2 Cents

I'll be the first to admit that I have suffered because of this in the past. When I first got into reading Christian books I would have taken the brand new, nicely covered copy of Crazy Love by Francis Chan off the shelf any day before some old, beat-up, 1980's-looking version of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity or A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God. Furthermore I still find myself sometimes desiring to listen to the new John Piper or Mark Driscoll book over those of local preachers and other "lesser-known" men. Simply put... we often judge books by their cover.

First let me say there are many popular and well-known preachers and writers that you would benefit from and should most-certainly read or listen to. I fully endorse the writings of Francis Chan or the sermons of Mark Driscoll. What I don't endorse is lifting them up on a pedestal above the pastor of your own church and comparing every sermon of his to theirs.

As much as I have been influenced by John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and Jack Cottrell, they will never compare to life-changing, mentoring relationships I've received from men like Scott Davis, Larry Coffey, and Tommy Simpson (men you've probably never heard of). These "ordinary" men have changed my life and I refuse to compare them to the more famous writers/speakers or to assign a lesser importance to their ministries.

Jesus lifted up the prayer of a tax collector over that of a religious leader (Luke 18:9-14). He lifted up the offering of the poorest of women over that of the richest of men (Mark 12:41-44).

So learn from my mistakes and don't give more inherent value to a book or sermon simply because the author or preacher is well-known. Don't automatically refuse to read the writings of unknowns... they may very well become your favorites! Don't compare your pastor's sermons to the wealth of podcasts on iTunes. God has placed you where you are with your specific local influences for a very good reason. Invest your heart in learning as much from them as you possibly can. There is so much value worth digging for in this life that doesn't sparkle like treasure at first.