Preachers, keep on preaching the Word. I've never enjoyed such a time as these past ten years in getting to preach.
What a burden when I began. Finding three points with fitting intro and conclu were clock-eating, time-consuming burdens. It was really a struggle for me to learn to preach. I didn't lack energy nor ambition. I lacked connectability with the audience.
Looking back, I wasn't preaching to people. I was preaching outlines. It didn't matter to me if it had a message. My one goal was to be interesting.
What changed and when did it change? Both are answered in connectability. I wasn't connecting with the audience because I was spending zero time connecting to God. Really, I'm going to tell you the way it was; when the guy got up on Sunday morning to offer the opening prayer, that was the first time my sermon had been involved in connecting to God.
Today one of the things I request most from God is, Please don't leave me up there by myself. He must participate and I expect Him to every time.
Don't preach outlines, my friends; preach life!
2 comments:
Terry...thank you so much for your openness. Sharing your feelings is a great motivation for others to do likewise. This post is 'right on target'...much too often teachers, preachers are obsessed w/sticking to the outline...full speed ahead stuff. Oblivious to whether or not they're connecting. Stay connected to God and everything else makes contact. Thanks!
Terry,
I don't preach outlines with the teens. I am comfortable to go up on a Wednesday night with three scriptures on the screen,or none. There is no presure to know what is coming, or adgenda.
However, when I stand in front of the whole church, I just freeze. People tell me I do a good job, but it does not feel the same. I usually walk about with about 10 peieces of paper that I cannot keep track of.
Can you explain that to me.
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