Author: Charles Spurgeon

Pastor, preach the Bible (really, it’s what your people need)

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ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

Let us be thoroughly well acquainted with the great doctrines of the Word of God, and let us be mighty in expounding the Scriptures. I am sure that no preaching will last so long, or build up a church so well, as the expository. To renounce altogether the hortatory discourse for the expository, would be running to a preposterous extreme; but I cannot too earnestly assure you that, if your ministries are to be lastingly useful, you must be expositors.

For this purpose, you must understand the Word yourselves, and be able so to comment upon it that the people may be built up by the Word. Be masters of your Bibles, brethren; whatever other works you have not searched, be at home with the writings of the prophets and apostles. “Let the Word of God dwell in you richly.”

SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the foolishness of salvation by works.

An old preacher says, “A silly servant who is bidden to open a door, sets his shoulder to it and pushes with all his might; but the door stirs not, and he cannot enter, use what strength he may. Another comes with a key, and easily unlocks the door, and enters right readily. Those who would be saved by works are pushing at heaven’s gate without result; but faith is the key which opens the gate at once.”

THANKS FOR READING

Brothers,

Preach the Bible. Don’t fall prey to the temptation to preach your own thoughts. God’s Word has all of the wisdom that your people need.

And to preach the Bible, we must know the Bible. Friends, make Bible reading a priority in your life. Know God’s Word. Seek to learn new things about it. Plunge its depths and enjoy its glory. The Bible is amazing, so let’s be amazed by it.

If this newsletter is encouraging, please share it with another pastor. You can forward this email to a pastor you know.

If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up to get another one every week. Click here to subscribe.

Blessings to your ministry,

Doug H.
Creator of SpurgeonBooks

Pray with Spurgeon: God WILL help us grow

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Give a blessing this morning, we pray, to us all; may we make a distinct advance in the divine life; may we get to a higher platform; may we leave the mists of doubt and fear below us in the valley, and quit the marshes of the plain, and climb the glittering hill-tops of eternal security in Christ and blessed oneness with him, by simply believing him who cannot lie—who hath sworn by two immutable things, and cannot from his purpose turn nor from his word draw back. O God, grant this faith to the entire church.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for judgment.” (Psalm 9:7)

In the light of the past the future is not doubtful. Since the same Almighty God fills the throne of power, we can, with unhesitating confidence, exult in our security for all time to come. The enduring existence and unchanging dominion of our Jehovah are the firm foundations of our joy. The enemy and his destructive ways shall come to a perpetual end, but God and his throne shall “endure forever.” The eternity of divine sovereignty yields unfailing consolation.

This verse and commentary were taken from Daily Treasure, a new 366-day devotional on the Psalms by Spurgeon. This month only, you can get this book for 25% off from 10 of Those — use promo code SPURGEONBOOKS. Click here to learn more.*

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

A Bible-saturated plan to grow in godliness

Today we prayed that God would help us grow to be more like him. We don’t want to be controlled by worldly passions anymore — we want to live for God.

While our growth in holiness is a miracle that only God can do, we also have a role to play in this work. You will not automatically grow in godliness — you need to pursue godliness with the strength that God the Holy Spirit gives you.

A great, practical book on growing in godliness (self-control, taming the tongue, and more) is The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. This book won’t just tell you that something is sinful, it will actually equip you practical tools and truths from God’s Word to slay your sin and live in godliness.

Whatever pressing sin you are currently facing and want to grow in, The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges is a great resource to help you take your next steps. I hope you pick up a copy today.

Buy The Practice of Godliness:

Pray with Spurgeon: Give us more faith

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Give us more faith. May the prayers that go up before you be salted with faith. When we preach, may we preach in faith; and may all that is done for the brotherhood for Christ, be done in simple confidence in God.

We know, that if we do not believe we shall never be established. We cannot expect to see result from our service, unless it is done in faith; for you have said “According to your faith be it done to you” (Matthew 9:29). O give us the childlike simplicity that never thinks of doubting God; but may we go forward—in all weakness made strong, by the strength of the Mighty God of Jacob.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘Let it be done for you according to your faith.’” (Matthew 9:29)

throws the whole responsibility upon their confidence in him. Again he arouses their faith; and this time he throws the whole responsibility upon their confidence in him. He touched them with his hand; but they must also touch him with their faith.

The word of power in the last sentence is one upon which he acts so continually, that we may call it, as to many blessings, a rule of the kingdom. We have the measuring of our own mercies; our faith obtains less or more according to its own capacity to receive. Had these men been mere pretenders to faith they would have remained blind. If we will not in very truth trust our Lord, we shall die in our sins.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Grow in godliness. Let Spurgeon be your guide.*

Today, we prayed that God would increase our faith. And we know that this our only hope. Our faith comes from God himself.

Through all of life’s twists and turns, our great God is helping you, holding you, inviting you to know him.

That’s the topic of Spurgeon’s book, The Saint and His Saviour. He wrote this book to help you know God and find more joy in him.

This book is an incredibly practical guide to pursuing God and fighting sin.

I promise you, if you read this book, you will grow in godliness, you will enjoy God more.

It will be well worth your time to read.

I’m incredibly thankful for a new audiobook edition of The Saint and His Saviour, out now from Goodwill Audiobook Classics Library. This audiobook is a great production — it’s one of the best ways to start reading The Saint and His Saviour today.

This audiobook is an incredible resource — I hope you’ll grab this new audiobook and be blessed by it.

Buy The Saint and His Saviour Audiobook Now.
(It’s also available in paperback and Kindle formats.)

Pray with Spurgeon: God, save fake “Christians”

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

O God, have mercy upon the unbelievers whom we know, who have heard your word, and who profess to believe in the inspiration of your sacred Book, and yet have never come and put their confidence in Christ. We know that they are condemned already, because they have not believed upon the Son of God. But oh deliver them from this great sin; and may they come at this very hour, and cast their helpless souls upon him on whom you have laid our help.

May they begin to believe this morning, and then they shall begin to live; and you will breathe peace into such, and you will give them rest, and strength, and holiness; and they shall be more than conquerors, if they will but believe their God.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” (John 3:18)

If you have heard of Christ’s salvation, and you have not believed in him, that is evidence enough of your condemnation. There is no need to prove your evil works, no need to fetch your diary, and turn over the record of your life.

If you have not believed in Jesus Christ, it shows a natural want of holiness, a lack of love to the loving God; and by that evidence you are condemned already, because you have not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. The dislike of Christ is caused by a love of sin. If men did not hug their sins, they would embrace the Savior.

But God brings comfort to the mind of every sinner who will now believe in Christ!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Tell your children the great stories of the Bible, all pointing to Jesus*

Parents, we have a responsibility to fill our children with the truth of the Bible. This is obviously a huge task, so it’s important that we get started early, with faithful resources to help us along the way.

One new resource that I’m really excited about is Bible Stories Every Child Should Know by Kenneth N. Taylor (published by 10 of Those). This book is an incredible collection of over 120 Bible stories, retold for the littlest hearts.

The book is wonderful. Parents will love it because the stories are incredibly faithful, while simple enough for the youngest kids to enjoy. Kids will be drawn in by the beautiful illustrations. There are also questions at the end of each story to help your child understand and retain the details of each story.

This is a great resource that I know will be a blessing to your family! I hope you’ll buy a copy and start enjoying the great story of God’s Word together.

Buy Bible Stories Every Child Should Know from 10 of Those.
(At 10 of Those, shipping is always $1 in the U.S., so make sure you fill your cart! Consider grabbing the rest of the Child Should Know series as well.)

Pray with Spurgeon: May our trials bring glory to God

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Are any of your servants this morning in great trial? Lord help them! Whatever they fail in, let them not fail in faith. May we scorn to doubt our God. Oh, let not the devil get so much power over us as to cause us to mistrust the Eternal, who must not be mistrusted; but may we glorify you.

May we snatch the great opportunities of glorifying you, which troubles and trials bring; and count ourselves to have a high talent committed to us, when we have the opportunity of showing our conquest of self, and our glorying in God in the time of trial. The Lord bless his people here with Abrahamic faith, which staggers not at the promise through unbelief.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials.” (1 Peter 1:6)

We who love the Lord have our joy even in our present adversity. We have two heavens; a heaven here and a heaven hereafter. Jesus is with us, and this is heaven. We are soon to be with Jesus, and that is another heaven. Though sometimes cast down, we are glad at heart.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

God is at work in your suffering

Today we prayed that God would continue to preserve us and use us in our trials. That reminds us that, no matter how much we are suffering, we are not alone — God is always at work.

This was one of the major themes in Spurgeon’s teaching on suffering, but it was not all he had to say on the topic. Spurgeon learned supernatural wisdom from God’s Word and his own pain on how to address our suffering in a God-glorifying, hopeful way.

Spurgeon’s teaching on suffering is very useful, so I compiled a brief collection of it in a short book, Spurgeon on Suffering. This book contains 12 classic sermons from Spurgeon on suffering, pain, and God’s grace through it all.

I hope you’ll buy a copy today, and I hope it will bless you.

(As a side note, purchasing a copy is a great way to support this ministry so that I can continue to send this daily newsletter!)

Buy Spurgeon on Suffering on Amazon (Paperback or Kindle edition)

Pray with Spurgeon: Everything God does is good (the very best)

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Lord, teach us to be resigned to your will; teach us to delight in your law; teach us to have no will but your will; teach us to be sure that everything you do is good—is the very best that can be done.

Help us to leave our concerns in your divine hands, being persuaded that you have sway even over evil; that you bring good out of it, and better still, and better still in infinite progression, till your high purposes shall develop in your own perfect glory, and in the perfect bliss of all who put their trust in you.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

“Peace, peace,” that is the form of the Hebrew, and it means a double peace, the perfection of peace; a great depth of peace, the reality of peace, peace upon peace belongs to the man who trusts in the Lord.

Are you vexed, and worried, and perplexed, dear friend? Are you tossed to and fro as upon a stormy sea? This verse shows you the way in which you may obtain perfect peace: trust in the Lord forever.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Be encouraged by Spurgeon’s earliest sermons*

If this newsletter encourages you every day, I know you’ll find more encouragement in Spurgeon’s other writings.

Recently, I’ve been really blessed by The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon, a collection of books featuring Spurgeon’s earliest sermon outlines.

Up until a few years ago, these sermons were locked away in the archives and weren’t available for reading anywhere. Now, they’re available for our benefit in The Lost Sermons series.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Hundreds of outlines and sermons from Spurgeon’s early ministry
  • Full-color scans of Spurgeon’s personal notebooks
  • Critical footnotes to connect with Spurgeon’s early influences and later ministry
  • Introductions by well-known pastors and scholars
  • Beautiful books that will look stunning in your library
  • Thousands of pages of gospel-saturated teaching

This month only (time is running out!), you can get any volume in the Lost Sermons collection (or all of them!) for 50% off. Just use promo code LOSTSERMONS when you check out on Lifeway.com.

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS to save 50%)

Pastor, don’t overcomplicate things

Get wisdom encouragement for Spurgeon in your inbox every week. Subscribe to the The Pastor’s Note newsletter for free.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PASTORS (BY SPURGEON)

An average hearer, who is unable to follow the course of thought of the preacher, ought not to worry himself, but to blame the preacher, whose business it is to make the matter clear.

If you look down into a well, if it be empty, it will appear to be very deep; but if there be water in it, you will see its brightness. I believe that many “deep” preachers are simply so because they are like dry wells with nothing whatever in them, except decaying leaves, a few stones, and perhaps a dead cat or two. If there be living water in your preaching, it may be very deep, but the light of the truth will give clearness to it. At any rate, labor to be plain, so that the truths you teach may be easily received by your hearers.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION (BY SPURGEON)

Spurgeon was a master illustrator. You can use this illustration in your own preaching to describe the bondage of sin.

If you had a bird here—say, a canary—and it was all free except one leg, it would not be a free bird then. ‘It is only held by a single bit of cotton,’ you say. Still the bird is not at liberty: it cannot fly as it pleases. As long as a man is held a captive by a single vice, no matter how small it is, he is still in bondage to iniquity. If any one sin binds him, masters him, he is not the Lord’s free man. He is still a slave in the worst form of slavery: he is under the dominion of evil.

THANKS FOR READING

Brothers,

We don’t need to be complicated in our preaching. God’s Word has power, we don’t need to help it by being overly deep or spiritual. Don’t succumb to the temptation to offer a lot of seemingly impressive head knowledge: just preach the Word — it will never return void.

In your preaching this weekend, don’t strive to be impressive, strive to show the Lord to be impressive.

If this newsletter is encouraging, please share it with another pastor. You can forward this email to a pastor you know.

If someone forwarded this email to you, sign up to get another one every week. Click here to subscribe.

Blessings to your ministry,

Doug H.
Creator of SpurgeonBooks

Pray with Spurgeon: God, you are good. Help us trust you!

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

You have made us to see the end of all perfection; but your love, even then, has been perfected—perfected in our weakness. You are all goodness, and truth, and grace, and loving-kindness; and therefore, blessed be your name forever and ever.

And now, blot out the sin of your servants. Once again let this unbelief of ours be forgiven; and let us stand, with no sin upon the conscience, but absolved through Jesus’ blood, in the enjoyment of such confidence with you, that we may lift up our face without a cloud, and may trust in you henceforth without a doubt, and go on our way rejoicing, whatever that way may be.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Free me from prison so that I can praise your name.” (Psalm 142:7)

The cave was David’s prison since he could not go out without fear of being captured and salin. His doubts, fears, anxieties, and absence from the house of the Lord all tended to make it a prison and were, indeed, the true prison of his soul.

The man whom God delivers will praise him with his lip in prayer and praise in public; with his heart in private devotion; with his life, serving, honoring, and seeking his Lord. No praise to self. He has given all that to the winds. God does the work. He should be praised for it.

This verse and commentary were taken from the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon (Volume 3, #164). This month only, you can get any volume in this series for 50% off — use promo code LOSTSERMONS. Click here to learn more.*

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

God is real (and that is really, really good news)

Today we prayed, praising God that he is perfect in every way, and asking God to forgive us for our unbelief. Unbelief robs us of joy by bringing us to doubt that God really is there (or really is good). But when we embrace him in faith, we see that he really is perfect, loving, kind, and real.

A great resource for growing your own faith and ending your unbelief is Jesus or Nothing by Dan DeWitt. This book doesn’t just help us see that God exist, but it shows that God’s existence is really, really good news.

Because God (as he’s revealed himself in the Bible) is real, our life has meaning and joy is possible. If there isn’t a God, nothing has any meaning.

I know that this book will strengthen your faith and equip you to share your faith with others. Jesus or Nothing is an incredible, faith-strengthening, life-giving, joy-producing, Bible-saturated book. I hope you’ll grab a copy.

Buy Jesus or Nothing:

Pray with Spurgeon: A Prayer for Afghanistan

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Bless this country, we pray: and we lift up again the voice of earnest prayer that peace may not be broken. Oh, let bloodshed end; may it please you to send wisdom to the leaders of all nations, that by some means this dreadful calamity may be brought to an end.

May he come who will end all danger of war, even the Prince of Peace himself, in whose days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endures. The Lord hear us now; and forgive, and answer, and bless, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus: and unto Israel’s one God, revealed to us in the Trinity of Mystic Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be glory by Christ Jesus.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“On that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will look to him for guidance, and his resting place will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10)

He is the King of the Jews, but he is also our King. We must always look to Christ as the great standard bearer of all the hosts of God, pitch our tents as near his banner as we can, and constantly follow where his banner leads the way. The glory of his rest is in harmony with the glory of all he has ever done. Rest is most enjoyable to the one who has toiled the hardest; the labor that has gone before has prepared him for the sweetness of the rest.

And the glory of Christ’s rest lies in what he has passed through in order to obtain it. He himself is glorious. His service and his suffering were both glorious. His death was in the truest sense glorious, and now all the rest that has followed his finished work is glorious in the highest degree.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Find peace in trying times*

We’re living in a really challenging time — our own country was already feeling divided and now we’re seeing images of horror come across our screens from Afghanistan. Not to mention all of the factors in our own personal lives that cause us anxiety.

We all need rest.

And true rest — true peace, lasting peace — is only found in Jesus Christ.

A great way to start cultivating that kind of rest and peace in your own life is to think more about heaven and the glorious future that Christ has guaranteed for his people. And a great resource to help you set your sights on heaven and find lasting peace for this life is The Believers’ Eternal Rest by Richard Baxter.

There’s a new updated audio edition of The Believers’ Eternal Rest available from my friends at Goodwill Audio. This is an incredible resource and I know that it will help you think more of heaven and find more peace in this life.

I hope you’ll grab the audiobook and look forward to the gracious, glorious future God has purchased for you in Christ.

Buy The Believers’ Eternal Rest from Audible.

Pray with Spurgeon: We have neglected God, but he will never neglect us

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DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)

Many of our actions have been atheistic. We have lived at times as if there were no God. Lord, in many of our actions, even since then, we betray a disbelief of you. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, you may well say of us, “The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?” (Number 14:11)

O God, you have been very faithful to your servants until now. In no one instance is there a breach of promise. You have tried us, as silver is tried, but in great faithfulness you have afflicted us. You have brought us very low indeed; but underneath us have still been the everlasting arms. You have brought us into the wilderness; but you have furnished a table for us, in the presence of our enemies.

Amen.

VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)

“Your righteousness reaches the heights, God, you who have done great things; God, who is like you?” (Psalm 71:19)

Very sublime, unsearchable, exalted and glorious is the holy character of God, and his way of making men righteous. His plan of righteousness uplifts men from the gates of hell to the mansions of heaven. It is a high-doctrine gospel, gives a high experience, leads to high practice, and ends in high felicity. The exploits of others are mere child’s play compared with God’s, and are not worthy to be mentioned in the same age. Creation, providence and redemption are all unique, and nothing can compare with them.

This verse and commentary were taken from Daily Treasure, a new 366-day devotional on the Psalms by Spurgeon. This month only, you can get this book for 25% off from 10 of Those — use promo code SPURGEONBOOKS. Click here to learn more.*

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE

Dive in Deep to Spurgeon’s Earliest Writings*

Like many of you, I’ve been a big fan of Spurgeon for years. His preaching ministry, even over 120 years after his death, has been a constant source of hope and encouragement for me.

If you’re a Spurgeon fan like me, you need to check out The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon. These books contain the outlines and manuscripts of Spurgeon’s earliest sermons — sermons that he preached while a teenage pastor at a small Baptist chapel. The content is absolutely incredible.

One really cool feature is that the sermon outlines have been annotated with critical notes featuring references to Spurgeon’s later preaching and writing. You can see how Spurgeon’s faithfulness to Scripture never wavered throughout his ministry.

This series really is a must-have for any student of Spurgeon. You will benefit richly from these sermons.

For just a few more weeks, “Pray with Spurgeon” subscribers can get any volume in the Lost Sermons collection for 50% off! Just use promo code LOSTSERMONS when you check out on Lifeway.com.

Buy the Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon on Lifeway.com (Use promo code LOSTSERMONS to save 50%)