Craig Parro
What are the core values for teachers and preachers of God’s Word? I have spent a great deal of time considering that question. The solution is to embrace God’s priorities for teachers of the Word. We call these priorities landmarks.
Landmarks are signs that provide clear direction. They help us keep our bearings and move us down the right path. Let’s identify ten landmarks that will direct us down the path to become more compelling teachers and preachers of God’s Word.
- Teach the Word. The teacher of God’s Word labors to teach the Bible faithfully and trusts God’s Spirit to use it rather than the methods of men so that the learner is cleansed and transformed by its creative, life-giving power.
- Exalt God. The teacher of God’s Word magnifies God’s glorious nature and ways so that the learner sees Him more fully and celebrates His incomparable worthiness and grace.
- Cultivate Affection. The teacher of God’s Word communicates both knowledge about God and the heart of God so that the learner experiences Him more deeply and loves Him more passionately.
- Proclaim Christ. The teacher of God’s Word proclaims Christ and His gospel as the focus and fulfillment of God’s plan so that the learner knows Christ more fully and proclaims Him more faithfully.
- Celebrate Grace. The teacher of God’s Word champions God’s grace as the motive and means for true holiness so that the learner walks by means of the Spirit and lives in freedom with deep gratitude and hope.
- Stimulate Growth. The teacher of God’s Word connects truth to life, addressing every sphere of life so that the learner is conformed to the likeness of Christ with ever increasing glory by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Serve the Church. The teacher of God’s Word leads the church with the heart of a shepherd so that the learner sees humility and servant leadership modeled as well as taught.
- Love the Learner. The teacher of God’s Word engages the learner with profound respect and honest vulnerability so that the learner is drawn deeply into the learning process and receives encouragement and hope.
- Pursue God’s Purposes. The teacher of God’s Word equips and encourages the learner to pursue both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission so that the learner experiences great joy in serving God’s purpose to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory.
- Trust God for Ministry. The teacher of God’s Word remembers that fruitful ministry is the result of God’s sovereign goodness so that both learner and teacher live in prayerful dependence and glorify God for His gracious works.
Pause and Reflect:
- How well do these landmarks match what you hear when you are learning?
- What do you think? Are these 10 landmarks present in the teaching and preaching ministry you sit under?
– Craig Parro