---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a preacher myself, let me be blunt…"
description: "\"“As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. Preaching itself can easily become just a subtle form of entertainment. When I stand at the Judgment Seat ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png"
---

#  As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. Preaching…

![“As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. Preaching itself can easily become just a subtle form of entertainment. When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he is not going to ask me if I was a clever orator. He is not going to ask me how many books I wrote. He is only going to ask whether I…” quote by Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png)

> ““As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. Preaching itself can easily become just a subtle form of entertainment. When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he is not going to ask me if I was a clever orator. He is not going to ask me how many books I wrote. He is only going to ask whether I continued in the line of men and women, starting way back in the time of Adam’s grandchildren, who led others to call upon God.””

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

## About This Quote

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

Preaching can become self‑focused entertainment, but ultimate judgment cares about faithful lineage and leading others to God.

**In simple terms:** Preaching should focus on guiding others, not personal fame.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize humility and discipleship.

Themes

faith humility leadership

Mood

thoughtful serious

Type

inspirational spiritual

When to use this quote

- church service
- personal reflection
- teaching
- public speaking

Key Concepts

spiritual accountability legacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you ensure your preaching serves others?
- What legacy do you want to leave?

A Different Perspective

May overlook practical impact of preaching.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Blunt Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blunt-preaching-1315569/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Preacher Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher-let-1315570/) [Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching/) [Preaching Easily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching-easily-1315571/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/)

## Related quotes

> [“One thing I must tell you preacher is to let go of the old life you were living before you repented, because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-uwandu/one-thing-i-must-tell-you-preacher-is-to-let-go-of-the-old-life-you/)

[James C. Uwandu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-uwandu/)

> [I do not think of changing the people through my sermons. It is through preparing my sermons that God changes me. The sermons, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kang/i-do-not-think-of-changing-the-people-through-my-sermons-it-is/)

[Albert Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kang/)

> [“But often the preaching is just motivational speaking, waterless clouds blown by the wind that offer inspiration without information (Jude 12). Sermons aren’t built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-retief/but-often-the-preaching-is-just-motivational-speaking-waterless/)

[Grant Retief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-retief/)

> [The process has now run full circle: Preaching originates in personal counseling; preaching is personal counseling on a group basis; personal counseling originates in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-process-has-now-run-full-circle-preaching-originates-in-personal/)

[Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/)

> [Any preacher who preaches beyond that which he has experienced is incapable of preaching with conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/any-preacher-who-preaches-beyond-that-which-he-has-experienced-is/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [Preachers say, "Do as I say, not as I do." But if a physician had the same disease upon him that I have, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/preachers-say-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do-but-if-a-physician-had-the-same/)

[John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/)

> [Judge not the preacher; for he is thy judge: If thou mislike him, thou conceiv'st him not. God calleth preaching folly. Do not grudge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/judge-not-the-preacher-for-he-is-thy-judge-if-thou-mislike-him-thou/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Now, the first preachers of the Christ evangel preached Christ. They did not, in the first place, preach salvation or sanctification or forgiveness, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-austin-sparks/now-the-first-preachers-of-the-christ-evangel-preached-christ-they/)

[Theodore Austin-Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-austin-sparks/)

> [I can't understand people calling themselves religious and being hateful. If a preacher is preaching hate, to fear God that's not religion, that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mojo-nixon/i-can-t-understand-people-calling-themselves-religious-and-being/)

[Mojo Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mojo-nixon/)

> [There is something in the eloquence of the pulpit, when it is really eloquence, which is entitled to the highest praise and honour. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/there-is-something-in-the-eloquence-of-the-pulpit-when-it-is-really/)

[Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/)

> [After I saw a couple of pictures put out by my fellow comedy-directors, which seemed to have abandoned the fun in favor of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/preston-sturges/after-i-saw-a-couple-of-pictures-put-out-by-my-fellow-comedy/)

[Preston Sturges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/preston-sturges/)

> [Remember, there are only a few model preachers. We have read of only one perfect Model, and He was crucified many centuries ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-henry-fowler/remember-there-are-only-a-few-model-preachers-we-have-read-of-only/)

[Charles Henry Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-henry-fowler/)

> [If a preacher is not first preaching to himself, better that he falls on the steps of the pulpit and breaks his neck than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/if-a-preacher-is-not-first-preaching-to-himself-better-that-he-falls/)

[John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/)

> [“I don't like to hear cut and dried sermons. No—when I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-don-t-like-to-hear-cut-and-dried-sermons-no-when-i-hear-a-man/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [Poetry and preaching do not go well together; when the preacher mounts the pulpit the poet usually goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/poetry-and-preaching-do-not-go-well-together-when-the-preacher-mounts/)

[Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/)

## More by Jim Cymbala

> [The old saying is true: If you have only the Word, you dry up. If you have only the Spirit, you blow up. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-old-saying-is-true-if-you-have-only-the-word-you-dry-up-if-you/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [The reason "other churches" don't grow: "Jim, the truth is, I couldn't have a real prayer meeting in my church. I'd be embarrassed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-reason-other-churches-don-t-grow-jim-the-truth-is-i-couldn-t-have/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [People who have a seeking heart still make mistakes. But their reaction to rebuke and correction shows the condition of that heart. It determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/people-who-have-a-seeking-heart-still-make-mistakes-but-their/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [“In too many churches today, people don’t see manifestations of God’s power in answer to fervent praying. Instead, they hear arguments about theological issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/in-too-many-churches-today-people-don-t-see-manifestations-of-god-s/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [The more we pray, the more we sense our need to pray. And the more we sense a need to pray, the more we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-more-we-pray-the-more-we-sense-our-need-to-pray-and-the-more-we/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [What does it say about our churches today that God birthed the church in a prayer meeting, and prayer meetings today are almost extinct?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/what-does-it-say-about-our-churches-today-that-god-birthed-the-church/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [Jesus called fishermen, not graduates of rabbinical schools. The main requirement was to be natural and sincere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/jesus-called-fishermen-not-graduates-of-rabbinical-schools-the-main/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [God nowhere asks anyone to have a large church. He only calls us to do his work, proclaiming his Word to people he loves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/god-nowhere-asks-anyone-to-have-a-large-church-he-only-calls-us-to-do/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [For all of us involved in preaching the gospel, performing music, publishing Christian materials, and all the rest, there is an uncomfortable message here:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/for-all-of-us-involved-in-preaching-the-gospel-performing-music/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [The work of God can only be carried on by the power of God. The key is not $, organization, cleverness or education. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-work-of-god-can-only-be-carried-on-by-the-power-of-god-the-key-is/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/you-can-tell-how-popular-a-church-is-by-who-comes-on-sunday-morning/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [“The British Bible translator J. B. Phillips, after completing his work on this section of Scripture, could not help reflecting on what he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-british-bible-translator-j-b-phillips-after-completing-his-work/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [Prayer cannot truly be taught by principles and seminars and symposiums. It has to be born out of a whole environment of felt need.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/prayer-cannot-truly-be-taught-by-principles-and-seminars-and/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [Persistent calling upon the name of the Lord breaks through every stronghold of the devil, for nothing is impossible with God. For Christians in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/persistent-calling-upon-the-name-of-the-lord-breaks-through-every/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

> [“the Creator of all things is looking throughout the whole earth for a certain kind of heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/the-creator-of-all-things-is-looking-throughout-the-whole-earth-for-a/)

[Jim Cymbala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

[Explore all 82 Jim Cymbala quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/)

## More Men and women quotes

> [“Galton’s gospel of eugenics found fertile soil in Britain, in the intellectual salons of Europe, and in the United States. Beginning in the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-loconte/galton-s-gospel-of-eugenics-found-fertile-soil-in-britain-in-the/)

[Joseph Loconte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-loconte/)

> [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/)

[Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/)

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I never knew a man who deserved to be thought well of for his morals who had a slight opinion of our Sex in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/i-never-knew-a-man-who-deserved-to-be-thought-well-of-for-his-morals/)

[Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/)

> [“I like men and women who don't fit well in the dominant culture, or, as Alvar de Campos calls them, strangers in this place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabih-alameddine/i-like-men-and-women-who-don-t-fit-well-in-the-dominant-culture-or-as/)

[Rabih Alameddine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabih-alameddine/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [Relationships are never more important than your own self worth and if you don't have that then any relationship is worthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/relationships-are-never-more-important-than-your-own-self-worth-and/)

[Enhance Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enhance-dreams/)

> [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/)

[Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/)

> [“One had heard and read a great deal about death, and even seen a little of it, and knew by heart the thousand commonplaces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/one-had-heard-and-read-a-great-deal-about-death-and-even-seen-a/)

[Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/)

> [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“Faced with armed men and women and stuck in theater seats while things exploded right outside, the audience tended more toward terror than analysis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-kay/faced-with-armed-men-and-women-and-stuck-in-theater-seats-while/)

[Elliott Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-kay/)

> [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Men and women shop differently. Men know what they want before they see it. Women don't know what they want until they see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/men-and-women-shop-differently-men-know-what-they-want-before-they/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most times he will pick himself up and carry on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/man-will-occasionally-stumble-over-the-truth-but-most-times-he-will/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [One of the reasons I wanted to start a company is because I wanted an environment that I wanted to work in. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tory-burch/one-of-the-reasons-i-wanted-to-start-a-company-is-because-i-wanted-an/)

[Tory Burch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tory-burch/)

[Browse all 5,305 Men and women quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. Preaching itself can easily become just a subtle form of entertainment. When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he is not going to ask me if I was a clever orator. He is not going to ask me how many books I wrote. He is only going to ask whether I continued in the line of men and women, starting way back in the time of Adam’s grandchildren, who led others to call upon God.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jim Cymbala"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-here-preaching-itself-can-easily/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Men and women"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-here-preaching-itself-can-easily/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56a/jim-cymbala-7997_men-and-women_as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-her_2527898.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As a preacher myself, let me be blunt here. Preaching itself can easily become just a subtle form of…” — Jim Cymbala",
                "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": "Jim Cymbala",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cymbala/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“As a preacher myself, let me...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-here-preaching-itself-can-easily/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cymbala/as-a-preacher-myself-let-me-be-blunt-here-preaching-itself-can-easily/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
