Sometimes my ears itch.

Sometimes I don’t want to be confronted about my sin.

Sometimes I get offended if you call my sin out.

Sometimes I seek people out that will tell me what I want to hear.

Sometimes I want people to tell me how to feel good about myself.

But today I’m thankful for people willing to confront me with the Word.

I’m thankful for people who love Jesus and care about my soul more than my approval, even if it makes me upset.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of people willing to massage my ego, and my evil desires.

The truth is a true believer will accept correction and will not shy away from conviction.

People desperately need to be convicted, they need sound doctrine, not a sugar-coated version of Christianity. They may get squimish, but if they are willing to humble themselves and repent, they will thank you for it.

So I plead with you to preach the Word, not portions of the Word that comfort me, but all of it. You are not “beating people up” by telling them the truth.

Please commit yourself to truth and sound doctrine.

Please tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

I plead with you preachers, don’t just try to make us happy, but be faithful to the Word–to Jesus.

I plead with you to examine yourself and your motives for preaching.

Do that, and I think you’ll have an effective ministry, maybe not the most popular one, but one that honors God and his Word.