I wrote here a while back on the importance of protecting the church from wolves. My thinking was stirred on this subject again a couple weeks ago when I attended Scott Thomas' Gospel Coach training. Scott compared the process of gospel coaching to the biblical mandate to shepherd the flock. To coach, then, is to know, lead, feed, and protect individual sheep in the flock. Since wolves are an ever-present danger to the sheep, we, as Christ's under-shepherds, must be always ready to use the staff to fight off these predators. Scott led us to consider again Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders in his farewell address: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away