Shepherding with Spurgeon

Weekly Newsletter for Pastors from SpurgeonBooks

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I wanted to share this powerful reflection from Spurgeon on the privilege of preaching.

May we be full of thankfulness for God’s grace and the chance to proclaim it to the saints he has entrusted to us.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

“This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8)

It really is a grace to be permitted to preach the gospel, and it brings grace with it. Brethren in the ministry, have you not read the Bible much more because you have had to preach the blessed truths revealed in it? Have you not been driven to your knees much more because you have had to deal with anxious souls, and to lead the people of God?

I am sure that it is so; and I thank God for having a calling which does not take me away from the mercy-seat, but drives me to it. I am grateful that I have a message which I am glad to tell, glad to tell anywhere, a message which never needs to be concealed, but which brings joy to us in telling it, and salvation to our hearers in listening to it. Blessed be God that we have such a story to tell!

SERMON ILLUSTRATION FROM SPURGEON

SSpurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe God’s use of our trials to increase our faith.

Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper, and makes more room for consolation. God comes into our heart—he finds it full—he begins to break our comforts and to make it empty; than there is more room for grace.

RESOURCE FOR PASTORS

Don’t neglect your family this Christmas.

I understand the pressure of planning and executing a seemingly endless stream of activities, outreaches, and services in December. But I also understand that if I don’t teach my kids the true meaning of Christmas, I don’t have any business preaching about it to others (1 Timothy 3:5).

That’s why I created The King is Coming, an Advent devotional (beginning December 1) to help busy families center their Christmas celebrations on the real reason for the season… the coming of Christ.

It walks through the big story of the Bible, following God’s people longing for a king to set them free.

Whether family devotions are already a daily habit or just a dream in your household, I’m confident God will use this devotional to help your family enjoy Christmas together.

Buy The King is Coming today

ONE MORE REMINDER: PREACH JESUS THIS WEEKEND

“We preach not man's merit, but Christ crucified.” — Charles Spurgeon