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The duty of a man is to form a family and keep it in Christ – that is, keep himself, his wife, and their children in Jesus Christ and the Bible. If I am not faithful to that calling, why in the world would He call me to preach His gospel?

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Without the advancing of truth claims on behalf of Christ, how will His kingdom grow?

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Why can’t grandfathers spend their retirements praying for, and preaching to, their offspring who are raising their own offspring?

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Preacher, the Bible was here before you and it will be here after you. Know your place…and know its place. Most of all, know the Lord’s place!

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The Bible precedes me. It is the accumulated wealth of the nations – generations of nations – handed down to us. What shall I do with it?

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Elijah set his house in order, prepping Elisha to take his place.

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Preachers should come from the ranks of fathers, not single men. Someone may say, “Doesn’t God have the right to call a man to celibacy for the sake of the gospel?” Yes, it is His right to make exceptions to His rule. But 1) exceptions are not the norm, and 2) exceptions are His choice, not ours.

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I’ve been preaching repentance for a long time…but it’s been like trying to set fire to wet leaves.

_{^{(Isaiah 6:11)}}

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Getting married civilized me, having children humbled me, and accepting Christ directed me. I am a sinner, but life has made these three great impressions on me – especially the last one.

My qualifications for ministry are that 1) I have studied, and continue to study, the Bible, and 2) Christ called me to preach and teach what I have learned.

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Ministers of the gospel of the kingdom of God are heralds of its King.

_{(Merriam-Webster defines a herald as “an official at a tournament of arms with duties including the making of announcements and the marshaling of combatants.”)}

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Preacher, don’t ever forget that the Lord’s people are His – not yours. No matter how great or how subtle the temptation, never usurp His role. Never take His place. Never encroach on His territory.

_{(Gen 35:22; 38:9; 2 Cor 4:5; Act 12:21-23)}

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Don’t Short-Circuit Ezra’s Formula

Ezra set his heart to study the Bible, do it, and then preach it to others (Ezra 7:10). The Pharisees short-circuited that formula by studying the Bible than going straight to preaching – skipping right over the doing part (Matt 23:1-3). Following Ezra’s three-step formula instead of the Pharisees two-step formula makes all the difference in the world. When you’re trying to decide which scripture to preach, choose from the ones you do – not the ones you don’t.

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“That’ll Preach!”

I’ve heard this expression from time to time over the years. Sometimes it seems to be used in a productive way, as if to mean, “That’s a truth that deserves to be heard!” Other times, it seems to be used in an unproductive way, as if to mean, “That could make an interesting sermon!” According to Ezra’s pattern (Ezra 7:10), we only ought to preach from what we’ve practiced, not just shoot for the equivalent of a TED talk.

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