As I sat on the front porch at the house on Sunday, an interesting thought occurred to me. I asked my wife, "What are ten things you have heard during a sermon, that are so important you have never forgotten them?" She looked at me with panic written all over her face. I asked, "Can you even name one?"
I spend between 7 and 12 hours each week preparing for the Sunday sermon, but I honestly do not believe 90% of the congregation will remeber what I said by 5:00 Sunday afternoon. I say that because I usually forget by Wednesday! In fact, I could not tell you 10 things I've heard in church that are so profound that I still remember them.
Now, I get it. All those sermons and lessons start to add up, and the knowledge we gain from them becomes the wisdom we use to help us live our best lives. We don't forget them, we just file bits and pieces away for later use. I know I've heard things that have stuck with me, but it is hard to remember a sermon that changed my life in a profound way...except for one.
During a sermon many years ago, a pastor told me that I could have a relationship with God. I was told about sin; about changing course in my life; about Jesus Christ. That message is so profound and life changing, it should be the one we share on a consistant basis. All my funny stories and cool illustrations will be forgotten by dinner, but the gospel will leave your head spinning for weeks to come.
It is such a simple massage, but it makes my heart stop to think about sharing it outside of Sunday morning (Yeah, that's right, I'm no different than you). I think we should consider how we can share it faithfully with our community. What would give us confidence? Should we go out? Can we invite others in...and have them come? Are there things we should do that we used to do? Are there new things we should try? Is there training we should explore? Where should we start?
Remember, we have the power of God working in us! Let's ask God for guidance, and remember to dream big!
P. Rob
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