Around the Horn (February 28)

The Long View of Preaching

“Every preacher prays for a positive response to his efforts. If we’re honest, we’d rather like to see that response sooner rather than later. It’s encouraging to hear from people when God’s Word from your mouth has hit the mark. The reality, though, is that it often takes the long view to see the effectiveness of preaching. Moreover, that long view may even extend out of our own lifespan on this earth.”

Big Dreams Impress. Ordinary Faithfulness Delivers.

“Show me a big dream if you’d like, but what really impresses me is the ordinary faithfulness of hidden saints. I’d rather be in the company of a faithful pastor who’s served in a hidden church for decades than listen to the dreams of someone who’s never learned to serve faithfully in an obscure place. The world’s not changed by grandiose ambition as much as it’s changed by the ordinary, plodding faithfulness of people who will never be famous.”