Not Our Own
August 20, 2026

IYM Pastors Retreat 2025

 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him” (John 7:16-18).

Jesus’ message was not merely His own. He took instructions from God who sent Him. He had chosen to do God’s will from the beginning, realizing that was His commission. His teaching came from God, so it was true. He didn’t speak to gain honor for himself.

We do not merely teach our own ideas either. As preachers called and commissioned by God, we are obligated to do His will, following the example of our Master. Others will find out whether our teaching comes from God or whether we are simply speaking our mind. We proclaim Christ for the honor of God who sent us. That’s integrity in preaching that flows from a life of integrity.

“Integrity of speech and deed is the outward expression of living in the truth. Each bit of veiled truth casts a shadow upon the light of Christ, which illumines and liberates the world. … Genuine humility and self-esteem are always functions of living in the truth, and the root of truth is always the self-giving love of God” (Paul Anderson. Following Jesus, p.189).

 

 

Our Friends forerunners were often known as “Publishers of Truth.” May that same label be applied to us. There must be nothing false about us. Friend Samuel Bownas (1676-1753) wrote and spoke about vocal ministry, one of the first to articulate the qualifications for ministry. To a meeting of ministers, he wrote,

And dear friends, let us be singly and in sincerity devoted to the will of God, whether to preach or be silent; for if we are not sensible of such a resignation, it is doubtful that we may set ourselves at work, when we should be quiet, and so bring an uneasiness upon our friends, and burthen upon ourselves. And this conduct will shut up Friends’ hearts against our service and ministry. And my dear friends, every time you appear in the ministry, when it is over, examine yourselves narrowly, whether you have kept in your places, and to your Guide; and consider whether you have not used superfluous words that render the matter disagreeable…always remembering, that the true ministers preach not themselves, but Christ Jesus our Lord (Samuel Bownas. “To the Meeting of Ministers at Kendal in Westmoreland, taken from Friends’ Intelligencer, XIV, (1857), pages 210-211, qhpress.org/quakerpages/qwhp/bownase/htm).

 

Whether standing at the pulpit, rising from the pew, or sitting with a friend, we rely on the Spirit of Christ within us, to know to speak boldly or to be quiet and trust Him. 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT

Jeff Blackburn has been proclaiming Christ for over 43 years. He served Friends congregations in Indiana and Kansas. His most recent pastoral assignment was with Greensburg Mennonite Church, Greensburg, Kansas, where he enjoyed nearly 30 years of ministry before being called to coordinate the Friends Preaching Initiative in 2024. He works with aspiring preachers and ministry students on campus, often preaches in churches in the region. He developed three new courses for a preaching certificate offered through Barclay College, and he created a preaching lab for Barclay students to work on their communication skills.

Jeff grew up in small-town Indiana, attending Quaker Haven Camp every summer before counseling and directing camps. He is a graduate of Barclay College and Huntington University. He wrote for Adult Friend and The Fruit of the Vine (Barclay Press, Newberg, Oregon) for many years. Jeff enjoys music and singing, although he can’t read music very well. He continues to serve as the moderator for local schools’ spelling bees.

Jeff has written one book, Light at the End of the Funnel (Amazon, 2017) recounting the experience of surviving an EF5 tornado that devastated his town in 2007. He and his wife live in Greensburg where they are near enough to play with their grandchildren on a regular basis. The Lord put it in his heart to help train the next wave of preachers and to encourage active ministers to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).