Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

When our Lord Jesus had a long day’s work, he was found taking a long night’s prayer.

“I have so much to do,” says one, “that I could not be long in prayer.” That is putting the case upside-down. When you have most to do, you have most need to pray; and unless you keep up the proportion, your offering will fail in quality. The holy incense was sweet before God, because in that sacred compound there was a proportion of each spice; and so in our lives there must be a due measure of Word, and work, and prayer, and praise. Prayer can never be in excess. You can salt meat too much, but you cannot salt your service too much with prayer. If you are accustomed to pray in your walk and works, at all hours and seasons, you do not err. There never will be in any of us a superfluity of devotion. God help you to be like his Son, who, though he was sent, and had the Father with him, yet could not live without prayer. May you not only feel your need of prayer, but fill up that need abundantly!

Editor’s Note: In the midst of the busy Easter season, I know that I am tempted to neglect prayer in order to “get to work.” May God deliver us from this kind of crazy pride and trust him to build the church and give the growth.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

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

The gospel is something like an illustrated paper. The preacher’s words are the letterpress, but the pictures are the living men and women who form our churches. And like when people take up such a newspaper, they very often do not read the letterpress, but they always look at the pictures—so in a church: Outsiders may not come to hear the preacher, but they always consider, observe, and criticize the lives of the members.

RESOURCE FOR PASTORS

Thanks to CROSS CON for sponsoring Shepherding with Spurgeon this year. CROSS is a conference for 18–25 year-olds and their leaders.

Consider bringing a group from your church to Louisville next January to help them deepen their love for God and his Word. They will return home passionate about God, sound theology, and missions.

Learn more and register today.

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“Preach Christ, always and evermore. He is the whole gospel.” — Charles Spurgeon