This is from Mark Batterson’s blog regarding what Chuck Swindoll said at Innovate Church Conference. Good stuff from a wise preacher!

Chuck’s been preaching for fifty years. He emanates wisdom. Here are a few notes from his session.

The word servant means under-rower. Think of the lower galley of a ship. I love that mental image. That’s all we are. We aren’t even rowers. We’re under-rowers! We just need to keep rowing. And if we just keep rowing, we’ll get where God wants us to go.

Here’s a simple philosophy of ministry: know who you are, accept who you are, be who you are. Don’t try to be who you’re not. After all, if you is who you ain’t, you ain’t who you is.

“When a man of God dies nothing of God dies.”

“Don’t preach longhorn sermons. A point here. A point there. And lots of bull in between.”

Don’t feel sorry for yourself for the sacrifices you are making. Sacrifices are privileges. You don’t have to. You get to. And if you forget that, a sense of entitlement will rob you of the title to your calling.

Guard your imagination against thinking you anything other than an under-rower.

Restrain all rationalization.

Leave no room in your ministry for deception. Come clean. Deal with it. Face it.

Everyday ask yourself: what is my motive?