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Brothers, Fight for Your Life | John Piper · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome, and thank you for joining us for another deep dive
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today. We're stepping into a really
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vital topic, I think, for anyone seeking to cultivate a life of,
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well, spiritual vitality and clarity.
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We're going to unpack some compelling insights on the
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practice of reading, but not just any reading, right?
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We're talking about reading that nourishes the soul and guards
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against spiritual barrenness, especially as it relates to
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those called to lead in ministry.
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This is reformed thinking, and we're here to help you gain
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understanding quickly with some surprising facts and hopefully
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illuminating perspectives. Our mission today is to sift
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through the insights of, well thinkers.
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Many of you will know John Piper, CS Lewis, Martin Lloyd
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Jones, Charles Spurgeon, all of whom saw reading as a truly
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central discipline. We've got a stack of materials
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here that lay out this case and will guide you through the most,
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let's say, gripping Nuggets trying to offer a clear
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structure and memorable details along the way.
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So you might want to grab your own notebook because this deep
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dive is really custom tailored to help you grasp what it means
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to truly feed your through the written word.
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We're going to look at the kind of spiritual battle involved,
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some practical ways to make time for it, why quality maybe
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outweighs quantity, and why drawing from voices of the past
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isn't just a nice idea, but maybe essential for spiritual
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health today. OK, let's unpack this first bit.
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Our sources kick off with a declaration that's, well, quite
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striking for a pastor. Reading isn't just a good habit,
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it's a fight for one's life. That sounds intense.
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What exactly is going on here? Why is the language so stark?
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Yeah, that language from Martyn Lloyd Jones, it really does grab
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you, doesn't it? He literally states that one has
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to fight for one's life just to secure reading time.
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He even suggests you know someone calls the pastor, they
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should just be told the pastor is not available.
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Now that's not about being like it rude or unhelpful.
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It just shows the extreme level of dedication required.
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The sources say pastors must fight for your mornings and
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protect those life giving hours. And this extends even to
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gathering up some of the vanishing moments throughout the
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day, little bits of time. It's about seeing this time is
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absolutely essential, something you have to defend, you know,
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with real vigor because the stakes are just so high for
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their spiritual well-being. And they're calling.
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This isn't presented as like a leisure activity or nice to
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have. It's framed as spiritual
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survival for the leader. It really means a radical
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reordering of priorities where feeding your own soul becomes,
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well, non negotiable on the schedule.
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It's almost like a soldier guarding supplies and enemy
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territory. You do what you have to do
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because your life depends on it. Right.
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So given that framing, what does this actually mean for the
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pastor's spiritual well-being day-to-day?
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Why is it such an intense battle?
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Well, that gets to the core of it, doesn't it?
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Why the fight? Pastors face this constant
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intellectual and spiritual drain.
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Just think about it. The demands are relentless.
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They're preparing, what, two or three new messages a week?
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They're wrestling with family pain from their congregation,
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making complex church decisions, and often navigating these
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really tough, imponderable theological and moral dilemmas.
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Think about the sheer volume of spiritual and emotional energy
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that takes. The analogy used is pretty
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frightening. A pastor is not a self
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replenishing spring that really hits home.
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Their spirit does not revive on the run.
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You can't just refuel spiritually while you're dashing
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between appointments. Imagine a well right in a
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village it's constantly being drawn from.
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Everyone needs water. But if that well never gets
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refilled, if the springs feeding it dry up, it quickly becomes
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empty. Everyone goes thirsty.
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And that's the picture painted for a pastor who neglects this
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dedicated time. Without unhurried reading and
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reflection beyond the Press of sermon preparation, the soul
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just shrinks. And then this phrase, the
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specter of ministerial death rises.
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Now that's not physical death, obviously.
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It's a siritual 1A deep internal kind of withering.
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The constant demands without dedicated input and nourishment
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lead to, well, severe deletion. Consistent reading is described
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as a vital lifeline. It's how the well gets refilled,
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you see. It's how the pastor keeps
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drawing from God truth, not just for others, but for their own
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soul's life. Without it, the well runs dry
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and the ministry itself loses its vitality.
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It's quite a sobering picture, and it really underscores why
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this isn't just a suggestion. It's a spiritual necessity.
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And if this battle for reading time is lost, what's the real
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terrifying consequence? The thing the author's really
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warned against? What is that specter you
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mentioned? Yeah, the sources highlight a
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very specific concern, the beginnings of barrenness that
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come from frenzied activity with little spiritual food and
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meditation. Barrenness.
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It's a spiritual dryness, a lack of real productivity, not in
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terms of, you know, numbers or programs, but genuine spiritual
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fruitfulness. And it's portrayed as something
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to be genuinely concerned about, even frightened of this
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spiritual dryness. It doesn't just affect the
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pastor's own soul, making it shrink or harden.
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It directly impacts their ability to lead the church, to
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pour out truth with authenticity, to genuinely
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minister life to others. Think about a garden.
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Maybe it gets no water, no nutrients.
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Doesn't matter how much sun it gets or how carefully you
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arrange the plants. If there's no spiritual food
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coming in, it just becomes desolate.
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The vibrancy vanishes. Things will.
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No fruit grows. That's the opposite of it.
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Well, a vibrant spiritual life, isn't it?
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And it's shown as a direct consequence of lacking
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nourishment, which deep reading provides.
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The fear is that the well runs dry and there's just nothing
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left to offer, not just in the congregation, but for the
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pastor's own relationship with God.
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It's the loss of spiritual vitality, personal joy, and
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ultimately effectiveness. You know, the sermons might
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become dry, academic. Perhaps the council given might
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lack wisdom, and the pastor themselves to become cynical,
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exhausted, basically spiritually burned out.
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That's the specter they describe.
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This connects to a really compelling distinction mentioned
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in our sources. Pastors are urged to be
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prayerful, spiritual poets rather than productive managers.
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That's a fascinating contrast. Can you tell us more about that?
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What does it really mean for ministry?
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Yeah, that contrast between the productive manager and the
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prayerful spiritual poet is very telling.
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It really gets to the heart of what the church truly needs from
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its leaders. On one hand, you've got this
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contemporary drive, right? To be productive managers.
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This mindset focuses on efficiency tasks, metrics,
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quantifiable results. In ministry, it often emphasizes
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administrative skill, growth numbers, strategic plans,
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program development, getting things done, running a tight
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ship. And look, there's definitely a
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place for good administration. Nobody's denying that.
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But the authors argue this isn't the primary call.
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The true need of the church, they say, is for prayerful
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spiritual poets. Now, that doesn't mean pastors
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who literally write verse, although some might.
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It means pastors whose inner life is so saturated with God's
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reality that it shapes their entire being, their whole
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outlook. These are pastors who feel the
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weight and glory of eternal reality even in the midst of a
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business meeting. Can you picture that?
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A difficult church board meeting, tough decisions, may be
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a crisis. A productive manager might focus
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just on the logistics, the problem solving, the people
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dynamics, but the spiritual poet approaches it from a different
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place. Internally they're aware of
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God's presence, his sovereignty, his character.
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Even in the middle of all the noise and pressure, they carry
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such a sense of God that they provide by their very presence a
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constant life giving reorientation on the infinite
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God. What that means is their
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demeanor, their counsel, their sermons.
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Even just their quiet presence can act as a kind of spiritual
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anchor for people. They radiate a certain God
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consciousness that helps others lift their eyes beyond the
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immediate stuff to the bigger reality of God's Kingdom and his
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purposes. And that kind of posture, that
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internal reservoir of spiritual reality, well, it isn't
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cultivated through efficiency manuals or management seminars.
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It requires deep internal feeding, nurtured by rich
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reading, by unhurried reflection, by a life of prayer.
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It's his internal vitality, not just administrative skill, that
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truly ministers life. It's about embodying A genuine
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connection with God that flows out influencing everything
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rather than just, you know, overseeing a religious
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organization. That picture of the spiritual
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poet that really resonates. It shifts the focus from
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external metrics to an internal reality, doesn't it?
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But OK, For anyone with a busy schedule, pastor or not, finding
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time for rich reading can feel, well, impossible sometimes.
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Our sources shed light on a discovery about making this
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possible, even in short bursts. I think this will be really
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practical for a lot of folks listening.
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Yes, this is where the strategy offered becomes really
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compelling and frankly encouraging.
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The author talks about making an astonishing discovery, his words
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about reading in discipline blocks of 20 minutes a day.
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And the key thing is this frees you from what he calls the
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paralysis of not starting. Great mind shaping, heart
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enriching book because I lacked enough big blocks of time.
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You know that feeling, right? You look at a big important book
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and think, I need a whole Saturday for this.
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And so it just sits there. So many people feel that if they
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can't set aside a full hour, maybe 2, there's no point even
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beginning something substantial. And that means those deeper,
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maybe more challenging, but ultimately more rewarding books,
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they just never get opened. This approach just shatters that
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barrier. It's based on the idea that
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consistency and discipline applied in these relatively
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short intervals can achieve way more than maybe sporadic longer
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sessions that are hard to keep up.
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The astonishing discovery wasn't some new reading technique, it
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was about the psychological freedom and the actual progress
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you gain by breaking an intimidating task into
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manageable pieces. It's about harnessing those
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small moments in the day that might otherwise just get lost
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to, I don't know, scrolling or distraction, and intentionally
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directing them towards this soul nourishing input.
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So this disciplined approach, it isn't just a trick, it's a
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strategic way to weave substantial reading into a busy
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life, turning the seemingly impossible into something
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tangible. So how much can someone actually
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read in these 20 minute blocks? Let's get practical.
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Give us the numbers. I think listeners would
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appreciate seeing the scale of this.
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OK, the calculations are pretty eye opening.
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They really show the cumulative power of small, consistent
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effort. So if you read it about, say,
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250 words per minute, which is a fairly average speed for taking
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things in, then 20 minutes allows for roughly 5000 words.
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Now to put that in context, an average book often has around
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400 words to a page, give or take.
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So if you do the math, that's about 12 1/2 pages in just 20
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minutes. Now let's take that further.
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If a pastor, or really anyone, disciplines themselves to read
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just 20 minutes a day, say six days a week for a whole year,
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that adds up to 312 dedicated reading sessions.
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And when you multiply those 12 1/2 pages by 312 sessions, that
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comes out to 309 hundred pages over the course of a year.
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So assuming an average book is maybe 250 pages long, that means
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you could read 15 books of that size in one year just from those
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consistent 20 minute blocks. This isn't just theory, it's a
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practical demonstration of how these small efforts compound
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into something really significant over time.
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It really challenges that common belief that you need huge chunks
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of time for serious reading. Shows the hidden potential in
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our schedules really. 15 books in a year, just from 20 minutes
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a day, That's, that's quite something.
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It opens up a whole world of possibilities, doesn't it?
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Does this strategy apply to the classic longer works too?
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You know, the ones that look really daunting on the shelf.
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Oh, absolutely. This discipline approach is
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particularly great for tackling those major classic works that
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might otherwise just sit there intimidating you.
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For instance, John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian
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Religion foundational text, right often runs to 1500 pages
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or so. Using this method, you can
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actually complete it in just 25 weeks.
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Think about that. A cornerstone theological work,
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often seen as a lifetime study, becomes accessible in half a
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year just by dedicating 20 minutes a day.
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And after that you could tackle other significant texts, maybe
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Augustine's The City of God or a BB Warfield's Inspiration and
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Authority of the Bible. You could finish those before
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the year's end too. It shows how even the most
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formidable works become manageable when you break them
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down into these consistent bite sized pieces.
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The material also suggests, you know, multiplying these blocks.
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If you could find 20 minutes early morning, maybe another 20
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after lunch, and 20 before bed, you could potentially read
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something like 36 medium sized books annually.
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It really just illustrates the power of consistent discipline,
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turning seemingly small efforts into substantial intellectual
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and spiritual growth. It's about making progress
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consistently rather than waiting for some ideal, uninterrupted
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time that, let's be honest, really shows up.
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That's a powerful picture of consistency.
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Every moment counts now. John Stott is also mentioned
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with a thought on minimum reading time.
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What does he suggest? Maybe for those who feel even
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more pressed for time. Yeah, John Stott offers a
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slightly different angle, but it complements the same idea.
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He speaks particularly to the busiest pastors, but really it
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applies to anyone with a demanding schedule.
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He suggests an hour a day as an absolute minimum for time for
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study. Now, an hour might still sound
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like a lot to some people, but Scott points out that this daily
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habit, which seems small day-to-day, adds up to nearly
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600 hours in a year. And he observes that everybody
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who tries it is surprised to discover how much reading can be
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done within such a discipline framework.
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So what Scott's observation reinforces is the same core
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principle we saw with the 20 minute blocks.
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Structured reading, Even for what might seem like relatively
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short periods, each day yields really substantial rewards over
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time. It pushes back against the
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notion that you need massive free blocks of time for serious
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study or deep spiritual nourishment.
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Instead, it's the regularity, the discipline of setting aside
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that time day after day, that allows for absorbing a vast
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amount of material and cultivating a strong inner life.
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It's about making spiritual feeding a daily rhythm.
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Like eating, consistency is the key to growth.
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So it's clearly not just about finding the time, crucial as
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that is. It's also very much about how we
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read, and our sources make a strong case for focusing on
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quality over quantity, which I imagine might cut against the
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grain for some modern habits. That's exactly right.
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The sources give a direct warning against superficial
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reading, which feels particularly relevant today.
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You know, in our information overload age, Charles Spurgeon
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himself an incredibly wide reader, but also deep.
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He states that a student will find that his mental
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constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered
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than by 20 books which he has merely skimmed, lapping at them.
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That's a significant point, isn't it?
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It suggested a deep, engaged interaction with one book shapes
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your mind, your character, your soul, far more truly than just
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lightly touching on many. It points to a different kind of
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spiritual formation, one that values depth and actually
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absorbing the truth rather than just, you know, taking off
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titles or racking up numbers. It's about real digestion, not
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just tasting. And why is this depth considered
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so crucial? What's the real downside of
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just, you know, keeping up with Pastor Jones by skimming a dozen
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new books a month? Well, thinking about that more
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broadly, the author agrees completely with Spurgeon here.
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He warns that superficiality only feeds pride and breeds
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spiritual barrenness. That's a critical insight.
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I think the temptation to skim, often driven by wanting to seem
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knowledgeable or keep up appearances or just consume lots
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of content, ultimately hinders real spiritual growth.
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It can create a kind of facade of knowledge without true
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understanding settling in. And it can feed pride because
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you might feel informed without having done the hard work of
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really wrestling with the ideas. Instead, the consistent call
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from these authors is to devote yourself to boring in and going
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deep into books to gain soul refreshing, heart deepening,
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mind enlarging truth. This goes directly against that
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temptation just to consume lots of books without letting them
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sink in and actually reshape your inner life.
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Superficial reading might give you the appearance of knowledge.
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Yeah, it might let you drop names and titles.
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But it won't yield genuine spiritual vitality or real
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wisdom or depth of character. It won't satisfy the soul's
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hunger. True depth allows the truth to
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become part of you, to alter your perspective, to actually
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nourish your spirit. That leads to fruit, not
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barrenness. It's almost like allowing the
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book to read you in a sense, and reshape your internal landscape.
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This idea of deep reading leads a strain to some strong advice
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that comes up repeatedly in our sources.
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The Council to read old books. Why are these older texts
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considered so vital for our spiritual and intellectual diet
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today? It might seem a bit
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counterintuitive to some people. Yeah, it's a critical question.
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Why the emphasis on old books? CS Lewis gives a remarkably
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clear answer, and he offers a good rule for reading that many
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people have found helpful. He proposes that after reading a
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new book, never to allow yourself another new one to you
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have read an old one in between. Harris.
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Now if that feels too strict, he gives a slightly less demanding
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option, at least one old one to every three new ones.
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The point isn't to reject contemporary thought entirely.
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It's about ensuring a balance and more than that, a corrective
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influence on your thinking and spiritual formation.
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It's a deliberate strategy to stop our minds from being solely
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shaped by whatever the prevailing ideas of our own
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specific moment happen to be. That's a very specific
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discipline, he suggests. What's the thinking behind
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Lewis's rule? Why is that balance so
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necessary? Lewis argues that every era,
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every age, has its own characteristic mistakes and its
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own characteristic blindness. These are the assumptions, the
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biases, the ways of thinking that are so common in a
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particular time that people living in it just can't fully
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see them. We're all, you know, products of
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our time. To some extent, our perspectives
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are shaped by its particular leanings, which we might not
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even realize we have. For example, our current age
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might lean heavily towards individualism, maybe, or an over
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emphasis on immediate results, or a view of truth.
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It's entirely subjective. These could be our blindnesses,
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and they're hard to spot when you're swimming in them.
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Lewis says that reading old books is the only palliative,
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for that's the only remedy, the only corrective.
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They provide the necessary perspective to correct the
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characteristic mistakes of our own period.
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I know when you read a book written, say, 500 years ago, you
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encounter a mind shaped by totally different cultural
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assumptions, different ideas about life, God, humanity.
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And by engaging with those different thought patterns, you
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start to see the hidden assumptions of your own time
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more clearly. He talks about allowing the
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clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our
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minds. It's a great image, isn't it
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Captures that refreshing, clarifying effect of stepping
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outside our immediate cultural bubble.
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It's like opening a window and letting fresh air clear out the
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stale air of our unexamined assumptions.
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It helps us see our own biases and maybe avoid the pitfalls our
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own age is brought to. He also has a rather interesting
18:27
take on who should read these older texts, especially in
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theology. You might assume they're just
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for scholars, right? That's a really good point.
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What's compelling is Lewis's observation of what he calls a
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strange idea abroad, this idea that only professionals, only
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scholars, should read the ancient books, particularly
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theological ones, while amateurs, you know, regular
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folks, should stick to modern stuff.
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He finds this completely copsy Turi totally upside down.
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He argues that if you were forced to choose between reading
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only new books or only old books, he would absolutely
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advise reading the old. And his reasoning is quite
19:02
clear. New books are still unproven.
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We don't know yet which of their ideas will last and which will
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turn out to be the characteristic mistakes of our
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time. But the old books?
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They've already been filtered through centuries of readers.
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They've survived precisely because they contain enduring
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truth. Therefore, for the person
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seeking a solid foundation, for the amateur who needs firm
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footing, Lewis argues the old books are actually the safer and
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more beneficial choice. It really highlights the unique,
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corrective and enriching value these older texts offer,
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suggesting their insights aren't just for specialists but are
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fundamental for anyone wanting a robust understanding of God and
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Christian living. Our modern preference for the
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new often misses the enduring truths and the crucial
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perspective older works provide for living faithfully in any
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age. This discussion of old books
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brings us neatly to a specific recommendation from our sources,
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the Puritans. Why are their writings singled
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out as particularly nourishing for the soul, especially for
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those in ministry, but really for anyone?
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Well, digging into this, the distinction made about the
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content of spiritual reading is pretty significant.
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The sources express a kind of lament that much contemporary
20:06
devotional material is just too light and too shallow and too
20:09
atheological. That it often fails to truly
20:13
convey the greatness of God and can leave the soul feeling,
20:16
well, starving. Think of it like spiritual junk
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food. Maybe it might give you a
20:21
momentary feeling of fullness, but it lacks the essential
20:24
nutrients for sustained health and growth.
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This kind of material, though often well meaning, can focus on
20:30
surface level feelings or practical tips without grounding
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them deeply in the rich doctrines of God's character,
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His Holiness, His sovereignty, the work of Christ.
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It suggests a spiritual diet that's lacking real substance,
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unable to satisfy the soul's deepest hunger for God Himself.
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In contrast, older works, and especially those of the
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Puritans, are held up as providing A deeper, more
20:51
substantial spiritual food, food that can kindle a flame in your
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spirit and also offer gentle treatment for your soul.
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See, the Puritans weren't just academics.
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They were pastors deeply concerned with applying biblical
21:02
truth to everyday life, cultivating a deep experiential
21:05
knowledge of God. The writings are packed with
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doctrine, yes, but it's always aimed at stirring the affections
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and romoting ractical holiness. It's this blend of robust
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theology and heartfelt piety that makes them so uniquely
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nourishing. They weren't afraid to go deep
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into doctrines like sin, grace, election, union with Christ, but
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they did it with an eye towards personal transformation and
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spiritual vitality. Martin Lloyd Jones, for example,
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shares a very personal, quite touching account of how a
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particular Puritan helped him during a really difficult time.
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Can you share that story? Yes, it's a wonderful
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illustration of the practical value of these older texts.
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Lloyd Jones talks about his deep gratitude for Richard Sibbs,
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specifically Sibbs books The Bruised Read and The Soul's
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Conflict. Lloyd Jones describes a time in
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his own ministry when he was overworked and badly overtired,
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something many in ministry and frankly many others can relate
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to. And he says that in that weary
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state, reading these books by Sibs incredibly quieted,
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soothed, comforted, encouraged and healed his soul.
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Just pause on that for a moment. He wasn't reaching for a quick
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fix or a management book. He reached for Puritan works
22:12
centuries old and found genuine balm for his soul.
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The bruised Reed, for instance, is known for its incredibly
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tender, compassionate approach to those struggling with sin and
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spiritual weakness, drawing comfort from Christ's gentle
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character. This just illustrates how these
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historical theological works aren't merely academic
22:29
exercises. They offer real comfort, real
22:31
healing for the soul in times of weakness, exhaustion or
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spiritual struggle. They speak directly to the
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heart, providing solace and reorientation when maybe dense
22:39
arguments are too much to handle.
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It really shows the practical, soul sustaining nature of these
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older writings. Their relevance goes way beyond
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historical interest. They meet the real spiritual and
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emotional needs of people today, just like they did centuries
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ago. And it's not just sieves, is it?
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Our sources list several other Puritan and classic authors that
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pastors and really anyone seeking spiritual depth should
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probably be familiar with and read.
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Are these books actually easy to get hold of?
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Yeah, that brings up a really important point about access.
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The sources note that many pastors today may be immersed in
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contemporary books on management or church growth.
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Don't even know such treasures for the soul exist, which is a
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real shame. A huge missed opportunity for
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deep spiritual nourishment, because thankfully these books
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are almost all still in print. There are publishers who
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specialize in keeping Reformed and Puritan works available, so
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they are readily accessible to anyone looking for this kind of
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spiritual food. You don't need to be a scholar
23:35
digging through archives. Ji Packer, who is a great
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scholar of Puritanism himself, is quoted saying that neglecting
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these readily available Puritan reprints impoverishes us
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grievously. He basically says we are
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spiritually poor for ignoring this rich heritage, and he calls
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for an end to this neglect. Some specific authors mentioned
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for their soul nourishing quality include John Lynn
23:56
Edwards. Think of his religious
23:57
affections exploring true spiritual experience.
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John Bunyan, obviously with Pilgrim's Progress.
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Thomas Boston's Fourfold State, Jeremiah Burroughs, Christian
24:07
Contentment, JC Rile on Holiness, Charles Bridges on the
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Christian Ministry, Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies
24:14
against Satan's Devices, John Flavel's Method of Grace.
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These aren't just historical artifacts.
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They're presented as living springs of truth for the
24:21
Christian soul, offering wisdom, comfort, and guidance that
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really does transcend time. Now, this rich reading, it isn't
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meant to be this isolated activity, kind of separate from
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the rest of one spiritual life, is it?
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Our sources suggest a strong connection between reading and
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other spiritual disciplines, particularly prayer.
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How does reading actually help us?
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Pray better, or maybe with more spiritual warmth?
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This is a really beautiful aspect.
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I think it underscores that this kind of reading isn't just about
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downloading information into your brain.
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What's compelling is how reading can become an organic part of,
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say, your morning prayer time. The idea is that reading
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something devotional, something substantial, can warm your
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spirit. It can help you get oneself into
25:01
that frame and condition in which one can pray.
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You know those times when you sit down to pray, but your mind
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is just racing, or your heart feels cold, or you're just
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distracted by the To Do List? It can be hard to just jump into
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meaningful conversation with God.
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Lloyd Jones describes it as learning how to kindle a flame
25:19
in your spirit, even uses the analogy of a spiritual choke,
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like on an old car engine. You know on a cold morning you
25:26
needed the choke to enrich the fuel mixture, warm the engine
25:29
up, get it running smoothly before you could drive off.
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In the same way, spiritual reading can act like that choke
25:35
for your soul. It focuses your mind on divine
25:37
truths, reminds you of God's character, his promises.
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It helps bring your affections into line with His will.
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As you read about God's greatness or the wonders of his
25:47
grace, maybe your heart begins to soften, your desire for Him
25:50
grows, and the world's distractions start to fade a
25:53
bit. So this isn't just intellectual
25:55
preparation. It's about cultivating a heart
25:57
condition that's actually conducive to communion with God.
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Reading can quiet the inner noise, present specific biblical
26:04
truths to shape your prayers around, and stir up a genuine
26:07
hunger for God's presence. So instead of prayer feeling
26:10
like a duty performed in spiritual coldness, it can
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become a more heartfelt, engaged experience, flowing more
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naturally from a soul that's been warmed and directed by
26:18
truth. The words on the page become
26:20
fuel for devotion, guiding your thoughts and opening up new
26:23
avenues for talking with the Lord.
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So bringing this all together, what does this mean for you, our
26:28
listener? This deep dive into the pastor's
26:31
fight for soulful reading. It really offers a compelling
26:34
blueprint for spiritual verbality that honestly extends
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far beyond just pastors. It reminds us that our souls,
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just like our bodies, need constant and nourishing food to
26:43
really flourish. Yeah, if you step back and look
26:46
at the big picture, the core message seems pretty clear.
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Whether you're in formal ministry or just seeking to live
26:52
a life shaped by spiritual depth in whatever context God has you
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fighting for time to engage with rich life giving books is
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presented as a fight for your very spiritual existence.
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It's about more than just gaining knowledge.
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It's about staying alive in your soul to keep the juices flowing
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to fan the flame. And that applies to anyone who
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desires A vibrant walk with God, who wants to be spiritually
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nourished, fruitful, and frankly resilient in the face of life's
27:18
challenges and the world's spiritual drain.
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We've seen how dedicated, disciplined reading, even those
27:23
20 minute blocks can yield really astounding results.
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It allows you to walk with giants of the faith, absorb so
27:29
much truth. We've heard that compelling call
27:31
to go deep, right, master a few works rather than just skimming
27:35
many. And we've hopefully understood
27:37
the unique value of old books, especially the Puritans, in
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correcting our modern blind spots and providing true,
27:43
substantial spiritual food that maybe a lot of contemporary
27:46
stuff just can't offer. Our deepest gratitude goes to
27:50
the authors of our sources, John Piper and the others we've
27:52
mentioned, for these insights. Their words really do inspire a
27:56
more disciplined and hopefully more spiritually fruitful
27:59
approach to reading. Which really brings up an
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important question for you, the listener to think about this
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week. What small discipline step could
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you take starting this week to begin?
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Or maybe reignite your own fight for soul nourishing reading.
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Perhaps it is setting aside a 20 minute block each morning, or
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maybe picking up one of those older works we talked about.
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How might consistent engagement with a truly significant book
28:24
alter your spiritual landscape over the next year?
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Just imagine the growth, the clarity that could come from
28:29
that kind of consistent spiritual feeding.
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Thank you for joining us on this deep dive.
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We trust this discussion has given you plenty to consider and
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maybe apply to your own walk with God.
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Until next time, keep seeking truth and fighting for your
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soul's true nourishment.