Keep the “Tingle”
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Tell Them About the One
“You will be, for some people, the model of what they long to attain and you won’t even know it. Most of them will never tell you that. In unguarded moments, they may say a word or two about it, but you’ll be living your life. You’ll be touching them through your counseling, through your presence, through your character, through your neighborliness, through your kindness, your patience. And you know what happens in their life when they witness that? They start to tingle. They realize that they don’t have this. And then you’ll have the opportunity, as the door opens widely, to tell them about the One from whom you once strayed, but no longer.”
Silence Their Slander
“You are being watched by an unbelieving world. This is the first in a list of five things I want you to remember from now till you finish with your ministry, which is the end of your life. You are being watched by an unbelieving world so ‘keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.’ You and I are being watched by an unbelieving world, and we’re to live in such a way that we silence their slander.”
Endure Unjust Treatment
“Be willing to endure unjust treatment. I know that your motive is pure. I want to believe that every year of your ministry, you will simply grow in your integrity. And there will be those who will not treat you well. You will be treated unjustly. Things will be said about you that are not true. And it’ll hurt you because you know it isn’t right. It isn’t fair. But he says, ‘If you endure that with patience, this finds favor with God.’ And the perfect example, of course, for the next couple of three verses is the Lord Jesus.”
Cultivate Unusual Patience
“Cultivate unusual patience. Oh, you’ll be so grateful for that in ministry. You’ll need it with the elders you work with. You’ll need it with the people whom you serve, and most of whom will be magnificent, but some can take all the joy out of it. You’ll need patience to look past their comments. And what they say about your wife or your husband, you’ll need patience. Cultivate it right here. If you don’t, you’ll stop tingling, and this will become a marathon of misery.”
Show Them the One You Love
“Make sure when you’re away from this campus and you’re rubbing shoulders with folks who don’t know all the stuff you’re learning, make sure that they see the One you love being lived out through you.’”
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.
About the author
Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Pastor Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the accurate, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. He is the founding pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, but Chuck’s listening audience extends far beyond a local church body. As a leading program in Christian broadcasting since 1979, Insight for Living airs around the world. Chuck’s leadership as president and now chancellor emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary has helped prepare and equip a new generation of men and women for ministry.
