"It is essential that the church be led by a plurality of godly leaders. It's not optional, it's not advisable. It is essential. Leaders set the pace and set the example for the church. There has never been a strong church without strong leaders. There has never been a prayerful church without prayerful leaders. There has never been a visionary church without visionary leadership. There has never been a growing church without growing leaders. If the leaders are weak, the church will be weak. But if the leaders are strong, the church will be strong." ~Max Lucado
"I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." ~Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:3-5
"Ferdinand Foch said, 'The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire!' All the crafting in the world can't save a message that has not passion in it. If you can't get excited about a subject, don't preach on it." ~John Maxwell
"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." ~2 Timothy 4:2
"They sin...who stick to the naked finding and explanation of the truth, neglecting the use and practice in which religion and blessedness consist. Such preachers edify the conscience little or none at all." ~William Ames
"There are too many persons who have imbibed and propagate this notion, that it is almost the only business of a preacher to teach the necessary doctrines and duties of our holy religion by a mere explication of the Word of God, without enforcing these things on the conscience by a pathetic address to the heart." ~Isaac Watts
"A preacher's life should be a commentary upon his doctrine...Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned with a heavenly life." ~Thomas Brooks
"Multitudes of souls perish through the ignorance of those that should guide them in the way to heaven: men are nourished up with vain hopes of being in a state of salvation before they have got half the way to Christ." ~Solomon Stoddard
"We must not compromise our message in order to accomodate our method." ~Unknown
"The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world." ~C.S. Lewis
"Look into the preaching Jesus did and you will find it was aimed straight at the big sinners on the front seats." ~Billy Sunday
"Churches don't need new members half so much as they need the old bunch made over." ~Billy Sunday
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophecy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." ~Paul in Romans 12:6-8
"For a bishiop (literally overseer) must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."
~Titus 1:7-10
"That is what God's church should be: a place where everyone knows an elder and everyone is known by an elder." Max Lucado
