I corresponded with Osborne more recently to solicit his counsel about the problem of burnout among ministry leaders. If you're stuck in the burnout spiral, I pray you will benefit from Osborne's wisdom about how the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms how we care for ourselves and support one another.

At World Harvest Mission, you say that "life and ministry must be saturated and motivated by our own need for---and experience of---the gospel of grace." What does that look like in practical terms on your staff and among your missionaries?

As pastors, workers, or missionaries, our busyness can easily overwhelm our ability to hold onto God's love for us in Christ, and God's presence with us as we live in fellowship with the Spirit. We've found that the only way to authentically teach these things is to be experiencing them ourselves.

To hold onto the gospel, workers like us need some degree of humility, flexibility, and adaptability. We look for people who have an awareness and understanding of their sin patterns, a strong grasp of the gospel, and can apply the gospel to their lives. We know that whether engaged in cross-cultural ministry abroad or working in the home office, our sin affects how we relate to one another, and we work at applying what we preach and teach to one another.

So we try to create a corporate culture of prayer, repentance, and forgiveness and seek to answer this question: "What does faith, expressing itself in love, look like in this situation?"

Burnout is a common experience among pastors and other ministry leaders. How does the gospel address this problem?

I have a deep and growing burden for Christian leaders because of the alarming number who have fallen over the past decade. As leaders, we are constantly tempted by a deadly cocktail of narcissism and isolation. And once our faith slips from a tight grip on Jesus and his power, we are trying to do tremendously difficult jobs on our own. At that point burnout is never far behind.

It's a little scary how few leaders understand the idols that run their hearts: pride, reputation, people-pleasing, control, success, you name it. And it is equally as scary how many leaders are ill-equipped to apply the gospel to their sin-burdened hearts.

How this shows up practically for us is having trusted friends in our lives who are willing and able to ask us hard questions---to speak the truth in love when they see our self-deception. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of humility and trust to submit yourself to the godly wisdom, advice, and prayers of friends who know you well. Of course it also never hurts to admit that you're not as essential to God's work as you might have thought!

What is one sure sign that a pastor or ministry leader doesn't grasp how the gospel should shape ministry?

At World Harvest we often talk about leaders being the "chief repenters." In fact, being the chief repenter is actually a formal part of my job description! The moment we're no longer able to accept criticism and other input from our peers and even subordinates, I think we're missing the gospel.

In my experience, unwillingness to accept feedback necessarily creates growing isolation, and even paranoia and anger. This downward spiral can only be arrested by humble repentance---something that always brings joy, shows us our sin (and limitations!) but even more, Christ's glory and work and the Father's love. Frankly, just stopping to remember that all we have or can do is a gift from God and not something we've done ourselves changes everything. Of course, that's often easier said than done.

Speak directly to a pastor watching this video or reading this interview who realizes he's headed for burnout. How does he now proceed to escape this downward spiral?

When I find myself heading for burnout, more often than not I've lost the rhythms of rest and repentance and start to chase my idols. I take my sights off of Christ and become self-focused---simply put, I try to take God's place on the throne.

So I guess I would say, "Pastor, you are prone to burnout for good reason: the demands of ministry are endless and urgent and you lack the natural ability to self-regulate. Right now you need to stop and seek those in authority over you and a few trusted friends to tell you how they see your life out of balance."

For me, that means asking questions about everything from physical exercise to sleep to prayer and relationships with my wife and children. Restoring a good work/life balance will help stem the tide of burnout, but if we're being truthful, it will only get you to zero.

Mostly from my many failures, I have learned that I get right back to burnout unless I have intentionally created ways to see my sin more clearly and how that sin hurts others. I need constant reminders that my Father in heaven loves me and is singing over me because of what Christ has already done and not what I'm achieving in ministry. I need to trust in Christ's righteousness that is given to me in justification rather than trying to create my own righteousness through my "success." And I need to exercise faith that God is at work in my life and in ministry and it's not up to me to accomplish everything.

This is precisely why ongoing gospel mentoring is so critical for our own staff and missionaries and how truly life-changing our discipling ministry has been to thousands of pastors over the years. More than anything, it helps you learn how to regularly meet with Jesus in this way.

Clarus---Latin for bright, clear, or radiant---is a regional conference of The Gospel Coalition taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from March 9 to 11, 2012. Christians from all over the Southwest region will gather at Desert Springs Church to hear speakers D.A. Carson and Fred G. Zaspel address the conference theme, "The Cross-Shaped Christian Life."

For good reason, the cross is the prominent symbol for the Christian faith. It is a symbol of the Christian's hope and of the tenor of the Christian life. The cross saves, motivates, and shapes us. It is our only "boast" (Gal. 6:14). In this video, Ryan Kelly---pastor for preaching at Desert Springs Church and a Council member of The Gospel Coalition---explains this year's theme:

Our speakers will address this theme across six sessions:

D.A. Carson

• "Living in a Difficult Time" - 2 Thessalonians 1
• "The Saving Word" - James 1:12-25
• "Christians Living in the Last Days" - 2 Timothy 3:1 - 4:8

Fred G. Zaspel

• "B. B. Warfield on the Doctrine of Sanctification"
• "Serving as He Served" - John 13:1-17
• "Forgiving As Forgiven" - Matthew 18:15-35

Conference attendees will receive free theme-related books from four publishers and conference discounts on hundreds of books and resources from visiting publishers and ministries. Read last year's Clarus '11 recap for links to audio and pictures from last year's conference with G. K. Beale and Carl Trueman.

The cost is $30, but students, married couples, and groups are eligible for special rates. Visit the Clarus website for more details or to register.

I asked Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research and author and co-author of several books, including Planting Missional Churches and Transformational Church, how would he advise pastors to approach a "one time" sermon.

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I remember the first time I preached a sermon, though it's unlikely anyone else does. In fact, I'm actually relieved that no record remains of its existence. I was asked to preach one time and, like many other first-time preachers, I brought everything I knew into that message. It was long, painful, and scattered---but a kind group of older adults not only invited me to preach, they also patiently sat through my message---though they never asked me back.

Preaching a stand-alone message can be tricky. For me, they generally fall in between sermon series (as I much prefer to preach) or when I am invited somewhere as a guest preacher.

Sometimes, as a guest preacher you are part of a series. For example, at one church, I simply continued the series (though I was a little bitter with the passage I was assigned). This isn't too difficult---you listen to a few messages before, tie in to those, and help the pastor along the way.

However, it's harder when you are the guest preacher with a single topic. I think you can go about it in two legitimate ways.

1. Preach a text on a topic.

2. Preach a topic with texts.

Preaching a Text on a Topic

A message is supposed to be grounded in the text, but text-based messages can still become exegetically irresponsible if we force a theme onto a text when it really does not fit. For example, if you are preaching on "motherhood" on Mother's Day, it might be better to connect with multiple texts rather than preach a text that touches on motherhood and you make it all about motherhood.

So when preaching a text on a topic, you need to be careful that you don't let the topic mold the text. Rather, the text, if appropriate, will inform and mold your approach to the topic. However, approaching a message in this way means it may look somewhat different from a standard expositional treatment of the passage. If I am preaching a text on a topic, I do not tell everything I would in a verse-by-verse exposition. Instead, I talk about how this verse undergirds the topic, but also that it addresses more than this topic. I say that, but I do not explain that. The topic will limit, to a certain degree, what I unpack from the passage.

For example, when I filled in at another church, I preached from the text, 1 Peter 4:8-11, on "Engaging all God's People in Mission." When I preach a one-week message, after all the study and preparation I wind up leaving a lot on my desk that I don't take with me into the pulpit. Your text will always say more than what you have to say and that's okay. Just ensure that what you do say is faithful to that text.

Preaching a Topic with Texts

On the other hand, one can also responsibly preach a topic with texts.

I recently returned from a church where my job was to encourage people to "live sent." I preached a topic with a few texts. The topic was how we might live as the sent people of Jesus. The texts (as well as the title) were the "Sendings of Jesus." These commissions included John 20:21, Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 24:46-48, and Acts 1:8.

The principles are actually the same. I wound up leaving a lot on my desk, but I worked hard to be faithful in what I brought with me to preach.

Or, once when I preached, the theme was the "seven last words of Jesus." My assignment was forgiveness. My assigned topic was not just that Jesus forgave, but how it affects what God has called us to do. Thus, I made it clear in the title: "Forgiveness: It's Who God Is, It's Why Jesus Came, and It's What Christians Do."

I believe it's easier to be thorough and responsible with the text when you preach through a series. If you are preaching through a book (as I am right now at my church), it is simply following the arguments, themes, and stories of the author. If you are preaching doctrinally or thematically, you can bring the whole counsel of God to a topic by being faithful to what the scripture teaches in its multiple mentions of the topic.

However, you simply cannot be as thorough in a one-shot message.

So, here is what I try to do:

1. Never use verses in way that would result in the apostle Paul (or Moses, Jesus, etc.) to say, "Whoa, that was not my point."
2. Don't share everything you know---leave some things on your desk and tell people you are doing so.
3. Don't preach a single message like a series---you can't do it well. Single messages have limitations and you have to live with them.
4. Point people to Jesus. Don't simply leave them with commands, lead them to the promises of God in Jesus.

I should end with my bias. I don't like single messages. I prefer a series because I find I can present a clearer picture of scriptural teaching on an issue. But do not despise the single message---nobody ever preaches a series in the Bible, and we don't see it much until John Chrysostom in the fourth/fifth century after Christ.

Be faithful with the small things . . . even the small sermons.

I posed these questions to Matt Perman, blogger and author of the forthcoming What's Best Next: How the Gospel Changes the Way You Get Things Done. We discussed how jobs afford us opportunities to love our neighbors, and how we each multitasked during repetitive work to learn about God and concentrate on his Word.

Especially if you're struggling at work, you'll want to hear Perman explain the doctrine of vocation, which invests everything we do with meaning, because we're living out a God-giving calling. Whether a pastor or plumber, we work in faith as unto God himself (Colossians 3:23-24). Perman explains how even garbage collectors can apply this doctrine to make their work more interesting, challenging, and fulfilling.

Scotty Smith, Mike Cosper, and Greg Thornbury discuss these difficulties in a wide-ranging roundtable conversation. Art doesn't work on the typical evangelical timetable, observes Thornbury, dean of the school of theology and missions at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. We want to clinch the gospel decision before the airplane lifts off, but art unfolds at a contemplative pace. We're loathe to recognize beauty that comes from unregenerate sources, notes Mike Cosper, pastor of worship and arts at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky. That's partly because we confuse common grace and special grace, says Scotty Smith, pastor of preaching at Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee.

Watch the video and join the discussion. But try to respect and understand those who hold different views on the arts.

We evangelicals tend to want our art to be pristine, easy on the eye, as with Thomas Kinkade paintings. Our music and films often reflect this desire. We envision Christian worship as an escape from reality, where life is hard, filled with sickness, death, and lament.

Yet good art, especially the Bible, knows better. Greg Thornbury, dean of the school of theology and missions at Union University, suggests reading a Flannery O'Connor short story to see how art can awaken you to creation's groaning. Even better, take a look at the tortured beauty of the cross. Or see what Mike Cosper, pastor of worship and arts at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky, sees in the Book of Esther: an R-rated tale of sex, murder, and seduction. This is the scene of God's redemption.

Bad art encourages escapism among Christians. Good art, epitomized by the Psalms, helps us long for the new creation even as we learn to love all God's creatures.

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At the same time, pursuing accolades at such schools can be dangerous to an aspiring scholar's faith. Horton holds up accountability to a local church as one way students can keep perspective when studying in what can be a hostile environment.

Watch to see why these two accomplished scholars conclude that the pushback and rigor of a secular education can sharpen Christian thinking and faith.

These and many other questions pop up when a woman needs the support and empathy of a counselor. David Powlison and Nancy Guthrie address several of them and suggest some practical steps a pastor can take to remain above reproach. But unless a pastor knows why he's in the room during a counseling session, carrying this vision with care and clarity, no safeguards will suffice. He won't be able to help, and he just might fall into sin.

Powlison and Guthrie also discuss the benefits of several different counseling arrangements besides one-on-one meetings. Rigidity can sometimes undermine the potential for fruitful interactions, Powlison cautions.

It might be tempting, then, to react by calling for color blindness in our churches and the broader society. But this luxury belongs only to the majority culture who does not so acutely feel out of step with the prevailing language and customs. We might not want or need to always think about race, but we can't avoid it altogether.

As John Piper explains in this interview about his new book Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian (Crossway), stereotypes are inevitable. So how can we ensure they lead us to rejoice in our God-given diversity rather than to wield them in sinful judgment? We spoke about what's at stake in our pursuit of racial and ethnic harmony and why we so desperately need the grace of God to prevail.

Younger generations raised to revere the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. easily forget the consternation he caused many conservative evangelicals with his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Visitors to Alabama's largest city now arrive at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. We may not recall that the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth (who died last month) was enemy number one for many churchgoers who attributed the racial strife to his agitation.

John Piper can't ignore this history---at least not in good conscience. He lived it and now looks back with regret on what he once believed. Writing in his new book Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian (Crossway), he confesses support for segregation and opposition to interracial marriage as blind spots for him and his family. By the gospel of Jesus Christ, we can confess these sins, which Jesus forgives through his atoning death for people from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

I sat down and talked with Piper about issues raised in his book, including the need to confront the sins of our fathers even as we learn from Christians in other centuries to expose today's blind spots.

To learn more about Bloodlines, read my review and return Monday for another clip, when I ask Piper what is at stake in our pursuit of racial and ethnic harmony.