The personal life of the preacher–his spirituality and godliness–is the very foundation upon which his public preaching stands. His maturity must be established before his message can be effective. If God is to speak through a man, that messenger must be converted, called, consecrated, and consumed with Scripture. Only in his pursuit of personal holiness can he come to his study and rightly understand the Word. And only in that same spiritual state can he ascend into the pulpit and rightly deliver a biblical message in the power of the Holy Spirit.
— Dr. Steven Lawson