the things that make leaders dangerous are the very things that earn them affirmation. This is where we see the subtle temptation of grandiosity seeping into ministry. The ways of the world have been so thoroughly internalized in our church culture that we don’t even see them anymore. I recall one pastor who used to remind his congregation, on almost a weekly basis, that if people went to a different church, it meant they really didn’t want to hear God’s Word preached. He presented himself as the sole authoritative interpreter of the Bible. Where pride and arrogance reign, so do other vices.
...more