---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Preaching is God's great institution for…"
description: "\"Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and maturing of spiritual life. When properly executed, its benefits are untold; when wrongly exe..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg"
---

#  Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and…

![“Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and maturing of spiritual life. When properly executed, its benefits are untold; when wrongly executed, no evil can exceed its damaging results.” quote by Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg)

> “Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and maturing of spiritual life. When properly executed, its benefits are untold; when wrongly executed, no evil can exceed its damaging results.”

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Effective preaching nurtures spiritual growth, but misuse can cause severe harm.

**In simple terms:** Good preaching builds faith; bad preaching harms.

Key Takeaway

Practice preaching with humility and integrity.

Themes

faith education responsibility

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

theological educational

When to use this quote

- church services
- Bible study
- public speaking

Key Concepts

spiritual formation communication ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you ensure your message uplifts rather than harms?
- What safeguards can prevent misuse of influence?

A Different Perspective

Not all audiences respond equally to preaching.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Institution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institution/) [Institutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/institutions/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Planting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planting/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spiritual life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-life/) [Wrongly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrongly/)

## Related quotes

> [Woe to the generation of sons who find their censers empty of the rich incense of prayer, whose fathers have been too busy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/woe-to-the-generation-of-sons-who-find-their-censers-empty-of-the/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [There is a kind of preaching that God blesses, specifically the proclamation that exalts the crucified Christ by the power of the Spirit. Conversely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-lawson/there-is-a-kind-of-preaching-that-god-blesses-specifically-the/)

[Steve Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-lawson/)

> [The enemy of the human race...invented a means never before heard of, by which he might hinder the preaching of God's word of Salvation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-enemy-of-the-human-race-invented-a-means-never-before-heard-of-by/)

[Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/)

> [It is the bourgeoisie which has turned religion into an opium of the people by preaching a God, lord of the heavens only, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frei-betto/it-is-the-bourgeoisie-which-has-turned-religion-into-an-opium-of-the/)

Frei Betto

> [“The glory of preaching is that God accomplishes his will through it, but we are always humbled and occasionally comforted by the knowledge that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-chapell/the-glory-of-preaching-is-that-god-accomplishes-his-will-through-it/)

[Bryan Chapell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-chapell/)

> [“When Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, He came preaching God’s right to rule over the minds and hearts of all people. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-montgomery-boice/when-jesus-came-preaching-the-kingdom-of-god-he-came-preaching-god-s-2/)

[James Montgomery Boice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-montgomery-boice/)

> [God empowered him; and my father, when he stood to preach, he wasn't preaching his message, he was preaching God's message.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/god-empowered-him-and-my-father-when-he-stood-to-preach-he-wasn-t/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

> [“When Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God, He came preaching God’s right to rule over the minds and hearts of all people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-montgomery-boice/when-jesus-came-preaching-the-kingdom-of-god-he-came-preaching-god-s/)

[James Montgomery Boice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-montgomery-boice/)

> [“I believe the word used wrongly distorts the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-wright/i-believe-the-word-used-wrongly-distorts-the-world/)

[C.D. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-wright/)

> [It's a dangerous thing to name yourself wrongly or to name yourself unjustly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/it-s-a-dangerous-thing-to-name-yourself-wrongly-or-to-name-yourself/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [Catholic schools in Indonesia routinely accept non-Catholic students, but exempt them from studying religion. Obama's school documents, though, wrongly list him as being Indonesian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klein/catholic-schools-in-indonesia-routinely-accept-non-catholic-students/)

[Aaron Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klein/)

> [“One of the greatest statements you can ever make on earth is to say “I am right, but I may be wrong”. Find out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/one-of-the-greatest-statements-you-can-ever-make-on-earth-is-to-say-i/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [I've wrongly been called sick by newspapers and magazines throughout my entire career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-origliasso/i-ve-wrongly-been-called-sick-by-newspapers-and-magazines-throughout/)

[Jessica Origliasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-origliasso/)

> [Orwell's '1984' convinced me, rightly or wrongly, that Marxism was only a quantum leap away from tyranny. By contrast, Huxley's 'Brave New World' suggested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/orwell-s-1984-convinced-me-rightly-or-wrongly-that-marxism-was-only-a/)

[J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/)

> [You can make a very good argument that society would be much worse off if you let 10 rapists and murderers free rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/you-can-make-a-very-good-argument-that-society-would-be-much-worse/)

[Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/)

## More by Edward McKendree Bounds

> [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [The pride of learning is against the dependent humility of prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-pride-of-learning-is-against-the-dependent-humility-of-prayer/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [Men who pray are, in reality, the only religious men, and it takes a full-measured man to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/men-who-pray-are-in-reality-the-only-religious-men-and-it-takes-a/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-god-is-not-first-in-our-thoughts-and-efforts-in-the-morning-he/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [Prayer is a specific divine appointment, an ordinance of Heaven, whereby God purposes to carry out His gracious designs on earth and to execute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-is-a-specific-divine-appointment-an-ordinance-of-heaven/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [It is necessary to iterate and reiterate that prayer, as a mere habit, as a performance gone through by routine or in a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/it-is-necessary-to-iterate-and-reiterate-that-prayer-as-a-mere-habit/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [There is power through prayer. For many Christians, prayer is nothing special, just something we're supposed to do - go to church, tithe, read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/there-is-power-through-prayer-for-many-christians-prayer-is-nothing/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [The most important lesson we can learn is how to pray. Prayers do not die, prayers live before God, and God's heart is set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-most-important-lesson-we-can-learn-is-how-to-pray-prayers-do-not/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [If we would have God in the closet, God must have us out of the closet. There is no way of praying to God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/if-we-would-have-god-in-the-closet-god-must-have-us-out-of-the-closet/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [They are not leaders because of brilliancy. ...but because, by the power of prayer, they could command the power of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/they-are-not-leaders-because-of-brilliancy-but-because-by-the-power/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [God's Word does not say, "Call unto me, and you will thereby be trained into the happy art of knowing how to be denied.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/god-s-word-does-not-say-call-unto-me-and-you-will-thereby-be-trained/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [The resurrection of Jesus Christ was necessary to establish the truth of his mission and put the stamp of all-conquering power on his gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-was-necessary-to-establish-the-truth/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element of prayer. Men must be in earnest when they kneel at God's footstool. Too often we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/jesus-taught-that-perseverance-is-the-essential-element-of-prayer-men/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [Prayer makes a godly man, and puts within him "the mind of Christ," the mind of humility, of self-surrender, of service, of pity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-makes-a-godly-man-and-puts-within-him-the-mind-of-christ-the/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

> [Prayer, like faith, obtains promises, enlarges their operation, and adds to the measure of their results.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/prayer-like-faith-obtains-promises-enlarges-their-operation-and-adds/)

[Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

[Explore all 195 Edward McKendree Bounds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/)

## More Benefits quotes

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/)

[Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/)

> [Anger is a rough water; if you can canalize it into a water mill, you can benefit from it. Anything bad can be transformed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/anger-is-a-rough-water-if-you-can-canalize-it-into-a-water-mill-you/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [Politics is about power. It is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rudd/politics-is-about-power-it-is-about-the-power-of-the-state-it-is/)

[Kevin Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-rudd/)

> [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Trust is about keeping commitments, but in many instances, circumstances change and organizations therefore shed commitments, things such as retiree medical benefits, pension obligations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/trust-is-about-keeping-commitments-but-in-many-instances/)

[Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/)

> [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To really be of benefit to others as the Buddha always taught, we ourselves must first get out of the swamp. One of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/to-really-be-of-benefit-to-others-as-the-buddha-always-taught-we/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

> [I won the seat of Oxley largely on an issue that has resulted in me being called a racist. That issue related to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/i-won-the-seat-of-oxley-largely-on-an-issue-that-has-resulted-in-me/)

[Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/)

> [Intelligence is a separate gift, for the benefit of students, so that they may think of themselves as intellectual and not very intelligent, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/intelligence-is-a-separate-gift-for-the-benefit-of-students-so-that/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/)

[Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/)

> [Benefits received are a delight to us as long as we think we can requite them; when that possibility is far exceeded, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/benefits-received-are-a-delight-to-us-as-long-as-we-think-we-can/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

Browse all 3,616 Benefits quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and maturing of spiritual life. When properly executed, its benefits are untold; when wrongly executed, no evil can exceed its damaging results.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edward McKendree Bounds"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for-the-planting-and-maturing-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Benefits"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for-the-planting-and-maturing-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/551/edward-mckendree-bounds-1955_benefits_preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for_2258926.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Preaching is God's great institution for the planting and maturing of spiritual life. When properly…” — Edward McKendree Bounds",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Edward McKendree Bounds",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Preaching is God's great institution for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for-the-planting-and-maturing-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/preaching-is-god-s-great-institution-for-the-planting-and-maturing-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
