Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

I would seriously recommend to you, when settled in the ministry, the celebration of extraordinary seasons of devotion. If your ordinary prayers do not keep up the freshness and vigor of your souls and you feel that you are flagging, get alone for a week or even a month if possible. We have occasional holidays, why not frequent holy days? We hear of our richer brethren finding time for a journey to Jerusalem; could we not spare time for the less difficult and far more profitable journey to the heavenly city?

I notice that Catholics are accustomed to secure what they call “retreats,” where a number of priests will retire for a time into perfect quietude, to spend the whole of the time in fasting and prayer, so as to inflame their souls with ardor. We may learn from our adversaries. It would be a great thing every now and then for a band of truly spiritual brethren to spend a day or two with each other in real burning agony of prayer.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the importance of family discipleship.

The question is often asked how shall we get our working classes to attend public worship. The answer may be supplied by an incident of my boyhood. On the mantel of my grandmother's best parlor, among other marvels was an apple in a vase. It quite filled up the body of the bottle, and my wondering enquiry was, ‘How could it have gotten into its place?’ By stealth I climbed a chair to see if the bottom would unscrew, or if there had been a joint in the glass throughout the length of the vial. I was satisfied by careful observation that neither of these theories could be supported, and the apple remained to me an enigma and a mystery.

Walking in the garden I saw a vial placed on a tree bearing within it a tiny apple, which was growing within the crystal; now I saw it all; the apple was put into the bottle while it was little, and it grew there. Just so must we catch the little men and women who swarm our streets; we call them boys and girls and introduce them within the influence of the church, for alas! it is hard indeed to reach them, when they have ripened in carelessness and sin.

RESOURCE FOR PASTORS

Disciple your kids this school year

Having our homes under control is one of the qualifications for pastors. If we aren’t trustworthy to point our own kids to Christ, how can we be trusted to point an entire church to Christ?

I also understand that the rigors of ministry can make it challenging to plan and execute daily family worship.

To help busy parents like you, I’ve been creating a series of family devotionals for all ages that cover the entire Bible (every chapter). The goal is to teach kids each book in its own context while also pointing them to Christ, laying a foundation of Bible literacy that kids can build on for the rest of their lives.

As you set new rhythms for a new school year, I hope you’ll consider using family devotionals from God Centered Family.

Learn more and subscribe today.

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it.” — Charles Spurgeon