Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and best-selling author Dr. Paul David Tripp

connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life. Unless your ministry is deeply rooted

in the finished work of Jesus Christ, it will be uprooted by some form of ministry dysfunction.

In today's episode, Paul warns of all the ways in which we look for identity and ministry.

Here's Paul.

I was very unsettled about what I would share with you this morning.

I told Steve this morning my faithful companion in ministry that I had altered what I was

going to say 14 times.

Maybe that's an example of what I'm about to speak about.

I was an honors graduate from seminary.

You can applaud right now.

I won all kinds of student awards.

I didn't just take Hebrew.

I took Eucharitic. I took comparative Semitic. I left seminary ready for the world. Bring it on. I'm Paul freaking trip.

I got a words to prove it.

I speak dead languages

fluently.

But I want to say this, because I think it needs to be said.

I was totally unprepared for ministry.

I was completely unprepared for the dangers of regular gospel ministry.

Completely unprepared.

I was unprepared for the deep heart struggles that I would face in ministry.

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