching insights from Chuck. See this page’s sidebar.

Second, check out our new Preach The Word articles and video series on YouTube where we’re teaching Chuck’s best insights on this important calling.

Third, listen to Chuck’s messages to those in ministry through our Seminary Chapels page. For decades, he offered students at Dallas Theological Seminary his best thoughts on church leadership and ministry. Now, we have put them at your finger tips. Also, you can find them through this YouTube playlist we created for you.

Fourth, if you don’t own a copy of Chuck’s book on preaching, Saying It Well, we highly recommend you add it to your library. It’s his preaching memoir that is also like a practical preaching manual. You won’t be able to put it down.

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