Half done

Ok yes my time here is over half done, but I am officially half done with my preaching. I did number three last night and three more to go before I can turn it over to Ron and retire from the pulpit. Last nights sermon has been the most difficult for me so far. I was working through Ephesians 5:6-10 and trying my best to stick with just the text and the implications of it with out adding too much outside information. That is alot tougher than it sounds, or at least it is for me. Expository preaching is much harder than just being able to tell a story from the Bible and tell people how it should impact their lives. Jeff if you are reading this I think you would have been pleased with me. With translation the timing was just about 45 minutes and I stayed on topic for most of the time I think ;).

This week I do not have to prepare a lesson for the Youth Group as the are doing a beach excursion and bonfire so I will have a bit more time to relax and think this week. I have really been enjoying the time in study but the time behind the pulpit still scares me. I always feel like I am not communicating well my intent and am afraid that people are not understanding and then I feel like I am just wasting their time. James 3:1 "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." And this does not help ease my feelings of inadequacy to teach the word of God. Like trying to handle the word of God with reverence was not hard enough but those that are called to do so are placed under stricter guidelines for judgment. Wow thanks I wasn't already worried enough that what I was capable of doing was not worthy now I have to deal with a heavier burden. I guess sometimes ignorance can be bliss, as long as knowledge is never needed.

Well, as I sit and think about my time running down here past the half way point in many aspects two things strike me. One that I am again struck by how unqualified I am to be a teacher or preacher of the word of God, yet for some crazy reason I am given opportunity time and again to be just that. And while I believe that it is not for some heavenly gag reel that god places me in this positions I can only claim as Paul did that it is through my weakness that His power is displayed fully. It is only when in my flesh I can not carry the burden that He becomes evident in my life to be seen by those around me. I can only hope and pray that I am not trying to strive beyond my own strength and therefore hindering the view of others of the Light that is God shining forth. and Second that no matter where I go people are not that different at heart. Yes we may all speak different languages, have different customs, and even look different, but inside we are all struggling with the same issues, tempted by the same things and all fall into the same sins. Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. And if it was true in his day it is certainly still true in our. Though the times have changed there is nothing new and all people are the same. Though we are separated by culture, language, ideals, and many other things we are all the same inside and there is no division among us that can not be overcome if we look to what unites us and not to what it is that divides us. 1 Corinthians 1:10 "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." While I do believe it is important to hold fast to the truth of scripture the things of this world that separate us are only man made divisions and can be done away with. May God bless us all with a mind towards unity and fellowship and not division and hate.