I love preaching. It is rewarding, exhilarating, and terrifying....all in the same moment. I love it because I love God and I love seeing people hold on to hope. The Word is ever transforming in nature.
When I began preaching full-time I would try to think of a good story or illustration and build a sermon around it/them with linking passages. Today is different. I love to find a main text and two or three supportive ones. After that, I then look for a way to illustrate their meaning.
Do not lose confidence nor focus of the Bible. Life resides within such texts. Read them once or repeat them over the years and the truths of God continue to ignite Life in us.
Preach the simplicity of the Word. Preach the Jesus of the Word.
Watch him. Notice his eyes, his touch, his vulnerability as he passes a street corner or a tree along the route. Hear his tone as he heals the one or the seven. Watch him turn his back on the throngs for an escape route to the shore.
Watch Jesus in the Word.
Relax.
Let the Word teach you and then relay it. After all of these years I still find my preparation, as well as my delivery, in need. But I never find the Word of God anything but current and lively.
Our people are deserving of perfect hope. We best not dilute His message of firm hope with our distractive education nor our unfocused indifference. The world is always brighter when God's children are aglow with the glory of the message preached from the Word of God.
Old hat? Nope. New life...Sunday after Sunday!
2 comments:
Oh how liberating for both those preaching and those we preach to, when we simply, wonderfully preach Jesus!
Glory to God!
Jason
Amen, Terry. It's not our cool stories that change lives, it's God's story. If we fail to present HIS text, we have truly failed to preach His gospel.
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