{"id":3725,"date":"2010-08-23T08:00:33","date_gmt":"2010-08-23T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=3725"},"modified":"2026-07-23T15:06:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T19:06:44","slug":"ministry-objective-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/ministry-objective-application.htm","title":{"rendered":"Ministry Objective: Not Mere Knowledge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MinistryWe live in an information age, proliferated by the Internet. I can’t tell you how many newsletters about the Internet I have read that stressed some variation of “Content is king.”\u00a0 Is this true of ministry? Should that be our objective?<\/p>\n

What good is knowledge without application?<\/h2>\n

Solomon in his quest to understand earthly knowledge concluded that it was like chasing after wind.\u00a0 He said “…the more knowledge, the more grief” and “much study wearies the body.”\u00a0 He ended his search, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). <\/span><\/p>\n

The more we know the more it should lead us to realize that there is so much more we don’t know.\u00a0 God should seem bigger as a result.<\/p>\n

Knowledge is important, according to Solomon who also said, “wise men store up knowledge” (Prov. 10:14).\u00a0 But, he also stated that “every prudent man acts out of knowledge”\u00a0\u00a0(Prov. 13:16).<\/span><\/p>\n

The conclusion:<\/strong> Knowledge for knowledge’s sake is not the answer but rather its usage, particularly in getting to know God better.<\/p>\n

What priority is knowledge as a ministry objective?<\/h2>\n

Knowledge is not the starting point, nor is it the end, according to 2 Peter 1:5-9 —<\/span><\/p>\n

“add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”<\/p>\n

We begin with faith.\u00a0 The object of our faith is the God who saves us and equips us for life.\u00a0 We end with love, the greatest commandment according to Jesus (Matt. 22:37-40).\u00a0 Knowledge is only a part of the process of getting from faith to love.\u00a0 But, we will be held accountable to the level of knowledge that we have.\u00a0 — “Anyone, then, who KNOWS the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17)<\/span><\/p>\n

The conclusion:<\/strong> Knowledge is important but in itself is insufficient to make you effective and productive in “your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”<\/p>\n

You ministry objective needs to be the application of knowledge<\/a><\/em>, not mere knowledge.\u00a0 Without knowledge, you will simply have emotionalism in the Christian life.\u00a0 “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge” (Prov. 19:2).\u00a0 But, if you make it all about knowledge, you will simply have puffed up people for “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor. 8:1).<\/span><\/p>\n

Also be aware that In Some Cases Knowledge Really is Power<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We live in an information age, proliferated by the Internet. I can’t tell you how many newsletters about the Internet I have read that stressed some variation of “Content is king.” Is this true of ministry? What good is knowledge? . . . Continue reading Ministry Objective: Not Mere Knowledge<\/span>→<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ministry-objectives"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t