Discerning the call

Wondering about whether or not your work in the church ought to include preaching? Adrian Warnock has posted excerpts from an article at Sovereign Grace Ministries on discerning the summons to ministry. For starters, there's this important reminder:

The quickest way to determine whether a man is qualified to lead a church is to assess how effectively he is leading his chief member (his wife) and his principal congregation (his kids). If led well, these voices will rise to confirm his selection and testify to his credibility. If led poorly, they will shadow his candidacy with gnawing questions and contradictory messages.

Perhaps that's why Paul reminded both Timothy and Titus that elders in the church should manage their own households well.

Most importantly, though, is this:

The ultimate test of a called man is whether he desires the advancement of the gospel more than the advancement of his own ministry.

Amen.