One of the greatest cover-ups in today's church is the fact that pastors are hurting. Some are hurting deeply. This is particularly true when the Word of God is being faithfully preached and the people in the pews are resistant and non-responsive. Mondays are for many pastors days of intense reflection and introspection, seasoned with regrets over what he might have done better the day before. Such a weekly habit tends to morph into the temptation to assume that the results of ministry are dependent upon the messenger. Pastoral "burn out," according to Paul Tripp, is not the result of being overworked but of finding our identity in the ministry and not in the Lord who has called us and equipped us to make Him known. The pastorate is a "dangerous calling" because it requires self-denial and, yes, dying to self so that Christ's Kingdom and not our own may be built. Because we know ourselves better than anyone else knows us (save the Lord), we are called to preach the Gospel to ourselves daily and claim the same grace that we offer to others in our weekly messages. The author reminds us consistently throughout this book, that we--just like those we preach to--are in the midst of our own sanctification. We have not yet arrived, and the sooner we admit that fact and face it honestly, the greater the integrity of our ministries will be. Therefore, we must be willing to be honest with ourselves and vulnerable with others. Tripp's chapter on the devotional life of the pastor is a timely reminder of how prone we are to lose our awe of God. This is especially true of those who handle the sacred text on a regular basis. I marked and took notes in the margin of nearly every page of this book. The author's writing style appears redundant at times, repeating back-to-back charges and challenges in synonymous phrases, but I found myself needing to be repeatedly poked in chest in order to see myself and my flaws most clearly. "Dangerous Calling" is both confrontational and comforting. I needed what it has to say. Every prospective pastor should read this book, but it will not impact him to the degree that it will a few years into his ministry. These things take time to learn, and most of us learn them improperly. That's why this book is a necessary read for present pastors who are truly concerned about building the Kingdom and not his own. Tripp's exposition and application of 1 Peter 5:6-11 forms a wonderful conclusion. Resist the temptation to skim that final chapter.

Every time I read or listen to Paul Tripp, one liberating message consistently resounds in my head and heart:

As desperate sinners we can be ruthlessly honest about our need for grace, because the very grace we so desperately need is available to us—right now—in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

I was recently encouraged, as I opened my email inbox, to find some exciting news from Crossway in the form of an advanced-copy PDF. In his forthcoming book, Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry, Tripp recounts some of the most trying experiences within his own life and ministry in order to provide a "diagnostic" that will help pastors honestly face and wisely navigate the challenges, temptations, and potential pitfalls frequently facing those in pastoral ministry. I've only begun to flip through the pages, but it is clear that Tripp powerfully demonstrates how the liberating message of grace is needed as much by the pastor as it is by the parishioner.

Divided into 3 parts, Tripp begins by "Examining Pastoral Culture". In this section, Tripp uncovers the common dangers that pastors face when they lack community and personal accountability, refuse to listen to those around them, face relational difficulties within their own marriage and family, allow their identity to be defined by their ministry, only approach the Scriptures with an academic bent (or as only applying to the lives of others), form misconceptions about ministry "success", and fail to consistently preach the truth of the gospel to themselves.

Tripp moves forward to examine the ramifications of forgetting who God is. In a section entitled "The Danger of Losing Your Awe (Forgetting Who God Is)", Tripp examines how, as Warfield stated, "constant contact with divine things" can result in complacent theological familiarity and a loss of awe for the power, presence, and person of God. Forgetting who God is results in sinful fear, secrecy, complacency and frustration.

Part 3, "The Danger of Arrival: Forgetting Who You Are", takes aim at the dangers of forming a magnified view of ourselves that is selfish, sinful, and altogether unbiblical. Tripp notes that when we choose to become the objects of our worship we prideful, defensive, disconnected, overtly self-confident, and always desiring to make ourselves known in an unhealthy way. Tripp notes how choosing to worship God personally and privately, will allow us to encounter the glory of God in such a way that it will then allow us to see ourselves for who we truly are, stripping us of our self-focus, self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, and more...in turn allowing us to truly experience life.

In each section, Tripp never leaves you guessing as to how God's grace reaches into each situation with its healing power. The strength of Tripp's writing lies in his ability to surgically, and thus often uncomfortably, address the infections and wounds of sin within the life of the believer, and in this particular case, the pastor. He then wisely notes how our sinful hearts often try to cover over these wounds, or out rightly ignore them, which leads to increased damage to our hearts and destruction in the lives of those around us. Again, he never leaves the person with a sense of despair, no matter how deeply the sin has permeated one's own heart and life. God has given Paul Tripp the ability to speak the Good News of the gospel of God's grace toward us in Christ with such clarity and effective soul application that even the most desperate person, who chooses to believe, will rejoice in the light of the availability and liberating power of God's grace.

As a young minister who has served in various pastoral capacities over the last 5 years, even in my quick reading of this book, Tripp has already uncovered many of the sinful tendencies I see and struggle with in my own life. Thus, I can confidently say, for the young pastor or the seasoned one, this book is a must read! Pick up a copy, be personally and ministerially honest, and glorify God by applying and reveling in the now-available grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

NOTE: I was provided with a complimentary advanced-copy PDF of this title from the publisher for the purpose of review, and was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Excellent book. Profound in its message; simple (in a great way) in its delivery. The author is a great example of how you can write with wisdom about a complex issue and be readable –easy to understand and comprehend, which makes the message stronger.

Now, this is a book targeted at pastors, and it certainly is a must for every pastor. But Mr. Tripp has done such an amazing job here that not only should it be required reading for every pastor, seminary student, minister and church leader, it should also be a must read for every Christian. Here's why: How many of us put our pastors on a pedestal, like they can't do wrong? How many of us are hard on our pastors, never showing mercy or grace when we think they fail or have done wrong? This book lays a pastor's heart wide open for all to see. We see his struggles, challenges, fears, sin, his strength in God and the hope in His grace, which lead us to very specific issues for which to pray for our pastors, elders and other church leaders. We learn what we already know but don't really realize: pastors are like the rest of us –same struggles, same fears, just maybe on a greater scale. Once we realize that, we'll see our pastors in a new perspective and we will pray more efficiently for them.

Also, this book helped me look deeper into my own heart, motivations and attitude towards myself, others and God and His Word. It's a wonderful call to attention to that which I desperately need to change, and a great call to arms to change it in God's strength and by His grace.

Mr. Tripp draws from his own experiences as well as the experiences of pastors close to him, and I'm sure pastors and church leaders everywhere will identify with them and receive the much needed pastoring that the author knows they lack. This is an insight into pastors' lives and hearts, a mirror; a great way for seminary students to learn what being a pastor really is, and a wonderful way for the rest of us to understand our leaders better and to grow in the Lord.

*I received a copy of this book from Crossway through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Book does a great job of reminding us that we are always in need of the gospel, and the grace of Jesus. It is full of warnig and encouragement and practical insrutction on how to always be focused on Chirst, and in awe of God and watchful for the dangers of my own sinfulness and.

Everyone needs conviction to the glory of God. This book helps through intense self examination and drawing out sinful motives, to help us grow in our Christ likeness and our teaching. Read it!