Thursday, June 20, 2013

Daily sermon prep

Preaching I think one of the reasons a preacher might be forced to spend long hours in preperation to preach is their lack of a daily devotional time. I know that in most daily devotional times we don't memorize a lot of scripture. However, if you go over the same trails in the word enough times you become familiar with them. Devotions I think that almost any devotional can lead to a sermon. The problem is that when people are spending a lot of time writing sermons they mix their own devotional times with their sermon preparation and then before long their is no devotional. The question has been posed how do you know when what you are getting out of the word is for you and when it is for sharing with others. Sermons Well, it depends on the question asked I supose. I think if it is good sound Biblical teaching then it is for all of us. If you are a pastor then when you pastor the people God has given you to pastor then you should be drawing out of the sum total of the knowledge and wisdom that God has given you. Knowledge and Wisdom What's the difference between knowledge and wisdom? Well, knowledge is what you know and wisdom is sort of how you use what you know. That's a good enough understanding to realize that when you study the word for knowledge or you get only knowledge out of a session it's like charging the battery. Then when you need to preach the battery is charged and the draw is hopefully not more than the battery. This is why the battery must be constantly charged. So that the charge will be there. Its part our task to be ready to preach in season and out of season. Preparing It's also commanded not to worry too much about what we will say when we are called to answer before our persecutors. Basically, you shouldn't have to prepare an answer for them. Still, it pays to prepare for your next sermon. I guess what I'm saying is that you are always preparing for you next sermon and isn't it true that your life itself should be semron of a sort? I think so and accordingly I think that spending time in the word every day simply studying and "becoming an expert" is absolutely necessary. There was a time when I didn't feel that way. I learned better. Be in the word so often that when you think to speak, the first thing that comes to mind to answer with is, yep you guessed it, Biblical. Thinking like God This writing, the Bible reveals much about the way that God thinks and we should train ourselves to match that course to the best of our ability and with His help get the job done. Don't spend so much time studying that you can't do the work, but study so that when you do the work you do it out of the abundance of the Biblical wisdom you have gained by being in His word.

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