The following is an edited transcript of the audio.
What would you say to a pastor who is considering blogging?
1. I would say, "Get on your knees and ask the Lord to clarify your motives." That's the first thing I'd say: "Why are you considering this?" and, "How much of the desire for notoriety is in it?" because we all battle that. There's not a human being on the planet that doesn't love the praise of man, or doesn't like being known, or doesn't like being considered intelligent or wise or helpful.
And I'm not just indicting blogging here. I'm talking about preaching and doing what I'm doing right now. It is all possibly contaminated with a desire for the praise of man. And Jesus said, "How can you believe when you seek the praises of man and don't seek my glory." So pride and the desire for praise is a deadly thing.
So that's the first thing I'd say: search your heart--on your knees, in the word, and in prayer--as to whether or not there is a contamination that will make blogging more hurtful for you and for your people than otherwise. That's the main thing.
2. Probably the next thing I would ask is, "Will it draw you away from something that would be more valuable for you to do? Is your gifting such that you would be better off visiting your people, doing personal evangelism, preparing better sermons, or planning better elder meetings than sitting at your desk and contemplating what to write on a blog?"
3. A third question I'd ask is, "Who is the audience you're trying to touch? And why that audience? Is it your people?"
When I came to Bethlehem I immediately instituted what we call The Star, because there was no internet at all in those days. It's a weekly news mailing, and I write an article for it. You could call it written blogging. And my main reason for writing it is that I have more to say to my people than I can say on Sunday. And I really want to say it! So now with blogging you can say it to your people and anyone else who wants to look in.