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Eccentric Preachers: Spiritual Lessons and Insights from God’s Peculiar People [Updated and Annotated]
Charles Spurgeon’s Eccentric Preachers will be particularly useful to preachers, teachers, and soul-winners, who should keep this book close at hand. On days when confidence is low and spirits are drained, they will find it a rich source of personal encouragement and spiritual refreshment.
Besides examining what it means to be eccentric and whether we should be concerned with such a label, Spurgeon also gives us an overview of the lives and ministries of eleven unforgettable preachers of the Gospel. They, with their slight quirks, were noteworthy but also powerful in their service to Christ. These eleven men, who loved and served God with all their heart, will inspire, challenge, and even amuse you.
You will learn how you can, within reason, move forward boldly in the work of the Lord, freely and unabashedly using the gifts and talents He has bestowed upon you, for His glory. Preach biblically, lovingly, and truthfully, but also boldly, unashamedly, and with all your heart. You will enjoy this book, laugh occasionally, and perhaps even shed a few tears as you realize you are not alone. No matter what others may say about you, the Lord will work through you mightily as you take up the mantle and work earnestly for Him.
About the Author
Ron Metheny is a Baptist pastor and Christian author. His published works Why, God? Why?! (Understanding Habakkuk), 'Twas the Devotional before Daily Readings for Advent, and Echoes of Thunder (A Collection of Christian Quotes and Godly Wit). He lives in Kentucky.
Besides examining what it means to be eccentric and whether we should be concerned with such a label, Spurgeon also gives us an overview of the lives and ministries of eleven unforgettable preachers of the Gospel. They, with their slight quirks, were noteworthy but also powerful in their service to Christ. These eleven men, who loved and served God with all their heart, will inspire, challenge, and even amuse you.
You will learn how you can, within reason, move forward boldly in the work of the Lord, freely and unabashedly using the gifts and talents He has bestowed upon you, for His glory. Preach biblically, lovingly, and truthfully, but also boldly, unashamedly, and with all your heart. You will enjoy this book, laugh occasionally, and perhaps even shed a few tears as you realize you are not alone. No matter what others may say about you, the Lord will work through you mightily as you take up the mantle and work earnestly for Him.
About the Author
Ron Metheny is a Baptist pastor and Christian author. His published works Why, God? Why?! (Understanding Habakkuk), 'Twas the Devotional before Daily Readings for Advent, and Echoes of Thunder (A Collection of Christian Quotes and Godly Wit). He lives in Kentucky.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2024
About the author
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
5,678 books1,680 followersCharles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, became pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church (formerly pastored by the famous Baptist theologian, John Gill). The congregation quickly outgrew their building, moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. In these venues, Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000—all in the days before electronic amplification. In 1861, the congregation moved permanently to the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle.
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April 6, 2026
I suggest a re-title: “How Not to Be a Super Judgy Layperson,” by Charles H. Spurgeon.
No, how about: “Etiquette is for Weenies, Real Men Preach the Gospel.”
Maybe, “How to Get Over Your Precious Sensibilities and Actually Be a Fruitful Christian.”
That’s probably pretty good.
Spurgeon recalibrates us to what is truly important. Not the precise form or style of pastors, but the heart behind the truth and the blessing of God through the salvation of sinners!
Favorite quotes:
“Be so eccentric as to always be able to speak the truth to a man face-to-face.”
Pg. 2
“[The pastor] who hopes to preach so as to please everybody must be a newcomer to the ministry, and he who aims at such a target would do well to quickly leave its ranks.”
Pg. 3
“Let those whose barren ministries are as proper and respectable as a row of gravestones complain of the oddities of those who bring thousands to Christ.”
Pg. 41
“The dread of sinning against etiquette is as much to be avoided as the vulgarity that causes needless offense.”
Pg. 110
“Oh you [laypeople] who are forever prudishly dull, before you judge a [pastor] whose loving ministry guided thousands to the skies…remember that with all his violations of your miserable regulations, he was one whom the Lord delighted to honor.”
Pg. 122
“[W]e have no patience with those who imagine that you cannot admire a man’s character unless you agree with him in every doctrinal statement.”
Pg. 125
Finally, “If you knew how little we desire notoriety and how much we desire to save your souls, then you would commend our objective and excuse our style.”
Pg. 62
No, how about: “Etiquette is for Weenies, Real Men Preach the Gospel.”
Maybe, “How to Get Over Your Precious Sensibilities and Actually Be a Fruitful Christian.”
That’s probably pretty good.
Spurgeon recalibrates us to what is truly important. Not the precise form or style of pastors, but the heart behind the truth and the blessing of God through the salvation of sinners!
Favorite quotes:
“Be so eccentric as to always be able to speak the truth to a man face-to-face.”
Pg. 2
“[The pastor] who hopes to preach so as to please everybody must be a newcomer to the ministry, and he who aims at such a target would do well to quickly leave its ranks.”
Pg. 3
“Let those whose barren ministries are as proper and respectable as a row of gravestones complain of the oddities of those who bring thousands to Christ.”
Pg. 41
“The dread of sinning against etiquette is as much to be avoided as the vulgarity that causes needless offense.”
Pg. 110
“Oh you [laypeople] who are forever prudishly dull, before you judge a [pastor] whose loving ministry guided thousands to the skies…remember that with all his violations of your miserable regulations, he was one whom the Lord delighted to honor.”
Pg. 122
“[W]e have no patience with those who imagine that you cannot admire a man’s character unless you agree with him in every doctrinal statement.”
Pg. 125
Finally, “If you knew how little we desire notoriety and how much we desire to save your souls, then you would commend our objective and excuse our style.”
Pg. 62
Displaying 1 of 1 review