Chapter 5 Receiving What You Preach

The Congregation's Soul Care vs. Your Own There is something unusual about the preacher's relationship to the gospel he preaches. He knows it intellectually. He presents it persuasively. He watches it change others. And sometimes — gradually, quietly — he stops letting it change himself. The gospel you preach is also the gospel you need. The grace you offer to struggling congregants is also the grace available to you. The invitation you extend to the weary and burdened is also an invitation God is extending to you, every single Sunday. Do you receive it? Or do you stand at the door welcoming others in while never stepping inside yourself? "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." — Romans 1:16 Preach to yourself first. Every sermon is for the person in the pulpit before it is for the people in the pews. Practicing What You Preach Pastoral integrity requires a narrowing of the gap between what you say and how you live. Not perfection — no one is asking for that. But a genuine effort to apply what you are preaching to your own life, in real and ongoing ways. When you preach on forgiveness, who do you need to forgive? When you preach on generosity, where are you hoarding? When you preach on trust, where are you anxious? Let your own preaching be the agenda for your own soul care. This is not a burden. It is a gift. You have been given the Word. Let it have its way with you.