Confessions of a Youth Pastor

I came to the office with all intentions of giving you my final notes from the Desiring God Conference, but I have a need in my life for confession and repentance this morning. I was reading some of John Piper's thoughts on blogging, and he had a question to ask us bloggers:

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.

While my sole intention was not praise when I began this blog sometime ago, I searched my heart and now I must repent. I have allowed myself to glory in the praise of man instead of glorying only in the cross. I repent...I turn from my selfish motives of gaining praise for myself and direct all glory to the only One worth glorifying. I pray that this blog makes you laugh. I pray that it some ways it may teach you some things about Jesus. I pray that while reading this blog you see the glory of God in changing a dirty, wretched guy like me. He alone is worthy...