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By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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Deny Yourself and Put on Humility

“You cannot ignore humility and minister effectively for Christ. He’s the one who said, ‘If you follow Me, the very first order of business in a list of three is to deny yourself.’ Those two words are an awfully good definition of humility—self-denial. And I can tell you without hesitation, self dies slowly and painfully, especially when you get the knowledge you’re going to get at this school, because as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 8:1, ‘knowledge puffs up.’ Without the humility you need, your knowledge will work against you because when you graduate, you will know things most people in your congregation do not know. And that knowledge in itself will work against genuine humility. The more you learn, the more self-assured you can become, the more confident. Nothing wrong with any of that if it is marked by genuine self-denying humility. It’s essential.”

We Still Have Much to Learn

“These disciples had so much to learn. [It] had nothing to do with theological facts and biblical knowledge, as valuable as those things are. They had much to learn about character, about humility. They’re spending time with Jesus, and they’re jockeying for who’s going to be sitting on the right and on the left. If you’re not careful, so will you.”

Give Others the Credit They Deserve

“People on your staff who are so gifted, you give them the credit. Folks will want to give you the credit, but if the staff did it, you have no reason to take the credit. Set the record straight; tell them you didn’t do it. She did it. He’s the one that lined this up. It was his idea for us to have this series of meetings. ‘More important than yourself.’ You don’t look out for your own interests, but the interests of others.”

Gain Humility

“Somebody down the line did not disciple this man so that he learned you carry your own bags. You don’t look for somebody else to carry them for you. You don’t expect kid glove treatment. You’re like everybody else. You put your britches on one leg at a time. You take life just as it is, and the enormous logs in your own eye keep you from looking for the specs in somebody else’s eyes. If you learn that, you’ll be miles ahead of many who are engaged in ministry and are an embarrassment to the cause. Simply because, like James and John, they lack humility.”

You’re a Shepherd, not a Heavyweight Champion

“Don’t play king of the mountain. Don’t be the bully. Don’t hold it against people when they do something wrong. Don’t get back at them because they made life a little miserable for you. You’re a shepherd, you’re not the heavyweight champion.”

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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