Feb. 10, 2026

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who keeps his tongue is wise." Proverbs10,19 NIV

"My dear brothers take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." James1,19    

"If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Mark4,23

"He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him." Proverbs18,13 KJ

"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke5,16 NIV

Gospel Speaking And Service Without Gospel Hearing
Jesus is our Lord and King!

More ministry content is not our Lord and king!

Publishing more and more ministry content without hearing from God and on our own timetable is not bueno.  

More of our spoken and written words- if without grace- won't bring folks to saving faith or us Christians to greater faith, only more of his rich gospel WORD and the Holy Spirit anointing will do so.

We Christians live in this overflowing (sometimes sloppy) modern media culture that wants to make us either non stop consumers of any old content, or non stop creators of it.

I enjoy consuming content, but even more creating it. To create fresh gospel content we need to be quick to listen- to "see", to know and understand what the Word and the Spirit is saying to the churches. But to get such a gospel message or teaching (and perhaps an occasional prophecy) takes discipline and gifting- and the wisdom to minister only what and when Jesus wants.

I learned this lesson again recently when I finished a long teaching about a subject that I am keen about. I thought I would just immediatly publish it. That's usually the way the Lord works with me anyway.

He inspires- and gives the grace- so just go with it I thought.

But in this instance the best editor and boss and savior and friend I have ever had- or will ever have- said "not yet."

So I offered (not necessarily bargaining mind you!) to revise it. He said "wait."

We are all on various content timelines- whether self imposed or given by someone else. But the best timeline and deadline giver is Christ in us- and the Holy Spirit.

So, while it's a great feeling to finish content- the Word says to all of us "be quick to hear- but slow to speak", James1,19; and "when words are many sin is not absent." Proverbs10,19

I have been on the pastor content and teaching timetable- nothing like bi weekly and weekly deadlines to harness and goad one's creativity in our sometimes ox-like service! (cf Charles Spurgeon Sermon on Acts9,5: "It is hard for thee [Apostle Paul] to kick against the pricks."  In this sermon Spurgeon quotes Isaiah 1,3: 'The ox knows its owner, and the ass his master's crib...' Then he comments on the supplying Providence of God: "The ox receives its fodder from the master's hand, and knows the hand that feeds it." Section 1, par.3 "https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/kicking-against-the-pricks/#flipbook/)

But so much modern content demands can result in staleness and routine- and falling back on the same old content, rather than relying on the graceful providence of God, who feeds us the sum and substance of our best gospel content.

And yet and still it's no sin for pastors, evangelists, prophets, or choirs or soloists among the body of Christ to let others pour out their gifted gospel content- when we- perhaps providentially- don't have much of anything fresh to offer.

In fact, my experience is that the more gospel content creators there are in a ministry and or a church the better. This keeps the whole gospel team off the worldly, modern content treadmill- and its false notion of "publish or perish."   

"Lonely" Places And Accumulating Gospel Content
Hearing and listening to God and then producing gospel content is a cumulative process. This hearing is not always scheduled for publishing in three days, or two days, or two hours. Luke5,16 tells us that Jesus often "often withdrew to lonely places" to be alone with the Father in prayer- to keep himself filled up with what he was going to pour out and speak and pray and prophesy at the right time.

This habit of Jesus shows us that every bit of content we accumulate doesn't have to be immediatly put out there- right now!  And "hurry up" is not necessarily our best gospel strategy for effective ministry.

We might also be much blessed by saving up some gospel content- for when we really need it.

Or, sometimes, we might need to realize that Jesus often isn't just inspiring us for a social media post or gospel blurb, but perhaps a sermon series, or a book, or not just one song, but a whole bunch of them. Or, perhaps God is just inspiring us to continue studying to continue to show ourselves approved!

But because we sometimes get so fixated on the next, and the more, more and more of content, we might not realize that Jesus wants to make this whole gospel content output thing easier for all of us, like more in tune with what HE wants put out there- and when.   

I trust that his judgment and discernment on the what and when and why and how of content is way better than mine.

But I admit- like all us in our modern world- we are tempted to just put that content out there, the sooner the better.

We Christians- thank God- have learned a bit about how to speak and teach the gospel in two thousand years- and about worship too- and thank God we have ways to do so that are sometimes more relevant and topical and interesting. But just because our ministry is relevant and topical doesn't necessarily mean the Holy Spirit is in it, or that it is effective. 

Our gospel ears, if we can hear (Mark4,23), will tell us when we are speaking or ministering God's Word of the day- or we are ministering our own individual voice and personality and our own ministry instead of God's.

Content creation is more challenging in some media ministries than others. For example, live Christian radio is a mashup up of being able to hear and see really quickly, and then the ability talk now so as to hold an audience. But the word still says we ("everyone") should be "quick to hear but slow to speak."  (Praise God for folks who have the courage to speak up on live radio- so we best give radio folks a bit more mercy.)

But we have all been there- there are times- in church, or other public places and online spaces, or at some media opportunity- when somebody is putting out more and more "topical and relevant" content out there now when perhaps they needed to wait and do more gospel prep, study, and prayer.

In reality, there are times, even when we are in the Spirit, when we still need to slow our roll towards immediate communication and just putting it out there!

I am all for folks in ministry being agile, topical and relevant, and even to discerning and ministering the Holy Ghost right now. And I also encourage gifted folks- after they have progessed in ministry a bit- to swing for Holy Ghost kingdom fences.

But most of us realize that such freedom and creativity in ministry means sometimes mistakes, and sometimes revisions and explanations- and mercy- and pastoral and prophetic guidance too.

Finally, I also note and rejoice that there's a powewrful trend of modern gospel ministry, especially among women, toward being Christian Influencers. We in the body of Christ need prayerful women accumulating powerful gospel content- who then speak up loudly- and release what God wants said.

And why don't we go a step further and welcome and encourage them- and train them up- to be all manner of Christian evangelists, not to pastor, but to speak up in the body of Christ, in our culture, and in every local community- to bring even more gospel life to the church, and to our communities, and to our culture.

The are so many solid biblically based gospel ministries and pastor teachers in our day and age, and so many gospel leaders in the Spirit who are quick to hear, and understand, and who have the ability to minister the gospel to the lost and hurting, to the back slidden, and to the denominational system that still somewhat limits creative gospel content. 

With all the gifts and talents of this myriad of gospel ministries and pastor teachers and prophets around the world, we can spread the gospel to all the body of Christ and all the world- not because we are overly fascinated or harried with all the modern means to put out content- but that by prayer and preparation with Jesus and His Word we become quick to hear and ready to speak and minister in the Spirit. And thus- our souls and spirits are made ready to pour out the gospel content that the grace of God has given us- to serve His people- on his timetable.      

Br. Tobin
Connecticut USA