Preaching and Witnessing

For many in our churches, our sermons are the only connecting point they may have with God for that week. For those outside the church, how we live our lives is the only connecting point they may have with God for that month.

As far as preaching is concerned, we simply should share the story as written as we preach from God's Word. We should share what it means to us today. Leave the doubt and scholarly discussion for the classroom. Share with passion how the story has blessed and/or changed your life; there is power in showing how God connected with your life in the passage being shared. The Reverend Harry Emerson Fosdick, noted pastor and preacher of the mid-20th century once said, "People don't come to church to find out what the Amalekites are up to this week." Indeed, they come to hear hope and purpose for their lives.

Submission

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Lenten Journey Travels Better Knowing Yourself

The Letter from James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We all have our limitations. We have times when we think we have all the power or at least, a lot of power. Submission is realizing that we do not have all the power and someone else does. There is no one who has more power than God. Submitting to God's power is to assume the power of God coming upon us and blessing us as we face those most difficult of times. James writes that by submitting to God, we were accepting God's power to help us in resisting the wiles of the devil to the point the devil will flee from us. Doubt, sadness, depression, fear, all the negative things you can think of, gone by the power of God. James also stresses that as we draw closer to God, God draws closer to us.

Our Lenten Journey travels easier knowing that God's power and God's closeness blesses us and helps us. Turn over to God all that is weighing heavily upon you today. May the fear of a new day flee from you. The light of Jesus is upon you and you will be blessed.

PRAYER: Lord, bless my Lenten Journey as I seek and draw near to You. May all that I fear and all that causes me to tremble be gone, in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde