Stay at it preachers

One of my greatest passions is preaching I love everything about it. I love the preparation time too, and the mysterious ways that God intervenes and gives insight, the aha moments while reading the text, the power-punched illustration that often comes in the 24th hour, the sleepless night before as you labor over the impact it might have, and the actual delivery itself.

There are moments while I am preaching that the Spirit of God gives me insight and thoughts that are not written in front of me. And then  there are those pin-drop moments that happen every once in a while that you realize God is up to something big.

But what excites me the most is when God chooses to use the message in the heart of an individual in a powerful way. Each week as I prepare I always beg God to take my words and use them for his glory. I ask him to prepare the hearts of individuals to receive it so that it can assist in changed behavior.

Well, through the years I have found myself in many venues  preaching. When it is all over you often wonder if God used you to encourage, sharpen, challenge or assist someone in their spiritual journey.

Last night my son Josh told me an encouraging story. He shared that during one of his classes at Grace College the students were giving their testimonies and a young man shared that he was saved at Momentum Youth Conference at Robert Morris University 3 years ago. After class Josh talked some more with the young man who is now a college Freshman and Bible Major. He shared that he heard a message given by Jim Brown and on that night he surrendered his life to Jesus.

My son Josh, told him that he was the son of that speaker. Now that really encouraged me deeply because here is a kid that is still walking with Jesus and has committed his life to following hard after him. So much is said these days about the method of salvation. Journals are being written about all the reasons that a response in a service is not the way to present the Gospel. Yet here is a man that points to this moment where he got saved and surrendered his life and is walking with Jesus.

I love when God brings these stories to light and brings encouragement to the preachers. So to all my preaching colleagues out there, stay at it, you are making a profound difference in our world. Too much is at stake for the Gospel for you not to preach!

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14