Many of my friends and those who encounter me know that I have been impacted and discipled from afar by the preaching and teaching of Mark Driscoll. Driscoll is a pastor and church-planter out in Seattle and in many ways the way he communicates and teaches is similar to the way I want to and also in ways that connect with my heart and mind. About a month or so ago Driscoll responded to a post by a Christian leader about a “hard” subject and Driscoll blasted him and another leader. I have to confess, I laughed at it and enjoyed it. One reason is because I totally disagreed with what this other leader was saying and, two, because I have a sarcastic demeanor that cuts people down. The ladder, and not the former, is the problem, because it’s not living a life congruent to the Gospel.


So as I logged on to Driscoll’s blog I learned a valuable lesson from him. It challenged me and made me think about my demeanor and the character I would like to possess and live. Here is the very end of what Driscoll had to say (click here to read the rest); may the Lord bring this in my life, in Mark’s and your life too.

In the end, I do not want my tone and style to get in the way of important discussions and kingdom work. So, my intention is to lean into God’s empowering grace to become a holy man who demonstrates greater self-control. In the future, my prayer is that I could continue to speak with pithy edginess and candor that is also marked by grace and appropriate words. I obviously failed this time. Please forgive me and pray for me.