The Key To Learning

Anyone in education will be able to recite this academic axiom from memory: "Repetition is the key to learning." Samuel Johnson is famous for saying, "People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed."

The power of repetition and reminders cannot be underestimated when it comes to preaching. Here are some questions I ask myself when preparing a message:

*What do people already instinctively know about this truth I am communicating?

*How can I encourage them to apply this knowledge in their everyday life?

*What stories or symbols can I use to reinforce this truth?

I'm looking forward to this weekends message and hopefully it will help people grow a little closer to God and become more like his son, Jesus.

Heart Word

Ps. 119:11 says, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against. you."

One of the inherent dangers of being a preacher is that we spend so much of our time proclaiming the Word that we constantly look to the Scriptures for principles or truths that we can use to help someone else.

Often times, we neglect hiding the Word in our heart for ourselves. It's the hidden Word of God in our heart that keeps us pure and righteous and and free from sin.

Don't be like the train conductor who that falsely believes he has been to the places he announces just because he has loudly proclaimed them. Spend time in God's word first and foremost for your personal benefit. Then, out of the outflow of the Word and Spirit's activity in your own life, will come your best messages for others.

What Should I Preach?

Paul said in 1 Cor. 1:18, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

In other words, the Greeks of Paul's day clamored for clever communicators full of philosophical wisdom. And the Jews desired miraculous demonstrations from the preacher.

In the same way, today's audience desires slick sermons presented in easy-to-digest three-point "how-to" messages that will put them on the fast track to get out of debt, live the dream marriage and raise perfect kids.

But Paul says, "preach the cross", which means to lift up Jesus, his sinless life, sacrificial death, supernatural resurrection and soon-coming return. Yeah, that might seem silly to today's audience or even absurd. But it's the only message we have and the only one that saves.

So, preach the cross.