Preaching to Convince

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The character of our praying will determine the character of our preaching. Light praying makes light preaching.
E. M. Bounds

A preacher reading about how to preach better can easily begin to feel like the farmer who finally refused to go to any more farm extension courses. His reason: "I don't need to learn any more. I already know how to farm better than I do now!"

Reading about the great ideas and wonderful successes of other preachers can be intimidating — the pastor who prepares sermons months early, the one packing in a thousand people compared to my fifty-five, the preacher with the seemingly inexhaustible supply of fresh stories, the witty one, the creative one, or the scholarly one. There will always be someone who preaches better. Always.

So why try? What good is my preaching compared to theirs?

Warren Wiersbe rides to the rescue of all who are ready to shelve their Bibles. Besides three decades of parish ministry, Wiersbe draws from an extensive conference, broadcast, and writing ministry. He's experienced the preacher's doldrums. He's been intimidated by the gifts of others.

But he can also put those feelings in perspective and celebrate the uniqueness of the individual preacher. And he tells each of us, whom God has tapped to proclaim his Word, "Indeed, your preaching is unique."

It really doesn't make sense!"

That statement was made to me by a pastor friend about a dozen years ago. We were lingering over our lunchtime coffee and discussing the Bible conference I was conducting in his church. I'd just commented that the church was having a strong influence on the students and staff of the nearby university.

"What doesn't make sense?" I asked.

"Where you and I are serving," he replied.

...

"Look, I'm really a country preacher ...

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