Keep Your Ministry on Target
By Pastor Chuck Swindoll
Faithfully Study the Scriptures
“If I could change one thing among fellow ministers, it would be this, that they become such careful students of the Scriptures that their respect holds their feet to the fire, and they keep doing their homework, faithfully staying at it, earning the right to be heard and to be trusted.”
The Value of Authenticity
“Can’t beat truth, can’t beat real, can’t beat authenticity. You will win the heart of whatever age is in your congregation or in your Bible study group or in your class. You’ll gain the respect of millennials if you’re authentic. Nobody can argue against authenticity. When you don’t know, you don’t know, and you say so. When you’re not sure, you say you’re not sure, you don’t fake it. When you’re troubled over something, it may be appropriate that you even share that. Your life is an open book. You’re modeling or manifesting the truth in the sight of God, and it happens also before the people.”
The Lord is Full of Surprises
“You want your ministry to stay on target however long God has you in it, and wherever He may choose to take you, and in whatever circumstances it may be. You don’t know. You think you know. You have thoughts that you often entertain. And I will tell you from experience, you are probably wrong because the Lord is full of surprises. He will take you to places you never thought you would be. He will use you in ways you never could have anticipated or predicted.”
Mercy for Ministry
“There’s something about the mercy of God. Dr. Pentecost used to say that ‘mercy is God’s ministry to the miserable.’ When you are feeling the misery that goes with the pressure of your work, you will need mercy. You’ll need mercy to stay hard at prayer.”
Get Excited About Sharing the Scriptures
“There’s an old Scottish saying, ‘Some things are better felt than telt.’ People feel your passion. When you get excited about the Scriptures, they get excited about it. They want to dig into the Scriptures. They want to go to the Bible and find out answers for their lives. And you challenge them to do that. You don’t have to browbeat them. You simply get excited about what you’ve discovered, and you deliver it in a way that’s exciting.”
Don’t Worry About Who Gets the Credit
“People will love working with you if you are faithful to give them the credit they deserve, and don’t yank it from them. We cannot concern ourselves with who gets the credit.”
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.
