Welcome back to my interview with Grady Van Wright, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Houston, Texas. Read part one of the interview
here.
Grady, what single piece of counsel (or constructive criticism) has most improved your preaching?
The one counsel is the centrality of the gospel in preaching. Though every passage is not a gospel passage, every passage either leads to the gospel or emanates from the gospel. My job is to get to the gospel either forward or backwards.
What books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?
Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd- Jones. I own the actual lectures, which were later transcribed for the book, and listen to them quite often. As to the question of influence in my own preaching—I don't hold out hope for any transfer of this man's exceptional gifting to my preaching! But his persistent belief and exhortation that the “Spirit's unction” should attend all preaching has influenced my preaching tremendously.
What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?
Laziness isn’t inactivity—it’s not doing what needs to be done at the time it needs to be done.
What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?
Don’t love in order to lead them, lead because you do love.
Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?
My discouragements are almost always rooted in my sinful desire to control those things that are beyond my control, which incidentally includes everything! Somehow I can forget this when a counseling session doesn't go well, or when I am uniquely aware that my mistakes and failures contributed to those times not going well. It is then that I am tempted to believe that the sovereign God released a task to me and I let him down. Pray for me that I be reminded in those times that God knows me well, and that He would in no way, whatsoever, release anything to me!
Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)
This interview was going so well! Now that’s a convicting question. I feel like asserting my Fifth Amendment privilege! I could say, given the second law of thermodynamics,
what’s the point? Also, I could just say it hurts but I know, “no pain, no gain.” I think I’ve just settled for “no pain, no pain.” A lot of people don’t read this blog, do they, C.J.?
Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?
I still enjoy marksmanship and can be found at the firing range on occasion. My oldest son is a fencer and I enjoy watching him.
What do you do for leisure?
I love reading; watching documentaries, particularly biographies of historical figures; and the outdoors, camping, hiking, picnics, etc.
If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?
Well, I was pursuing pharmacology (that would be the legal kind, white smock and all) before I enter the ministry 15 years ago and I suspect that's where I would have ended up.
Thank you, my friend, for taking time to answer my questions!