A bit of wise, if somewhat cliche, advice suggests, “God is in control, but He doesn’t expect you to lean on a shovel and pray for a hole.” The proverb suggests that the Lord’s sovereignty does not absolve people of their responsibility. And it is right.
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Should we plan and prepare, or should we trust and obey? Yes, we should! As we seek to serve the Lord, any dichotomy we place between the two is a false one.
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This spring, Lifeway Research released the results of a study on how Protestant churches welcome first-time guests. The results, as they say, speak for themselves.
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For every Gospel minister, the New Testament letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are to be lifelong companions. The Pastoral Epistles are letters we return to again and again, guiding us on our journey of life and ministry. Indeed, I know of no better way to ensure ministerial faithfulness than for the minister to live in these three books.
The first seven years of C. H. Spurgeon’s ministry in London were accompanied by a surprising revival. No one could have expected it. Through a nineteen-year-old country preacher, a dying congregation was revitalized, and hundreds—perhaps thousands—were converted under his ministry during those early years. Though only a few dozen were in attendance when Spurgeon first arrived at New Park Street in 1853, by 1861 membership was at 1,473, with thousands more regularly attending.
Church growth experts today will have thousands of new ideas on how to grow a church and keep people engaged. Some of those ideas may be useful. But not if they come at the expense of this one central call of the minister: preach Christ. Charles Spurgeon’s fruitful ministry stands as a stirring commendation to the power of faithful gospel preaching. That’s not to say we can ever presume a particular kind of result. Spurgeon’s story was a surprising and unique work of God in a particular historical context.
Spurgeon’s love of hymns began at a young age. Once, during a summer holiday, his grandmother offered him a penny for each Watts hymn he memorized. With his gifted mind, young Spurgeon memorized so many that his grandmother soon had to change her offer or risk financial ruin! The money earned was eventually spent, but his love of hymns remained with him for the rest of his life, becoming a part of his theological vocabulary.
