You Cannot Read Too Much in Scripture

This week Shannon and I are enjoying the Sovereign Grace Pastor's Conference. C.J. gave a great message last night reminding us of our calling to "shepherd the flock of God" from 1 Peter 5:1-2. Tonight Jeff Purswell preached from 2 Timothy 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." As he challenged pastors to work diligently in study he shared the following quote from Martin Luther:

"Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good. They do not pray; they do not read; they do not search the Scripture... The call is: watch, study, attend to reading. In truth you cannot read too much in Scriptures; and what you read you cannot read too carefully, and what you read carefully you cannot understand too well, and what you understand well you cannot teach too well, and what you teach well you cannot live too well... the devil... the world...and our flesh are raging and raving against us. Therefore, dear sirs and brothers, pastors and preachers, pray, read, study, be diligent... This evil, shameful time is not the season for being lazy, for sleeping and snoring" --Quoted in John Piper, The Legacy of Sovereign Joy (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2000), 101.