We had a good service last night at Solid Rock Baptist Church in Potter’s Hill, NC. I preached about Jesus feeding the 5,000 and I felt that some folks got some help from the Lord. I did not, however, feel that my preaching was the best I had ever done. Still, we had a good service and I enjoyed great liberty to preach. Keep praying for the meeting. I will go back and try to do better tonight!

Preaching is a strange thing. If you are a preacher, I am sure you will agree with me. I mean, you pray and your prepare then you step into that pulpit and nothing is as you think it will be. When you read your text and begin to speak strange things begin to take place. It’s as if the sermon becomes a living thing. It really does take on a life of its own. It evolves and changes as you preach it. As the Spirit of God leads the mind in new directions, and gives fresh insights in the text as you preach, the sermon often ends up being something other than you thought it would be.If you are sensitive to the Spirit of God, the sermon becomes what He wants it to be, and that is always better!

Then, there is the mind of the preacher. While you are preaching, you are thinking about what you are saying, what you have already said, what you will say in a few minutes, and all the while, you are observing the goings on in the congregation while you preach. It boggles my mind that I am even able to speak a clearly articulated sentence when I preach. Preaching really is an amazing experience.

Another aspect of preaching that affects the process and the outcome is the congregational dynamic. When the people are receptive to what you are preaching, it seems to make the preaching moment easier. When they are resistant to your message, it makes things far more difficult. I am convinced that the people who are in attendance make a difference as well. When folk come to church they bring with them all the baggage of their lives. They bring their prejudices, their fears, their sins and even their demons. All of those things have an impact on the outcome of the service. Maybe I am exaggerating, but I really believe that the presence of certain people in a service can have a negative impact on that service. Maybe it’s just me.

Anyway, that’s what is on my mind this morning. Let me know what you think about it.

Alan