Lectures to My Students
Pastoral Book Reviews
Charles Spurgeon at his best. This
is probably my favorite Spurgeon book. It is packed with helpful
insights into many areas of pastoral theology that pastors never even
think about.
Lectures to My Students
by Charles Spurgeon
Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI: 1996.
443 Pages, Paperback
What does the prince of
preachers have to say to young ministers today? In the 5 star book
he has much to offer the Pastor.
One contemporary scholar and authority on
Spurgeon says of this work: "Next to Mr. Spurgeon's great literary
work, The Treasury of David, we consider [these] Lectures to My Students
his greatest single contribution to the Christian world. There is more practical
wisdom, common sense and sage advice packed within these pages than with
any other book of similar size or content." This complete and
unabridged edition of Spurgeon's great work will I make it possible for
today's generation to appreciate Spurgeon's combination of discerning
wit and refreshingly practical advice. Included in the 28 chapters
of this classic volume on homiletics are such lectures as: The Call to
the Ministry, The Preacher's Private Prayer On the Choice of a Text, On
the Voice, The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry, Posture,
Action, Gesture, etc., The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear, and On
Conversion as Our Aim Illustrations in Preaching. As were all of
Spurgeon's messages to his people, each of these lectures is Scripture
saturated and Christ honoring. They move swiftly and are fascinating in
their content and sage counsel. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) was
converted at the age of 16. He preached his first sermon, from 1 Peter
2:7, in 1851 at 16 and became pastor of the Church in Waterbeach in
1852. Later he became pastor of the Baptist Church of New Park Street,
Southwark, London, and managed the Pastor's College and the Stockwell
Orphanage. Called the "Prince of Preachers" and "A Master
Pulpiteer," he published more than 1,900 different sermons during
his lifetime.
What can be added to this volume?
Your eyes, mind and heart. In covering the above topics and more,
this 28 chapter book was written as a compilation of Spurgeon's Lectures
to his Ministerial Students. It is notable that these lecture are
to "his student" not colleagues and fellow pastors.
Students need this book. But in the church today, the students are
those who are preaching from the pulpit. In working through this
book, the student will gain more insight and more depth than all the
contemporary preaching books like this combined.
Some Quotes:
"He who presides over a system which aims at nothing higher than
formalism, is far more a servant of the devil than a minister of
God."
"Recollect as ministers, that your
whole life, your whole pastoral life, especially, will be affected by
the vigor of your piety."
"...master the books you have.
Read them thoroughly."
"There is such a thing as being to
much a minister and too little a man."
"Nothing can succeed with the masses
except naturalness and simplicity."
"Be in love with prayer." |
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